Any BBQ/Gas Grill Experts or Experience w/ Blue Ember Grills?

[redskns21]

Hey all,

I'm in the process of researching/purchasing a gas grill. I'm looking for something between $500.00 and $1000.00. I'm stuck between 3 that I can find here locally.

One is a Weber (have a few charcoal ones from them, good quality not a lot of features IMO).

The Genesis S-320... http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100497523&categoryID=500349

The other is a Ducane which I've learned is now owned by Weber and seems to have a bit more features for the money but less sturdy construction.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100098947&N=10000003+90401+500349+3885&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125

The last one is from a brand called Blue Ember made by Fiesta. I like this one because of the features and price. It has a beer opener, power outlets, a place on the left for condiments/ice/storage. It has a lot of plastic and isn't super flashy but it seems functional.

http://www.trmarketing.de/en/ember/fg50057/fg50057.html

Any advice here would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[twa]

Blasphemy :whippin: ....hang the apostate

Are you with me Woodies? :laugh:

[jrockster21]

Lame. Get a smoker with an offset firebox. $160 at Home Depot. You can grill normally, or barbeque with the offset chamber - it will be the best you've ever had.

Gas is for women.

[redskns21]

I live in Nevada and smokers/charcoal can be a absolute pain with the winds here. So, I'll be a woman and buy a gas grill, just someone give me a good idea as to what to here and stop being macho smart asses.

[Tarhog]

I have a Weber gas and its the best grill I've ever had - bar none. You can't go wrong with one. Best temp control and most durable grill you'll find. I'd highly recommend their gas grills.

[redskns21]

Thank you TH, much appreciated.

[Monte51Coleman]

Living in Florida, where everyday is a great day to grill, I do so on average 3-4 times a week. I have gone through quite a few grill over the years.

Two years ago I bought a Weber Genesis Series. It is hands down the best one I've had.

I also ran across an article today on the new generation of grills that use infrared technology. Maybe that would be of interest to you as well as you make your decision.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zinfrared26may26,0,6021578.story

Infrared grill sales are hot

Technology becomes more affordable as important patent expires

By Elliott Minor

The Associated Press

May 26, 2007

ALBANY, Ga. · For a quarter century, chefs at pricey steakhouses have been searing meat on burners that cook with infrared energy. Now the high-temperature technology may be coming to a backyard barbecue near you.

With the expiration of a key patent, major gas grill manufacturers, including market leader Char-Broil, have scrambled to bring infrared cooking to the masses with models in the $500 to $1,000 range. Previously, such grills cost as much as $5,000.

"Infrared is really hot," said Leslie Wheeler, a spokeswoman for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, an industry group in Arlington, Va. "They're great for searing and then either you turn it down or move over to another burner for cooking."

The grills are still powered by propane and have traditional gas burners that heat mostly by convection -- or hot air. But they also can cook foods with radiant heat generated by one or more infrared burners. (Infrared falls between visible light and microwave energy on the electromagnetic spectrum.)

Char-Broil says its advanced burners operate at 450 to 900 degrees, hotter than the 450 to 750 degrees of standard gas burners. And unlike charcoal, which can require 20 to 30 minutes to reach its 700-degree cooking temperature, heat from the infrared burners can be adjusted quickly.

Most leading grill makers, including Solaire, Weber and Whirlpool Corp.'s Jenn-Air, also offer grills that use infrared.

"It's terrific," said Wheeler, who owns an infrared grill. "Grills nowadays give you many options."

Cooks can sear steaks or hamburgers, steam vegetables and give their meats a smoky taste by tossing a few wood chips onto the burner, said Rob Schwing, a Char-Broil vice president.

"Infrared has done to the grill business what the microwave did to the indoor kitchen," he said. "It's presenting consumers with a whole new way of cooking."

Bill Best, founder of Thermal Electric Corp. of Columbia, S.C., developed the technology in the 1960s, primarily to give automakers a faster way to dry the paint on cars. That led to high-end grills for professional cooks and wealthy consumers.

When his patent expired in 2000, grill companies saw a future in America's backyards.

But original infrared burners -- and some offered currently to consumers -- contained ceramic material that was hard to clean, prone to flare-ups and fragile, Schwing said.

Char-Broil formed a strategic alliance with Best's company to develop a new generation of burners known as the Char-Broil TEC series. The fragile ceramics have been eliminated. They have a layer of glass to shield the burners from drippings and provide even heat distribution. Seven years after Best's patent expired, those improvements are available at a price more affordable to weekend grillers.

[jrockster21]

I live in Nevada and smokers/charcoal can be a absolute pain with the winds here. So, I'll be a woman and buy a gas grill, just someone give me a good idea as to what to here and stop being macho smart asses.

Damn dude, relax!