Shopping for a BBQ [General]

2014 May 21
I'm shopping for a BBQ upgrade and am wondering if you can help with suggestions.

I am not loyal to any store or brand.
Must be either propane or natural gas. (Please, while I'd love it, I cannot buy charcoal grill or smoker right now.)
Must have at least 2 burners, side by side.
Budget is under $500, the cheaper the better price-wise, but want a quality product.
Must have some shelves or wings on the side to rest tools, plates etc.
Top rack would be nice.
Prefer cast iron grate to ceramic/porcelain.
Size - standard 2 people size, not gonna be hosting big parties regularly.
Enough height to do beer can chicken etc.
I use the BBQ year-round so it should be durable. Stainless steel?
No need for warming drawers, infrared burners etc.
Is 100 BTU per square inch of grate still the home standard?

Any help would be great. I should probably just take this list around to the vendors to see what they recommend...

Thanks

2014 May 21
AD_2 You might have a look at some magazine stand (or library?) for the June Consumer Reports - they have a review of BBQ's from tiny portable to large crowd feeders. The issue might not be there much longer before the July issue shows up. Looking at it gives a lot of the info you want.

2014 May 21
Good advice, thank you!

2014 May 21
I needed something low cost, moveable and propane, and I've been pretty happy with my propane Broil King... they've changed the model numbers and names since i bought it, but something in the Crown, Sovereign or Monarch lines should be in your price bracket and have all the points you note, with the sole qualifier that i haven't attempted beer can bird yet (i know, i know, i'm shredding my bbq'er card right away...). The 'flav-r-wave' thingy may seem silly at first glance, but actually works.


2014 May 21
I actually just went out to buy one this past weekend. I found it pretty tough to find a quality grill without all the bells and whistles and (consequently) a price that was higher than I was willing to go. That said, you should be fine under $500 with some of the entry level Broil Kings, maybe even a smaller Weber or Napolean. I found Lowe's had the best selection.

Everything I read said stay away from the store branded ones (Brinkmann, Masterforge, Masterchef, etc.). Onward Manufacturing Company grills (Broil King, Broil Mate, Sterling; in that order)provide the best value while Weber and Napoleon are a step up.

I went with the Broil-Mate 165154. Seemed to have the best quality at a budget-price. Haven't taken it out of the box yet though!

www.homedepot.ca

2014 May 21
Andy & AD_2 - Just as an FYI, you can access the entire Consumer Reports online library (which includes all the latest info), via the Ottawa public library website. You need to sign-in to the library website with your library info, search for "consumerreports.org". Clicking it will automatically sign you in and you can read latest articles, or research older.

2014 May 21
Am a huge fan of this line:

www.weber.com

though mine is charcoal, a neighbor has a gas version and these are well built and expect it to last longer than an expensive stainless one that takes alot of space ;)

2014 May 21
After quite I bit of research I was about to bite the bullett and get a Weber Q - untial I found an almost new Blue Ember on Kijiji.

The Q seems to have great cast iron grills, and the way the gas tube is designed looks like it gives really even heat. The cooking surface is large, in case you do have to cook for a crowd.

The only downfall I saw with this model was the height of the lid - Dont know if you can fit a beer bird in there

2014 May 21
I am upgrading from a small Q model. The lid is very low and sloping on the sides and it's just 1 burner (which i find impossible to clean) which means no off-heat cooking. Temperature control is very difficult if not impossible. Very fuel-efficient though. Grate is top-notch and it's small enough that I've taken it car-camping (with propane bottles).

But yeah, not sure the design of the burners or lid in the Q series is what I'm looking for but I'll take a close look at the store. They are definitely durable.

2014 May 22
Just in terms of quality, I got a $200 Broil Mate 7 years ago this June, and it is still working (with one change of the burner). It is not super hot compared to some, but does most things I want well, and I have definitely got my $200 worth. A testament more to keeping it clean and dry and covered!

2014 May 22
Apparently a very good choice Brian Mc. It's the #2 small bbq in CR behind the Weber Spirit E-220 46310001 and less than 1/2 the price.

If you're looking for something larger AD_2 the top 2 medium bbq are the Weber Spirit SP-320 46700401 (~$600) and the Char-Broil Red 463250511 (~$400).

fyi CR says small bbq's have room for up to 16 burgers while the mediums have room for 16 to 30 burgers.

As an aside I see that there are some bbq's with stainless steel grates and I wonder if anyone has any experience with them. Some also have long burner warranties and I wonder if they are using stainless steel burners - anyone know? Both could be a plus for me as we live in the country and it is quite damp in our river "valley." I'm starting to think I want something with fewer hot spots than my faithful but old and decaying bbq.

2014 May 22
Kijiji BBQ's $400 to $550 in Ottawa/Gatineau.

www.kijiji.ca


2014 May 22
@Andy - the stainless steel grillson my Broil-King are great, carry heat nicely, less stick than porcelain and when you crank the heat to clean them stuff brushes off easier than porcelain. My one minor complaint is that unless you commit to a regular cleaning regimen, there will be some (harmless) discoloration.

2014 May 22
Thanks OSM. Good to hear they work well. The only discoloration I don't like is rust; darkening is OK by me.

2014 May 22
In my experience, in order to fit a beer can chicken in a standard size bbq..you always need to remove the top half rack (bun toaster rack). I find that to be a pretty annoying task so if you plan on doing beer can chickens frequently, be sure to choose a bbq with an easily removeable/replaceable top rack.