GAS GRILLS?

[fire&ice]

F&I''s new obsession. I''ve been looking at various ones. I want one that can cook slow & get that smokey flavor. I want one that will cook high as well. I don''t want some behometh of a grill. 2-3 burners & a grill that will cook evenly & not have the burners flare up to a fire. I want a grill I can cook a turkey breast & not be afraid to go to the grocery store.

My friend has a Holland Grill. Is there another grill that will fit the bill so I won''t have to pony up to the $700.00 price tag? Remember, F&I is frugal.

BTW, I do not like the Jenn-air ones.

Stainless vs porcelain - hype or real value?

I want this grill to relieve me of some cooking duties. Hubby likes to "man" the grill. I don''t mind the preparation....just the babysitting.

 

[daboyzmomi]

Hey ther F&I!

I do all the grilling here as I am anal retentive and hate the way my husband mans the grill,,,lol. So, we have gone through several grills over the years and aquired this one 3 years ago and it is in perfect condition ever since. It is a wonderful grill that has held up very well to all the grilling we do for parties and for regualr home meals. I would highly recommend any of the Weber series. Take care.

Weber Genesis Grill

 

[fire&ice]

Hey Thanks. That's one of the ones I am looking at. Any experience with the Holland Grill. I have been told it gives the food a smokey taste. Dunno though.

 

[hoorray]

Hey F&I,

We have a weber like this at our mountain home, and hubby likes it a lot. (He mans the grill, stateing that it is a task for men and small domestic animals, whatever that means). I thought the smokey flavor was gotten by adding wood chips when cooking rather than being built into the grill. I assume you wouldn't want everything to have a smokey flavor.....

 

[diamondlil]

Hi F&I.


I've never heard of a Holland Grill, so I can't comment either way. If you are into Consumer Reports at all, they did their full comparison in the June 2004 issue. A Holland Tradition ranked 14th out of 19 average-sized grills tested.




I also highly recommend ANY of the Weber grills. We had our last Weber (Genesis) for 12 years!!!! We just got a new one last week when the bottom finally fell out of the old one. This time my Grill King (a/k/a Mr. DiamondLil) went for the stainless behemoth Weber with a rotisserie and a burner on the side. Since I don't do the grilling (might lose an eyebrow

), I left the final decision to him. For the average-size woman, the lid is pretty darn heavy. The Genesis series would definitely suit me if I were doing the grilling.




DiamondLil

 

[Mara]

Hmm can't really help out on the more expensive grills but since you are frugal like I can be...we got ours for $150 (shopped around for 3 weeks and did comparison research) and love it.




I don't really know what those $700 grills do that a $150 grill can't...especially since half of great grilling really depends on WHO mans the grill and how good they are at grilling. Also alot of the great taste comes from the marinade or spices that goes on the meat as well as the chips or briquets used(e.g. smoky or cedar as someone else noted).




We get tons of compliments on our BBQs and that came with some practice on the grill. Greg at first was not that in control of the burners and would let them flare too high, etc etc...but now he's a pro. I love grilling and I'm very good at it. My specialty are the big fat pieces of tri-tip that you do hand-rubs on..YUMMY. Cook it to be around medium and then cut it on a plate and all these incredibly juices flow out. It's sooo good.




Anyway...so can't be of much help on the expensive grill, but I know you can get something good for less than $500 if you shop around, and that means online as well. Consumer Reports is a great place to look to get some ideas on the top 5 as was noted.

 

[Jennifer5973]

I also agree that the super expensive grills don't seem to offer that much more than the more reasonabley-priced models except some unnecessary bells & whistles. One thing I learned: make sure it is big enough for your BBQing needs...the first grill we got was too small--only 8 large hanburgers could fit comfortably on it and it had no second rack for corn, etc....get one that can accomodate enough food, even if it's infrequent that you have large gatherings...it's such a major pain to have to do 3 batches of food....not to mention, people have to eat in shifts.

 

[Mara]

Yes definitely Jennifer..this is one of the things we wanted..enough space! We have a dual rack because triple seemed like overkill. Triple means the top rack seems really only good for bread warming/toasting. I thought I wanted a side burner too but turns out I don't need one really...how often do I COOK outside while grilling? I did want a front condiment rack which comes in handy...for your sauces and tools. Also I wanted 40-45 BTU's.

 

[fire&ice]

Thanks all. I need as much information *before* *we* go look. I know my Architortural hubby will want to pick the coolest "looking" design, which from my recon missions is the Char-broil Stainless one. Any thoughts on that?

It could be a Southern thing; but, the reason the Holland Grill appealed to me is the advertising that it cooks real slow at low heat. That's a Southern Barbeque. But, perhaps the others do as well. The Holland Grill may be a Southern thing as well. It's made in N.C.

Yeah, I read the consumer report. Having bought quite a few of their recommendations, I'm not a big believer. Word of mouth is my way of a recommendation - so thanks for the replies.

 

[hoorray]

My husband talks about how the grills he likes "cook evenly" -- meaning the gas is well distributed. We have a GE monogram built in and a Webber Genesis. Both are good in his view and he is picky. Grilling space and BTU's make a difference, based on your needs. He says he could do a good slow barbecue on the weber if it has enough grill space for whatever he is cooking. Don't have any input on the others, but I too would go for that "cool" looking one.

 

[limey]

Sam's Club has Grand Hall make a tank of a grill they rebrand as Maker's Mark, nice and powerful, very well made, stainless steel w/ porcelein burners, looks very high end, will last for years and everything tastes very nice. 54,000 BTU's from 3 main burners, 10,000 BTU rotisserie, condiment shelves, side burner. Cost me around $600 a few years ago.

I just looked at the Sam's Club website and they may have rebranded it as the "Regal", but sure looks like our Maker's Mark/Grand Hall. Lot's of people praise the MM on various web forums.

limey

 

[moremoremore]

Hmmmmm, Sometimes I think you get what you pay for...not to say that you have to get a brand name...but in terms of durability, sometimes it's good to not get the cheapest....all I know that some of my friends and fmily have had their webers FOREVER...and they are still going strong...I'd do a consumer report search...! mmmmmmm, getting hungry!

 

[diamondlil]

I totally agree, Moremoremore. I would prefer to spend a little more and have something that will last years longer. Stainless steel grates are nice since they will not corrode. The side burner has really come in handy for us. It's a long walk from our grill to the inside kitchen, and when we are entertaining, it's nice to be outside the whole time. Also, we live in the country where everything is electric. If the power goes out (which it does on occasion), we can still prepare a full meal . . . not to mention the must-have a.m. coffee.

DiamondLil

 

[fire&ice]

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On 6/20/2004 7:13:59 AM diamondlil wrote:


I totally agree, Moremoremore. I would prefer to spend a little more and have something that will last years longer. Stainless steel grates are nice since they will not corrode. The side burner has really come in handy for us. It's a long walk from our grill to the inside kitchen, and when we are entertaining, it's nice to be outside the whole time. Also, we live in the country where everything is electric. If the power goes out (which it does on occasion), we can still prepare a full meal . . . not to mention the must-have a.m. coffee.

DiamondLil
----------------

Hey, we are in the same situation! Even our well is on electric. And, the generator is a pain in the butt as it is. So, one thought was the ability to cook a full meal - and yep, that *necessary* AM coffe! With Hurrican Isabell, we were out for over a week.

Well, we jumped in and bought one. The Weber was a contender. No one had a bad thing to say about it. Bottom line for us is that the Weber was more of a VVS stone. Expensive - but not a lot of usable/visible features. The second was the down & dirty Coleman. Porcl. iron grates - nice but I really wanted Stainless Steel. The Char-broil bothered me because design wise I couldn't see how it could cook as even as some of the others. We ended up buying one at the Costco. It's made by Nexgrill. It's all stainless w/ round stainless grates & burners. 3 burners w/ a nice amount of surface area, elec. ignition, nice stainless cabinet. And, overall good design (very important to an Architect). I don't think we got the deal of the century; but, a fair price for what it is ($400.00). I'll take a pic when we set it up.

As for the Holland Grill, in the end the distributor stopped carrying them. We would have to get this massive grill from NC & cart it up here. The reason the Holland grill is different is that it's one of the few grills that steams & smokes. I'm not sure I would use either feature all that much.

Thanks for the help. Now, on to some favorite recipes! Anyone have a good one for a fresh Turkey breast that is sitting in my fridge? Also, what vegtables are good on the grill - anything but peppers? How do you prepare them?

 

[hoorray]

We do veggies on the gril all the time. My favorite is asparagus. I par boil it first (but you don't have to), and then we use one of those oil misters to spray a little while cooking, and finish it with grated parmasian cheese as soon as we take it off. We also do tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, corn on the cob, etc. I usually throw some sort of oil and/or mustard concoction to baste with with. You can skewer smaller items, use a basket, or cut them a little thicker than you would do otherwise.

enjoy!

 

[fire&ice]

Your making me hungry Lop! Great tip about the mister! I've been trying to brush on the garlic olive oil - duh - not to much success. At the farmer's market they had a fresh crop of spring onions & baby Vidalia onions (do they have those out West?). We skewed them on the grill. We were poping those sweet treats like candy!

Tomatoes - as in regular? How do you cut them? I would think the seeds would kinda fall into the grill. Love the asparagus idea!

 

[moremoremore]

ME TOO!!! SO hungry!!!! Mmmmmm, turkey!!! I'd just butter, salt and pepper that bird...There's something so good about grilling a plain bird like that...Where is my Williams Sonoma cook-book? Let me wipe the dust off...And I LOVE grilled yellow squash vidalia onion and carats...oh, I mean carrots...lol..That's my favorite

 

[moremoremore]

mmmmmmmm- saw this in a mag last night....spray green beans with spray oil and roast with chunks of garlic and sliced chili peppers...they say they come out so sweet!!!

Also, take a chicken and marinate it in 2 lemons, basil and parsley over night, salt and pepper,...then I like to stuff a garlic and onion up it *** and roast!!!

 

[Mara]

I'm not a fan of turkey or chicken as much as good old fashioned red meat. And to think that Greg thought I would be some crazy California veggie gal when we met!

Our second date was a steakhouse!




We did an awesome large tri-tip last nite for Fathers Day. I am the queen of tri-tip and MEAT RUBS. I don't like marinades because they usually don't cling that well to the meat and I like my meat flavored. So I do more rubs than anything. Some store bought are amazing just by themselves (and no one knows the difference!) or you can create homemade rubs with things like herbs and various salts and peppers. I personally love the Cajun spice rubs you get at the store, and mixing that with garlic salt for the tri-tip...its yummy spicy garlicky salty..yum! Tri-tip is my fave because it's the lowest fat of the meats out there, and its great for the grill because the chunks are HUGE which means lots of flavorful middle while the outside can get that great charbroiled feel and smell. I don't cut the meat on the grill to look inside, I do it by feel and timing because if you cut it, you lose alot of the juices. When it comes off the grill, I slice it thin and soooo much of the wonderful juices spill out which then act as a marinade for the cooked meat. YUM. We always get tons of compliments on our tri-tip.




For veggies, we often do corn and asparagus mixed with other veggies. I know some people leave corn in the cob and place it on the grill with butter, but I found an amazing way to make corn, so amazing in fact that people who don't even really know me ask about my corn when they find out we're coming to a BBQ. The best part is its not even MY recipe or anything! Williams Sonoma has this great product which is basically herbs and salt mixed together. I de-husk the corns and put them into aluminum foil, then spray them with the olive oil mister so the herb salt will stick, drop some over, rub it in on all sides, then close it up in the foil. The foil acts as a steamer and pushes the flavor in. YUM. It's my favorite.




For asparagus..again I am a large fan of the foil packet method and using the grill for steaming..especially if we are having other things that are going to TASTE grilled, I don't need to have EVERYTHING taste grilled. We foil packet the asparagus, along with yellow squash and mushrooms. Drop some lime juice or lemon juice onto it (liberally!) and then salt and pepper the entire mass. Then close up and steam it very good. The pepper makes it slightly spicy and the lime/lemon has the right amount of tang to it. Perfect for summer evenings.




One thing I want to get is one of those grilling trays for shellfish and veggies, you put it right onto the grill and it has smaller holes so you can do things like veggies and shrimp/scallops without them falling into the grill and if you want that grill taste, you can nix the foil packets. Places like Crate and Barrel, Sur La Table, WS have these too.




Also, right now I am coveting the Cedar Planks they have at WS (http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm?cat=85&skus=4292793), they are pretty cheap aka $13 I think, and you can just wet them down, slap a salmon on it with herbs and grill. Yummy cedar herby taste. I am dying to try this. I'm so lazy to get to the store though!!

Congrats on the new grill purchase! I also would like a more 'cool' looking grill but for now this one works wonders, we know how to handle the heat and burners, and best of all, it's paid off!

Later in life..when we have more of an outdoor 'room'..I want to get one of the built in ones in a false kitchen area with a sink and a fridge. We saw a house like this one (Sunset idea home) and it was AWESOME. Since we love to be outdoors and we love entertaining, this would be perfect, less trips inside and more outside mingling. The one we saw also accompanied an outdoor dining room which was also amazing. Ahhh the future.

Check out WS's grilling essentials for summer at: http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/index.cfm




I love their ideas and they also have a recipes section that you can get ideas from sometimes. Also as MMM noted, they have cookbooks that are pretty good!

But you can't go wrong with a mix of herbs, salt, pepper and lemon juice IMO with almost ANYTHING!

 

[CaptAubrey]

i see i'm too late here, but gas grills are for amateurs. you can't do bbq right with anything except charcoal or a wood fire.

 

[hoorray]

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On 6/21/2004 1:58:59 PM CaptAubrey wrote:


i see i'm too late here, but gas grills are for amateurs. you can't do bbq right with anything except charcoal or a wood fire.

----------------

We used to think that too, but gas grills have really gotten good. They've banned charcoal grills at our mountain place, (I think there were too many tourist fires....) so we don't have a choice there.

F&I -- great idea on the spring onions. I don't know if we have the baby vidalias here -- I'll have to look. They sounds great. For tomatoes, we use firm ones and slice them pretty thick. If they are really full of seeds you may want to scrape some out. They take a while to cook when they are thick, but I love the grilled tomatoe taste.

DH did baby back's with a Texas marinade/mop last night that was great. (Huge mess, but then that's part of his charm

.) We also do a lot of rubs on meat.

 

[fire&ice]

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On 6/21/2004 1:58:59 PM CaptAubrey wrote:


i see i'm too late here, but gas grills are for amateurs. you can't do bbq right with anything except charcoal or a wood fire.

----------------

That's precisely why we are neophites at GAS grills. Hubby is old fashioned; but, the lure of the impromtu fire got him.

I'm looking forward to trying many things. I like the idea of the foiled veggies - lime & lemon - very refreshing! I grow an herb garden - all year we have Rosemary & oregano (most of the year). Sage & thyme come up in the spring & seasonally I plant Tarragon (my favorite but I kill it quickly - though I found what I think to be the perfect spot this year). So, I'm trying to come up with some good combos. We can never have enough garlic - though I can't take peppers (family trait!)
So, any interesting herb tips would be appreciated. My favorite is garlic & rosemary rubbed on poultry then covered w/ some butter!

OH, and Tomatoes! I can't wait for a few weeks when they start to come into season. I have the perfect brand in mind - not alot of seeds & real meaty!

I'm hungry - it's almost dinner time here!

Tri-tip? I'm not familiar with that cut. We must call it something else here. My favorite cut of meat is Top Round London Broil w/ just a brushing of garlic marinade. Cut the meat on the grill..

I'm with you - never. I even allow the meat to settle off heat for about 10 minutes. Rubs do seem more popular now. Everyone I read has salt in it which I try to avoid.

I'll try corn on the cob (which has just come into season here) on the grill....YUMMMY! I usually husk it (never in the store as it doesn't stay as fresh), wash it & roll it in wax paper. I stick it in the microwave for 1.20 min. turn then another 1.2 minutes. I love this method because it so easy & quick. Sometimes I have corn on the cob for lunch.

Mara, we looked at some of those outdoor stations. Some w/ pricetags in the 4-5K +range. Way too pricey for my frugal nature. Plus the space that one would need.

And another Kitchen to keep clean

not for me.

Oh, and this is a no brainer noodle salad (a.k.a. "pasta salad") - it's especially good if you are having children at the bbq also.

Barilla elbows - cook ala dente & rinse under cold water once done.

MIX IN:

-3 carrots - grated
-grated Vidalia or red onion to taste - I use about 7 grates
-Hellman's mayo to taste
-parsley (fresh prefered)
-sea salt to taste
-top w/ grape tomatoes cut in half.

Let set for a few hours in the fridge. Sounds simple - it is. But, I've never not had someone go back for seconds & ask for the recipe! Again, it's especially great for parties when you have all ages.

 

[CaptAubrey]

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On 6/21/2004 5:39:30 PM fire&ice wrote:

----------------
On 6/21/2004 1:58:59 PM CaptAubrey wrote:







i see i'm too late here, but gas grills are for amateurs. you can't do bbq right with anything except charcoal or a wood fire.

----------------

That's precisely why we are neophites at GAS grills. Hubby is old fashioned; but, the lure of the impromtu fire got him.

----------------

aha! not amateurs but apostates--that's even worse!

 

[fire&ice]

----------------
On 6/21/2004 7:44:37 PM CaptAubrey wrote:

----------------
On 6/21/2004 5:39:30 PM fire&ice wrote:

----------------
On 6/21/2004 1:58:59 PM CaptAubrey wrote:




i see i'm too late here, but gas grills are for amateurs. you can't do bbq right with anything except charcoal or a wood fire.

----------------

That's precisely why we are neophites at GAS grills. Hubby is old fashioned; but, the lure of the impromtu fire got him.

----------------

aha! not amateurs but apostates--that's even worse!
----------------

sssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

 

[moremoremore]

OMG- I need a cigarette....I really just had the best chicken ever...I don't know why I've never done it before- I just took some chicken breasts, rubbed them with a little butter, and let themn sit in lemon juice and fresh basil for a while...the fired those suckers up with lemon and basil on it and added onion salt, garlic salt, pepper....holy crappers...I'm going to try everything else on this post too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hoorray]

I'm going to have to try Mara's foil packets. We've cooked things every other way (baskets, the trays, etc, but haven't tried the foil packets. Sounds like a great idea.

 

[Mara]

F&I..I know those built-in things are pricey..hence the FUTURE purchase..way in the future..hehee. As for cleaning, I don't do that now and I don't plan to start. I am the prep work and usually cooking, and Greg is the cleanup!

 

[Jennifer5973]

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On 6/21/2004 10:43:12 PM moremoremore wrote:

OMG- I need a cigarette....I really just had the best chicken ever...I don't know why I've never done it before- I just took some chicken breasts, rubbed them with a little butter, and let themn sit in lemon juice and fresh basil for a while...the fired those suckers up with lemon and basil on it and added onion salt, garlic salt, pepper....holy crappers...I'm going to try everything else on this post too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!----------------

LOL. I am going to the store now for some basil....

 

[msb2ncsu]

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On 6/22/2004 3:51:01 PM Mara wrote:


We did an awesome large tri-tip last nite for Fathers Day. I am the queen of tri-tip and MEAT RUBS.
----------------

Tri-tip sirloin is the most underrated cut... only one butcher near where I live even carries it (Wellspring/WholeFoods). We use it primarily for mongolian beef and just slice it good and thing and you have the most tender and falvorful beef for stirfry. Have used it for fajitas occasionally and, like Mara says, with basic rubs.

My favorite grilling veggie is definitely asparagus. We do a basic lemon/pepper/rosemary/garlic chicken on the grill and ALWAYS have Sesame Asparagus with it, as follows...

1 lb of asparagus
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic, then stir and brush the mixture onto the asparagus spears. Let marinate 5-10 minutes.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill over direct heat for 2 to 4 minutes, until brown on both sides. Optionally, the spears can be skewered to form "rafts" to make cooking on the grill easier.

Grilling adds such great flavor to the asparagus and the searing of the grill cuts down on the stringy-ness.

It amazes me how many people over-cook on grills. Using cooking time and temperature is all you need to be certain of great results. It makes me cringe to see people do burgers for like 10 minutes a side and repeatedly squashing them with the spatula until every last drop of flavor and moisture of been eliminated.

Also, I go over to my girlfriends and cook about 3-4 times a week and about 80% of the time we grill. All she has is a little tailgating type gas grill that uses the thermos size propane tanks and we are still able to get amazing results. Heck, my parents purcahsed a $600 grill from BBQ Galore and its horrible, inconsistent and uneven heating.

 

[Mara]

Tri-tip is pretty much the only beef that we eat...its the lowest in fat but to me is also one of the most tastiest..so you don't seem to sacrifice alot for that loss of fat! I am not a fan of fatty meats in general, e.g. out at dinner will get filet and G gets prime rib..icky!! hehee. They have it at the local supermarkets...It's a big haunch looking thing of meat. It's very popular here as they always have tons of it! They have smaller ones for the grill too but I have had best results with the large pieces as they hold so much more juice in there than the small pieces already cut for grill. I just cut the residual fats off, rub to my heart's content, slap on the grill and then slice thin. YUM! Now I want some for dinner!

Here is an informational page on tri-tip. The picture shows the big chunk I was talking about.


http://www.orbeef.org/New%20Tri-Tip.htm