The Bobcat Nation

So, I'm finally moving into a place that allows me to and has the space to have a grill again. I couldn't be more excited about that!

However, grills have changed so much since the last time I had one I have no idea where to start. I used to have a super old Weber that took the Lava Rocks....but I can't seem to find that anymore.

So I thought I'd ask the experts here on Bobcatnation. Basically what I'm looking for is what should I be looking for/what would you suggest in:
$200-$400 range
3-4 burner
Is Natural Gas better than propane?
Basic Grilling (hot dogs, steaks, beer can chicken, etc.).......maybe put in some would chips from time to time.
Maybe a side burner and warming rack
Easy Maintenace
Easy Assembly
Even cooking
Longevity/can take a beating and still look good
Easy to convert to a Lava Rock grate if I wanted to.

Any suggestions or advice beyond the specifications I listed above would be great. Everything that I'm looking at online is pretty foreign to me compared to what I used to work with.

Thanks in advance Nation!

We had a Weber for ~8 years. It held up superbly! We rebuilt the inside once, you can order parts online and not too expensive. The outside was still in great shape (we recently just sold it with our camper or we'd still be using it)

I've never, ever used the side burner thing. Our Weber didn't have it.

The only real drawback of it was that it didn't have a good second level or warming shelf.

I’ve had a great experience with my Weber (Weber Genesis). We use it almost every night, and it still looks almost new (I do cover it after using it). The exterior stainless steel has held up very well (no rust). In the spring I will power wash it off, and it literally looks new. Other than my Traeger, I will never buy a grill other than a Weber.

If you are planning on living in your house for a long time I would recommend running natural gas to your grill. Never having to deal with a tank has been great. From a cooking perspective there isn’t much difference between the two. Natural gas does burn a little hotter. If you decide on natural gas, I would recommend buying a grill made for natural gas. Weber does sell conversion kits for their grills, if you buy one for propane and decide to change later.

I used to own a Char Broil (which had the lava rock over the burners), and didn’t like it. I had issues trying to create in-direct heat, and had issues with uneven cooking. The Weber I have now has the full size flare guards over the burners. I’ve found this creates a nice even temperature, and depending on which burners are on, it’s been easy creating both direct and an in-direct heat environment. I’ve been able to slow smoke ribs all day (low), as well as fry cat fish directly over the grill (high). Very versatile.

While I do have a side burner on the Weber, I don’t know that I would really need it. I’ve really only used it a couple of times. The few times I have used it is when something needs to cook on a burner for a long time, and I want to spend the time outside. I don’t think I use it even once a year. I wouldn’t need to have it. If I had it to do over again, I would save the $100 and get the model without the side burner.

The Weber’s that I’ve seen all have a stationary warming rack (which is pretty small). On the Char Broil the warming rack would move with the movement of the door opening and closing, allowing access to the whole grate. The Weber’s warming rack is pretty small so doesn’t really get in the way. It is easily removable if that is an issue.

Definitely pay attention to the type of cooking grate. To reduce the cost, grills will use lighter material in the grate. They can range from aluminum, to partial steal rods, to once piece cast iron.

I don’t think Weber’s are usually sold with a rotisserie. I did buy their rotisserie add-on, but it’s pretty obvious the rotisserie was an afterthought. It is almost unusable. The rotisserie on the Char Broil was much nicer, it was built in.

The maintenance on the Weber is very easy. It has a disposable drain pan in the base. Really, the only maintenance is replacing that disposable pan once a year, and maybe shopvac the crusties below burners.

There are basically three levels of Weber grills, Spirit, Genesis, and Summit. Looking at the Ace web site, it looks like the Spirit range from $400-$600. The Genesis $480 - $800, depending on options.

If you do decide on a Weber grill, before you purchase it....shoot me a PM with the model number and I will get you a price, shipped to your home that will beat any local place you would buy it from.

AlphaGriz1 wrote:If you do decide on a Weber grill, before you purchase it....shoot me a PM with the model number and I will get you a price, shipped to your home that will beat any local place you would buy it from.

When I buy a house, be expecting a pm from me.

AlphaGriz1 wrote:If you do decide on a Weber grill, before you purchase it....shoot me a PM with the model number and I will get you a price, shipped to your home that will beat any local place you would buy it from.

Weber grills…. Big Screen TV’s….. What, are you in the business of finding things that have “fallen off the back of a truck” there on I-90?




What else do you have in your warehouse?

I bought a Traeger pellet grill and smoker. I love the taste of the meat that comes from these. They have a website to check them out. They have been selling them at Costco a couple times a year.

In case anyone was curious I bit the bullet and ordered the Weber Genesis E-330. I'm very excited to recieve it and fire it up.

If anyone is in the market and is concerned about the cost of a Weber, ACE has a great promotion that gives you a $100 off any purchase if you apply for their credit card. It allowed me to step up to the 330 vs. the 310 for the same cost.

I'll report back what I think of it after I've played with it for awhile.

AG1 was a great help in trying to assist me with offsetting the cost of a grill....shipping was just to much. Thanks again Alpha.

Having spent a great deal of time in real BBQ country, the weekend amateurs use gas sometimes, the better ones use something like the Green Egg and will break down and use charcoal, but the pros have a pit that they fire up the hickory, oak, cottonwood, apple, cherry, etc. and when they have a bed of coals about two feet deep, put their pig, hindquarter, steaks, on a piece of metal, cover it with another piece of metal and then cover it with dirt for about five hours. If you get a chance, go to a Puerto Rican BBQ,

Then I will settle for being a weekend amateure I suppose. But I whole-heartedly disagree. Some amazing things can be done on a gas grill....Ask Bobby Flay

BearCat wrote:In case anyone was curious I bit the bullet and ordered the Weber Genesis E-330. I'm very excited to recieve it and fire it up.

Good call. I bought a Genesis E-310 about a year ago to the day (thought about the 330, but I didn't think I'd have much use for the side burner). I'm really happy with it, though. When I was shopping for a grill, the things that were important to me were: (1) having at least three burners, and (2) having cast iron grates, rather than stainless steel. The Weber was a lot more expensive than the others I considered, but from everything I've read about them, they can last for over ten years if you take care of them, and that's what you're paying for.

BearCat wrote:Then I will settle for being a weekend amateure I suppose. But I whole-heartedly disagree. Some amazing things can be done on a gas grill....Ask Bobby Flay

I think this guy knows his way around a gas grill:

Grizlaw wrote:

BearCat wrote:In case anyone was curious I bit the bullet and ordered the Weber Genesis E-330. I'm very excited to recieve it and fire it up.

Good call. I bought a Genesis E-310 about a year ago to the day (thought about the 330, but I didn't think I'd have much use for the side burner). I'm really happy with it, though. When I was shopping for a grill, the things that were important to me were: (1) having at least three burners, and (2) having cast iron grates, rather than stainless steel. The Weber was a lot more expensive than the others I considered, but from everything I've read about them, they can last for over ten years if you take care of them, and that's what you're paying for.

Agreed on all acounts. I also was excited for the 330 because of the sear station. Something the 310 didn't have. The 330 also had enameled flavorizer bars rather than bare stainless steel. Also a plus. Hopefully I'll be as happy with mine as you have been with yours.