BBQ season is approaching again and I need a new one.

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#1887934 23-Oct-2017 06:57

Nicely done! There's a decent amount of cooking space on there too - I had thought that the Webers were a bit on the small side but that looks OK.

Handle9

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#1887964 23-Oct-2017 09:28

We went for one of these last year. I've been very pleased with it. We upgraded the grills to stainless and they are excellent. We wanted the rotisserie function. We only use the rotisserie a couple of times a year but being able to cook a couple of 3kg rolls makes for a really easy meal for 25 people.

https://www.tradetested.co.nz/home-outdoor-living/bbqs/6-burner/longhorn-bbq-stainless-6-burner.html

My previous BBQ had a powercoat body with stainless hood. After 10 years the body had been destroyed but the hood was fine :( I'd never get a powder coat BBQ again unless it was a $99 cheapy.

dafman

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#1887965 23-Oct-2017 09:34

marlinz:

Davy: Maybe, but what are the Webers like for cooking steak - do you really need to use them with the lid down?

they cook great and yes

And you need good thick steak as well, as each side needs at least two minutes to properly sear.

dafman

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#1887991 23-Oct-2017 09:57

mcraenz:

I'd love one of these:

http://shop.lodgemfg.com/camp-ovens-and-grills/cast-iron-sportsmans-grill.asp

Yikes, thanks for the reminder. I was given one of these as a present a year ago, even bought some charcoals, but it's yet to have a first use because the gas Weber is just so convenient and easy to use!

MurrayM

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#1892165 29-Oct-2017 16:03

Today I decided to take a look at my old BBQ and see if it will last another summer. It's kept outside all of the time, with a cover over it, and it's one of those cheapie Gascraft ones from The Warehouse (about 6 years old, three burner + a side burner that I've never use). The hood is still in excellent condition but one of the castors has totally rusted off and I notice that one of the burners has a hole near one end about the size of a 10 cent piece (stainless steel burners). I fired it up and all burners worked, so I put the hood down and left it for a time and it got up to about 210 degrees (it might have got a bit hotter if I'd left it going for longer).

The plate and grill are now looking quite rusty, with chunks flaking off the grill. I think they're cast iron (I don't really know much about these things!) I pulled them out and gave them a wash in warm soapy water, which got rid of some of the build-up of gunk and some of the rust. Here's some photos of the grill and plate:

But now I'm wondering if it's time to chuck the old BBQ and get a new one, maybe one of those little ones that can easily be bought inside to keep it out of the weather (I only have a small one car garage so not much room for storage). 95% of the time I'm cooking for just two people (couple of steaks, couple of sausages, some vegies done in a pan). I normally do the sausages and vegies first, with the lid up, then transfer those to the oven to keep them warm while I do the steaks with the lid down and at max heat, turning once and then letting them rest for a few minutes. It's a method a friend showed me and it seems to work well.

So here are my questions:

Do you think my grill and plate are now too rusty to cook on? They've slowly got to this state over time and I've never had any problem cooking on them but I've always been a bit worried of a bit of rust sticking to a steak and someone then eating it, but this has never happened yet. I always give them a good clean at the start of summer to get rid of any loose rust. Also if I ever have visitors then a rusty grill doesn't look good!

Do all grills and plates eventually go rusty like this? What other sorts are there besides cast iron? My father had a BBQ that had an enamelled grill, but he had to get it replaced when the enamel started to flake off. What sort of life would be reasonable before replacing them?

How often do you clean your grill/plate? By "clean" I mean remove from the BBQ and wash in soapy water (or is there a better way to clean them?) I always scrub off any food/gunk with a wire brush after I finish cooking. I imagine that having smaller grill/plate then it would be a lot easier to remove and clean them, so they'd be looked after better.

I've seen some mention on here about "the Weber way of cooking". I assume that this is somehow different from usual BBQing? What is it exactly?

Any thoughts on this little portable from The Warehouse: Gascraft Portable Gas BBQ with Side Shelves

What is it that makes the Weber's so special? Materials / warranty / construction?

I'm not interested in a rotisserie but a temp gauge is handy to know when it's hot enough to start the steaks. I'd like to stick to gas (yes I know charcoal tastes better but I can't be bothered mucking around with that, sounds like too much hassle).

Thanks guys!

SNicolle

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Ultimate Geek

#1892183 29-Oct-2017 17:03

dclegg - any tips on keeping your grills clean? yours puts mine to shame

wazzageek

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#1892185 29-Oct-2017 17:17

Shelled out for a Broil King this weekend - Signet 90 - so far I've just done some pork strips on it (and toast) and scrambled eggs on the side. Absolutely stoked with the Broil King so far. Nice that I have a side burner (which I use quite a bit) and the rotisserie.

I almost went for the smaller Monarch, but opted for the signet with the nylon side shelves (we live close to the ocean)

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wazzageek

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#1892192 29-Oct-2017 17:30

MurrayM:

Today I decided to take a look at my old BBQ and see if it will last another summer. It's kept outside all of the time, with a cover over it, and it's one of those cheapie Gascraft ones from The Warehouse (about 6 years old, three burner + a side burner that I've never use). The hood is still in excellent condition but one of the castors has totally rusted off and I notice that one of the burners has a hole near one end about the size of a 10 cent piece (stainless steel burners). I fired it up and all burners worked, so I put the hood down and left it for a time and it got up to about 210 degrees (it might have got a bit hotter if I'd left it going for longer).

You can normally get Gascraft replacement parts - unless you are unluckly and get one of the BBQ's that aren't the "standard" gascraft sizes. If your burner has a hole you will probably need to replace it.

MurrayM:

The plate and grill are now looking quite rusty, with chunks flaking off the grill. I think they're cast iron (I don't really know much about these things!) I pulled them out and gave them a wash in warm soapy water, which got rid of some of the build-up of gunk and some of the rust.

If you clean cast iron with water (and soap), make sure you don't soak them.

Sometimes you can bring back rusty cast iron by giving the iron a really good scrub with a wirebrush, then seasoning the cast iron. (Spray with oil, give a good rub, then heat)

Your hot plate looks as though it will be possible to bring back, The grill looks like it might be knackered.

MurrayM:

I'd like to stick to gas (yes I know charcoal tastes better but I can't be bothered mucking around with that, sounds like too much hassle).

Use your existing BBQ as an excuse to buy a new one, then "convert" your old one to charcoal ... put a grill on the burners (this is where you put the charcoal) - then use the burners to start the charcoal, once they're going, switch off the gas, adjust the coals, put the grill back on and away you go!

MurrayM

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#1892197 29-Oct-2017 17:48

wazzageek:

You can normally get Gascraft replacement parts - unless you are unluckly and get one of the BBQ's that aren't the "standard" gascraft sizes. If your burner has a hole you will probably need to replace it.

Thanks for your suggestions. In the past I've bought a new drip tray and flame tamer for my BBQ. I see that a new burner is $36 and a new plate is $65 and new grill is $39. I guess I've got to decide if it's worth getting replacement parts or just spend a bit more and get a whole new BBQ. My thinking is that a smaller BBQ should last longer because I can store it inside out of the weather and being smaller it will hopefully be easier to keep clean.

Question for those with a Weber: how important is a temp gauge? I've just finished watching the videos on the Weber website and they basically say heat it with the lid down for 10 mins and then slap the steaks on. On my old BBQ I'd wait for the temp to get between 200 and 250 before putting the steaks on (the hotter the better, basically i'd just wait until the temp stopped rising).

wazzageek

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#1892198 29-Oct-2017 17:50

MurrayM - Do you have a cover for your BBQ? If not, I'd highly recommend it. It's helped keep my BBQ's in good condition, without having to put them inside out of the weather.

dafman

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#1892206 29-Oct-2017 18:09

MurrayM:

Question for those with a Weber: how important is a temp gauge? I've just finished watching the videos on the Weber website and they basically say heat it with the lid down for 10 mins and then slap the steaks on. On my old BBQ I'd wait for the temp to get between 200 and 250 before putting the steaks on (the hotter the better, basically i'd just wait until the temp stopped rising).

Super important, I wouldn't be without the temp gauge. I use it to ensure the best temperature for searing meat. And for roasting, I use it to manage the temperature. It would be plain guess work without it.

dickytim

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#1892326 30-Oct-2017 06:16

I was just on holiday last week at a friends apartment, they have the Weber without the temperature gauge, it was a pain, but since I know where to put the burners we survived!

The deeper lid is well worth the extra as is the temp gauge.

dclegg

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#1892384 30-Oct-2017 07:50

SNicolle:

dclegg - any tips on keeping your grills clean? yours puts mine to shame

You're asking the wrong bloke, sorry :-)

I've always struggled to keep my grill plates clean, but have had much more luck with enamel coated ones than the standard cast iron ones (which tend to go all rusty as soon as you look at 'em, even after seasoning them with oil as per the instructions).

The plates in the picture were having their maiden BBQ, which is why they look so good.

afe66

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#1892438 30-Oct-2017 09:39

I've got the webbed without the thermometer as it didn't come with one several years ago.

For the rare times I needed to know temperature, I used one of those IR thermometers to measure the temp of the lid.

If I was buying today, I'd get one the one with thermometer.

I wonder if you can buy a new lid and retrofit it? Might swing by the official supplier and ask.

FineWine

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#1892440 30-Oct-2017 09:40

dafman:

MurrayM:

Question for those with a Weber: how important is a temp gauge? I've just finished watching the videos on the Weber website and they basically say heat it with the lid down for 10 mins and then slap the steaks on. On my old BBQ I'd wait for the temp to get between 200 and 250 before putting the steaks on (the hotter the better, basically i'd just wait until the temp stopped rising).

Super important, I wouldn't be without the temp gauge. I use it to ensure the best temperature for searing meat. And for roasting, I use it to manage the temperature. It would be plain guess work without it.

Even though I have a Weber® 2200 (high lid with inbuilt temperature gauge) I was fortunate to be given a Weber BBQ thermometer probe. This I use on/in all roasts. Love it. But yes temperatures are super important when cooking using the Weber®

NOTE: It does not appear to be available in the NZ Weber® site any more. Found it on Amazon

They do have this beauty Weber® Dual Probe Remote Digital Meat Thermometer for $119.95

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

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