Comments on: Is a quality gas grill really worth paying more for?

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:41:33 +0000

Quality is worth paying for and Weber geills are quality. Weber Stephens is a private company or I would be buying stock.

As for gas grills, I used to want one, but now I am a charcoal purist– I have the Weber Kettle and the Weber Smokey Joe.

If I do go for gas, it will probably be the Weber Q portable. My next purchase is a smoker though . . .

By: Dave Clark

Dave Clark — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:26:54 +0000

My father in law always says, The cheapest you can buy is the best. You can get what you need done perhaps by buying at the dollar store but you’ll be repairing or replacing it and then how much did you save? Quality, long-lasting, saves you money in the end. Nothing wrong with shopping sales of course but make sure it’s for the item you researched and not what necessarily is just the cheapest.

By: Abigail

Abigail — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:06:40 +0000

I think the question of quality depends on the item you’re considering and how often you’ll use it.

In shoes, for example, I’m willing to buy nicer ones (though not anywhere close to the top) because I use them a lot and good shoes can prevent a lot of other problems.

Something like a grill? Well, the real question, I think, is how often are you going to use it. (And that’s based on past experience, not on how much you swear you’ll use it now that it’s bright, shiny and new, haha.)

I’m also going to have to agree with Matt: When it comes to grill, I think it’s a tad strange that everyone is comparing prices rather than actual form/function. To me, the measure of a grill would be how well it cooks the burgers etc (according to reviewers). Based on that, I would then start to narrow down the models based on price and features.

By: Gypsie

Gypsie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:25:28 +0000

We have a Brinkman Patio-size grill that we have had for 4 years. We grill at least once a week year-round and haven’t had to replace anything!

By: CB

CB — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:55:24 +0000

Lower priced grills can be problematic…regardless of the manufacturer. There are some good ones and some, ahem – not so good. The lower the price on a grill is often an indicator of a need to take better care of it – but too often with outdoor cooking grills folks have a tendency to cook and leave them. Dirty grates and food build-up is not seasoning, it’s dirt and grime and will eventually be the reason for grill fires when it catches fire from heat and vaporization of the fats/grease.

Since I have identified myself as being sponsored by Char-Broil – I hope this isn’t seen as unbiased. My experience with all of the new infrared grills from Char-Broil is they have excellent control for heat, cooking evenly on the entire grate surface and function very well with lower temperatures necessary for indirect cooking – as well as the super higher heat (upwards of 650F degrees) so useful for searing steaks, fish, chops, etc. And they are value-priced – with the Quantum 2 burner infrared starting at about $250. That’s darn good for the technology. Consumer Reports must agree because they included 2 Char-Broil grills (RED/Heatwave infrared & Quantum infrared) in their top four picks for 2009.

The stainless steel cabinetry used on all value-priced grills is not the high grade stainless used on many commercial kitchen stoves. That is simply too expensive. So, like all tools the grills do need to be cared for.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:46:39 +0000

Oh and I would love to get one of the charcoal Chargrillers from Lowe’s with a side fire box, but after re-evaluating, we don’t need to spend the money since mine works just great.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:45:31 +0000

I’ve had a Weber kettle charcoal grill for 8 years. It did sit in my parent’s shed for a while when we were living in apartments, but for the past three years, it’s sat outside all year round in the elements without a cover. No rust, no issues, no parts to wear out like the burners, igniters, etc. And with a chimney starter, no need for lighter fluid and the coals are ready in half the time. Plus, it just tastes that much better. But then again, I’m one to sit outside in the snow in January grilling. Or in the rain in April. I just wish it was bigger. But I don’t think I’ll ever own a gas grill.

By: Tami

Tami — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:53:24 +0000

I think you made the right decision. We have had the same Charbroil grill for approx 7 years. We have had to replace a couple items (fairly inexpensive), but it still is running fine. It was a cheaper model, and if yours lasts for as long as mine has (pretty sure it will), you could buy another one in 7 years for another $300 and you still would have saved money!

By: Matt Sage

Matt Sage — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:16:52 +0000

I’ve noticed most of the comments revolve around the cost of fixing the grill and/or how often the Charbroil will break compared to the Weber. The actual cooking ability of the grills should also be used when evaluating quality vs price.

I’ve found in my experience that the Weber grills keep their burners much lower in the grill housing which allows you to cook the food without it drying out or burning. My parents purchased a charbroil, and it’s a real pain to grill on compared to my smaller Weber (I got a $350 one). I think the Weber’s have a better grilling design.

Just my two cents.

By: CB

CB — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:52:58 +0000

Oh – and that Commercial Series you purchased has been consistently rated as a good choice by a “famous Consumer magazine.”