gas bbqs

Hi

I’ve searched to some degree but couldn’t find any posts / arguments about gas bbq choices.

I have a charcoal thing already but want a gas bbq. The marketing BS in terms of ‘features’ is almost unreadable so I have been looking today to try and see how these things feel in terms of quality. Size is also important as we all know.

I’ve narrowed it down to a Landmann Triton 4, A Broil King equivalent and the inevitable Weber. The Weber feels the best no doubt, but seems like a money pit in that it has a ‘system’ that allows, almost demands, that you buy the add ons – pizza stone, wok, roaster etc etc. All £50 and up! When added to the already high pruchase price, the Weber works out at 2 – 2.5 times the price of the others.

Any views on these models or anything else in the 400-500 quid bracket?

Will I regret not re-mortgaging for the Weber?

Ta

Buy a cheaper gas one for convenience, and a Weber charcoal for proper BBQ?

*stands back from blue touchpaper *

Drag your gas oven outside.

The Weber charcoal thing is covered! Now the gas…

Not interested in a cooking debate, although expecting to get one!

Drac, don’t have one. Otherwise sound plan.

I’ve searched to some degree but couldn’t find any posts / arguments about gas bbq choices.

Searched to about -272 degrees C (measured using an artisan IR meat thermometer) if you haven’t found anything, there have been some spectacular arguments on here on this subject. I predict 3 pages, one flounce, maybe a ban and still no agreement.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/gas-bbqs

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bbq-cooks

(and FWIW, gas and charcoal here. Horses for courses, but a good gas one is worth its weight)

Drac – Moderator
Drag your gas oven outside.

:lol: True, true …

otherjonv, I meant I couldn’t find discussion on good vs bad options. The bitchfests I found quite quickly!!

I know I want a gas bbq, just some reassurance that the models I’m looking at are good options would be nice.

Perhaps someone could reply under a new login to avoid being outed as the owner of less than 3 michelin bbq stars?

I’ve recently bought one of these and am very impressed for the price – except for the drip tray which is mild steel everything else is decent stainless steel. I can’t see much difference to the £2k webers in the garden center.

What Drac said, BBQ should be charcoal ONLY!

are you Hank Hill?

Firstly I was anti gas bbq for years, however having got one. Brilliant. Much easier for a quick dinner – bbq a steak, much better for large groups, easier to use etc etc

We had no extras just a decent multi burner grill (so could light just one if you wanted) with a hotplate (very useful) and a lid with thermometer. Ours was an Outback.

Happy shopping

i hated the idea of a gas one for years. but i got one a couple of years ago and its great (webber Q) i still use charcoal but when the lad pipes up with “can we bbq dinner” it takes ten min to set it up and start cooking

Weber here as well. Buy cheap, buy twice from experience. Mine’s a Spirit Classic, only 2 burner but I can easily cook for 8 on it.

Pizza stones are a tenner on amazon. Bog standard works with either fuel… and makes for a yummy tea.
I can definitely see the attraction of convenience.

Weber q in whatever size you need. End of really, unless you are seriously long cooking or smoking just use ingredients for the flavour ;)

Weber q here. 2200 for us.

A smoker tray with soaked wood produces all the smoke I need for smoking brisket.

Best part is it’s easy to move indoors/under cover. Most bbqs die of not being used not being covered and left in the rain.

+ I just throw it in the back of the van for trips away :)

+1 on the Weber Q.

Use it instead of grilling/oven in summer (and sometimes winter too).

Weber spirit something here. GF was keen to buy one but I questioned how much we would use it. She’s taken on the challenge and in one year we’ve used it over 100 times now.

We always use it for steak even if eating indoors and often use it for sausage / bacon sandwiches as well as regular bbqs.

It was a good buy. You need to stay on top of the cleaning and we use a proper cover for 365 outdoor use.

Quality of meat as always goes a long way.

Take a look at the broil king. I was convinced I “needed” to spend £1400 on a fancy Weber. The shop I looked in had both and the broil kings are nearly as well made and half the price. I use mine all the time and it’s a pleasure to use. I particularly like the rotisserie feature that was included.

Loving in Oz we can’t do charcoal as we BBQ so often (most nights during summer… Fry ups in the morning) it’s just not practical to charcoal that often. I suppose when you do it omce on summer in between rain storms it’s all part of the game. We have a 6 burner and side plate which does roast meats too, has a rotisserie, grill and hot plates. It’s epic.

Broil King vote here too. Have one with the side gas ring and rotisserie and its superb. Live in Spain so it get used a LOT. Riding buddy visited from UK and he was that impressed he decided he needed one in his life too. Monarch 390 Fwiw :wink:

We’re forced to use gas due to a residents’ restriction where we live.

We bought a generic gas BBQ (Sunset…) and in the end it went to the tip and we bought a Weber. The Sunset grill parts always needed cleaning and that’s a messy job and the drip tray was a mess and needed cleaning regularly as well. On top of that it never really got very hot.

The Weber (Spirit) gets hot really quick, the grill parts have never been off since we bought it to be cleaned and the drip tray contents end up in a small “curry container” that we chuck away.
I would say they’re worth the money. The only Weber accessory we’ve bought is the tongs and that’s because it can get so hot that kitchen ones don’t cut it…

Check out some reviews here Meathead

Careful with cheap stainless steel. It can get rust spots pretty quickly.

I have a Weber Genesis but bought in USA. I’m not sure I’d make the same decision if I had to buy in the UK. Nevertheless it has lasted 6 years and still looks good. Nowt broken or rusted.

We bought John Lewis own brand 6 burner about 8 years ago – good quality enamelled bars with a griddle too.

We’ve got 3 Webber Qs at various places…. I personally find them to be excellent. They stay outside for 6 months and inside for 6 months – nothing gone wrong, nothing corroded, just press the starter button and off you go.
The other night the girls where having burgers but MrsSB and I were having fishcakes and asparagus. Did the whole lot together on the Webber – ’twas most excellent!
Great bits of kit. I like the idea of charcoal but I’m just not that organised!

Somewhat sceptic after the last 3-4 BBQ’s being scrapped after a winter or two but the Weber 3 burner has proven a great buy.
Didn’t buy any extra accessories either though I might one day get a rotisserie….

It’s 4-5? years old now and still looks nearly new.

For all those recommending a Weber Q… why?

It’s expensive and tiny. It seems to me to be the worst of all worlds. The expense of a Weber but without the functionality. If it’s for your main family BBQ then three burners and a decent sized grill are a must have, imho.

Weber Q?
Versatile, portable and a decent size. Really depends how much food you want to cook at any one time. For me it was the right size and worked as it was easy to take anywhere. Never struggled to do BBQ for 6-10 people on one but it wasn’t just cooking everything at once.
Solid, well built, reliable, use wise great value for money over the years (my folks have my old one)

Don’t forget the likes of Napoleon, Grand Hall and Cadac.

Though I’m a confirmed charcoal user, I really fancy one if the small Napoleon gas BBQs to take to the beach.

Mike – those are valid reasons. For you it sounds like what you require. But if portability isn’t important then I’d not recommend it. If you want to get into proper grilling then I don’t think it works. With only two burners it’ll be difficult to use the two zone grilling technique. And without a decent size hood you can’t do some smoking.

Anyway, the OP budget extends beyond the Q. So I guess this is off the topic.

uhmm the OP’s budget is edging ever upwards…

Now trying to talk myself out of a Weber Spirit 320 at nearly 700 notes. I really am crap at this.

OMITN – for the beach have a look at a Cobb.

With only two burners it’ll be difficult to use the two zone grilling technique. And without a decent size hood you can’t do some smoking.

I’ll confess this is the only negative I have to my Weber Spirit which is the two burner version. You can just about manage it but it’s not as good as with three – but budget was what it was. Next time (if the thing ever dies)

Size wise – again as Mike said I can do enough for 6-8 easily enough with some juggling, and I have done ‘low n’ slow’ with success and a smoker box as well but if you can stretch to the 3 burner, then do it.

I’ve got a Webber kettle for charcoal BBQ and a generic 4 burner stainless steel gas BBQ for quick last min BBQing or if there are too many people to cook for on the charcoal one.

I think the quality of the gas BBQ you buy will perhaps come down to how much you’ll use it and where it will live.

My gas BBQ has been going well for about 5 years so far – but it lives in the garage so literally never goes wet. My father in law has the same BBQ and it lives outside under a cover (but otrherwise open to the elements) and it has started corroding quite a lot. Guess it must be cheap stainless steel.

Mines going to live outside soon under a BBQ shelter with a cover on so will see how it does then. I think I’ll get more use out of it if I don’t have to drag it outside every time I want to use it.

Next door neighbour has a big stainless gas webber BBQ and cooks most of his meals on it all year round. It also lives in a shelter thing, but mostly with no cover. It’s very much better quality than mine – it weighs about 80kgs! He’s got virtually all the attachments possible- but then bbqing is probably his only ‘hobby’.

My Mum’s parter bought a Weber gas thing about 20 years ago, recently he re-painted it and re-varnished the work area, then sold it for the same as he paid for it originally. They are/were built to last.

I like the convenience of gas, although I don’t own one, charcoal only. I’d happily have both, but I’d not discount the Broilking.

Weber for me, both gas, charcoal and we have a wood oven as well.
Gas BBQ is used the most, all year and circa 3-4 times a week from March onwards. We do xmas dinner in it as well ! Build quality is great, mine has a cover and sits outside 365 – 3 years in and it’s in perfect condition.

sod it – weber it is…

thanks all

I think the quality of the gas BBQ you buy will perhaps come down to how much you’ll use it and where it will live.

My gas BBQ has been going well for about 5 years so far – but it lives in the garage so literally never goes wet. My father in law has the same BBQ and it lives outside under a cover (but otrherwise open to the elements) and it has started corroding quite a lot. Guess it must be cheap stainless steel.

Probably down to where you keep it…. but that to me is also directly linked to how often you use it. The bigger Weber stands outside all winter… and yep it’s expensive but its actually still cheaper than a (another) shed…

Spring to Autumn it gets used almost daily….

Next door neighbour has a big stainless gas webber BBQ and cooks most of his meals on it all year round. It also lives in a shelter thing, but mostly with no cover.

Cripes are you next door :D

I prefer charcoal…. however the gas just gets used all the time…
I’ve also got a portable hotplate that gets taken out in Summer… so even that gets done outdoors… and the OH wouldn’t use the charcoal … so mostly it’s really good to come home weekends after a ride and have a nice BBQ in the garden….

Mines going to live outside soon under a BBQ shelter with a cover on so will see how it does then. I think I’ll get more use out of it if I don’t have to drag it outside every time I want to use it.

Our Weber is half under a canopy thing but only gets a cover on in winter… the rest of the time it’s out and gets used any time it’s not actually raining…