I got and still get a bunch of feedback on my BIFL washing machine research post, so I thought I'd do one on gas grills.
I have owned 3,987 gas grills over my life. Each one of them has been a shit-show and cause for massive rage. Reason for the rage is the industry as a whole doesn't seem to really care with regard to making something with a lifespan.
Failure points I've seen over the years:
- Grill grates
- "Flavorizer bars" (V shaped things that go over the burner bars.
- Burners
- Click to light starters
- Chassis
The only thing I've seen as of late that has improved as an industry is the grill grates. Cast iron or enamel cast iron are pretty standard now. The only vestiges left are the "warmer racks" with the wire construction and those go to hell in a handbasket within 3 years...and does anyone actually use those?
To beat the failures above, I have taken to upgrading over the years. I browse the product maker's catalog and find BIFL components or have them custom made. I've bought cast iron burners which required some DIY work to install. I had a grate made by a buddy out of 316 stainless round bar which was a beast. He also made two tent covers for the burner...one was 1/4" stainless which was too stout, so version 2.0 at 1/8" stainless worked fine. My last grill, on day zero, I took the flat underpan and all the V shaped flavorizer bars and had them replicated in thick gauge stainless. After 2 years the burner tubes went to shit (no cast iron versions available) and during replacement and annual spring cleaning, I saw the main chassis was rusting through. Turns out the pretty stainless was mainly marketing as either the box was mild steel or they used janky 410 "stainless" steel and not 304 or the horcrux, 316.
So I hit google and searched like crazy and found the Nokia 3310 of grill made by Wilmington Grill. Only issue is these are expensive as hell. Even their most ghetto version is ~$1700. But if you want a grill you can fish out of the Mariana Trench, then drop out of a U-2, then grill some steak...this one is for you. And yes....there are a few other brands of legit BIFL grills at the $XXXX pricepoint, but this is one that stood out to me.
Ultimately my research catered toward warranty. The only grill maker with a warranty worth a damn at a "reasonable" price range was Weber. 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. My grill form factor was the Weber Genesis II E‑410, though they have smaller (2 burner) and larger (6 burner) units. I got mine on sale at Home Depot for $700 and pushed it home....yes....my buddy with a truck failed me, so I pushed that bitch 1/4 mile home. :)
Now I haven't used it yet and have no run time with it yet, but reviews from various sources are terrific and the biggest selling point for me is the 10 year bumper to bumper warranty. When and if things break, $0 replacement parts are a thing and that appeals to my BIFL spirit.
Bonus Round: If you want a legit grill cover, here it is. You can throw it on a hot grill and mine lasted ~5 years before it started to crack. I emailed the maker, sent them a copy of my amazon order, and 3 days later a box arrived with a new one for $0. :)
Submitted August 14, 2018 at 09:28AM by Unabomber007 https://ift.tt/2KRQ0o6
