rorosz, I have two Weber gassers in my herd. I have a Weber Genesis 3000 which is 15 years old and a Summit that is 7 years old. Each has burners going different ways Genesis has them going east/west, and the Summit has them going north/south. Each layout has its + and -'s in my opinion. Other than the fact one has 3 burners and one has 6 burnrs they cook the same. Webers hold pretty predictable temps depending on the number of burners lit which is a huge plus compared to most grills. The 15 year old Genesis has only required replacement of the flavorizer bars during ownership and looks almost as good as the day it was put together. If you are concerned about hood height and the Weber on doing Rotis 20 lb Turkeys don't worry. I do them all the time and never had a glitch yet. IMO Weber has one of the better Rotis motors out there. Geared just right. I for one think infrared is a viable cooking method however I don't think you will be happy with IR on a lower end grill $400-$500 dollar range. No I'm not a grill snob but I am realistic. A charbroil red isn't and American Outdoor Grill or its more expensive cousin Fire Magic. Now if you want something that can really cook low and slow with temps down around the 210° range or sizzling hot with temps in 1000° range take a look at a ceramic cooker. BGE, Primo, Grill Dome, Kamado, and to a lesser extent Imperial Kamado. Course you will be cooking on lump charcoal but the flavor is awesome. Concerning your original post I feel a Weber grill would be the perfect fit for you and will answer the bell for you for many many years. If you decide on a Weber compare the grills at HD, Lowes and a True Value. Each store seems to have Webers with different specs concerning cooking grates (material) and flavorizer bars (material). Also you can get most Webers in propane or Natural Gas variants if you desire. Very Respectfully, Jeff

I think having to choose between grill and griddle is a wonderful sort of problem to have! Seems like someone here has posted that they clean their grill by turning it on high and putting a disposable [which they re-use] foil baking pan on it, upside-down, to hold the heat in. Supposed to work great. I like to grill, don't eat much griddle sort of food. My only agonizing springs from the cleaning, and since the bluestar comes with a cover the choice seems obvious. Obvious today, that is: by tomorrow, I may have changed my mind. Either way: no stress, it'll be fine, really. I wouldn't do either on a 36 inch range unless I was certain I'd use them at least a couple times a week. But I sigh heavily when a salesman says something to me to the effect of 'most people who get the grill hates it'-- oh, really? Have you taken a poll? Are ya psychic? It's just personal opinion masquerading as science, sort of like the New York writer who couldn't believe Reagan could win the Presidency since none of her friends were voting for him...

We have the Wolf 36 inch rangetop with charbroiler. It does take some getting used to but we love it. We have tried all of the foods that John above mentioned. Key to steaks and fish (salmon steaks) for us has been the brief searing on the grill and finishing in the oven, as he mentioned. Restaurant style, for a reason. We had a real epiphany recently when we did a whole slew of vegetables including Vidalia onions, asparagus, and red peppers. They were beyond fabulous, easy to do, limited smoke/mess. My daughter is planning to grill fuit--we have not tried that yet. We turn on the vent hood (Broan) before the grill, leave the hood running about 20 minutes after finishing, and it pulls out all the fumes. No next-day reminder of the salmon dinner. I don't know about grills other than this one, which every sales person discouraged us from buying. We are happy that we got it. Wolf does wonderful (and free) demonstration dinners at distributor showrooms. Worth seeking out if you live near one, as we do. Good luck!

Today's mail brought the Frontgate catalog, which featured their professional grill. It looks capable and seems nicely priced at $2,299. I wish I could see one locally, as there's no way I'd make such a major purchase sight unseen. Is anyone here familiar with this grill? Does anyone know who makes it? I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's another product of the Lynx factory. Unmatched Construction:  Non-corrosive 304 stainless steel will endure for seasons  Painted 38" ceramic brick firebox  Distinctive granite work surface is highly scratch-resistant  Double-walled hood construction guards against heat discoloration  Heavy-duty locking casters provide safe and secure mobility  10-year warranty on primary burners Peerless Performance:  107,000 total BTUs  Four 13,000 BTU cast stainless steel primary burners  Two 12,000 BTU side burners  18,000 BTU infrared searing burner  13,000 BTU infrared rear burner with included rotisserie kit Premium Features:  Push-and-turn electronic igniters for effortless grill lighting  Convection-style cooking vents for enhanced heat distribution  Stainless steel warming shelf removes for easy cleaning  Spacious utility drawers store your cooking utensils  Full-width stainless steel drip pan for easy grease management  Commercial-quality stainless steel grill grates  Under-hood interior lights keep you cooking after dark  Included all-weather vinyl cover guards grill from the elements Here is a link that might be useful: Frontgate Professional Grill