Grills, rant and question....

[lokidog]

So my lovely wife bought me a new grill as our last one had the regulator go out. 

She did a bunch of research and came up with great review and a good sale price on The Swiss Grill.  She ordered one and it arrived via airplane to our island, all 150+ pounds of it in one big box.  Picking it up at our mail shed, I noticed it sitting on its side covering the "Do Not Roll" sign, not a good omen.

A few bent flanges in the base were no big deal, but then it turned out the top was racked sideways, grrr.  She calls Amazon and they send a new one right away.  Of course the first one's box was destroyed unpacking it, no problem, I'll use the box from the new one.  We get a call last Friday from FedEx, box is in Burlington and is too big for them to get it to us.  FedEx usually forwards to USPS to deliver as they do not actually deliver here.  I take the boat in and drive to Burlington.  The box is on a dolly and looks to be in better shape than the last one so the lady helps me load it into my truck.  At the marina, everything goes amazingly smoothly and I slide it onto a dock cart and then onto the bow of my boat.  After a smooth boat ride home, a neighbor helps me carry it to my deck for assembly.  I figure I will just use the stand from the first one that is already assembled so I carefully remove the top from its packaging.  OMG, the mounting flanges are also bent in on this one, and look there, it is racked as well, but in the other direction.  Screws are loose and bent as well, there is no straitening this out.

So, I call the company directly as it seems to me to be a packing issue rather than a shipping one.  Long song and dance (I did actually get to talk to a person  , in English), but he guessed what model I had as they had been getting a lot of complaints recently with similar issues.  He blamed Amazon for not shipping them on pallets, I think this could be part of the problem but not the entire one.  He suggests I return it and go to a local retailer because they handle them properly while shipping.  Well, this will add $300 or more to the cost, so probably will not happen.  My wife contacted Amazon, again, and they will be sending us a check for $100 to cover our costs, ots of packing tape to fix first box, and time as well as covering the return shipping.  What kind of company allows their merchandise to continue to be mishandled after it has obviously been brought to their attention?  Plus, if this thing bends that easily, how good is it really?

Rant over, now to my question(s).

I like using a propane grill, so that will be what I am talking about here.  My biggest complaint with past grills is that the burners and the grates rust out, even fancy stainless ones (at least as fancy as I have been able to afford).  I seem to remember that once I saw a grill that had brass burners, seemed like a great idea.

So, does anyone have a reccomendation for a propane grill with a side burner (crab and sea salt cooking), burners that will last more than a year or two, and a good grate that will last as well, preferably well under $1000?

[Crunchy]

I will join the BBQ rant.  So this morning I decided I would smoke a pork shoulder.  Picked up a 10 pounder, rubbed it down and stuck it in the fridge.  I get home around 9PM and pull it out of the fridge.  Fire up the RecTec to 225 while the meat comes to room temp.  Toss the shoulder on the grill and start looking for my fancy dancy thermometer.  No where to be found.  I know the wife stuck it somewhere but she cant remember where.  I tear the house apart and cant find it anywhere.  So tomorrow morning I have to run to the store and buy a new one.  Hope the meat doesn't over cook buy then.  I am guessing 1.5 hrs per pound should give me 12-14 hrs of cook time or a tad more.  Rant over...

[lokidog]

So, just ended up ordering a new regulator after trying the smoker's regulator and having it work.  Too bad for Swiss Grill and Amazon... yay, spent $38 instead of $600.

[JimmyHoffa]

Would brass be safe enough?  Would it vapor release zinc, kind of like galvanized?

[Pnwrider]

Weber. I've had mine 5 years now. Didn't want to spend the money, but got sick of always replacing burners. It's been flawless so far.

[lokidog]

Would brass be safe enough?  Would it vapor release zinc, kind of like galvanized?

Did some research, the grills with the cast brass burners all run in the thousands....     I don't think the burners themselves would get hot enough to vaporize the metal.   

[wadu1]

I checked Amazon and they have a bunch of opened boxes of the Swiss Grills on sale, I wonder why. A bnch of folk like you are sending them back messed up. The good thing it does have a bottle opener on it; they do have beer on the island??

[Fl0und3rz]

Did a quick look at Swiss Grills online.  I have a costco grill, made by Nexgrill. Replaceable burners, don't know if stainless. Brass side burner. IR rotisserie element and drive. Heavy gage SS grates. Removable drip pan. Ready natural gas conversion. Independent electronic ignition.  Pretty feature rich and robust.  All of about $600-800, as I recall, and pretty comparable to some of the Swiss Grills I looked at.

[Magnum_Willys]

Propane - buy a new $299 one every other year...... seems to be the solution.....

[Bofire]

  I know nothing I will not use a propane grill. I am not surprised you are having problems.
Carl

[lokidog]

I checked Amazon and they have a bunch of opened boxes of the Swiss Grills on sale, I wonder why. A bnch of folk like you are sending them back messed up. The good thing it does have a bottle opener on it; they do have beer on the island??

Yeah, according to the manufacturer the only grills coming back are the ones they sold to Amazon.  Just realized this evening that I forgot to put one piece back in the box, oops....

Did a quick look at Swiss Grills online.  I have a costco grill, made by Nexgrill. Replaceable burners, don't know if stainless. Brass side burner. IR rotisserie element and drive. Heavy gage SS grates. Removable drip pan. Ready natural gas conversion. Independent electronic ignition.  Pretty feature rich and robust.  All of about $600-800, as I recall, and pretty comparable to some of the Swiss Grills I looked at.

Supposedly the whole thing is made out of 304 stainless which is what sold my wife on them, that and they were about 30% off.  Oh well, I'll just keep using my Front Avenue grill that I have had for 7 or 8 years.  At least the parts are still available and a lot cheaper than a new grill.   

[pd]

Dude, your wife loves you enough to buy you a nice grill.  On top of that you pulled a super tag.  You are having a fantastic year, stop complaining.




 

Sorry for your troubles, Ed.  It sounds like you have turned the corner.   

[lokidog]

    

 

 

[Rick]

Would brass be safe enough?  Would it vapor release zinc, kind of like galvanized?

Did some research, the grills with the cast brass burners all run in the thousands....     I don't think the burners themselves would get hot enough to vaporize the metal.   

 Get a Weber with SS burners. My Weber Genesis gets used probably 300 nights a year.  After 9 years Weber sent me a new set because they finally burned out (10 year warranty)

[2labs]

Rebuilt my Weber 4 times, piece of cake! Takes about an hour. Works like new.

[Alchase]

Weber Summit has a ten year warranty! My father in-law has a Weber Genesis, 12 years old and still has the original grates in great condition.

My Charbroil Commercial Grade 4-burner, eats grates. I go through a set a year easy. Does not matter if they are stainless, cast iron, or ceramic coated.
As Rick said, I use our grill at least 300 nights year.

The only gas grill I would recommend under $2500 is the Weber Genesis  if you can't afford the Summit.

Even the "under $2500.00 Blaze, Lynx, and Americans, do not hold up as well as the Weber Summit.

If you grates are still structurally intact, I would by some Grill Grates to put on top.

http://www.grillgrate.com/

Grill grates make grilling so much easier and retain heat much better then regular greats.

For people who grill as often as I do, Grill Grates are the best invention yet.

[muzbuster]

If you want a propane grill, look into a Holland, well built, stainless cooking grate, cast iron burner. Ive had mine for 5 years now with no issues at all.
I do however want a GMG or the like for the more smoke/control for briskets and butts. The Holland does a good job with those cuts but I want more smoke.

[CAMPMEAT]

I use a big Weber after using a few others. Smokes everything perfectly.

[lokidog]

Thanks everyone.  I just got my new regulator and am back in business, grilled salmon tonight was yummy!  I'll check out the grillgrate thing.

[thinkingman]

Weber Genesis.
I tried the Costco models and they just didn't stand up.
Weber is where you'll end up, eventually.
American-made.

[T Pearce]

I need more patio.... Weber Genesis, 22 1/2" gas assist Performer and a 23" LP Disco on another table.
3 additional kettles in the shed.

Couple years ago we transported 240# of Kingsford and 300# of LP to camp...... hauled most of it back.

Not much you can't do on a big Weber kettle. If I had to pick just one it would be the Performer.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Go to Sears and check out the Kenmore brand of gas grills.  I purchased mine in 2003, a 54 inch wide behemoth with a pair of side burners.  It has been through a full replacement of internal tubes and splatter guards at a cost of about 100 dollars.  The external burners are still going strong.  One is a blast furnace if you want to boil sea food etc the other a nice controlled cooking surface for sauce or sides.  It is still running strong after 12+ years.  Pick an appliance brand name that has been around if you intend to order parts in the future.

I buy the closeout two-burner with side burner big box store brand grill - as long as it has the heavy duty steel grilling surfaces not wire.  Throw away the wire upper warming rack as soon as it starts to rust - or right away.  The electronic ignition goes out after about a year, then I  use a lighter.  I replace the burner element and vaporizer/spatter guard every 2-3 years whenever one of them rusts through, about $30 and an hour of my time.  After about 10 years I pitch it and get another.  I'm probably in for $600 total over 25 years, grilling a few times a week every week of the years. 

[steen]

Weber. I've had mine 5 years now. Didn't want to spend the money, but got sick of always replacing burners. It's been flawless so far.

Have had a Weber for some years and it is great! It will need a replacement grate here soon because of so much use! 

[Rich_S]

I've bought Char-Broil for my last two grills. The cast Iron burners on the first one lasted three years, then Char-Broil sent me a new set. Three years later, same thing. Three years later, same thing (Lifetime warantee). I gave the grill and the new burners to my handyman a couple years ago and he's still using it. Bought a new, smaller Char-Broil. I think I'll rust out before this new one does.

[lokidog]

I've bought Char-Broil for my last two grills. The cast Iron burners on the first one lasted three years, then Char-Broil sent me a new set. Three years later, same thing. Three years later, same thing (Lifetime warantee). I gave the grill and the new burners to my handyman a couple years ago and he's still using it. Bought a new, smaller Char-Broil. I think I'll rust out before this new one does.

 

[Remnar]

 Char broil infared 

[Buzz2401]

I have two webers.  They seem to hold up pretty well.  One is over 10 years old and I haven't had to replace anything on it.  Other is 3 years old and grates started going to *censored* so i called weber and they sent me new ones free of charge.

[Rich_S]

Char broil infared 

That's the model I bought to replace my old CharBroil.  I discovered real quick that lining the drip pan with foil is the wrong thing to do! It blocks the heat and defeats the purpose of the infrared.  I called CharBroil and they agreed. I ruined two nice ribeyes 'cuz they wouldn't get hot enough.

Oven cleaner on the grates and drip pan works great. I put them on a concrete pad and sprayed them well. A few hours later I hosed them down and they were clean as new.