BBQ advice needed

[Rick Potter]

Thanks guys,

Unbelievable but true................I was on the computer looking at BBQ's on Amazon a few minutes ago. My daughter, who lives with us walked by and I asked her if she liked the idea of me getting a grill. She hesitated, and I told her about the one I was looking at. More hesitation. Finally she let the cat out of the bag, and told me that our three kids, all adults in their forties, had already decided they were getting us one for Fathers Day.

Who knew? I never would have expected that, since the last Fathers Day gift I got involved plaster of Paris and hand prints.

We have lived in this house seven years, and have been without a grill that long.

Rick Potter

PS: About that natural gas....the Weber 310 on Amazon is natural gas, and costs $80 LESS than the propane version. At Costco, they have a nice Kitchen Aide that includes the kit for both. Natural gas heating is almost universal here in suburbia, and I installed an outdoor valve during a remodel, so I'm all set to go. Thanks again.

Oops, make that Sam's Club, not Costco. I just got back from a hot dog run.

[Matt Meiser]

I wonder if that's because the NG version wouldn't need the scale and hanger parts that the propane version has for the tank. Also might not need a regulator since home nat. gas is already regulated to 7" WC

[Craig Matheny]

Talking BBQ makes my mouth water I have had many BBQs all gas over the years and finally my wife said enough of the buy and toss BBQ's so the project started it took about 4 months start to finish. I now have a Turbo Elite all S/S BBQ burners grates all S/S 95K BTU I have a 28K Searing unit and a sink. The neat thing is I have always BBQed with using adolph marinade but talked to a bunch of competitors and they said seasoning salt and pepper and it was the best steak my wife said she ever ate.

[Craig Matheny]

I wonder if that's because the NG version wouldn't need the scale and hanger parts that the propane version has for the tank. Also might not need a regulator since home nat. gas is already regulated to 7" WC

NG still have a regulator on them for some reason remember with a NG you can not take it to other locations

[Eric DeSilva]

Agreed--you can't just pipe an LP gas grill into a natural gas line... but it seems natural gas is an option for a lot of good grills. I should also note that having a grill piped into your gas line is fantastic; no half done steaks because your gas ran out.

And, just because gas grills are like woodworking equipment, I'll nominate the Festool-equivalent hybrid grill for your consideration: http://kalamazoogourmet.com/products/hybrid-fire-grill/. A 2' grill will run you $14K and the 4' grill over $20K!

[Harley Reasons]

i've got a Ducane I purchase at the Big orange BORG store several years ago, gave $1000 for it. It hasn't been used in 5 yrs now, sits out on the back patio under its cover. Whenever i want to grill i use the Weber Kettle Gold, if I want to smoke a butt or baby back ribs I have the Weber Smoky Mountain. Both of the Webers are charcoal. My wife & I just like the flavor of meats grilled over charcoal vs. gas. I know gas is quicker, but with the charcoal I can enjoy a couple or four adult beverage made by Sam Adams.

[Craig Matheny]

My wife & I just like the flavor of meats grilled over charcoal vs. gas. I know gas is quicker, but with the charcoal I can enjoy a couple or four adult beverage made by Sam Adams.

That is the beauty of having a 28k BTU searing unit you get great flavor off that unit and then toss it on the grill to finish off with a smoke box in it

[Harley Reasons]

That is the beauty of having a 28k BTU searing unit you get great flavor off that unit and then toss it on the grill to finish off with a smoke box in it

Through the years I've tried about every type of qrill/cooker, I cooked on the KCBS circuit for a couple of years and am still a certified BBQ judge for Memphis in May (judged the big event in Memphis 4 times) and the KCBS circuit. Then I had a BBQ restaurant for 6 years. When my team, C. Mor Butts BBQ was on the circuit we used a Texas style smoker made by David Klose out of Houston, TX. It had an 8 ft long smoker area on it with 4 grate surfaces, the log burning firebox hung off the back. Then at the qjoint I had two Southern Pride Smokers, a 500 lb. and a 750 lb. unit. That was my first retirement job, it was fun until I had to dealing with employees, then it got to be too much like a real job. Now days, after my fourth retirement, I like to take my time grilling and no long drink beer for quantity but now for quality. There has been lots of improvements made to gas grills since the first ones appeared in the late 70's. I ordered my first one from Montgomery Ward catalog in 1977 if my memory serves me correct. I'll have to take a look see at the Weber gasser just in case I think I might ever want one.

[Craig Matheny]

Harley so true

[Harley Reasons]

Harley so true

btw, you need to add one item to your universal tool kit, a can of WD40, If it moves and isn't suppose to, use duct tape, if it doesn't move and is suppose to, get the WD40, when all else fails get the big hammer.

[Craig Matheny]

Thats funny but I like to beat it to death keeps the frustration level down

[Kevin Bourque]

I bought a no-name brand at Home Depot that is 2 grills in 1. The left side is propane and the right side is for charcoal. Basically 2 separate grills welded together. It's not a Weber by any stretch of the imagination, and if I was a serious barbequer I would probably throw it in the trash tomorrow, but I'm not amd it only cost me $199.

My friends who have Webers swear by them. They are expensive but they can last for decades.

[Chris Padilla]

I'm another satisfied Weber grill owner. I have one that has a very small tank of propane that is expressly used to get the charcoal going. In the 12 or so years I've owned the grill, I think I've had to fill up that tank twice. I've only ever used charcoal for grills but I do have a NG line in my backyard that used to feed the pool heater (went solar with that) so y'all have me thinking a bit....

[Rick Potter]

Lots of epicurean grillers here. Hate to admit it, but no one trusts me to BBQ more than burgers and dogs. I just ruin good meat. Luckily I have a son in law who can bail me out. Someday, I want to learn to do chicken without ruining it.

We have a friend who bbq's tacos. He even made a roaster to grill the chiles....looks like a ticket tumbler over a fire ring. They are really good, with avocados off the tree.

This will be my fourth bbq, and I want it to be my last.

Rick Potter

[Patrick McCarthy]

We had an expensive ($800-900) Ducane NG unit for a numbr of years, and i replaced the grills or burners once . .then when it was time to do it again we just went and got a Weber Genisis (natural gas unit too) for approx 450 or so . . . . and the wife loved it from the start. Better results cooking and seems to be holding together 5-6 years in . . . .

If i were buying again i would be looking at another Weber . . . .