And I feel like I've probably already gone off the rails by saying "BBQ," but on a car forum there's enough grill/grille mention to need to specify somehow... I don't mean to slight the art of the Proper BBQ which I am totally not living up to with my backyard cookery.
Anyway, it's time to replace our Weber... I think it's a Genesis. I bought it used and cheap and it was another example of my talent for buying the wrong project. Anyway, after replacing all the wood slats, grates, burner tubes, and "flavorizer bars," it worked quite well for us for another decade, but now I'm not sure there's enough metal left to try to reattach the crud tray that's fallen off even if I tried. And the grates are just about dead again.
I've generally liked it quite well, though I always wished the three burners were left/center/right instead of front/center/rear. We run it on natural gas, and I luuuuuurve never having to swap out tanks, so while I don't think it really restricts me since most models appear to be available in both propane and natural gas, that's definitely a must-have.
What grills are folks happy with? What features turn out to be super-useful? The side burner stopped working, and I kinda miss it, though I only used it sporadically. Our oven in the house has a few features I thought were gimmicks that I ended up loving (dividable oven, warming drawer). Not that those features apply here, but are there any features you've found to be so good you never want to go back?
I like that Weber parts seem to be readily available and that they're theoretically built in Illinois. In lieu of a compelling case otherwise, I'd probably default to another.
I'm currently using a Charbroil I picked up from the side of the road. It does a good job on steak and chicken and not so good a job on burgers due to flame-ups.
In reply to HotNotch :
Awesome! I did a quick search but didn't find anything; totally missed that.
Any time this topic comes up, I recommend Weber with a honorable mention to Char-Broil. I have a Weber Genesis and had a Char-Broil "Classic" before that. The Char-Broil was pretty good and a big step above the $149 Home Depot specials, but the Weber is better at cooking everything and will last a lot longer.
Duke
MegaDork
3/20/24 1:06 p.m.
I have a Weber - don't recall if it is a Genesis or not - and I much preferred the Char-Broil Commercial Infrared that the Weber replaced.
We have a Napoleon that was made in Canada. It replaced our old Weber that was made in the States. We've been very happy with both.
Be aware that most of the BBQs you find at the big box stores are made in China regardless of their name brand. I believe the Weber Genesis line is still made in the States but it's worth double checking before you buy.
I sprung for a Weber Genesis in stainless steel when I needed a new grill. It cost a lot, but I am relatively happy with it. The next year they switched to the Genesis ll, which is make in China. The Genesis replaced a Napoleon that didn't last nearly as long as it should have given its cost.
I have a 20+ year old Weber Genesis, and the thing is a tank. I've replaced the flavorizer bars 3 times, but other than that, I just give it a good cleaning every fall and it's never missed a beat.
However, I have been tempted lately by these combo grill/griddle things. I have a small Blackstone that I used when we used to camp, and it's nice for things like breakfasts, fajitas, stir fries and the like. It'd be nice to have both those things in one place.
We've had our second generation Weber Genesis since 2011. Last summer I finally had to replace the igniter, flavor savers and grilles. Cost me $80 in parts to run another decade. the rest of it is stainless so I don't expect it to rust out anytime soon. Yes, it was $600. But we were buying $250 grills ever 3-4 years before, so it's paid for itself.
