Hello,
The sun is out and it’s barbecue time, by our seven year old gas thing has cooked its last.
Any recommendations for a gas barbecue? Ideally cheap, around £100, but might be worth paying more if it’s a goodun’.
Cheers.
Not the cheapest but never failed with one of these
https://www.bbqworld.co.uk/weber-barbecues/weberq/weber-q-bbq.asp
The one I had for 4 years of heavy use has done 6 with my folks, cast iron grill and plate make a big difference and will just cook and cook.
If its gas its not a BBQ its an outdoor cooker......
What mike said.
Weber q at home
charcoal bbq at work. Both get heavy use, actually prefer the gas as it is better for long cooks -6-10 hour slow roasts over smoke chips without having to worry about the coals dying.
i chuck it in the back of the van cook at my destination, turn it off, by time i finish eating i chuck it in the van and can move on.
Meanwhile the charcoal braai has only one redeaming feature, you can get it hotter than hades hisself and reaaallly chargrill steaks while retaining a warm rare interior
It's not a wah wah whatever.... Its the cooking tool of choice for a good chunk of the world who cook great bbq food on them. If all your doing is burning sausages on charcoal it's not a bbq. Rant over
Still buy the webber
+1 for the Webber. Hot enough to cook in in a couple of minutes with minimal faff. Great for a ninja grill when the sun's out midweek and you want to get a ride in as well.
(Written standing in front of mine waiting to flip the steaks)
spend a bit more on the weber, can't imagine you'll regret it. weve got one of the Q ones, I think the numbers relate to size, and maybe whether its got legs or not. Just watch cos some take wee cartridges, rather than a big bottle
Who gives a shit about what its called. You'll have finished your steak before the charcoal lot are ready to cook.
Thanks for the replies. I converted my old gas outdoor cooker to charcoal last year. No such thing as a quick bbq now - family close to starving by the time I’ve got the darned food cooked. Call me a heathen, but give me the gas.
The Weber Q looks good. Smaller than I was looking at, but does it cook better than a cheap one so cooking time is less?
Who gives a shit about what its called. You’ll have finished your steak before the charcoal lot are ready to cook.
If only there were some other way of accomplishing that.
but does it cook better than a cheap one so cooking time is less?
Never sure quicker is better...
Very controllable, the grill heats up nicely so better cooking really, bit of practice and I could order everything I needed to be cooked
BBQs, gas or otherwise are so last century - it's all about the pizza oven now. Actually pizza oven that cooks other stuff in sizzlers and roasting tins too. Great for steaks if that's your bag. Since we got ours the bbq hardly gets a look in.
"If only there were some other way of accomplishing that."
Well you could stick it on your george foreman and ruin the meat i guess.
Re webber q and the little cannisters.
Cut off the crimped on regulator for their cannisters and fit the regulator for your gas of choice.
Butane in the summer (burns hotter) and propane in winter (its boiling point is -40 vs butanes +4)
Charcoal BBQ's and Convertible cars are a truly British thing, Pinning all your hopes and aspirations on claiming you could live for summer ignoring any of the practicalities and realities of the situation.
Well you could stick it on your george foreman and ruin the meat i guess.
I wouldn't know.
Pinning all your hopes and aspirations on claiming you could live for summer ignoring any of the practicalities and realities of the situation.
Waiting 15 minutes for the coals to heat up is a terrible imposition.
Oh the comment about pizza oven reminds me. Get a cheap pizza stone on amazon, bung it on top of the grill, set to nuclear. By the time you've arranged your artisan cheeses it's ready to go.
Good advice above on regulators.
We have a webber "Baby Q" - it's awesome.
Charcoal BBQ’s and Convertible cars are a truly British thing
Indeed. Never met an Australian with a charcoal barbie. Webber (like Subaru) have been adopted by the Aussies as a defacto domestic brand - they love 'em.
edit: except in tassie, where everyone seems to drive Mitsubishis for some reason
No such thing as a quick bbq now
Me and my house mate used to do impromptu midweek bbqs all the time, it's not a chore.
Indeed. Never met an Australian with a charcoal barbie.
Still used there but mostly for the very serious meat smoking slow cooking lot. Day to day it's the Webber or whatever outdoor setting you have.
I’ve nothing against charcoal, it’s just I’m not very good at it. It takes me about half an hour to get it lit, then another to let it get hot. By then I’m starving.
i usually cook for about 8, which includes a mixture of meats and and a vegetarian selection so I quite like a large grill, the ability to control heat in different sections with separate burners, and a warming rack would be good. Not asking for much...
Just ordered a landmann rexon 3.1, had a look at weber but tbh they looked overpriced, and not substantially better quality than any of the other bbqs.
I know this goes against the grain on here but the b&q own brand bbqs looked good for the money. The webers looked no better than those.
Now usuallly id advise against b&q own brand stuff as its usually tat, but this time i couldnt detect much difference.
Still didnt buy the b&q one though....
the issue seems to be in the longevity though.
we are 3 years in with our Weber using it all year round 2/3/4 times a week . basically any time there is meat to be cooked as its just nicer cooked on the BBQ - even a cast iron Griddle doesnt come close.
ours old BNQ bbq burner tubes started to burn out after 6 or so months of heavy use
Ok so our use may not be typical but the weber certainly holds up its end of the cost/function rather than just being overpriced*
*id not have spent that on a bbq we recieved it as a wedding present from a group of people who knew we BBQ alot
the hustler
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">If its gas its not a BBQ its an outdoor cooker……</span>
Bloody poms. No clue. We don't have time to fk about with coals and risking setting the whole bloody place on fire. You'd soon get tired of coals if you did more than one bbq per year! :p
bloody gateway error
Just ordered a landmann rexon 3.1, had a look at weber but tbh they looked overpriced, and not substantially better quality than any of the other bbqs.
Come back after a few winters ... we are through our 5th Winter .. don't do anything special except clean it and disconnect the gas in Oct before it standing Idle and come April it's reconnect the gas, wipe it down and fire it up. No rust etc.
The beauty of the Weber is not so much over the summer but rather over the winters ... I spent a lot on other brands before concluding the Weber is cheaper over 10 years...
Last year I bought a Weber go anywhere. Combined with a chimney starter and Weber briquettes it's fast and economical . All year round it gets used for pork chops especially. By the time the potato salad and garlic beans are cooked, the juicy, smoky, crisp-rind chops are succulently ready.
Where's that drooling Homer Simpson gif when you need it?
I bought this 2 years ago, quick to heat up, cast iron grills and a skillet, reliable temp gauge and its decent money.
Doesn't help with your gas BBQ choice but I've just bought a Charcoal Chimney which means that rather than stand for 40 minutes blowing on the lumps and waving a piece of cardboard, I can light it, go inside for 15 minutes and prepare food then pop outside and tip the hot coals on the grill. it's been a revelation.
The Weber's Complete BBQ Book is also helping me change from a black & burnt sausage guy to tasty food. It's a whole new world!
This is why I haven’t replaced our old one for years - too much choice.
The chimney is a good idea but still like gas.
3 choices.
1. Tesco cheapy 3 burner for £64 with clubcard points.
2. The outback one above for £200 looks great value.
3. Weber 3 burner for about £500.
I’m sure a Weber is the best, but is it really worth it as we’re on a budget? I know, in 10 years it will still be going
I sometimes think I’d have been happy in communist Russia where the state chose for you. The simple life.
Glad the chimney starter got mentioned. I've had a few bbq's over the years, currently own a portable weber for camping and a mastertouch top of the range kettle thing. Which is great. Used to have a big stainless steel gas one which wasn't a weber and when it broke I couldn't get the parts to fix it, not a problem with the weber ones.
I'm not saying they're better than other makes, but spare parts are easy to come by, they seem well thought out and of a decent quality. If I was buying another gas then weber would be my first choice as long as I got a good deal on it!
This whole thing about gas being more convenient, yes and no in my experience. A decent chimney starter will get coals literally red hot within 15-20 minutes which is comparable to a gas bbq.You can even put a grill over the top of the chimney if you're really in a hurry. And if you like fish then nothing beats cooking it over coals. So basically don't discount charcoal if you know how to get the best out of it, messing about with fire lighters/gel etc is not the way to do that and certainly never, ever use the instant lighting stuff.
The chimney is a good idea but still like gas.
3 choices.
1. Tesco cheapy 3 burner for £64 with clubcard points.
2. The outback one above for £200 looks great value.
3. Weber 3 burner for about £500.
I’m sure a Weber is the best, but is it really worth it as we’re on a budget? I know, in 10 years it will still be going
I sometimes think I’d have been happy in communist Russia where the state chose for you. The simple life.
It's a 1 or 3 choice for me....
We used to have the Tesco or equivalent and they are pretty much stuffed by 2 winters
My mate who keeps leaving the UK and giving me his old BBQ's kept buying the Homebase ones then I'd end up with it and after a year it looks tatty .. different bits rust (can live with) and after 2-3 winters it was time to take to the recycling as it was more rust than BBQ.
(damned horrid things to put in the car though)
The Weber has just kept working and has no rust... and has also avoided taking to the tip etc.
I'll admit I was sceptical... but part of what partially swung me was the cheapest company is right by my Mum... it's a internet offshoot of Dawsons in Clitheroe... so I figured I'd be able to go and complain if it didn't last.
It's a big outlay and especially at the time I was saving a deposit for a house... but I just got sick of the others not lasting.
"will get coals literally red hot within 15-20 minutes which is comparable to a gas <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">bbq"</span>
what are you cooking on red hot coals.
and what gas bbq takes 15-20 minutes to heat up.
My experiance that even with a chimney for anything other than a steak i want to be pretty much charred on the outside(which id have cooked over the chimney before letting the coals out) and mildly warm on the inside that it takes more like 30-40 minutes to have the coals cool enough to cool on without charing everything in sight.
Project this summer is to build an indirect smoker out of some old (and shot blasted) car wheels and sheet steel i have lying about.
I can light it, go inside for 15 minutes and prepare food then pop outside and tip the hot coals on the grill. it’s been a revelation.
That's what I do. It does require multi-tasking though which may be beyond some. So the additional time over a gas outdoor grill is for me to walk to the shed, grab the charcoal, put it in the chimney starter and light it. About 3 minutes extra, I reckon, if I'm being generous.
I've not been able to start my chimney stack with newspaper, just doesn't work. tried numerous times and other people have tried too, wouldn't work (weber one and a cheapy one)
Works fine with BBQ lighters though, I use those underneath and it works fine. Hmmm, must do a BBQ soon!
Not cooking anything on red hot coals, my point being you don't need many of them or much time to generate sufficient heat for indirect cooking. To get a gas bbq up to a decent temperature, grates nice and hot and scraped clean with wire brush does not take 1-2 minutes. Just my experience with what I had and that was pretty hot on full whack.
Best way of using chimney starter, small bit of newspaper with 1 cube firelighter in the middle. Works every time.
This whole thing about gas being more convenient, yes and no in my experience. A decent chimney starter will get coals literally red hot within 15-20 minutes which is comparable to a gas <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">bbq.</span>
Without trying to jump on the quasi religious "if it ain't charcoal it ain't a BBQ" bandwagon, the above is very true, especially when you've done it a few times to get in a routine.
To make it even faster and fail-safe combine a chimney starter with a natural firelighter cube or two and a drizzle of veg oil on your newspaper at the bottom. No odour or weird chemicals but still a boost to get it going.
Coals ready in 10 minutes which is, as is said above, the same as getting a gas one warm anyway.
The only downsides I've come across are cost (charcoal/briquettes are more expensive but the BBQ itself is far cheaper) and the initial smoke of the chimney if you've got washing out, etc.
Gas BBQs are great at what they do (long slow roasting for example as you can leave it to it) but the convenience bit doesn't sell it for me.
So the additional time over a gas outdoor grill
Go on just try calling it a BBQ 😉
And the Weber Go-Anywhere has vents which close and put out the coals when you've finished cooking. Not only does it mean you can pick it up and carry it back from the beach in 25 minutes, if you use briquettes many of them can be used a second or third time. Typically for a meal for the 2 of us, I only have to add 3 or 4 new briquettes so it's super economical.
Gas BBQs are great at what they do (long slow roasting for example as you can leave it to it) but the convenience bit doesn’t sell it for me.
I did a roasted shoulder of lamb on the bbq last Sunday. There was still plenty of charcoal left after three hours of cooking (Weber with the top vent almost closed) - they'll go back in the chimney starter next time.
Go on just try calling it a BBQ
The gas grill in my kitchen is called a gas grill. Just trying to be consistent. 😉
the grill in my kitchen is called geoff, I find he works better with a name.
Never had a gas from underneath cooker in my kitchen but hey ho....
It's amazing how much people get stuck in their ways, unless your actually smoking your food I'd say both are can deliver really good food, if you must beat your chest and light a fire just do that on the side 😉
the grill in my kitchen is called geoff, I find he works better with a name.
If you're going to have him open up his entrance so you can put your sausage in, it's nice that you've given him a gender and a name.
Bigjohn, that's exactly what I do with mine, close the vents = turning it off. Lots of briquettes to use next time. Amazing how quick they cool down really. When we're camping I quite often turn it into a firepit with a couple of logs as it's raised off the ground anyway. Great bit of kit!
To further not add any value to the original OP's question on choice of Gas BBQ's.
What charcoal do all you master chef's use?
What charcoal do all you master chef’s use?
Generic supermarket stuff, use indirect heat (cook off the flame) and add a bit of apple wood to generate some smoke. I finish it off with a burst over the coals to get a nice char.
What charcoal do all you master chef’s use?
I recently tried Weber briquettes for the first time. They're expensive but last ages, so I reckon the cost per use is probably about the same as standard charcoal. I throw on a few handfuls of oak and beech for smoke (same as I use in my smoker).
Never had a gas from underneath cooker in my kitchen but hey ho….
what you use an open grill over your hobs? What a strange idea...
Anyway time to move on, gas works well, cooks loads of amazing good BBQ food for people all over who have just learnt that gas does what ever you want from it
Anyway time to move on, gas works well
You're absolutely right, it works a treat in my kitchen.
Late to this but my 2p
Gas for convenience, I can have it started and ready to cook in 10 mins, and then shut off after cooking straight after too, and the results are comparable IMHO with a charcoal grill. Weber 300 here for what it's worth. Exception is steak done how I like, but more later.
I can then do low and slow with the addition of wood chips in a smoker for a deeper cooking experience, but that takes a bit more time and prep.
A chimney starter is a revelation for those that can't get their coals going (or for convenience). I view them a bit like fitting a SFN or a headset with a mallet and a bit of wood. Sure, it's manly to be able to do it and everyone worthy of calling themselves an expert should be able to do it, but then go and get the right tool and enjoy the shortcut. And as above, if you want searing heat for a Pittsburgh medium steak (black outside, rare in the middle) just get the chimney going, lob the steak over it on a grill and blow gently into the base for turbo.
* Steaks done how I like - either the chimney as above, or to get the proper charred outside without buggering the inside on a gas grill - cook it on the gas grill but then set to on the outside just before serving with a plumber's blowtorch. I saw a chef do it once, must be OK.
Lastly; BBQ by gas or coal is so passe**; you need a portable pizza oven like an Uuni or a Roccbox. I have the former (Uuni 3) and with wood pellets it can be a bit faffy too, getting it started and up to temp is OK using the aforementioned blowtorch but then once going if you don't keep careful control you can run low on pellets mid cook, and adding more the oven often goes into New Pope mode blowing great clouds of smoke out of the chimney and your pizza goes all sooty. So i also bought the gas attachment for that, which is far more controllable and results are virtually the same. And then you can also do other stuff; steaks are great and you do get the black outer / pink inner (or precook in a very low oven if you want it done more in the middle), chicken wings, blackened fish / salmon, vegetables....all can be loaded onto a cast iron pan and whacked in the Uuni.
** it isn't - ALL outdoor cooking is brilliant. Too much choice now......
What charcoal do all you master chef’s use?
Whatever briquettes are going at the shop round the corner. The flavour comes from the different woods I use for smoking. I get the weber branded stuff because it's just what's available and lasts forever anyway.
What charcoal do all you master chef’s use?
Big K Restaurant grade lumpwood charcoal bought in 12kg bags.
And a chminey thing - brilliant thing.
I used to think briquettes were wrong. But now they're what I use most. I got a big bag of Weber, plus their lighters and they last so well I won't look elsewhere.
The instant lighting stuff can be good if you don't have anything else and only have a couple of things to cook. It has a real short lifespan. 20 mins max.
I never used to like bbq, too faffy and bad burgers, however I then took in a south African lodger. He went basic for his brai, a beach bucket style BBQ from Sainsbury's for about £20. It seemed easy to store and fetch, cheap to use and with his efforts it cooked ok. I don't have the lodger but I do have my own beach bucket bbq and find it ideal for the half a dozen times a year I use it. Most often now I roast a joint or chicken on it by putting the joint in an old roasting dish. I put half an empty coke or bean can in the middle of the coals with an inch or 2 of water in it and that boils away managing the temp and stops the joint from burning on the underside. I balance 4 house bricks around the edge of the roasting tin and an old wok goes over the top as a lid. It's all basic and makeshift but actually does a decent BBQ joint and needs next to no tending while it's going. I'm sure those of you that BBQ more often are much much better, but I'm not sure you need a posh BBQ to do it.
Oh and it's easy to move even when hot so once the cooking is done you can place it on the patio by anyone feeling the evening chill and keep them warm.
Better late than never... If you are looking at Weber gas grills then take a look at Broil King. The build quality is nearly as good, the functionality often a bit better for similar pitched models and loads cheaper. I'd convinced myself I needed to spend a fortune on a high up model Weber, then saw the Broil King range. 2 years on and I'm still very happy with it. I can get it really hot for great steaks and equally control the temp for everything else.
I have to say, I do like the look of the Weber Q2200
We started with an OutBack Omega. Lasted a few years before the burner, lid and grill all rusted badly.
Weber Q200 well over 10 years old and still going strong. A few spots of paint on the cover have bubbled for some reason but it's alu so shouldn't corrode too quickly. Burner is s/s, griddle cast iron. Lives outside all years with a cover over winter.
recommended. Much less faff than charcoal and no clearing up afterwards. Charcoal is great if you're cooking a load of food for a party but to quickly cook some fish, sausages or burgers midweek (or even a whole chicken as we did the other night) with no smells in the house or clearing up afterwards can't be beat.
...no smells in the house or clearing up afterwards can’t be beat.
How is there no cleaning up afterwards then? Cleaning up the grilly gratey bit afterwards is one of the things that puts me off from having a swift barbecue. Do you just not clean it every time? Or do you burn off the crud? Curious - because I like the idea of not scrubbing the burnt on black bits of crud...!
And a chminey thing – brilliant thing.
So much this - fill with charcoal and light with a single wax/paper firelighter (they don't smell of paraffin - I detest the smell that comes from normal cheapo firelighters) then go off and prepare food. 15 minutes later it's ready to go.
next time you use bbq you heat it up and use the stainless steel wirebrush to scrape the crud off......
no bacteria there to poison you because its 300 plus in there 😀
Or do you burn off the crud? Curious – because I like the idea of not scrubbing the burnt on black bits of crud…!
Burn it off the next time you use it, give it a quick scrub with the wire brush and ready to go. Proper "scrape out the inside, wash the griddle" clean before winter. maybe.
Totally agreed. Couple of quid on a wire brush to get the big bits off and lid on at the end to burn it all to carbon anyway. All part of the flavour!
Wipe it down before it cools down, not when it's cold. Much easier to clean.
Bloody poms. No clue. We don’t have time to fk about with coals and risking setting the whole bloody place on fire. You’d soon get tired of coals if you did more than one bbq per year! :p
This. Get over yourselves, get a gas BBQ, and get cooking. Simples.
Thanks again for all the advice. Despite being tempted by a charcoal burner I don’t think I’m good enough for that at the moment. Maybe a small portable in the future.
Got tempted by a Weber but it seems production moved to China on the “cheaper” models a few years back, and they are still not cheap, which led me on to the Broil King (thanks Sam_underhill for the suggestion). Went to a local shop for local people in Leatherhead that stocked them (grill’n’gear - grate (sic) place), liked the quality, the price, the warranty and the fact they are made in North America (Trump would approve) so picked up a gem 320.
Will be trying it out tonight, in the rain.
Cheers.
Sam
My landmann rexon turned up yesterday, took about an hour to assemble, seems fine in terms of quality, but time will tell whether it lasts, if I get 5-7 years out of it that'll do for the price.
It will be kept outside under a cover when not in use.
Holy s***.
Thread completed with niche expert advice taken, consensus listened to be decided against, 2 out of 10 bickering at best, and a follow up by the OP.
Happy BBQing/outdoor grilling!
My landmann rexon turned up yesterday, took about an hour to assemble, seems fine in terms of quality, but time will tell whether it lasts, if I get 5-7 years out of it that’ll do for the price.
So it's you we need to blame for the weather.
Thinking of popping down to the local Homebase and picking up one of these today. Any particularly good reasons not to.
I already have a charcoal bbq but looking for a more convenient "cheap" one to use more often.
https://www.homebase.co.uk/outback-hooded-3-burner-gas-bbq_p406427
Other half had what looks like one of them. Not branded homebase but I assume it's a re-badged generic one anyway.
It was ok, but didn't have any "coals" or substantial grill plate so ended up being a bit like grilling on a gas hob. Actually worked better when I put a baking tray on it and turned it into a griddle.
we are 3 years in with our Weber using it all year round 2/3/4 times a week . basically any time there is meat to be cooked as its just nicer cooked on the BBQ – even a cast iron Griddle doesnt come close
Same here. We have a Weber - spirit 3 burner. It's massive and I didn't want it but after around 60 uses a year I'm a convert. Great for steaks in the winter and doesn't stink/fog the house up.
I prefer gas but more importantly the quality of the meat and how you cook are the real factors.
Lot of money and a pig to put together. Still a bit of a pain to clean though.
Weber q had mine 5 yr superb, worth every penny, sometimes in life you got to speculate to accumulate (it’s a saying)
BBQs are shit and ruin perfectly good meat you bunch of cave men.