u/Particular_Badger614

Hi there!

We're building a fairly simple outdoor kitchen that will have a built-in grill -- something on the order of 34" to 40" or so. I'd like something of high quality without getting into the luxury class of grills. So maybe something between $2500-$4500.

I've been spending way too much time looking at Reddit posts, YouTube videos, and websites that sell grills. And each time I feel like I'm narrowing down my decision, I see another grill (or review) and get confused again!

Here is what I think is our key criteria (though feel free to comment if you think this is the wrong way to think of it, if I'm missing something, etc), roughly in perceived order of importance:

1. A grill that's well built and will be dependable and reliable. This includes consideration of the type and gauge of the steel used, quality of welding and construction, etc.
2. A grill that provides even heating (to the extent possible).
3. And although I hope the grill works, lasts, and doesn't require repair, a grill from a company that will be around to provide support if needed.
4. A grill with high quality burners (not just BTUs, but burner design and quality). For example, I'd seen in a YouTube video how although a linear burner from Bulls looks like one from Blaze, Bulls varies the size of the holes from front to back and adds a little heat deflector to make the heat more uniform from front to back. Sounds appealing, though I don't know how much that really matters. Same for U-shaped burners vs H-shaped vs Bowtie vs linear.
5. High quality grilling grates (in terms of thickness, mass, etc).
6. A spring-hinged or friction-balanced lid that's relatively easy to open/close.
7. A grill that's relatively low maintenance (which has me a bit dubious of ceramic briquettes, but I'm not totally opposed).
8. I do plan to use the rotisserie attachment, so a grill that has a good design for that, in terms of placement of the rotisserie burner and size of cavity to allow a large chicken.
9. Value for the price. Not necessarily the least expensive, but one where you're getting lots of the above criteria at a good price.

Based on all of that, here are some of the grills that I've been considering, again, roughly in order of current perceived preference:

1. Blaze Pro Lux 34" grill. From what I've read, this is particularly well built with heavy gauge stainless 304, a solid company that'll be around, even heating from the H-burners, heavy 12mm grates, steel flame tamers that should be easier to clean, and a deeper box that provides more distance between the flame tamers and the grill. And at $4000, it seems a pretty good value.
2. XO Pro 36" grill. In some ways, this seems even more appealing than the Blaze Pro Lux. The size at 36" seems like a sweet spot for me. Has the same type of H-burners as the Blaze Pro Lux though even higher BTU, the company seems to be substantial, and I quite like the infrared burner for searing. I'm a bit dubious of the ceramic briquettes, though maybe that's okay. At $4400, it's on the high end of the range, but still maybe a decent value in terms of what you get.
3. Broilmaster G-Series 34" grill. From what I've read, these are built like a tank, the company has been around for a long time and is known for quality and support, the bowtie burners seem like they'd be good, the multi-zone grates might be interesting, etc. At $2650, this seems like a pretty fantastic value for what you get.
4. Broilmaster B-Series 40" grill. From the website, this looks to be pretty much the same as the G-series because the 40" B-series is described as having those same H-shaped burners. The cooking grates may not be the beefiest (5/16") but otherwise it seems very similar to the G-series. And at $2650, again this seems like a pretty great value.
5. Wildfire Outdoor Living Ranch Pro 36" grill. The folks over at Embers Living seem to love this grill and I can see why. Nice seeming H-burners, laser cut cooking grate, etc. Plus this has a deeper firebox than some of the others, which apparently should help with heat evenness and flare up reduction. At about $3500, this seems also to be a good value. The company hasn't been around as long as others and so it's hard to understand well their warranty and support.
6. True Flame 40" grill. This was the one I originally thought I wanted before looking at all of the other options and getting mired. It still seems like a very good option. Although the company is somewhat new, apparently it's part of AMD, which also makes the Summerset Grills, has been around for a while, and supposedly has great support and an excellent warranty. I also quite like the look of this grill, though that's subjective and personal. It has linear cast burners, which maybe don't provide as even heating as H-shaped or bowtie burners? But otherwise, not much to dislike. And at $3500 for the 40" grill, seems also to be a good value.
7. Summerset Quest 36" grill. Seems quite good, U-shaped burners, nice 45-degree rotisserie burner. But again this has ceramic briquettes, which I think will be higher maintenance. The company seems well regarded and seems to have an excellent warranty and support. But at $4900 this is on the high side and I'm not sure has something that's substantially better than the ones above.
8. Coyote SL-series 36" grill. This seems to me to be quite similar to the Wildfire Ranch Pro 36" grill but this one has charcoal briquettes, which seem like they'll be higher maintenance, and it seems the laser-cut grates are pretty close to those briquettes, so maybe more flare ups.

Would love to get feedback from others on these grills, my rankings, and others that I might have overlooked (though I already feel like I'm swimming in options and am reluctant to add even more!). And hopefully this thread will be a good place to consolidate information for others who are in a similar position as I am.

Thanks!

Hi there -

We're in the process of building an outdoor kitchen and I'm looking to select a gas grill somewhere in the 36" to 42" size range. I was originally planning to go with the True Flame 40" grill and it's still a top contender. But the counter on the kitchen is going to be black granite and so I'm intrigued by the Whistler 42" black stainless steel grill, which I think would aesthetically fit very well.

It seems the True Flame grills are well-regarded. From what I can tell, though, the Whistler grill seems to be very similar in design (burners, flame tamers, etc) and materials. Plus it's about $500 less expensive and yet includes a rotisserie kit, cover, and smoker box.

Any thoughts/opinions? I prefer the aesthetics and price of the Whistler but don't want to buy an inferior/bad product.

Thanks!

Hi there -

I'm trying to understand the reason/benefit of "frying" the cooked beans in oil/lard. Most of the recipes that I see ask you to heat the oil, then add back in the cooked beans with some bean liquid, then cook and mash for several minutes. I don't mind doing that, but I'm not really understanding the point of it. How is it different from adding oil to the cooked beans+liquid and then emulsifying with an immersion blender?

The beans are already cooked, so I don't see the point of further "cooking" them in the oil. Also, since there's typically liquid added with the beans, it's not as if you're "searing" them to promote the Maillard reaction or to promote depth of flavor. Aren't you just boiling the beans with oil?

And I can understand that mashing them in the oil while "cooking" and stirring would help incorporate and emulsify the oil with the beans. But with modern tools like an immersion blender, it seems that you can emulsify without doing all of that.

Thanks for any thoughts on this!