Joe: I bought one without first researching and wouldn't have if I had done my homework. I'll try to brief, but there's quite the story to these "grills". I did read the instruction book at the store and everything seemed fine, except there is no manufacturer name or address if one needed parts or advice. It is called a "Portable Infrared Grill" on the front cover. In the book, are instructions on how to sear AND grill different foods like "Bone-in Chicken--Total Cook Time 20-24 minutes". Not at all possible, as the IR heat source is too powerful, even on the lowest setting, for the small cabinet and the grill grate is too close and not adjustable. Everything I tried was burned to charcoal in just a few minutes. I called the store and they said the high return rate from this problem was why they were on clearance. The old "get what ya pay for" I guess. I have since found many other dissatisfied former owners. The "Stainless Steel" is not the long lasting grade I thought it was (a magnet sticks, so will rust). The ceramic IR elements are not holding up (no warranty at all on the US). Thinking I was doing something wrong, I looked up "what is searing" and only found this technique used with a heavy hot pan or done on a flat top, never on a grill. The heavy pan method works fine, not sure why searing should be tried over an open burning flame?? Anyway, search around, ask at a good bbq store, ask friends before you buy, and make sure the store has a return policy. The US doesn't work well at searing and not at all for grilling. Hope this helped.

Either HDG (hot dip galvanized) or Z-Max are good levels of corrosion resistance. Standard G90 galvanized zinc is a low level of protection compared to HDG or Z-max. Stainless steel is the most corrosion resistant finish available. Ocean-salt air environments and some treated lumber requires stainless steel. If your PT lumber is treated for ground contact CA-B 0.21 pcf, ACQ or CBA with more than 0.40 pcf level of chemical treatment, stainless steel is recommended. The higher levels of chemical treatment accelerate metal corrosion. Always use the same type of metal or coated fasteners as the metal connectors. Dissimilar metals react and the PT wood acts as a catalyst.

Our stainless countertop will *hopefully* be in in a week to two weeks. So tired of waiting! Our kitchen island has a stainless top. Due to getting a stainless counter and not wanting to be too matchy-matchy, we're replacing that stainless top w/ butcher block (and to warm the place up a bit) but my point is that the 8 or so years we've had w/ the stainless island top have been FABULOUS DAHLING. It's hard to scratch in any noticeable way (beyond the tiny light scratches which are the patina for lack of a better word) - which is to say most people don't think to just start cutting on it and they'd have to cut pretty hard I think, to hurt it - and it doesn't easily dent unless you get the cheapest option (18 gauge, I think. You want to get 14 gauge which is tougher) and it's reflective and bounces light around beautifully. It's like a chameleon - it changes appearance depending on wall and ceiling colors and lighting and time of day. If you're going for the more period look, it looks so nice w/ marble and wood. Bla bla bla...I'm always sticking out my two thumbs up re. stainless countertops...kind of a broken record here! Lol! Let's just wait and see how much I like it when it's IN!! ;)

Go with the stainless grid. We have both kinds of grids (2 sinks); I would love to have a plain stainless steel grid instead of the coated one, but it's not available. The grid that is coated already has a spot where rust is showing, so it's obviously not stainless steel underneath. A hot pan will definitely melt the coating.