Buying an outdoor propane grill (BBQ)
 

Summer is coming soon and I'm in the market for a decent propane BBQ for my patio.

Budget is around $350 +/- $50.

From my research it seems like the best brands in the price range are Sterling and Broil Mate.

Broil King and Weber seem to be at least $100+ more for their lower end lines (Signet 20 & Spirit) , which do not have the size or burners I'd like (2 vs 4), and in the case of the Weber, made in China.

I know to go for stainless steel tube burners over H-style, and look for cast iron grids... Any other features I should be looking out for?

GO 4 Burners, Cast iron grates and stainless steel burners, tubing etc. Pay the extra for the Weber, you get what you pay for!!

spend the extra money and get the broil king or webber, investing in a bbq is something you are better spending more money on so it will last year for years

Cannot stress this enough


As someone who has bought multiple BBQs, anything less than about $800 and you've got a 2-3 year BBQ

A bowl BBQ with hot coals works very well too but the time it takes to heat up the coals is inconvenient

I've lost count how many crappy bbqs I bought. I threw them all out and bought my first Weber BBQ quite a few years ago. Now I have 4 weber bbqs: spirit, genesis, kettle and q100. It seems like overkill but I have a use for each one. Im not a fan of the newer webers since they changed the layout of the burners to north south from east west.

Condos don't allow coals

where do u guys dispose of old bbq?

I brought mine to a Transfer Station.

Residential recycling at the Transfer Station and Landfill | City of Vancouver

I also left one in the alley since it was in O.K. condition and someone took it.

After renting a house you can just leave the BBQ there, a $400 BBQ is a 1-2 maybe 3 year max BBQ*


*Should mention when you are heavily into BBQ you BBQ like 4-5 times a week, sometimes late at night on a weekend drunk while partying and then you leave it on by accident and it goes uncleaned for days then you fire that sumbitch up and nearly cause an explosion, that type of use

Stave lake :troll:

If you're spending under $650 on a bbq you ain't gonna get more than 3 years out of it, especially of you use it frequently.

Our $1000 weber is still going strong nearly 12 years later where as I know people who are on their 5-6 bbq in the same time.

Low end bbqs are just that. Uneven heat, hot spots, plugged burners, etc

Have you considered looking in the USA?

im the same as OP, looking for a decent BBQ arnd $300 range. my old crappy tire BBQ lasted me ~4 years, but this year when i opened it up i saw rat poo all over the grille, so its really a turn off for me to reuse that grille and cook food on it. i BBQ maybe 4-6 times a year so def do not need a $1000 BBQ

for that price range personally i'd probably just buy a Weber Q series, could also be used camping etc. because of the size but the grate sizes are big enough for your average person for home use

Weber | Weber Q1000 LP | Home Depot Canada

http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/Hom...0060001A_4.jpg

I picked up a weber q100 on CL for $60.. The thing as used maybe once and the guy even hooked me up with 3 smaller propane tank, its a perfect camping bbq..

I have a 3 burner Napoleon Prestige series at home and I love it, have had it for 5 years now and its still going strong. I ended up getting it fro $1000 but it was regular $1500, Go check out Johnstones BBQ's they are great with a large selection of different brands and they will be able to answer all of your questions.

Vancouver's Barbecue Store ? Broil King, Weber, DCS, Twin Eagles, Primo Kamado, Saber Grills, Jackson Grills, Firemagic barbecues and parts store ? campfires and firepits, outdoor ? sales, service and delivery

Im an avid BBQ'er and went threw several lower end $200 bbqs. I finally broke down and bought myself a Weber S330 a few years ago and havent looked back. Exceptional warranty (which I haven't had to use, and from what I read probably wont need to because of the build quality).

My mom also is a big bbq'er and lives in a condo. She needed something smaller, so i bought her this for Christmas a few years ago. She uses it 2-3 times a week, and absolutely loves it. Weber | Weber Spirit E210 Classic LP | Home Depot Canada

IMO, spend a few extra bucks up front and be worry free for the next 10 years.

The way I look at is you spend $300 on a mediocre bbq, 4 years later burners go and now you have to spend $100+ to replace.. Weber will still be under warantee.

Hope that helps.

Weber Q1000 is great little grill. Been using the same one at our condo for 5+ years. Make sure you get hose/connector to use a full-sized propane tank instead of those tiny Coleman's.

+1 for saving up and buying a better grill or else you'll be replacing them often
if that's okay (replacing) then the Char-Broil Infrared...they've got their problems mind you (like constant cleaning) but if budget is tight they seem to be the best, the gourmet's seem to have better reviews than the Commercials but you'll have to go down to the states for them

http://hi.atgimg.com/img/x/1219/047362624239_ca.jpg



or get something small like the Weber Q100 that Hondaracer recommended edit: actually just get the lil weber instead :)

Q2200 Gas Grill Built-In Thermometer - Johnstone's Barbecues and Parts Vancouver's Original Barbecue Store ? Campfires/Fire Pits, Patio Heaters, Charcoal, Replacement Parts and more ? Serving Vancouver for over 40 years ? Broil King, Weber, DCS, Twin

$299 - great for condos (I suspect you have a tiny balcony).

I'm using its predecessor, the Q220, and it's been a reliable, solid bbq for the past 8 years. I barely take care of it (once a year cleaning) and it still runs like a champ. Portability helps too - I've taken it to the park a few times.

If you do have a good sized balcony then save up for a Weber Genesis.

The Weber Q's just don't have enough burners, the 2-burner version is almost as much as the Spirit E210.

I have a fairly large balcony, so can definitely fit a full size one.

I may go for the Weber E210 or 310 despite being made in China. home depot has a Broil-Mate 4-burner for $399 I am tempted by. Made in North America in the same factory as Broil King.

LOL. I didn't know Weber BBQ's determined the Geographic Cardinal Directions for the entire planet.

Like others have said in this thread go for the weber or broil king.

I own a Weber Genesis S330, Q2200, Performer Platinum (charcoal), Smokey Joe, and smokey mountain cooker.

I use each one for a specific task.

s330 - for fast big cooks and parties.
Performer platinum - big cooks and parties when i have spare time to set up and looking for that charcoal taste. oh yeah and charcoal bbqing is hands down the best flavour but time consuming.
smokey joe - just for me and my girl without lighting up so much coals.
q2200 - portable for camping and beach outtings.
smokey mountain - Charcoal smoking, low and slow is the best for brisket, ribs, pull pork.

With your budget of 350+/- 50. I would suggest going with the q3200. it has alot of cooking space when you compare it to a spirit.

when you look at a spirit model it still has too much none stainless parts, which will rust out and need to be replaced in a few years.

the q3200 has aluminum, stainless, and cast iron which will last much longer.

If your willing to spend the money I would suggest a genesis model with stainless grates. with or without side burners is your choice. I have it cause I like the option of cooking something and hanging with people without having to go inside or if I have to cook something with a strong smell eg: fish.

Weber warranty has been good in my experience, very helpful and willing to send out damaged parts very fast at no charge. If you have any question about weber bbq I can most likely answer them. And no I do not work for Weber, I just love bbqing...lol

One more thing, whatever BBQ you end up with always cover you bbq when not in use. Even if you have a covered deck because it doesn't matter how good quality high BBQ you buy. The UV rays from the sun will get to it fast and make your BBQ look like crap. Especially if you have large amount of plastic on the BBQ.

Costco sells a very durable BBQ cover the fits the weber genesis perfectly at 1/3 of the price of a genuine weber one.

just look for sales at home depot

i got my weber Q2200 with the cart for about $350 a year ago