Kitchen Gas Appliances - How to buy a Propane BBQ Stainless SteelGrill

I am in the process of building my deck and when im finished I am going to buy a nice Stainless Steel Grill. I am in Northeastern Nebraska where we can have harsh winters. I need something thats going to withstand snow, wind, rain, sleet ect. I of course will be covering the grill when not in use, but it will always be outside since we will use it all year and usually 2 or more times per week.

My question is Price. Im not looking to spend $1000 on one, but have seen very nice ones with storage compartments, the side burner and some other ammenities ranging in price from $350- $700 depending on the brand. They all look very similar. I know some of them have different BTU levels, but what do the BTU levels really mean? To me all 60,000 BTU's has over 40,000 BTU's is burning more propane. The ones i have been eyeing are 40,000 BTU's. Is this adequate? Please let me know what you think and some brand names that people have been happy with. Like i said, we will be using this thing a lot and need one that will last. Thanks

Hello black95gt. Welcome to the Gas Appliances topic.

There is no definitive answer to offer you on brand choice or price. You'll need to make the selection based upon your own needs and price range.

The stainless steel models are claimed to be the better choices for the climate range in your area. However, even stainless appliances are prone to surface wear and rust. Covering the BBQ when not in use helps to extend service life and prevent some rust to exterior surfaces.

Use an approved cover. One that prevents rain or snow to come directly into contact with the appliance and breathes. One that allows any trapped in moisture to escape during extreme temperature changes.

Rust is the major cause of deterioration. The burners likely to be effected first. Also keep interior surfaces clean so nothing can trap or hold moisture.

Regards and Good Luck
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But thats what im saying. I found a very nice one "Brand A" at Bomgaars for like $379. At Home Depot, "Brand B" Looks the same, has the same features (Without looking at the spec sheets) as "Brand A", is the same size but costs $750. Im asking for some opinions as to whether i should buy the expensive or the cheap one. I dont know what the life of a grill should be, but im expecting to use it for 10 years or more.

In most cases im the guy thats not going to buy the best, but near the top. Im going to spend $250 for a Dewalt coordless drill over a $150 Black & Decker ect. but tools are a different story.

There's several good grills out there, but like I've discovered over the years. The $200 dollar grills are pretty much diposables. I bought a Weber "Spirit E-310, 36,000 btu w/ 611 total sq in cooking area" a couple years ago, it's the stainless steel body with porcelin enameled top w/ 3 burners. So far it's been great and has plenty of room for all my food. I paid somewhere in the $400 - $450 range for it but if I had the extra to spend I would have got the rotisserie.

Hi black95gt,

Part of the price difference between the cheaper grills and the more expensive grills is the type of stainless steel they use. The cheaper grills use 430 stainless still which is more proned to stain and rust then the commercial grade 304 stainless steel. The 304 stainless is more expensive. You can tell the difference by using a magnet...430 is magnetic while 304 isn't. When I was searching for grills I took a magnet in with me. I noticed some of the cheaper grills used 304 for the main part of the grill while it used 430 on other parts. The more expensive one were all 304 commercial grade.

Steven

Like SteveB said, take a magnet with you. If it says stainless steel and the magnet sticks, it WILL rust, due to the high iron content.

You also want to look for either SS or porcelain coated racks and BRASS burners.

You won't get all of that for $400, but you might for $700.

If you cook a lot at one time, more surface area + higher BTU output means you will actually be able to cook it. A lot of surface area but a low btu output is going to make part of that cooking surface unusable.

If you rotisserie, look for one with a separate burner for that.

Thanks, this is the info that ive been looking for. I will definitly take a magnet with me when i start shopping them. Also i will look into a higher BTU grill to handle a large surface area. Thanks for the info!!