Rate Outdoor Grills
Submitted by Appliance Stallion on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 7:22pm.
I thought it may be good to see what grills strike everyone's fancy. If each of you would rate five grills we certainly could get an educated idea of what the industry itself thinks.How about a two month open forum for rating them with enough numbers to be somewhat accurate.
First of all I've serviced
First of all I've serviced almost all of them and they pretty much all suck except Capital. Mine is 4 yrs old, no rusted burners,no bad ignitors ect. When I bought mine I took a magnet with me and the Capital was the only one it didn't stick to. Try it on yours.
magnets
Ok so lets talk stainless steel. I own the LM 210-28-20 I used to sell them like I have said previously butif I were to take all the 304 series stainless out of my LAZYMAN GRILL I would only have stickers,wheels and gas valves you will find no other grill with more 304 stainless than the American made LAZYMAN BBQ system that I know of today.
Like I said. Take your
Like I said. Take your magnet and stick it.Then talk to me. When I did it on the Capital it didn't stick, anywhere. How about your LazyMan?. Pick up the screws with mag screwdriver?
I was considering : LYNX -
I was considering :
LYNX - clearly the Aston Martin (except American made) of grills and very pretty-fit and finish is fantastic and there are some nice bells and whistles like blue led's by the knobs, fluid spring lift assist on the lid etc., but brass burners take alot longer to get up to temps, I personally didn't like the stainless rod grate design and they are pricier than pricey.
DCS - not the same DCS since FP took them over. I didn't find the overall build quality to be that great for the price pt and I confirmed that the ceramic tubes are very susceptible to damage.
OCI - look like nice grills with good specs, but I was concerned about their longevity/cs for parts/svc and I had trouble finding a local dealer.
----------------------------------
My business: outdoor fireplaces
old time BBQ
Where do I begin being that I am loyal to one brand. I will say all the choices are great my dad has a Lynx 10 yrs very nice I like it but new brass burners (ouch) after about 4 yrs other wise nice grill. DCS not the same since F&P bought. Fire magic good budget grill if you ask me. I think what you need to remember is this and the I will make my recommendation QUALITY.
LAZYMAN BBQ made in the U.S.A in New Jersey. These are the original gas fired BBQ system which was introduced in 1953 in Chicago at the worlds fair he patented the idea and for yrs and yrs every grill sold he got a piece of it and he also sold LAZYMAN GRILLS. I have one freestanding neigbor has on built-in but the best one I ever sold was to my brother. I made a call and told them my brother was coming home from IRAQ yet again they built him a grill from scratch and all signed a thank you card and stuck inside.
Keep in mind these grills will not have all the bells and whistles you get from others but do you really need a 50,000 btu's to cook a hotdog and hamburger no is the answer you just waste gas my 36,000 3 burner LAZYMAN cooks it in the same time
Good luck
Established brands
Here's a naive question...Why pioneer a brand such as Capital as you have to really sell it to the end user since they never heard of it. The latest line from Viking looks actually pretty impressive with features, L.E.D. lights and lights inside the grill. the new Wolf grill looks pretty good as well, but I must confess, I have not looked at it very closely...just on their website. They both in the Capital/DCS price range and are easily recognizable to customers. Why fight the uphill battle (personal feelings aside about these brands...)?
Different Styles ...
Dram, we obviously have different styles of handling customers in an effort to convert them to clients ...
I prefer to expose my clients to as much as possible so they can make the most informed decision ... if that means taking the time to expose them to lesser know products, then so be it ...
I'd put a Capital in my home. especially after cooking on it for a whole day ... I can't say that for anyone else !!!
agreed
Bob, I agree that we have different approaches to dealing/pleasing customers. I won't deny that Viking had some past issues, but by enlarge, their outdoor product was always decent. I went to a cooking demo recently, and i must say the new grills blew my socks off. The quality of the food and the different cooking functions available on that grill was very, very impressive. I am sold on that brand for outdoor grills. They have come a long way...Just food for thought. Have a great Thanksgiving! We all have a lot to be thankful for.
Now on My Radar !!!
Thanks for the heads-up, "Vision" ... Belvediere, NJ is not that far from me ... a nice afternoon's outing, so, from the look of their web site, I think I'll put them on my radar !!!
You just exemplified the true worthiness & necessity of the existence of AA ... the dissemination of of useful information about products in our marketplace !!!
Have a Look-See @ Capital ...
Hey Mate !!!
Have a look-see @ Capital ... I burned one in a while back for a dealer demo and loved it ... and I'm a charcoal guy !!!
It was very versatile, good looking, and priced right ...
... and with it being distributed by ALMO, you're supported by a great organization !!!
I'm sorry to say I only have
I'm sorry to say I only have experience with fire magic grills. My husband purchased it a few years back and he loves it. We grill on it all the time and have found it to be very reliable and easy to use. I also have an outdoor fireplace with a gas insert.
Top 5:1. Alfresco 2.
Top 5:1. Alfresco 2. Lynx. Tied for 3rd. DCS and Twin Eagles 5. Fire Majic. Based on the Grills that I have used or been able to look at closely. I tend to like the grills that use the ceramic heat managment systems rather than the perferated metal systems. Have extensivly cooked on both the ceramic and SS heat dispersment systems and the ceramic seems to do a better job. Fit and finish of all the above is very good.
Thanks.
All good choices.
Top Five
For what it's worth (and without editorial comment) my top five choices would be:(1.) Alfresco(2.) Big Green Egg(3.) Lynx(4.) DCS(5.) Any cheap, disposable, commodity product manufactured anywhere that has a very affordble price, can boast a 20K + set of burners, has a shiny exterior skin that at least appears to be some grade of stainless steel and a pronounceable name brand. (in other words, everybody's entry model grill - oops, that sounds like I'm editorializing).
Interesting Inclusion ...
Hey Mate !!! I like your inclusion of the Big Green Egg ... especially since it is the newest in the marketplace and finally offers the accomplished Grille Master an excellent smoker, etc. I would suggest that it is in a category by itself because of that and not necessarily for every customer thinking of the traditional high-end grille station like the others you mention !!! Great Inclusion !!!
No Problem
Your picks are good .Thank you. You have editorial freedom. You have earned it.
Vintage Grills
Originally, Vintage (owned by BKE Supply) was manufactured by S.E.S out of So. California (same manufacturer as AlFresco today). That relationship was terminated and Vintage went to Excell Appliance Corp. of Fontana, CA. They also had their ranges and cooktops produced by Excell. Excell went out of business and now Vintage is being produced in China. In order to compete, they had to take it offshore as well as change the SS from 300 series to 200 series. Vintage claims it is corrosion resistant and very similar to the 300 series. I guess time will tell!
Correction
SES originally produced the Vintage grill thru 2004. When BKE Supply switched manufacturers some design enhancements were made. The Alfresco brand copied most of those enhancements. Where those high end grills are made or what the history has been is not relevant to the rating of the grills.dcunited I suggest you start your own historical subject to discuss the strategies that occurred involving products in the appliance or grill industry. That way you can educate the younger or uninformed crowd on the history of the appliance business. You could call it "Happy Days in the Appliance Industry , a historical review of the evolution of the products"We could discuss the challenges each one I rated has had over the years but it does not have a bearing on these ratings. In fact , speaking about China, I dare you to show me a grill who's imported material or component content is less than 65 % . As for the 200 series stainless , I am not sure what they use but others use it in various outdoor and indoor products. If the firebox remains 300 series that deals with the heat issue properties of the 200 series.Either way , with significant experience I rate them as number one. The others are close.You are free to do your own ranking. Please do.
grills
It seems appliance stallion has added to the rhetoric. dc united gave a even handed, brief and to the point factual comment on the BKE. SES and Vintage relationship and we get a very long and rhetoric laced defense of China and it's products and who incorporated what feature first. OK we get it, you love the Vintage grill. Now back to the system.
tcheer
The comments by dcunited had nothing to do with the rating of what I what I was trying to accomplish. As usual with e-mail the conversation steered away from the subject at hand. I brought a sense of accuracy to his comments. I do not support China as a manufacturer one way or another. The entire conversation should just be related to what anyone may think of the 5 best rated grills. Your picks do not have to resemble mine. However save the nasty commentary for another blog. This subject can be good for the industry and the companies involved if we stay on subject. Do you have any idea how a survey is conducted ? Or are you just concerned with creating an argument on a web site. If you want an argument perhaps you should aimlessly walk the streets and pick on the biggest person you can find.
OK, My Top 5 Grilles ...
OK, Stallion ... here are my picks ... I'm going to assume that we're talking about cart-style units ...
One point very important point HAS to be made ... it must be noted that as long as the user utilizes the hood, you are NOT "grilling" ... you are roasting ... and there's nothing wrong with that !!! The meat will be juicy but unless you have a searing feature, you will not get a "char" or "carmelization" so many people covet ... that's why I still own a Charcoal Grille, primarily because I like the "char" ... however, for controllability and versitality, one must own a hooded grille to take advantage of being able to successfully cook a wide variety of foods ... from veggies to fish to chicken to beef ... to even the Christmas Turkey or Goose ... all of which I have intimate experience with !!!
1. CAPITAL or ALFRESCO ... it depends on your point of view regarding "brickettes" as ALFRESCO utilizes them and CAPITAL does not ... each offers a "Sear Zone" and two (2) other "zones" (burners) for different type of foods ... each offers an excellent InfraRed Rotisserie ... I've "burned in" the CAPITAL and enjoyed the experience and I've seen one of ALFRESCO'S premier reps demo their products ... I think it's up to the purchaser's point of view !!!
2. DCS ... an excellent choice but utilizes the ceramic tubes which are supposed to get "cherry red" and don't ... they are also supposed to reduce any residue to ash, which it pretty much does !!! DCS also offers a infraRed rotisserie ... all-in-all an excellent grille which will make the user (if they are steeping up to such a model) a better Grille Master !!!
3. LYNX ... I believe that this grille is comparable in every way with the DCS and just a step below the CAPITAL or ALFRESCO ... most clients will buy this unit on price and they won't be dissatisfied ...
4. WEBER ... their "Summit" line is a good choice for the more budget conscious, but one must remember that these units now transcend "grilling" and do their best @ roasting ... the Weber "Falvour Bars" are their big selling point, which I see little or no reasonable affect on the quality of what will be produced !!! One major thing which is given away with Weber compared to my previous selections is "fit and finish" ...
5. WEBER ... their "Genesis" line, which appeals to the budget conscious who want to try and keep as many options and accessories as possible without blowing the budget !!! Enough said ???
Grill Ratings.
1. Vintage Grill from BKE Supply. Excellent fit and finish and cooks as well as any with very little quality issues.Good sales people. This is their own brand.2. Lynx. Excellent grill. Great look. Cooks well.Not much different from the Vintage.3.Alfresco. Another high quality grill with good fit and finish and performance.These grills above stand out above all the rest. Nothing else close.4. DCS.5. Capital. Weber has the best grill in the lower cost product line at this time.
Vintage Grill
That Vintage Grill looks very much like and Alfresco right on down to the burners, briquettes and specs. Do they make the grill for BKE or is this a knock off from out of the country?
Vintage Grill
Alfresco does not make the Vintage grill. The Vintage grill migrated with some upgrades and I believe Alfresco followed what they did. It is not a knock off and I am not sure where it is made although I know Alfresco or SES does not make it. It is quite the grill. The other ones are also very good.Let us stick to the subject of which are the best and not confuse people with rhetoric that has no bearing on this rating system. Leave that for blogs.
No rhetoric. Sticking to
No rhetoric. Sticking to rating system. Got it.
Grills
Interesting. No comments from me until we get more ratings. However, I will rate mine later today. The rating can be with or without a cart. In California 90% of the grills are sold in an island application with no cart.More grills are likely sold in California than any other state.
Costco/OCI
Number 1 is that lovely Sure Heat unit at Costco (looks like an upside down trainagle). Number 2 is OCI.