LP Grill for $1,000ish? ( and anyone have a Broil King?)

IUHoosier429

IUHoosier429

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Fully committed to purchasing a new propane grill as early as right now, but am looking at Memorial Day sales as well. After combing through reviews, grilling blogs, YouTube, etc., I'm pretty narrowed down to the Weber Genesis II S-345 (a Costco exclusive - basically an S-335 with backlit controls and a few "free" accessories), and a Broil King Regal S490 Pro.

My family has used gas and charcoal Webers my entire life, and my late grandpa's kettle is still going strong some 35 years later. I like and trust the Weber brand, and have never had a problem with their grills. My current Weber gas grill is 10 years old, lives outside year-round, and still works fairly well. It's just time for something bigger and better. The Broil King, on the other hand, is new to me but looks quite impressive. I like the thicker stainless steel grates (9mm vs Weber's 7mm), fourth burner and higher BTU rating (although the Weber does have that tiny fourth "sear station" burner), rotisserie, and a few other things about it. BK also has a factory right here in Indiana. I don't dig the little caster wheels as much, and am still not totally sure how well the grease management works (Weber makes grease collection/cleanup about as hassle-free as possible).

Seems like pretty much a toss-up here. Both have a few pros and cons over the other. The BK is going to be a bit cheaper, even with an add-on cover. Curious if anyone here has any hands-on time with a BK, or if there is another SS propane grill (Napoleon, etc.) for $1,000 that I absolutely need to consider.

As always, thanks for y'alls feedback!
 
My only gas grill suggestion is get one that runs off your home’s natural gas line. It’s cheaper and you never have to deal with the damn tank refills. A little bit of pipe, a valve and a connector and you are good to go. Well worth it.
 
20 some years ago, I bought a TEC. They were the inventors and held the patent on an system that burned hotter than any other grill. Even back then, it was quite expensive but I had a connection to buy it at dealers cost.
 
First, Love my Weber However....

Look up replacement Flavorizer Bars and make sure you can find them in stock and readily available.

I have the Genesis II E-310 and have to buy cheap Chinese knock off crap. The "300 series" Weber brand Porcelain-Enameled Flavorizer Bars are about 1/2" too long.

Flavorizer Bars will likely be the first part you need.

While researching parts I did find my Weber is made in China......
 
I have a Weber Genesis 330 I bought around 5 years ago that is natural gas. I used it pretty heavily the first year or so but have switched to pretty much charcoal only in a Primo XL kamado style grill. I do use the Weber occasionally to keep things warm or finish off a long cook. It's also convenient because it has a side burner I can put a pot or skillet on. Weber still works great every time other than the ignition. I just light it with a long lighter. I'm sure it would be fine if I used it regularly but batteries were dead every time I needed it or things were corroded so I just gave up.
 
I'm in the same boat as you with regards to Weber. I've not heard of Broil King but am interested to hear any experiences for future reference.
 
I was looking into a Weber gas grill once upon a time but right next to it was a Broil King for significantly less. It has the same cast aluminum tub and lid like the Weber so it won't rust out in the bottom and had CAST IRON grates instead of stainless grates. I got it home and put together pretty easily. I do keep it covered on the deck but it is in the weather all year. I usually go through 2 tanks per summer so it is used fairly heavily. I have had the grill for 3 or 4 years and I JUST replaced the AAA battery in the ignitor! :eek: I try to keep the grates well greased so they don't rust and everything looks pretty good. I probably should clean the front panel well but the last time I did, some of the legend around the knobs began to come off. Small nitpicking as I know how to turn on a grill. Grease management has been easy to deal with as there is a little pan that is removable from the back if I remember right. Not much gets down there as most flashes off on the "flavor wave" burner cover that goes all the way across the grill.
 
Thanks, @Green Giant and everyone for your input. I'm going to roll the dice on something new and go with the Broil King. Hopefully grandpa doesn't roll over in his grave, but if this thing cooks as mean a steak as it sounds like I'm sure he'll be pleased.
 
Here’s something a little from left field. I was going to buy a new Weber Genesis for about a grand maybe five years ago
Until @Wahoo95 talked me out of it. He said, “Go rescue one from Craigslist for $40 and fix it up.” Which is exactly what I did, for $40, from maybe three miles away. Everything worked. I think I’m $350 all in including two new tanks.

I gave him the cast iron grates because I wanted the stainless steel grate. Ordered after-market heavy-duty stainless grates, and after-market heavy-duty stainless-steel flavorizer bars, I think off eBay. Touched up the paint. It doesn’t look this good anymore but it still works great. Never had to replace anything else.

Old school. Pics taken at my last house.

9766CA28-CA4B-4366-9F13-9D820A38D225.jpeg
B67EB74B-3076-4B41-B125-79DC0413F71F.jpeg
And a kettle, just in case.

536C0105-7DA2-404A-B9E5-15744F1554CC.jpeg
 
My only gripe about weber.......i think they are made in china now. The Genesis and up used to made in the us.
 
fieldgrade said:
Here’s something a little from left field. I was going to buy a new Weber Genesis for about a grand maybe five years ago
Until @Wahoo95 talked me out of it. He said, “Go rescue one from Craigslist for $40 and fix it up.” Which is exactly what I did, for $40, from maybe three miles away. Everything worked. I think I’m $350 all in including two new tanks.

I gave him the cast iron grates because I wanted the stainless steel grate. Ordered after-market heavy-duty stainless grates, and after-market heavy-duty stainless-steel flavorizer bars, I think off eBay. Touched up the paint. It doesn’t look this good anymore but it still works great. Never had to replace anything else.

Old school. Pics taken at my last house.

View attachment 215022
View attachment 215023
And a kettle, just in case.

View attachment 215024
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I remember seeing the posts when ya'll did that. Yours looks exactly like the one I remember my parents having when I was in High School.

@IUHoosier429 please provide some updates on the Broil King moving forward.

I just got enlightened on a Masterbuilt 560 gravity grill. They look pretty sweet, IMO.
 
skiles said:
I remember seeing the posts when ya'll did that. Yours looks exactly like the one I remember my parents having when I was in High School.

@IUHoosier429 please provide some updates on the Broil King moving forward.

I just got enlightened on a Masterbuilt 560 gravity grill. They look pretty sweet, IMO.
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Yeah that 560 and 1050 look sweet but I cant see them lasting anymore than 2-4yrs at most like most of their products.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
I was actually about to buy another gasser a couple weeks back and decided to just order a new set of burners for my 97 Genesis si ce it cooked so well! Hey Ash, check out those cast iron grates you gave me still going strong. Here's a cook from last night.
8fad35a5a9227756f6a1916379cf5ae3.jpg


Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
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CZfool68 said:
My only gas grill suggestion is get one that runs off your home’s natural gas line. It’s cheaper and you never have to deal with the damn tank refills. A little bit of pipe, a valve and a connector and you are good to go. Well worth it.
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Can cost $500 or more for plumbing and the grill usually requires a different manifold.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
Wahoo95 said:
Yeah that 560 and 1050 look sweet but I cant see them lasting anymore than 2-4yrs at most like most of their products.

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Thanks for the heads up. I'm not familiar with their stuff.
 
skiles said:
Thanks for the heads up. I'm not familiar with their stuff.
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Thin cheap steel not meant to last long. Join the Facebook group to see more info on it. The vast majority of the users are happy with it but they know it's not gonna last them more than a few years. Some report issues with the controller and app not working but most have no issues. I've considered getting one just to play with and use for smaller cooks.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
Wahoo95 said:
Thin cheap steel not meant to last long. Join the Facebook group to see more info on it. The vast majority of the users are happy with it but they know it's not gonna last them more than a few years. Some report issues with the controller and app not working but most have no issues. I've considered getting one just to play with and use for smaller cooks.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
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Looks like there's no need to become more familiar with their stuff! Saved me all kinds of time.
 
Wahoo95 said:
I believe hes talking about the cost to run piping to your grilling area?

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So was I. Pipe is pretty cheap. I have one run on my patio and up on my deck. Maybe I just got lucky and found the right guy to do the work. But if you cook a lot you save good money on using your natural gas over refilling the tanks.
 
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