LP Grill Recommendations/Reviews?

[Imp81318]

New member here looking for some feedback on gas (LP, not NG) grills. I prefer my Weber kettle, but time limitations make it difficult for me to break that out through the week most times, so I end up falling back on the convenience and speed of gas. With that said, my current gasser is about on its last leg - the burners are completely rusted through, as is the fire box and support brackets. So I need to replace it, and I'd like to get something a bit more reliable than just walking into Lowe's and picking something shiny.

I have been looking at Webers online, specifically their Spirit due to budgetary limitations. I feel like around $500 is probably the upper end of what I want to spend right now, and I'd love to go even lower than that if possible. My current grill is 400 square inches of primary cooking surface area powered with 3 burners, and while a little tight at times (chicken wings primarily), it serves my purposes well cooking for my family of 4. I definitely don't want to go any smaller, but also do not feel a need to go much, if any, bigger than that since I will always break out the coals when entertaining company.

I know from doing a little bit of searching that this forum is very much pro-Weber, as all forums seem to be. But can anyone recommend anything that might be a bit less expensive, but still good (even if not great) quality? Does anyone have personal experience with Broil King gas grills? I see that some of their smokers seem to be pretty popular 'round here...

Thanks!

[THoey1963]

I have had three or four of the Charbroil and other cheaper gas grills. I either had issues with them being hard to get an even heat or had them rust out in three or four years. I finally made the investment into a Weber Genesis and have had no major issues. To top it off, their customer support is second to none, so when something has needed replacing, they have done it quickly.

You get what you pay for. Cry once when you buy it, and you won't cry again...

[KevinJ]

I have a Spirit E320 which is close to your budget, got it on sale with a 20% discount at the Naval Exchange and no sales tax. I don't use it much maybe once or twice a month but it gets the job done, it's garage kept so I expect it to last 10+ years. I think I cook some pretty darn good food on it too, mostly Burgers and Steaks once in a while chicken or a Tri Tip.

Blue Cheese Burgers from Saturday night and Ribeye's a couple of weeks before that. They both have a black crust from the Oakridge Carne Crosta Rub they were seasoned with and yeah they didn't suck.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x98/zippifish/IMG_0198_zpshvycljzs.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x98/zippifish/IMG_0148_zps9mimdy3q.jpg?1457472707889&1457472720315

[Smokin J's PIts]

I haven't personally owned one but everyone that I know who does swear by the Kenmore grills, and rate them just below a Weber. Again I don't have one, and I don't know what the price is compared to Weber's. Personally I would look at maybe some of the mid range pellet poopers, some of these are getting pretty cheap, and I think you can use them similar to a grill. Someone will chime in on this if I am wrong.

[Demosthenes9]

Grab an older Weber of CL and "restore" it.

[Rockinar]

I'm not a Weber fanboy, but I have owned a couple gas grills. Weber is the best of them. I'd get the Spirit.


As was mentioned, buy once cry once.

[Learning to BBQ]

I'd have a hard time spending any more than $500 on a gas grill. From my experience none of them last very long, and you're often just paying for fancy options that aren't needed (mine has a side burner that i've never used). I've got a charbroil infrared that is 5 or so yrs old, but it's had issues since about year 2. The infrared pan now has holes burned through it and causes flame ups when doing chicken, but i'm just gonna run it into the ground. A replacement infrared pan costs more than what the grill is worth. I've had it 5 yrs so it doesn't owe me anything. It was a $500 grill IIRC. And I haven't been easy on it. i use it almost daily in the summer and cook WFO (600F+).


Here's a review of gas grills from an actual bbq site that may be of some help
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/top_10/2015_top_10_gas_grills.html

[SmittyJonz]

I got a Brinkmann from Walmart on Clearance about 7-8 years ago and it's still going. It's on a covered porch. Was $350 but paid $199 and the Camp Chef SG90 griddle fits great on it.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224980

[Richard_]

Grab an older Weber of CL and "restore" it.

Yep , I paid $50.00 and put new flavorizer bars on it , works as good as a $500.00 new one

[THoey1963]

My Genesis was listed at $1000, but it was the display model, so they marked it down 10%. I noticed a minor ding in the door and they took off another 10%. Got it home, registered it, sent Weber a picture of the door, and they sent me a replacement. So, $800 and it has lasted 5 years already. The only issue I have had was the cover cracking and Weber sent me a replacement (warranty).

[Happy Hapgood]

It took me 20 years to learn what I'm about to say. During 20 years of going through 8 different Chinese imported gassers from HD/Lowes etc and watching them work great for the first year...sometimes two, they would start having problems. It's amazing how good a grill (or pit) can look as you are walking into Academy Sports or Bass Pro Shops.

I finally wised up and am and have been running a Weber Spirit 320 coming up on 10 years now. With the cover and a little maintenance I hope to go another 10 with it. I can relate to needing as gasser for quick meals on a weeknight.

Bite the bullet once and buy the best. Good Luck!

[mattmountz94]

I personally love my charbroil grill. I have had it for 5yrs it sits outside year round, no cover through rain and snow and has no rust. Gets very hot and I think it cooks just fine for a gas grill. I don't think Lowes sells the same model though anymore.

[Ron_L]

Here's a review of gas grills from an actual bbq site that may be of some help
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/top_10/2015_top_10_gas_grills.html

I thought that this was an actual BBQ site :-D

[Smokiemon]

[QUOTE=Smokin J's PIts;3493925]I haven't personally owned one but everyone that I know who does swear by the Kenmore grills


Bought my parents a kenmore grill 15 years ago and I just replaced it for them with a Webber Genisses, Webber has a pretty outstanding warranty on gas grills if my memory serves correctly.

[tom b]

I use my kettle for quick cooks, with the the chimney it get to temp almost as fast as my gasser.

the poor old gasser never get used any more

[Big George's BBQ]

I have used Weber Gas Grills for years and love them Right now I have a Weber Genesis

[bbqlearner]

As stated by everyone, Weber will last you longer than any of the cheap gassers in the stores. I personally wouldn't go for any other because they're not long lasting.

[SmittyJonz]

When my Brinkmann wears out I'll buy another or a Nexgrill or a Charbroiler. 7-8 years on a Big $300 -$400 gasser is Good enough for me. Many of the Brinkmann and Nexgrills you can get parts for- so could go longer. My griddle won't fit on the cheaper Webers, I can close the top on mine while using griddle.

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u645/bobjones79/0E79BB31-9F24-454A-8223-97D24DEF46E7_zpsuncztme4.jpg (http://s1326.photobucket.com/user/bobjones79/media/0E79BB31-9F24-454A-8223-97D24DEF46E7_zpsuncztme4.jpg.html)

[EricD]

As has been said....Another vote for Weber. I learned the hard way, buying a new Lowes/ HD special every year or so. Finally spent the extra money on a Weber Genesis and it's been well worth it. I cook outside every night during the summers and have had no issue in over 5 yrs (and don't foresee one anytime soon).
On a side note, I picked up a Weber Spirit last summer (for free) that I tend to use more often now. It seems to get hotter.
Try CL or EBay for a deal on a used Weber if money is an issue. It's money well spent.
Trust the Brethren!!

[scrub puller]

Yair . . .

I dislike all forms of manufactured gassers. I particularly dislike having to clean the rotten fiddly things just to run a hotplate or "griddle" as you folks call them. . . especially if just cooking for two people.

These days I run one of those heavy duty two ring cast iron burners (about sixty bucks with hose and regulator) under a standard 400mm square cast iron hot plate from the BBQ shop.

Works fine, the plate gets washed up in the sink, that burner is never going to rust out and I can use it for boiling crabs or shrimps.

I did make a special aluminium topped bench to run it on which makes clean up simple.

Cheers.

[Smokin' Greene]

Another vote for the Weber Genesis. No side burner no bells no whistles, all that i need in a gasser.

[tb80]

Another vote for Webers. Keep an eye on craigslist. I bought a Weber Spirit for $40 and used it for a year or two. Then I sold it for $100 and bought a Weber Summit for $100. You can find good deals and Webers will last a lot longer than anything else. At the most you may have to replace the flavorizer bars for $40 or so.

[Pocchampion]

My weber is over 15 years old and I can still get parts for it. Buy a gently used Weber and be done with it. I may have spent 100 on replacement parts in its life. I do not understand the disposable gas grill train of thought. It's penny wise and pound foolish in my opinion.

[Okie Sawbones]

I know from doing a little bit of searching that this forum is very much pro-Weber, as all forums seem to be. But can anyone recommend anything that might be a bit less expensive, but still good (even if not great) quality? Does anyone have personal experience with Broil King gas grills? I see that some of their smokers seem to be pretty popular 'round here...

Thanks!

Back to the question the OP asked, Broil King gets high marks on reviews by Amazing Ribs, getting a gold medal and best value for their models 440 and 340.

The Broil King Baron 440 is a mid-size 4-burner gas grill. Broil King's expanded presence in the USA via Lowe's seems to be going well. Consumers are beginning to discover these beautiful well-made Canadian grills on Lowe's showroom floors and comparing them very favorably to Weber. A high compliment indeed!

[SmittyJonz]

http://www.consumerreports.org/gas-grills/what-you-should-know-before-buying-a-brinkmann-grill/

[Tiger862]

Don't understand gas is quicker thing. I cook on kettle almost daily for wife and I. I know what I am cooking by breakfast which I take out the frozen meat. When I decide it is time to cook I grab a Weber Cube with my chimney and charcoal and get that started. Go in and get meat seasoned. Go out and pour chimney in grill to heat up clean grill. Grab meat and cook. I used Gas for years as I thought quicker and easier. I even went and got a top of the Kenmore only to throw away in 3 years. Everyone covers burners but not rot even it is cleaned regularly. Mine was always covered. Hated running out of gas half the way thru and temps were never consistent. Time was same or very close from lite to finish.

[Demosthenes9]

Don't understand gas is quicker thing. I cook on kettle almost daily for wife and I. I know what I am cooking by breakfast which I take out the frozen meat. When I decide it is time to cook I grab a Weber Cube with my chimney and charcoal and get that started. Go in and get meat seasoned. Go out and pour chimney in grill to heat up clean grill. Grab meat and cook. I used Gas for years as I thought quicker and easier. I even went and got a top of the Kenmore only to throw away in 3 years. Everyone covers burners but not rot even it is cleaned regularly. Mine was always covered. Hated running out of gas half the way thru and temps were never consistent. Time was same or very close from lite to finish.


My Silver C gasser sits uncovered on my deck by the back door. On the way in from a job, I can turn the grill on, go into the house and get a 1.25 inch thick NY Strip from the fridge, season it, take it back outside to put on the grill and be eating that steak in less than 20 mins from the time I fired the grill up.

I can't do that with either of my Performer's, or my OTG, or my OTS, or my 70's MBH, or my JJ, or my SJS, or my 26'er or my Ranch Kettle.

Also, after taking my steak off the grill, all I have to do is turn off the burner valves and close the lid. Grill will be ready for the next time I want to fire it up.

[jjjonz]

Make it a Weber whether it be new or off CL.

[robbq]

I got a Napoleon 4 burner stainless grill not that long ago. I think it has similar build quality to Weber, for less money, and I really like the features.

FWIW I also have an MHP 2 burner that is the least fancy grill ever but it is about 20 years old and still going. I've replaced the burners and a few other parts over the years. The firebox and cart are still rock solid, no rust.

[cheez59]

The Broil King Baron 440 is the grill for you. It fits your budget and is a great grill. Cast iron grates, 10 year warranty, super hot burners and available parts to keep it running for many years. I researched and shopped hard for several months and I got the 4 burner one. It will run at 250 or it will crank up to 700. Compare the reviews and you will see nothing comes close for the price. Not many will beat the Broil King even for considerably more money.

[bbqlearner]

The Broil King Baron 440 is the grill for you. It fits your budget and is a great grill. Cast iron grates, 10 year warranty, super hot burners and available parts to keep it running for many years. I researched and shopped hard for several months and I got the 4 burner one. It will run at 250 or it will crank up to 700. Compare the reviews and you will see nothing comes close for the price. Not many will beat the Broil King even for considerably more money.

Cheez, any issues with warping on your Broil King? I've read before that some Broil King has warping issues with the lid or some other metal. Not sure if that's true though.

[Royalslover]

Weber snob here. I wouldn't ever buy anything but. I bought a platinum with cabinet doors roto, side burner(perfect for starting chimneys) for $50 on CL. You can buy parts for them all day long and they have good quality valves and burners.

[cheez59]

Cheez, any issues with warping on your Broil King? I've read before that some Broil King has warping issues with the lid or some other metal. Not sure if that's true though.
No issues on mine at all. I light it and run it up to 700+ degrees on a regular basis. Next month I will have had it a year. If it was going to warp it would have already done it.

[SmittyJonz]

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u645/bobjones79/5885539D-5E71-4C47-9928-7CFCDCF36282_zpsf1p1od2k.jpg (http://s1326.photobucket.com/user/bobjones79/media/5885539D-5E71-4C47-9928-7CFCDCF36282_zpsf1p1od2k.jpg.html)

[LostArrow]

I've been buying old gas grills, rehabbing them & either keeping them or selling to friends for what I've got in them.
This is a recent source of entertainment , definitely not for profit.
I've gotten a master forge , a charbroil , 4 old weber Genesis ( oldest 17 y/o) , 2 weber Q's & a weber spirit (16 ) & a 20y/o broil King
I've learned a few things .
A failing firebox is a terminal event! Not worth trying to jury rig burners & manifold!
Frames go bad ( old webers the back of the frame has a design flaw)
All flavorizer bars ( heat shields) eventually fail even SS .
Porcelain coated grates eventually fail although last longer than the heat shield.
In affordable gas grills cast aluminum firebox is the best option.
Stainless body vs. porceloin coated body makes minimal difference.
Weber parts , both factory & aftermarket are easy to find even for 20 year old grills
Aluminum baking pans are useful for making grease pans & a lot cheaper than factory part!
So these recommendations have nothing to do with cooking ability just longevity & ease of repair.
Under $500
Weber Q series , these are so simple to work on almost no parts , cast aluminum body, the grate is the heat shield , the frame is plastic & can be replaced for $80! My new used q320 will be around for my great grandchildren to use !
Weber spirit series & several models of Broil King /Mate run below $500 easy to repair & parts easily available !
$500 - $1000 weber Genesis series ( the porceloin enamel will last as long as the stainless) again Broil King has several models and may offer a little more bang for the buck.
Do NOT buy the various store brands sold at HD, Lowes or Sam's!
There are dozens on Craig list 3-5 years old selling for under $100 & some simply for hall off! The Mastor Forge I got had hidden firebox damage even though only 3 years old!
The one I've kept
http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz203/Lostarrow-photos/E8CB141E-9727-4B85-834B-D28CA2FE2AD1.jpg (http://s828.photobucket.com/user/Lostarrow-photos/media/E8CB141E-9727-4B85-834B-D28CA2FE2AD1.jpg.html)

[Imp81318]

Don't understand gas is quicker thing. I cook on kettle almost daily for wife and I. I know what I am cooking by breakfast which I take out the frozen meat. When I decide it is time to cook I grab a Weber Cube with my chimney and charcoal and get that started. Go in and get meat seasoned. Go out and pour chimney in grill to heat up clean grill. Grab meat and cook. I used Gas for years as I thought quicker and easier. I even went and got a top of the Kenmore only to throw away in 3 years. Everyone covers burners but not rot even it is cleaned regularly. Mine was always covered. Hated running out of gas half the way thru and temps were never consistent. Time was same or very close from lite to finish.
And I don't understand people that claim they can get a charcoal grill up to temp as fast as gas. I use a chimney starter to get the coals going and it takes a solid 15-20 minutes to get them all lit. Following that, I need to leave them in the grill for a good 10 minutes with the lid on and all vents open to heat up the grates, and even then often times I find myself wishing I'd been a little more patient (I do have an aftermarket cast iron grate on my Weber kettle so that might take longer to heat up than the standard thin stainless grates). On my gas grill I can have it lit and fully heated and ready to go in 10 minutes.

[SmittyJonz]

So what ya getting.?

[Ummagumma]

Hope I am not too late for the party.

Can't you just replace the rusting parts ? Shouldn't be expensive.

Faced with the same dilemma, I elected to just restore my current cheap grill (Charbroil 9000) until I am ready to buy a new one. The grates are rusted through and I assume so are the burners but it's only about $50 to replace them and it's going to last 2-3 years at least. I've had this grill since 1999 and while definitely not a great unit, it just works and works and works. Back then they were still making the barrels out of heavy aluminum alloy rather than the cheap flimsy sheet steel they are using now.

Personally, I've made up my mind - I will be buying a nice grill, most likely Weber Genesis E330, when I am ready. No reason to spend half the money and get half the fun.

[Demosthenes9]

Hope I am not too late for the party.

Can't you just replace the rusting parts ? Shouldn't be expensive.

Faced with the same dilemma, I elected to just restore my current cheap grill (Charbroil 9000) until I am ready to buy a new one. The grates are rusted through and I assume so are the burners but it's only about $50 to replace them and it's going to last 2-3 years at least. I've had this grill since 1999 and while definitely not a great unit, it just works and works and works. Back then they were still making the barrels out of heavy aluminum alloy rather than the cheap flimsy sheet steel they are using now.

Personally, I've made up my mind - I will be buying a nice grill, most likely Weber Genesis E330, when I am ready. No reason to spend half the money and get half the fun.


Repair or replace is the age old dilemma. With my older Webers, I replace the flavorizer bars and burners once a decade or so, so that's a no brainer. With some other grills/brands, you drop $50-$100 to fix it this year and have to do it again next year, and the year after, and the year after that, yada, yada, yada. That of the firebox/cart/frame is falling apart as well.

In many cases, it comes down to a question of cash flow versus value. Doesn't make sense to keep dropping $100 a year into fixing a grill, but if you don't have $800 for a nice new one, well, you do what you have to do.

[Imp81318]

Thanks for the feedback all! The price of the Broil Kings seems to have gone up this year from what I can tell, which has me leaning more strongly toward finding a used Weber on Craigslist. I have found one that I think looks like a good deal - a Weber Summit Gold Grill for $350 (4 burner + side burner, I don't know how old it is yet, but the pictures make it look really nice and well taken care of). A couple of quick questions:

1. My understanding is that Summit is one of Weber's higher-end models, right?
2. This grill is setup for natural gas, but I prefer to use it with propane. I understand the conversion is pretty simple (just swapping out the nozzles), but is it difficult to find the correct replacement parts assuming I wouldn't have any of the original paperwork? And how expensive is it to convert?

Thanks all! Any other thoughts on buying one of these used or the price?

Here is a photo from the Craigslist ad, in case it helps anyone guesstimate the age of the grill:
http://images.craigslist.org/00L0L_35DMMhjPEEg_600x450.jpg

[ModelMaker]

I would think you'll be kicking your self tomorrow for not grabbing that today...
Ed

[Imp81318]

Any thoughts on what it would cost to convert to LP?

[gengle]

Any thoughts on what it would cost to convert to LP?

I've seen and heard many different numbers but, here's a relatively recent thread on conversion. You'll at the least need to swap out the orifices and regulator (Weber stopped selling conversion quite a few years ago ... liability issues). Try a local HVAC outfit ... they might hook you up on the cheap.

Nice grill and price ... thought about this exact one myself but my 15 year old Genesis 1000 still works without flaw! If it did not, I would have beat you to this one!:grin:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215281

[steelarz47]

holland grill can be used as an oven and steamer also. Makes great bacon because there is no chance of flare ups.

[gengle]

And there's this one (two actually) ...

https://reading.craigslist.org/app/5519101626.html

[kathicooks]

Call Weber re: converting from natural gas to LP. The folks on their help line are amazing. Sorry to be late to the party. I have had Brinkman, charbroil, and NexGrill over the years. None lasted more than 3 years. I have a Weber Genesis for the last 3 years after believing that all gas grills die after a few years. 4 years in and it looks amazing, cleans up well, and when the day comes that I need replacement parts, they will have them.

[Imp81318]

Call Weber re: converting from natural gas to LP. The folks on their help line are amazing. Sorry to be late to the party. I have had Brinkman, charbroil, and NexGrill over the years. None lasted more than 3 years. I have a Weber Genesis for the last 3 years after believing that all gas grills die after a few years. 4 years in and it looks amazing, cleans up well, and when the day comes that I need replacement parts, they will have them.

According to Weber it is impossible to convert from Natural Gas to LP. They no longer sell the conversion kits, and stopped doing it years ago. If I had a specific model number and knew what parts I needed I suspect they may be able to help me out, but they were not willing to help me figure out what parts I need...

[Imp81318]

Do I really need a new regulator? I know the Weber website says that you might experience performance issues from a universal regulator, and it would void the warranty, but is there a reason I couldn't replace the orifices on each burner and try it with the existing regulator?

[Demosthenes9]

Do I really need a new regulator? I know the Weber website says that you might experience performance issues from a universal regulator, and it would void the warranty, but is there a reason I couldn't replace the orifices on each burner and try it with the existing regulator?


Yes, you need a new regulator. The one on that is set for Natural gas which has a different flow rate.

There's a site called Grill-repair.com that will sell you everything you need. http://www.grill-repair.com/weberparts.html

Short version is that Weber used various sized orifices in the older Summits. Easiest thing to do is grab a socket or wrench set, remove the burner tubes to expose the orifices and see what size socket/wrench fits it ( 3/8ths, 9/32nd, or there's one other size iirc).

They will only sell you the orifices if you but a regulator from them, but you need one anyways and the price of their's is reasonable.

All together, it will cost you just over $50 to do the conversion. One thing to be aware of is that your grill temps at each setting (low, med and high) will be a bit higher than if you had an actual propane manifold and valve set. But it's not a huge difference.

As to the grill you are looking at, around here, $350 would be a bit high unless the grill is in near mint condition. Be sure to check it out thoroughly. Pull up the grates and the flavorizer bars. This model tends to rust/corrode at the front of the grill box where the burner tubes come through. If you can, have a flashlight and try to look up from underneath the front knobs at the outside front of the firebox as it might be corroding there but hasn't made it all the way through yet.

Something important to note is that almost everything on a Summit is more expensive to fix/replace than it is on a Genesis. Where flavorizer bars might cost you $40-$50 on a Genny, a set will run you well over $100 for this Summit.

All that said, if the grill is in great shape and you can get it for a good price, do it. I did a restore on a 6 burner Summit Gold D and still regret selling it. Am doing a restore on an even older Summit 650 right now and I'll be keeping that one.

[gengle]

^^^ Wisdom!

[Imp81318]

When looking at older Weber with the side controls is there much difference between a genesis and 'regular' model that just says Weber on the front? Also, does anyone know what the typical grilling surface area is of those older side control Weber with 3 burners?

[gengle]

I have a genesis 1000 LX. It's a 3 burner with the "side controls". Approx grilling surface area is 24x17 / 408 sq. in.http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a637/genglew/IMG_20160403_133022597_HDR_zpse8mktfwk.jpg