picky Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Picky's got a new toy: Mrs. Picky and I have been looking for a new propane barbie for about a year. We have an older 3-burner Weber that we really love, but, we wanted a grill that had a larger cooking area as the "sweet spot" (effective cooking area) on our Weber was rather small. I also wanted to get an infrared rear rotisserie burner so I could do roasts and stuff without flareups. The trouble was that the cheapest Weber with a rear infrared burner was about $1,600. So, we researched the Jenn Air grills at Lowes and found the one above at nearly half the price, yet it has cast brass burners that are usually found in only the higher-priced grills. I can't wait for this Michigan Winter and rain to go away so I can start doin' some Serious Grillin'! We're giving our old Weber to our son and his family. Any other "Q'ers" out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 nice and only for $800 dollars time to goto lowes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Hey Picky! What a coincidence....the wife & I also intend to pick up that same grill. We've looked at several stainless steel grills and that model is not only priced right, but has many of the features that upper end units have. BTW - Sam's carries a house brand stainless unit that is quite comparable for those who are shopping. Of course, those slow cooking, wood smoked purist out there will at our gas grills and proclaim our method of cooking as Heresy. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Sweeeet. I hear you man. I just picked up the Holland Legacy. Putting it together in the A.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandi Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 We have had a very light winter and the grill has been used at least once a week. But we usually spend most of our time outside in the summer. I spent this weekend building new platforms to hang Heresys and in the morning I am going to run speaker wire through the attic to the back patio. I have the platforms across and pointed towards the grill effectively making that area the sweet spot (hehehe). The only thing left to do is alter some umbrellas to serve as sun protectors for the speakers. Let us know how the indirect rotissiere(sp) goes and how well you like that. I sure would like one! I also want a true smoker, we smoke in our grill but we have not mastered that yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I must say that is one sweet unit you have there! Very nice indeed. Personally, I'm still kickn' it old school with briquettes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 Thanks guys. I can totally relate to the "Kingsford Crowd" (charcoal) out there. It took me years to finally make the move to gas and to this day, I still believe that I can taste the difference. I think charcoal may be better. However, I love the convenience and consistent results I get with propane. I could never get consistent results using charcoal. I realize that many of you can. I guess I just didn't have "the knack". Tom Adams brouught up an interesting point about Sam's Club grills. Many of those offered by Sam's are Member's Mark Grills. Allow me to share with you some information I dug up on the Jenn Air grills at Lowes and the other grills offered by big box stores such as Sears, Target, Sam's and Costco........ Sorry, in advance, for the lengthy post! Prior to deciding on the BBQ that we bought, I did an enormous amount of research over the last year on the Jenn Air brand at Lowe's and on grills of all brands and types in general. Here is what I was able to find out: I had a list of particulars that each grill had to meet, otherwise, it would be excluded from my list. The primary cooking surface had to be no smaller than 700 sq. in. The grill must have at least 4 burners beneath the primary cooking area. There must be a rear, infrared rotisserie burner. Overall construction must be stainless steel (no paint, wood or plastic). Grill must have a side burner with at least a 12,000 BTU/hour output. Grill hood must be double-wall construction (cool-to-touch). Grill must cost under $1,000. Buyer Beware - You may be surprised to hear that Jenn Air (Maytag) does not make outdoor grills. Instead, they are made by a company in China called NexGrill for Lowes under a license allowing Lowes to use Jenn Air's name. Grill replacement parts and warranty service are readily avaialbe from Lowes. The Jenn Air grills are built to Lowes exacting specifications. There are similar grills made by NexGrill for companies such as Target (under the NexGrill name), Sears and warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam's Club (under the Member's Mark and other names). However, each of those grills are made under different specification from the Jenn Air models. According to customer dialog that has been posted to the web, there have been problems that even resulted in recalls, in some cases, with some of the NexGrill models, except for the Jenn Air models offered by Lowes. As it turns out Lowes' own design and specifications were for grills that are apparently far superior to the other NexGrill brands. Although, Weber grills use stainless steel burners that are outstanding, there are many different grades of stainless steel, and the NexGrills made for many of the stores other than Lowes have stainless steel burners that can been problematic. The Jenn Air units are cast brass and carry a lifetime (99-year) warranty. It seems that many of the finer grills costing several thousand dollars tend to utilize cast brass burners. I was surprised by this. Lowes apparently knew what it was doing when it designed these Jenn Air grills and NexGrill's execution of the design resulted in upper-class workmaship. This is really one, beautifully-built grill. The stainless steel used in the cabinets are of high-quality. Try holding a magnet to stainless steel. If it sticks, the stainless is of a lower quality. The Jenn Airs pass this test. All of the welds are topnotch and the finshed product yields no sharp edges nor any evidence that they had cut any corners. I dare say one would have to spend more than twice the price we paid in order to come up with a comparable grill of a different brand. Of course, I say all of this without ever having cooked on it, which is really the big pay-off. The grill did pass my test on Saturday; it came to searing temperature within 15 minutes. The Weber I own is a much smaller gril and it's hood reaches a temperature of 500 degrees in 10 minutes. The Jenn Air comes to 400 degrees within 15 minutes, which is exactly what the instructions claim. Be mindful that a 400 degree hood temperature indicates that the grate is at the proper searing temperature. The hood temperature itself is somewhat less important. Suffice it to say, I believe that the Jenn Air's 400 degree benchmarch equals Weber's 500 degree benchmark. I plan to verify this later using a temperature probe placed directly on the grate of both grills to read any differences. One especially nice feature is that each of the 6 burners has its own igniter. The Weber had one igniter on one burner and that burner had to be lit first, and then subsequent burners were lit from that first burner. -a minor inconvenience. In all, I simply can't wait to grill some tenderloin filets on this puppy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m00n Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 ---------------- On 3/21/2005 2:02:45 PM picky wrote: However, I love the convenience and consistent results I get with propane. ---------------- Yep, I admit, that is what would drive me towards one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gullahisland Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I'll be interested to hear your thoughts once you're up and running. My experience with the higher-end grill from Costco was NOT a good one. My hunch is that you might be equally disappointed. I looked at the Jenn Air as well and learned that the Costco grill was quite similar...you just get a few extra features for a little less money and a MUCH better warranty/return policy at Costco. Build-quality and features are nice, but the simple reality is that a grill is only as good as the food it creates. Like you, I "upgraded" from my Weber (3 burner) to the all stainless 12,000BTU, blah, blah, blah... My first couple of bbqs were actually not bad. I broke it in with some nice rib eyes. The searing action was definitely superior to the Weber. It wasn't until I tried to bbq chicken that it all fell apart. Flare-ups GALORE. I had to turn the temperature so low that it took FOREVER to cook the chicken. Even then, I had to stand and supervise lest I have another fire. I took advantage of the generous Costco return policy and went back to Weber. There's something magical about their design with the flavorizer bars and the way that it moves the drippings as far away from the flame as quickly as possible. It just works. So, on my back patio, I have a gas Weber and a classic Weber kettle. They do what they're supposed to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 ---------------- On 3/21/2005 12:39:20 PM Tom Adams wrote: Of course, those slow cooking, wood smoked purist out there will at our gas grills and proclaim their method of cooking as Heresy. Tom ---------------- Yes, I can already hear the Chorus of naysayers reaching their Forte, even though a grill like that can cook a Quartet of roasts! You'd think they all went to the culinary Academy in Cornwall, what with the Epic tales they weave, but they're mostly Legends in their own minds. It is after all a matter of taste, and anyone who thinks they know best for anyone else can just go straight to Belle. More people crossover to the gas way all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokem Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I live in RI and I grille all year long. Maybe not as many days a week as I do from May-October, but I roll my grill to the door(8ft roll-up) of the shed and fire it up. Damn now I'm ready for a nice 1lb Ribeye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Contrary to some opinions of the charcoal burning BBQ chefs, you will NOT go to hell for using propane. The food will just taste like it. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Nice... I drool over those every time I walk into Lowe's (which has been pretty frequently the past year, with kitchen remodeling, and most of our appliances reaching the end of their lifespan). The Mrs. said about a year ago that she thought they were priced pretty reasonably, and I intend to hold her to that when the bottom finally falls out of my Weber. I prefer charcoal, but with my tight schedule when it comes to preparing a meal after a 12-hour work day, propane is the only way. It's a race to get the rest of the meal going while the grill is heating up, and I usually have to start prepping before I fire it up. Let us know how it cooks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 O.K.....I'm the die hard charcoal/wood/griller/smoker. I've got 3 q's set-up s,ide by side. I'll run all 3 at times, one rocket hot one medium one smoking cool for days at a time. I'm also the household cook. I cooked for my wedding reception. U-got-it, grilled and smoked rib roast for 50 some odd people. I'll smoke with alderwood, applewood, mesquite, hickory, etc...cook with sugar maple...c'mon guys it's not rocket surgery! When I want to turn on a fire with a dial I'll head for the cook top in the house. But I BBQ 2 to 5 X each week, rain, snow or shine. Corn on the cob, onions, pineapple (oh yeah)...my, my I'm getting hungry. You can smoke with propane but you don't permeate....not the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrisets Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I bought a Tec Infra-red last oct. LOVE IT 1100 degrees in 3-4 minutes in sub zero temps I kept the Weber for those mornings I want bacon take a look http://www.tecinfrared.com/Outdoor/InfraredAdvantage.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 We have one of these Holland Grills and love it. It does everything we want it to do, and CANNOT flare up due to it's design. It's almost like an oven, everything is based on time with a set running temperature, it's either on or off, no flame control at all, other than a small air bleed to adjust the running temp when you first set it up. We're not crazy BBQer's, but we do use it several times a week in good weather, once in a while during the winter. I noted that on their home page, they have a prominent disclaimer that they DO NOT sell through internet sites, only authorized dealers can sell the item with the full warranty or support/service. Does that sound like any other company we might be familiar with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 Picky... I hear ya on this damn Michigan winter... 1st day of spring and it was what... 38? and still have snow on the ground! Glad to see all the research you have done on that grill, I may have to take a look at one, although I'm not looking for anything quite that size. We went without a grill last summer & it sucked! Me and the wife were also wanting to get a new grill this year. My brother-in-law has a nice Duchane grill. I did a little research on them & they seem to be nice as well, as long as I can find something in my price range. Maybe something along this line: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 I thought those knobs on the Jenn Aire would be great on my new tube amp I'm building. Marvel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 There is an amazing variety of high quality barbeques on the market these days. My wife and I opted for a Weber Silver Natural Gas unit. When we decided to put a back porch on our old bungalow I insisted that we build a porch complete with roof and that we get a gas fired barbeque. The roof was a requirement because of aesthetics and comfort. All too often I have seen old houses with a deck rather than a porch and they look like nice old houses with a deck stuck on the back.We are often able to barbeque and/or relax on our porch when it is raining or snowing which would be less comfortable without a roof. Temperatures can get pretty damned low here near Calgary Alberta and propane barbeques just don't cut it when the mercury dips too far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckears Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 oscar, Try working 12 hours a day; get home, and have 3 1\2 hours (on a good day - on a bad day, about 30 minutes) to spend with family before it's time to go to bed early, to get up at 4AM and do it again... I'm the cook at home, as well, but the 30 minute meal (45 minutes, tops) has become a necessary concession, at least on work days. Oh, and during most of those 12 hours at work, I'm cooking! Yet another reason I don't care to spend so much time with it at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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