Recommended for anyone wanting a nice, good-looking, mid-grade propane grill. Background: I have...Recommended for anyone wanting a nice, good-looking, mid-grade propane grill.
Background: I have had this grill (model # 243674) for about 3 months and have grilled on it about 35-40 times. I have grilled steaks, fajita meats, various styles of chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, skewers, potatoes!, and various veggies (on the grill as well as a griddle insert). So I don't have a year or two under my belt with the grill, but some pretty decent early experience. There was a small learning curve with getting to "know" the grill (how hot is "high"), and I have been very pleasantly surprised. All things considered, this is a good/great grill. It should be noted, that from a purely aesthetic standpoint, the grill looks great. I opted to go with this model versus the similar (same) model with the glass window in the top as my fear was that it would be a nice feature right up until the glass got dirty, then I'd be cleaning it all the time; or not cleaning it and staring at the dirty glass.
My thoughts: To me, this is a great "intermediate" grill for someone who wants to step up from a "beginner" type grill in the sub $300 range, but not yet ready for a $1,000+ commitment for a more serious set up. Having a nice, big grill that can fire up at a moments notice really does open up your cooking repertoire. I have traditionally been a charcoal guy, and still swear by the taste, but now that I have 2 kids, being able to fire this grill right up rather than waiting for charcoal is a true blessing. Furthermore, being able to cook just 2 chicken breasts for my wife and myself and not wasting an entire grills' worth of charcoal is a big money/sanity saver. This is my scenario, and what I think is the key to this grill. The grill (I tell myself) that I really I want is around $2,000 and with bills, kids, etc. I just can't justify that kind of experiment - especially if I turn out to be wrong. So, this is my more palatable experiment to see if this grill makes me love propane grilling so much that I jump up to my dream grill down the road. If I do, then this grill was a perfect value. If I don't, then this grill will still be super useful and I won't regret spending tons of money for something I never use or don't love.
Obviously this isn't as super high-quality as some more serious grills, but I didn't perceive that as the manufacturer's intention, so I set my expectations accordingly. Some parts aren't stainless, some stainless parts are not super thick, but like I said, it looks great and doesn't cost a lot. Basically the parts you see when standing in front of the grill are (430) stainless steel and the parts you don't see (the back and sides below) are powder-coated steel. The sides (end caps) of the top are cast aluminum. Having a cover and using a stainless steel cleaner (Baye's HP SS Cleaner) once a month keeps it looking great on the outside. I use Weber grill cleaner on the inside every once in a while.
Assembly/Setup: I had the grill delivered to my home (it came via UPS), and assembled it myself. Note that the firebox (the part with the knobs and top) comes fully assembled - so it is relatively heavy, but more-so just plain big, so consider getting someone to help you with at least that part. Assembly took about an hour, and is pretty straightforward. I recommend using hand tools and avoiding the temptation to use a drill - you don't want to over-tighten or strip any fasteners. Go easy at first when setting up the bottom portion, it seems like it would be easy to "rack" the base pieces and then nothing would be square. I assembled the pieces but did not tighten everything down until everything was in place. For the most part, everything goes together well, with the hardest part of assembly being the knobs, specifically the LED lights that you sandwich between the body and the backside of the knob itself. There are little wires that need to plugged in to make all the lights/igniters work, so don't overlook those. The manufacturer includes 4 batteries for the lights (battery pack inside the cabinet) and 1 for the igniter button (button unscrews, battery goes inside). They also include hooks for hanging utensils off the side shelves, as well as a little chain for holding/using a match if you so desire. All the parts seem to be of decent quality. Nothing super fancy, but nothing feels super cheap either.
I opted to buy my own empty 20 lb tanks (2) from Home Depot and have them filled at a gas station near my house that sells propane. It saves about $10 versus swapping out a 15 lb tank, which obviously holds less (and costs more), but you also always wind up giving some of "your" propane back when you swap, as you can never really empty the tank. I also purchased a propane level indicator. In general, these gauges are not super accurate, but this at least lets me know at a glance if there's enough to get through a cooking session before I start and not get caught in a situation where I run out. I swap out my empty tank for my full one and then have a few weeks to get it refilled. 1 tank seems to last 6-8 weeks cooking for 30-45 mins, 2-3 times a week.
Use: The 4 burner set up (48,000 BTU's / 12,000 each) is more than enough to do just about anything an 'intermediate griller' might need, meaning that the main firebox gets plenty hot. Assuming the built in thermometer is accurate, I have no issues getting well over 500 degrees, not that I really need to cook anything that high. There is plenty of room (~500 square inches) as far as cooking surface. You can definitely do a dinner for a big family or a pretty good sized cookout for maybe 20-25 people at once. The other 24,000 BTU's come from the side sear station and the side burner station (12,000 each). The sear station is fun and can be useful, but make sure you read a few internet posts on cooking style before just jumping in, it takes a couple of times to understand how to start on one grilling surface and finish on the other. Some start on the main grilling surface and finish on the sear station, some do it the other way around. Again, Google it. I honestly have not used the side burner (stove eye) station, but it seems to work just fine. That tends to be where I lay my food before placing on the grill and where I swap out to whatever dish I am using to take the food to the table (and a drink).
Misc: I also purchased the grill cover as well as a griddle insert. The cover does what it is supposed to and protects the grill from tree sap, bird droppings, rain, etc. It's holding up well so far, but I imagine it will last maybe 1.5 - 2 years before needing to be replaced, which I am fine with, better it than the grill itself. The griddle insert is good. It is heavy cast iron with a flat surface on one side and raised diagonal grates on the other. It is the same size as one (of 3) of the grill inserts, you simply take one out and replace with the griddle. This is nice for certain vegetables like asparagus as it has no holes to let food fall through. It cooks well and can make some nice char marks if you get it really hot before placing food on it. I have not tried doing grill pancakes, but it is on my list.
Things to know that aren't spelled out in the marketing:
1) This grill has a USB port on the side (near the right-most knob) for plugging in a light (sold on manufacturer's website). It runs off the 4 AA batteries that power the knob lights, so it will decrease the battery life somewhat. If your grilling area isn't well lit and you tend to grill after sun-down, this is better than trying to hold a flashlight while doing everything else.
2) The main grilling surface is porcelain coated cast iron. Do not use a wire brush or any other aggressive cleaning tool, you will scratch (eventually scratch off) the porcelain. That would expose the cast iron, which would probably then start to rust. Clean the grill with a nylon brush, when the grill is cold (otherwise it will melt the nylon). The manufacturer sells stainless steel wrapped (not solid) grilling grates on their website if you want them.
3) There is no propane gauge included. In general, these gauges are not super accurate, as weight is a far better metric (consider buying a scale if you are wanting to be super precise) but a gauge at least lets you know at a glance if there's enough propane to get through a cooking session before you start.
by CharlotteDad