Best gas Grill & what grate type - $500 or less??

[loveboxer]

Sorry if this question has been asked a lot, for some reason I am being blocked from searching the forum right now.

Anyway, my mom loves to grill... Year round in Connecticut with snowy winters, so the grill needs to be able to handle cold & snow.. Covered of course when not in use.

I notice there are different grates as well from steel, to ceramic coatings and cast iron.

She does not need any side burners.

Lots of choices out there...

What is the best quality grill for the money and what type of grate and why?

Thanks and Amazing site BTW!!!

[gtsum]

for under a grand, weber is the only way to go if you want a gas grill

[aquablue22]

Weber, start shopping on the internet. You may be able to get a "Year End" deal.......I know where you and i live there is not year end, but where it get's cold the clear them out!

[BBQ Grail]

Home Depot
$549.00
3 burner
Infrared Unit from Char-Broil

You can read about this grill on my blog.

[loveboxer]

Sounds good on the weber front...

Which are better, stainless steel, porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain enamel cooking grates?


Does it matter?

[Johnny_Crunch]

stainless would be my choice

[gtsum]

at that price point you are likely looking at porcelain coated grates. I prefer stainless steel myself, or cast iron...but unlikely to get SS grates at that price

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by loveboxer

Sounds good on the weber front...

Which are better, stainless steel, porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain enamel cooking grates?


Does it matter?

Not stainless for me...

I prefer the porcelain coated cast iron that are on mine.

[Smokin Turkey]

Weber also gas the option of the cast grates without the coating. I'm a purist and prefer seasoned steel.

[BBQ Grail]

Originally Posted by Smokin Turkey

Weber also gas the option of the cast grates without the coating. I'm a purist and prefer seasoned steel.

Purist?

So only purists want steel? If you were really a purist you'd be cooking on a stick over an open fire.

What exactly does purist mean?

[Midnight Smoke]

Originally Posted by BBQ Grail

What exactly does purist mean?

a purist is a person, gamer, or audience member who considers modifications to a particular entertainment item unnecessary or even offensive

[RichardF]

Originally Posted by Smokin Turkey

Weber also gas the option of the cast grates without the coating. I'm a purist and prefer seasoned steel.

as an owner of a weber gasser that's lived exposed in some harsh places for many years i can only say great things about the product.

the cast iron grates are great provided you maintain them all the time and are ok with replacing them more often than you would ss grates or a porcelain covered grate. if i was getting a grill fro my mom it would have the ss grates for ease of cleaning.

also - does your mom have natural gas piped to her house? if yes, I'd think about getting a natural gas grill and hard piping it in to the house supply. how great would it be for mom (i.e. you) if she didn't have to worry about propane tanks

[loveboxer]

Thanks a bunch all!!

She does have natural gas piped to the grill! The less maintenance of SS graits is a great tip because she had to replace the graits on her last grill two times and it irked her..

So, after digesting all the input, I think a weber with SS grates is the way to go...

Next, looking to see what is available, on sale, etc...

Thanks again!

[twisterbret]

You can find some Webers in great shape on Craigs List. Then go and grab a Grill Grate. They work really well! 3 sections will work but 4 is better.

http://www.grillgrate.com/

2nd choice is porcelain coated cast iron. But they are almost the same price as the grill grates.

[RichardF]

Originally Posted by twisterbret

You can find some Webers in great shape on Craigs List.

if you go the craigslist route you may not find a grill set up for natural gas. weber sells a conversion kit, but i don't know if it's available for all their grills.. you should check for avalibility before you buy used.