BBQ/grill recommendations

[Gshep91]

Hey guys! Looking to buy my first grill and have no idea where to start. I like quality and don’t want to waste money on something that’s junk.

I need advice on what grill you guys would suggest with the following criteria


Max budget of $350(could stretch a little) have a Home Depot or a lowes to purchase from or can do direct from a retailer depending on shipping costs).

Can't be huge - I have a condo with a small patio so l don't need anything massive, family of 3.

No natural gas so it's either propane or charcoal. Leaning towards propane but maybe having a combo one would be good?

Sorry for the most unhelpful post but I'm so lost. I have no idea the difference between any of the options online and don't want to waste a ton of money. I love to cook but Thave never had the chance to really use a grill so l'm excited to learn.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Dan-]

In your budget range, I would have to go with Weber. You will have to stretch a little for propane. It beats replacing the damned thing every year, however.

Charcoal:
https://www.weber.com/US/en/charcoal/performer/performer-charcoal-grill-22/15301001.html
Propane:
https://www.amazon.com/Weber-44010001-Spirit-2-Burner-Propane/dp/B077K1MK8N

 

[Heckel7302]

I’ve owned cheap gas grills (Char-Broil x2) and Weber. For me Weber is worth the investment. Still over budget, but on sale at Loews right now.

 

[Gshep91]

In your budget range, I would have to go with Weber. You will have to stretch a little for propane. It beats replacing the damned thing every year, however.

Charcoal:
https://www.weber.com/US/en/charcoal/performer/performer-charcoal-grill-22/15301001.html
Propane:
https://www.amazon.com/Weber-44010001-Spirit-2-Burner-Propane/dp/B077K1MK8N

My fear with charcoal is I don’t know how to use it lol. Doesn’t it make cook times much longer?

 

[Dan-]

Just to clarify, I meant Weber propane is superior to other propane grills in that price range.

The downside of charcoal is actually just the learning curve of a much hotter fuel (charcoal) and getting rid of the ashes. It is otherwise a superior heat source for flavor. There are plenty of resources to help you learn to cook well on charcoal.

 

[Heckel7302]

My fear with charcoal is I don’t know how to use it lol. Doesn’t it make cook times much longer?

Charcoal is a much more economical way to go, and it’s not that hard, but makes grilling a much more intensive endeavor. Hard to beat gas for convenience.

 

[Gshep91]

Just looked through the condo rules - no charcoal allowed. Probably could get away with it but is worth the risk?

I think propane is the way to go. Weber would be nice but that price tag hurts (as I spend 500+ on a knife but not a grill) lol

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

EDIT: I was posting when the "no charcoal" post was put up.

I say stick to charcoal if you can.

I've had two Char Griller Smokin' Pro's and there have been two others in my family and all have been excellent. They've really expanded their line up now though so there are more options.

https://www.chargriller.com/collect...*MTY4MzA3MDk1NC4xLjEuMTY4MzA3MDk2My4wLjAuMA..
That said, it's really hard to beat a classic Weber kettle. You can do indirect cooks, smaller to moderately larger volumes, etc.

And then I'll throw another twist at ya. A while back I wanted to set up a smaller grilling/smoking area on our front porch. It's mostly just the wife and I and it's very convenient to have it right outside the front door. So, having a Weber Smokey Joe, I made a smoker unit using it and a tamale pot. Lots of YT videos on different methods. Not hard and works great! I have two racks and have done two spatchcocked chickens, pork butt, four Cornish hens, etc. And you can still use the grill as a grill as the pot just comes off. I've since added a Weber Go Anywhere to give me more options.

Now, I'm not saying you have to go that route, just tossing out some ideas. A Weber Smokey Mountain and Go Anywhere would also cover a lot of ground.

 

[McMan]

Weber Spirit 2.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weber-Spir...VFmxvBB1HRgH9EAQYAiABEgLnMfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.dsSpend the extra hundred bucks ($450) and be done with it. 10-year guarantee, parts are readily available and cheap.

Edit: Here's a $200 Char-Broil too. I have no idea if these are any good. But for $200, you could probably get a few seasons out of it, call that a win, and then move onto to something a bit better.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Char-Broil...Vnh6zAB1z6wIBEAQYAyABEgLQNPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Heckel7302]

The price tag hurts, but you have to think about dollar per use. The Weber will outlast the cheaper ones by at least double the length of time and will perform way better. Many times it’s worth spending for better quality. Gas grills are one of those times.

 

[Kgp]

In my area, plenty of used Weber genesis for sale on fb marketplace in your price range. Burners and flavor bars can be replaced for reasonable amount if needed.

 

[daveb]

In your price range Weber offers the "Q" series grills. Small, easy, well suited for apartment / condo (or tailgate) and sized right for a couple of people.

I keep one of these for when I want simple - and don't want to fire up the BGE (don't ask...).

The box stores have them or

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-510600...mzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3

 

[Gshep91]

In your price range Weber offers the "Q" series grills. Small, easy, well suited for apartment / condo (or tailgate) and sized right for a couple of people.

I keep one of these for when I want simple - and don't want to fire up the BGE (don't ask...).

The box stores have them or

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-510600...mzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3

How is this for cooking something like a steak where you’d want one hot side for searing and one side for the slow cook?
With 1 burner that seems a little tricky - plus I’d need to buy the stand for it.

I’m leaning towards a 3-4 burner cheaper brand and it can last a few years until we move again.

 

[RonB]

Over 600 independent reviews on all types of cookers:

https://amazingribs.com/grill-and-smoker-search/

 

[Heckel7302]

In my area, plenty of used Weber genesis for sale on fb marketplace in your price range. Burners and flavor bars can be replaced for reasonable amount if needed.

FB marketplace is a great idea. A bunch of Weber Spirits under $200 and Genesis around $300. I’d take a used Weber over a new cheap one in that price range any day.

 

[SwampDonkey]

EDIT: I was posting when the "no charcoal" post was put up.

I say stick to charcoal if you can.

I've had two Char Griller Smokin' Pro's and there have been two others in my family and all have been excellent. They've really expanded their line up now though so there are more options.

https://www.chargriller.com/collect...*MTY4MzA3MDk1NC4xLjEuMTY4MzA3MDk2My4wLjAuMA..
That said, it's really hard to beat a classic Weber kettle. You can do indirect cooks, smaller to moderately larger volumes, etc.

And then I'll throw another twist at ya. A while back I wanted to set up a smaller grilling/smoking area on our front porch. It's mostly just the wife and I and it's very convenient to have it right outside the front door. So, having a Weber Smokey Joe, I made a smoker unit using it and a tamale pot. Lots of YT videos on different methods. Not hard and works great! I have two racks and have done two spatchcocked chickens, pork butt, four Cornish hens, etc. And you can still use the grill as a grill as the pot just comes off. I've since added a Weber Go Anywhere to give me more options.

Now, I'm not saying you have to go that route, just tossing out some ideas. A Weber Smokey Mountain and Go Anywhere would also cover a lot of ground.

I've never seen that done with a Smokey Joe...brilliant

 

[Bodine]

Here are some ceramic grills/smokers in your price range.
Ceramic will last longer than steel. My egg is 20 years old and in perfect condition.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/VESSILS/page/66DE0470-A51C-4CB8-8823-CA6BD198A962?ref_=ast_bln

 

[coxhaus]

I like a gas grill for fast outdoor cooking. I have a smoker for slow cooking.

I have a friend which uses a cheap Old Smokey for smoking turkeys. He builds a campfire using oak wood and shovels coals in the Old Smokey from the campfire. It works well. He lives in the country so building a fire is not a problem.

 

[daveb]

How is this for cooking something like a steak where you’d want one hot side for searing and one side for the slow cook?
With 1 burner that seems a little tricky - plus I’d need to buy the stand for it.

It's a simple grill. But. Being a world unknown chef, if I were to want to grill a steak I would get the grill to max temp, sear the presentation side, flip it and drop heat to low. It'll work but not ideal.

Some of the other alternatives will be more versatile. This would meet your requirements, including budget. On a good, better, best rating this would be good.. Weber/Ducane gas would be better. Ceramic charcoal would be best.

Good luck!

 

[M1k3]

Do you have a BBQ's Galore near you? They have a quality selection. I used to work for them and help service them also.

 

[cheeken1111]

How much are you planning to cook? And what kind of cooking?

Maybe a weird suggestion but have a gander at the konro, I have a weber genesis 3 burner and "medium" konro. I end up using the konro 90% of the time if I am just cooking for my wife and I.

Really like being able to crank up the heat on the charcoal grill. For things like skewers, grilled fish, korean bbq. Most gas grills are limited to 5-600F by design and need a lid closed to build up heat. They also have a whole bunch of different sizes to fit what space you have and how much you want to cook. (Also semi portable) You also dont need the fancy binchotan charcoal, pedestrian lump charcoal works fine.

Down side to the konro is thay charcoal does take at least 10 min to light even with a blower. It can be mess to deal with between the ash and the extra chimney. My neighbors probably hate all the ash I blow out the konro before storing. You will also need to have some kind of non flammable patio furniture to cook on since it does not have a stand of its own. I have hobo/picnic cooked on the ground with it before.

Small

large (also have more square versions)

 

[Gshep91]

How much are you planning to cook? And what kind of cooking?

Maybe a weird suggestion but have a gander at the konro, I have a weber genesis 3 burner and "medium" konro. I end up using the konro 90% of the time if I am just cooking for my wife and I.

Really like being able to crank up the heat on the charcoal grill. For things like skewers, grilled fish, korean bbq. Most gas grills are limited to 5-600F by design and need a lid closed to build up heat. They also have a whole bunch of different sizes to fit what space you have and how much you want to cook. (Also semi portable) You also dont need the fancy binchotan charcoal, pedestrian lump charcoal works fine.

Down side to the konro is thay charcoal does take at least 10 min to light even with a blower. It can be mess to deal with between the ash and the extra chimney. My neighbors probably hate all the ash I blow out the konro before storing. You will also need to have some kind of non flammable patio furniture to cook on since it does not have a stand of its own. I have hobo/picnic cooked on the ground with it before.

Small
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large (also have more square versions)
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Awesome suggestion but unfortunately, I’m in a condo community where they have rules against charcoal. Didn’t realize that until it was mentioned elsewhere and I looked.

I think gas is gonna be the way to go. There’s no good deals near me for anything Webber so I think I’ll pick up a cheaper 150-200$ one from HD or Lowe’s and call it a day.
Reality is I’ll use it once a week, if that lol.

 

[cheeken1111]

Awesome suggestion but unfortunately, I’m in a condo community where they have rules against charcoal. Didn’t realize that until it was mentioned elsewhere and I looked.

I think gas is gonna be the way to go. There’s no good deals near me for anything Webber so I think I’ll pick up a cheaper 150-200$ one from HD or Lowe’s and call it a day.
Reality is I’ll use it once a week, if that lol.

The ash I bet. =) I have a semi guilty concious blowing out the ash in my garden. Ahh I missed that post. Was a bit too trigger happy.

 

[Gshep91]

The ash I bet. =) I have a semi guilty concious blowing out the ash in my garden. Ahh I missed that post. Was a bit too trigger happy.

Also on the fence of just getting a flattop like a black stone.

Problem is I feel a grill makes more sense since I can always throw a flattop on it later

 

[robotworks]

You choose your poison.
I am sure you already have enough knives in your kitchen to do the basic cooking things you need to do.'So spending another 500 bucks on a knife that you don't really need and to carve raw food you are quite possibly going to ruin on your cheap grill???
Buy the Weber, probably a Spirit E-210 or so, propane. It has two burners, set up for hot cool side operation, Not too big for your patio. It has an obscene warranty on the burners (like 10years). Looks good using it. Take care of your Weber and it will last ten years.
I have a NG Spirit 300 I bought 9 years ago. Living on the central coast of California, I grill 4 to 5 times a week. I've replaced the burners once (warranty), the flavor bars once (and have another set as a spare but no real need to use them yet).
Then get yourself one of those small cast iron smoker chip boxes. Put it on the hot side on the flavor bars, your meat on the cool side, set the temp up for 200f and be prepared to be amazed.
I have propane Q grill, it goes in the travel trailer for our trips into the RV world. It works OK, but I wouldn't try to rely upon it for daily food prep.
I also have a 22 inch Weber Kettle with the rotisserie spacer that I bring out for company and weekend "lets' do a smoked roast or chicken (or two)". Don't recommend it for your situation. Follow the rules and don't get thrown out of your condo.
So buy the Weber Spirit, put off that new handmade Japanese knife until Christmas comes and enjoy many years of grilling meats and veggies.
t

 

[cheeken1111]

Also on the fence of just getting a flattop like a black stone.

Problem is I feel a grill makes more sense since I can always throw a flattop on it later

Yep I put a lodge griddle on the charcoal or gas grill.

On the gas grill when I have it on I take off the angle steel sheet/burner gaurd to get a little extra heat in the griddle. Otherwise it just doesnt get hot enough. I dont have a flat top but feels like a flat top would have better/direct heating and can get a lot hotter.

I guess the biggest difference between them is the cooking method. Flat top is conduction primarily where as grilling is convection/conduction/radiation(maybe) and all the moisture falls through the grates. I feel like unless you are doing alot of bulk the stove fills the flat top role for me. I also put the lodge gridle on the stove as well but always leaves a mess to clean up. =(

 

[coxhaus]

How is this for cooking something like a steak where you’d want one hot side for searing and one side for the slow cook?
With 1 burner that seems a little tricky - plus I’d need to buy the stand for it.

I’m leaning towards a 3-4 burner cheaper brand and it can last a few years until we move again.

When I cook steaks I turn on all the burners on the grill on full blast and let it heat for 10 to 15 minutes depending on temperature outside. I then cook my steaks for about 2 to 3 minutes a side depending on thickness. I want cast iron for my grates for my grill as they brown better in my mind.

I like my steaks Pittsburg red which is full blast.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I have not owned a Weber propane (I have owned a couple of their charcoal models), so I can't comment on that particular model. That being said, I've owned about 5-6 propane grills ranging from a cheapo Kenmore (which was a rebranded CharBroil, I think) to fairly expensive Jenn-Air model with rotisserie, side burner, etc. I no longer believe it's worth it to spend big bucks on a propane BBQ grill. The internals, even when made with better, beefier metals, eventually corrode and fail. None of them - that I've seen, anyway - come close to the amount of heat that a good charcoal fire puts out.

I love propane for the ease and quickness, and I use ours fairly often. But I no longer will buy anything that is top-end. I just don't see the value. I have the luxury of having space for a Weber charcoal kettle grill for when I want to really "grill" outdoors, but when we just want to cook some burgers for a quick meal, a cheapo gas grill does fine.

 

[robotworks]

I have not owned a Weber propane (I have owned a couple of their charcoal models), so I can't comment on that particular model. That being said, I've owned about 5-6 propane grills ranging from a cheapo Kenmore (which was a rebranded CharBroil, I think) to fairly expensive Jenn-Air model with rotisserie, side burner, etc. I no longer believe it's worth it to spend big bucks on a propane BBQ grill. The internals, even when made with better, beefier metals, eventually corrode and fail. None of them - that I've seen, anyway - come close to the amount of heat that a good charcoal fire puts out.

I love propane for the ease and quickness, and I use ours fairly often. But I no longer will buy anything that is top-end. I just don't see the value. I have the luxury of having space for a Weber charcoal kettle grill for when I want to really "grill" outdoors, but when we just want to cook some burgers for a quick meal, a cheapo gas grill does fine.

Understand.
My favorite type of grilling is a couple of dry rubbed chickens on beer can stands, with usually wine and garlic, a bit of thyme thrown in, The 22inch weber with it set up for uber hot one side, warm on the other. Hickory or mesquite real charcoal and a couple large chunks of cherry or pecan thrown in for smoking flavor.
But... if I relied upon that, I would grill once a week maybe. So I have the Weber NG. Gets to 550-600 here on the central CA coast. When we lived in the bay area, it would easily hit 700-800 degrees. Must be the gas pressure or the gas line size my plumber put in. I can live with it. Preheat for ten minutes, sear for 7 minutes on the first side, flip and monitor internal temp for 145. Perfect Medium rare steaks every time. We have steak once every two weeks but when we do, they are THICK.
So OP, here is the deal. Get a Weber, pay the 500 bucks. It works out to 1 dollar a week over ten years. The inners are warrantied for that long. You will 1.) enjoy the food more and 2.) grill much more often. t

 

[bahamaroot]

...I no longer believe it's worth it to spend big bucks on a propane BBQ grill. The internals, even when made with better, beefier metals, eventually corrode and fail. None of them - that I've seen, anyway - come close to the amount of heat that a good charcoal fire puts out....

My Weber Genesis Special Edition EP-330 is 12 years old and it's still going strong. I've not had to replace the first internal on it yet and it easily gets to 600+ degrees. More than hot enough to do any grilling you need and the initial $750 cost has proven to be more than worth it given it's durability.