Budget?

Under $750 or so. I should add that will only get light use if that matters.

How about family size Weber Q? For some reason, Weber Q is fairly popular down here in Australia. Not sure how it holds up at the country of origin.

This forum is as good a place as any for your question. You also might check out chowhound, egullet, seriouseats and chefsteps if you have not already done so.

Questions: Besides a $750 budget, do you have other preferences in mind? Preferences for size of unit? Needs/preferences for size of cooking surface? Freestanding or built-in? Preferences for surface finishes? Do you want a rotisserie? Infra-red blocks? Do you need/want side burners? What kinds of cooking you want to do on it? Does "light use" mean infrequent use or just small batch cooking? Are you looking for something what will handle a lot of smoking as well as grilling? Had any specific likes/dislikes about the last NG model?

I've recently been looking for an NG model, too, but my interests, standards, likes and dislikes could be really different from yours. FWIW, I've been looking at mid-range Webers and hoping for sales prices down around $500 for Genesis NG models and less for the Spirit 330 model that I think might work for me. I don't care about smoking because I already have a separate smoker. For light use (meaning small batches), the Weber Silver Spirit 330 might work well for you. FWIW, the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated liked the LPG version as he best of gas grills they tested. I'll post back if I get one this weekend.

ETA: I'm partial to Weber because my 20 y.o propane powered Silver Genesis is still going strong. For Webers, I personally do not have any problems buying mine from the likes of HD or Lowe's, but your situation may be different than mine.

I'm willing to go up to $750 or so if necessary. If I can go less, all the better. The grill will only get light use, and then only plain grilling. Freestanding, not built-in. Don't need a huge one. No fancier features needed and no side burners needed. No smoking; just simple grilling. The last NG grill I bought was around 25 years ago, so no current experience. Where are good places to watch for sales?

Not sure I can help much on where to look. Webers are a large volume manufacturer who sells a lot through big-box retailers like HD, Lowe's and others of that ilk. I live in a pretty rural area. Our local hardware store sometimes has sales on Webers but they will have to special order NG models if I want one and they don't get much of a discount on those orders. In the nearest big city about 60 miles from here, its all big chains and big box vendors so I've been eyeing the ads for the NG Spirit 330 at the HD and Lowe's stores.

also, some outdoor/patio furniture stores will sell grills.

The other good thing about Weber is that the parts are readily available.

Napoleon.

Check out the Weber E-310 NG grill. It should retail for about $720 and can easily be found online. If you're willing to go a little smaller, then look into the Weber Spirit line.

As grills go, Weber is a bit pricey. But they are well built and last a long time.

I'm about to replace mine which was purchased 20 years ago and has lived on my patio, under a vinyl cover, through New York winters, all that time.

Weber makes some great products, at a pretty fair price, and like weedmeister says, parts are always available. Sometimes the box stores have special versions - like with a cast iron grid instead of stainless steel grids ( cast iron gives better grill marks ) so you might look around and see what you can find at the different chains , HD v. Lowes, Doit Center.

Another vote for Weber, they will last a long time, very reliable. Cheaper brands often rust out very quickly. When I bought my Weber Genesis a few years ago, I bought a 10% off coupon for Lowe's on ebay for around $7 and used it to save much more than that on the grill purchase. IIRC Lowe's assembled and delivered it for no extra charge.

I'm definitely leaning towards a Weber; now deciding if I really need the E-310 or if a lower model is good enough.

I have the Weber E-210 and love it. We've only had it just over three years, but it still looks and operates like new. I'm sure it will last many more years.

How many people do you typically grill for? For us, it's just my wife and I, and we only occasionally have more people over for cookouts. The two-burner size is perfect for our needs, but if you have a larger family or routinely grill for more people, you might want to get the E-310.

BTW: if a dealer doesnt have an NG version available, it is a simple thing to convert from propane to NG. There are usually kits available. Basically it is changing the jets on the burners and the regulator. This is something your dealer can order and install fairly quickly.

I've always found the Weber underpowered, especially for the price. You get good overall quality, but I think you're paying for the big brand name here. I was in the market two years ago and had my eyes on Lynx but the pricing is nearly as much as a Smart Car - well, maybe a slightly used one.

ended up getting a Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 and am very happy with it at 1/3 the cost of the similar Lynx. Now I live by the ocean and need the 304 stainless, but you might want to take a look at the Napoleon Rogue 425, which comes with SS burners, their heavy SS cooking grids which are really easy to clean, an a nice infra red side burner which was a must have feature for me. They do make it for NG as well.

Napoleon are made in Canada, not USA which I was looking to do, but the price jump to the Lynx was just too crazy.