New Toy! A mini review with lots of pictures

Ron_L · 06-05-2013, 09:50 PM

Before the haters start in, yeah, it's a gasser. I have enough ways to cook meat using sticks, charcoal and pellets that I've earned my stripes, and a gasser is convenient for weekday lunches and weeknight dinners. Haters can go hate in someone else's thread.

My Weber gasser has seen better days. It's been through 15 Chicago winters and it deserves a rest. So, after a ton of research and reading every review I can find (including reviews from Larry Gaian at Embers and Flame and PatioDaddio, both Brethren) I decided on a Saber Cast 500 Infrared Grill to replace it.

My reasons? Actually, several. Build quality was a big factor. Saber uses commercial kitchen grade stainless (304). Everything else in the same price range uses lesser grade stainless. Also, the overall construction of the grill is impressive. The biggest factor was the way it cooks. The Saber grills use an infrared cooking system that gives a great sear and also uses less propane. They claim 30% less, but I'll see what my actual usage is. I've been looking at infrared grills for a while and wasn't happy with the quality of the lower cost systems, and can't justify the cost of a Tec or similarly priced grill. The Saber grills are in a similar price range as the high end Weber Genesis grills and the Weber Summit grills, and I was looking at a Weber Genesis S330 anyway, so this fit into my budget.

So… On to the toy

It’s a three burner with a side burner. Saber makes a model without the side burner, but it doesn’t have as much stainless, so I went for this model. Who knows if I’ll use the side burner or not. They also make a higher end three burner that is all stainless and has a two ring side burner, but I couldn’t justify an extra $400 for that. I’ll use the extra cash for meat

Each burner has a separate gas control. The knobs are nice and big, which is good for my big hands

there is also a separate thermometer for each burner. As you’ll see as I get to the detail pictures, each burner is also in it’s own burner box, allowing for multi-zone cooking.

There is an electronic ignition system plus crossover ignition to light the burners from each other.

The grates are all stainless as are the IR emitter plates below them…

The burners are also stainless and as mentioned each is in a separate burner box…

Below the burners is a grease tray…

the local dealer has been cooking on one of their floor models for 6 months and they have only a little ash in the grease tray. Most of the grease from the food is burned off by the IR emitter plates.

The side burner has a brass burner and a reversible grate on top (for a wok, probably).

The folks at Saber recommended burning off the grill on high for 20 minutes to clear any residue from the manufacturing process. They also recommend coating the grates and IR emitter plates with a high temperature oil to season them and then cooking some burgers (80/20 beef) so I decided that we would have burgers for dinner tonight

The local grocery store has what they call Pub Burgers. They are basically ground Angus beef in an 8 oz patty. Normally I buy ground beef and make my own patties, but the Pub Burgers were on sale and less than buying ground beef . I seasoned the patties with Dizzy Pig Cow Lick Steak Rub and tossed them onto the Saber that was preheated at Medium. I left them for three minutes then gave them a 90 degree turn for another three minutes then flipped them.

After three and three on the other side I temped them and they were about 115 in the center. I moved them up to the warming rack to finish while I grilled a couple of slices of sweet onion.

Once the burgers were medium rare I moved them back down to the far right burner (which I had turned off) and put on a slice of provolone. I also put the buns, which had been brushed with olive oil infused with garlic onto the grates and gave them a toast.

The finished burgers (It was getting dark, so the pictures aren’t the best)

and the buns and onion.

Inside I added a little mayo to the bun and some sliced tomato and avocado and some green leaf lettuce.

and then some cole slaw.

BTW, this meal is also entered into the Noobians vs. Veterans Throwdown! This would be a great opportunity to enter a throwdown, veteran or not! Come join the fun!

The burgers were nice and juicy and had a nice sear on the outside. The buns had a nice crispiness to the grilled side that added a nice texture to the sandwich.

Overall I am impressed with the Saber. Friday night steak night will be the next scheduled test

Bob Wiley · 06-05-2013, 09:56 PM

Wow! Looks like you done good

Mrfish · 06-05-2013, 09:59 PM

Nice sear with a nice red center. Thanks for sharing! Never would have looked twice at that brand otherwise.

Moose · 06-05-2013, 10:03 PM

That's a fine looking gasser, Ron!

Burgers look even better.

Hawg Father of Seoul · 06-05-2013, 10:06 PM

My boss gave me the green light for a new grill about a year ago. We went with the 5 burner chargrill (lower end for sure). The infrared is the business. Now I am going to have take a picture of this grill to the boss.

Nice equipment. Jealous here.

Tonybel · 06-05-2013, 10:14 PM

congrats...

Cherrywood · 06-05-2013, 10:26 PM

Nice looking rig, Ron.

NorthwestBBQ · 06-05-2013, 10:31 PM

Fear is the path to the darkside...

Food looks great, Ron.

Pyle's BBQ · 06-05-2013, 10:32 PM

If you wanted to use gas, why didn't you use the gas assist on a Performer?

Ron_L · 06-05-2013, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyle's BBQ

If you wanted to use gas, why didn't you use the gas assist on a Performer?

Please refer to the opening paragraph of my initial post in this thread.

martyleach · 06-05-2013, 10:39 PM

Nice looking rig Ron.
In response to Pyle's BBQ, the gas assist on my Performer is just to light a chimney. I never thought it was intended to cook over...???

landarc · 06-05-2013, 10:40 PM

Oh no, Ronelle has gone to a Gasper. Too far gone. *sniff* I'll miss you Captain Ron...

oh, nice burger you got there sir

Ron_L · 06-05-2013, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landarc

Oh no, Ronelle has gone to a Gasper. Too far gone. *sniff* I'll miss you Captain Ron...

Please refer to the opening paragraph of my initial post in this thread.

Besides, I've had a gasser for years :)

Ron_L · 06-05-2013, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyleach

Nice looking rig Ron.
In response to Pyle's BBQ, the gas assist on my Performer is just to light a chimney. I never thought it was intended to cook over...???

It's not intended for cooking. It barely puts out enough heat to light a chimney. Bryan was just being a hater

landarc · 06-05-2013, 11:13 PM

Beano

06-05-2013, 09:50 PM	#1
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	New Toy! A mini review with lots of pictures Before the haters start in, yeah, it's a gasser. I have enough ways to cook meat using sticks, charcoal and pellets that I've earned my stripes, and a gasser is convenient for weekday lunches and weeknight dinners. Haters can go hate in someone else's thread. My Weber gasser has seen better days. It's been through 15 Chicago winters and it deserves a rest. So, after a ton of research and reading every review I can find (including reviews from Larry Gaian at Embers and Flame and PatioDaddio, both Brethren) I decided on a Saber Cast 500 Infrared Grill to replace it. My reasons? Actually, several. Build quality was a big factor. Saber uses commercial kitchen grade stainless (304). Everything else in the same price range uses lesser grade stainless. Also, the overall construction of the grill is impressive. The biggest factor was the way it cooks. The Saber grills use an infrared cooking system that gives a great sear and also uses less propane. They claim 30% less, but I'll see what my actual usage is. I've been looking at infrared grills for a while and wasn't happy with the quality of the lower cost systems, and can't justify the cost of a Tec or similarly priced grill. The Saber grills are in a similar price range as the high end Weber Genesis grills and the Weber Summit grills, and I was looking at a Weber Genesis S330 anyway, so this fit into my budget. So… On to the toy It’s a three burner with a side burner. Saber makes a model without the side burner, but it doesn’t have as much stainless, so I went for this model. Who knows if I’ll use the side burner or not. They also make a higher end three burner that is all stainless and has a two ring side burner, but I couldn’t justify an extra $400 for that. I’ll use the extra cash for meat Each burner has a separate gas control. The knobs are nice and big, which is good for my big hands there is also a separate thermometer for each burner. As you’ll see as I get to the detail pictures, each burner is also in it’s own burner box, allowing for multi-zone cooking. There is an electronic ignition system plus crossover ignition to light the burners from each other. The grates are all stainless as are the IR emitter plates below them… The burners are also stainless and as mentioned each is in a separate burner box… Below the burners is a grease tray… the local dealer has been cooking on one of their floor models for 6 months and they have only a little ash in the grease tray. Most of the grease from the food is burned off by the IR emitter plates. The side burner has a brass burner and a reversible grate on top (for a wok, probably). The folks at Saber recommended burning off the grill on high for 20 minutes to clear any residue from the manufacturing process. They also recommend coating the grates and IR emitter plates with a high temperature oil to season them and then cooking some burgers (80/20 beef) so I decided that we would have burgers for dinner tonight The local grocery store has what they call Pub Burgers. They are basically ground Angus beef in an 8 oz patty. Normally I buy ground beef and make my own patties, but the Pub Burgers were on sale and less than buying ground beef . I seasoned the patties with Dizzy Pig Cow Lick Steak Rub and tossed them onto the Saber that was preheated at Medium. I left them for three minutes then gave them a 90 degree turn for another three minutes then flipped them. After three and three on the other side I temped them and they were about 115 in the center. I moved them up to the warming rack to finish while I grilled a couple of slices of sweet onion. Once the burgers were medium rare I moved them back down to the far right burner (which I had turned off) and put on a slice of provolone. I also put the buns, which had been brushed with olive oil infused with garlic onto the grates and gave them a toast. The finished burgers (It was getting dark, so the pictures aren’t the best) and the buns and onion. Inside I added a little mayo to the bun and some sliced tomato and avocado and some green leaf lettuce. and then some cole slaw. BTW, this meal is also entered into the Noobians vs. Veterans Throwdown! This would be a great opportunity to enter a throwdown, veteran or not! Come join the fun! The burgers were nice and juicy and had a nice sear on the outside. The buns had a nice crispiness to the grilled side that added a nice texture to the sandwich. Overall I am impressed with the Saber. Friday night steak night will be the next scheduled test __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850

06-05-2013, 09:59 PM	#3
Mrfish is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 07-09-12 Location: Maquoketa, IA Name/Nickname : Ron	Nice sear with a nice red center. Thanks for sharing! Never would have looked twice at that brand otherwise. __________________ Ron <XXX>< Weber 18,22,26 Weber Summit Gasser MAK 2 Star General

06-05-2013, 10:03 PM	#4
Moose somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 10-12-08 Location: Gallatin, TN Name/Nickname : Richard	That's a fine looking gasser, Ron! Burgers look even better. __________________ Moose *Showcase Your Cooking in the BBQ Brethren Throwdowns!* 2017's "Mayo Explosion" The 2022 Steak Cooking Controversy: Follow the Science! Check out my blog: www.mooseonfire.com

06-05-2013, 10:14 PM	#6
Tonybel Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-29-12 Location: San Berdoo, CA	congrats... __________________ Primo Grill Oval XL,Weber Summit Charcoal Grill, Pellet Grill and lots of different size Webers

06-05-2013, 10:32 PM	#9
Pyle's BBQ Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-25-06 Location: Madrid, IA	If you wanted to use gas, why didn't you use the gas assist on a Performer? __________________ Bryan, Team: Pyle's BBQ Yoder YS640; Good-One "Trail Boss" 60T; Weber Kettle rotisserie ring; Big A$$ Rotisserie; New Braunfels offset smoker; Weber Smokey Mountain; Backyard Bombers BBQ HJM Μολὼν λαβέ

06-05-2013, 09:56 PM	#2
Bob Wiley is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 01-04-10 Location: Indianapolis, IN	Wow! Looks like you done good

06-05-2013, 10:06 PM	#5
Hawg Father of Seoul is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 09-14-10 Location: Rogers, AR	My boss gave me the green light for a new grill about a year ago. We went with the 5 burner chargrill (lower end for sure). The infrared is the business. Now I am going to have take a picture of this grill to the boss. Nice equipment. Jealous here.

06-05-2013, 10:26 PM	#7
Cherrywood On the road to being a farker Join Date: 02-25-13 Location: Central, IL	Nice looking rig, Ron.

06-05-2013, 10:31 PM	#8
NorthwestBBQ somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-28-09 Location: Everett, WA	Fear is the path to the darkside... Food looks great, Ron.

06-05-2013, 10:39 PM	#11
martyleach Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 12-17-10 Location: Pleasanton, Ca	Nice looking rig Ron. In response to Pyle's BBQ, the gas assist on my Performer is just to light a chimney. I never thought it was intended to cook over...??? __________________ XL BGE, Kamado Joe Jr, Santa Maria pit, 26" Weber custom performer, MAK One Star pellet cooker, 14.5" WSM, Jumbo Joe, WGA, Arte Flame griddle insert for the 26" Weber. Custom wooden handles for BBQ's made by Marty Leach (oh, that's me) [url]http://www.amlwoodart.com[/url]

06-05-2013, 10:40 PM	#12
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	Oh no, Ronelle has gone to a Gasper. Too far gone. sniff I'll miss you Captain Ron... oh, nice burger you got there sir __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

06-05-2013, 11:13 PM	#15
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	Beano __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]