So my 7 year old Amana (Sureheat) grill from Home Depot has had it.
It did a lot of grilling and a lot of rotisserie cooking over the years, but now it's falling apart. The firebox is toast and not feasibly rebuildable, the grills are literally shedding pieces of metal.
Time to step up to something in the next level.
I bought a Kamodo last year which is my go-to on the weekends when I have time to fire it up, It's my pride and joy when I can use it. The gas grill is mostly for mid-week/quick-cook duty and rotisserie, and because of that I don't think I need such a huge gas grill anymore.
Webers are out because they don't offer a infrared rotisserie burner in anything other than the summit series, which costs more than I want to spend. The infrared back burner is a MUST for me.
I don't don't even do roasts in my oven anymore, rotisserie all the way.
So I think I've narrowed it down to the following two choices:
Jackson Grills Lux 550 ~$1400 from the local dealer
Lux 550 Series Grill | Lux Series Grills
- 3 Main Burners, 370sq.in. main grilling area
- Ceramic Infrared rear burner
- All 304 stainless firebox, construction & cooking grates
- No side burners (optional adders)
- Used to be manufactured in Duncan BC, now manufactured in China
Napoleon Prestige P500RSIB ~$1700 from the local dealer
Prestige 500 with Infrared Side and Rear Burners in Stainless Steel | P500RSIBBPSS-1
- 4 Main Burners, 500sq. in. main grilling area
- Steel plate Infrared rear burner
- Side infrared sear burner included
- Cast Aluminum cooking box, stainless steel cooking grates, cabinet & shelves
- Manufactured in Canada (Ontario)
- Better warranty
So my main concerns:
1. Longevity/Durability and parts availability: My biggest concern with the Jackson is how the sheet-metal stainless firebox will hold up. (I don't want another burned out POS like my Amana)
The cast aluminum of the Napoleon would probably last forever, and everything else inside the would wear is probably easily to obtain and replace
2. Evenness of grill temperature: My Amana had brutal hot & cold spots. I want a nice even temperature
I don't really care about side burners, I could take them or leave them.
So If you have any experience or opinions with either these two units, please weigh in.