Two questions here about Gas grills. I plan to get a Weber Genesis Silver B.
Home Depot has porcelain enamled cast iron cooking grates on theirs. True Vales has Stainless Steel cooking grates. Which is better? True Value assembles and delivers free, and is local to me, I prefer to do business with them when possible.
I have an LP grill now. I hate it when the tank runs out halfway through a nice steak. Considering natural gas. There is a gas line just inside the house from where the grill will be, will need the outside gas hookup to be run just a few feet to get to that line thats indoors so shouldn't be any real expense. Anything special to consider about natural gas vs LP? If I order a natural gas grill can I move and need to switch to LP can it be done? I may call Weber to inquire about that.
I believe the porcelain grate lasts longer but neither of them is going to last forever. It doesn't really matter as generic replacements are easily found at Home Cheapo or Lowlife's. I generally rebuild my gas grill about every three years: pressure wash it, replace the stainless steel burner (which rusts out in that time), replace the lava rock (or equivalent) and the grate. I'm good to go for another three years.
I'm not sure if the Silver B is a stainless grill or not (sounds like one) but I don't really recommend them over the old standard black cast ones. While the stainless looks great in the store, the first time it gets hot when you're cooking on it, it's going to discolor... and you'll never get it looking new again.
I keep a fuel gauge on my grill. It lets me know if I'm likely to run out of gas during a session. If it looks pretty low, I'll go ahead and change the tank out preemptively. The empty one goes the next day to be filled. I *always* have a full spare tank available. I haven't run out in the middle of a steak in years.
I have a Silver B that is about 5 years old. Haven't replaced anything on it yet. I believe it has stainless grill, but like Mortimer, I wouldn't put much weight on that vs porcelain.
I also have NG line close by but preferred to go w LP for several reasons. 1. it is not tethered, period. I move it around from time to time on the deck -- to get better light on the meat when cooking at night. 2. Although running the gas line a few feet isn't a Major expense, it ain't free. You need a gas-qualified person to attach it.
The Silver B has a built-in gauge (measures weight of tank). 4. LP grill can be changed to NG and vice versa. Different size orifices. 5. I have owned 3 different LP grills and the Weber is the best (and most expensive) I have ever had. It isn't hard to assemble but free assembly and delivery sounds great.
I had one of those. It had the porcelain grates. I liked them and they were trouble free for the few years I had it. I suspect they would still be trouble free, but someone stole the thing off my patio a few years ago. I just wonder how they got it?
There is alot, lot, more to a grill then cheap grates, its in how it cooks and overall quality that counts to me. Weber gets great revievs , consumer reports did one, find a review comparison.
I rebult mine a few weeks ago and replaced the burner with a stainless steel one. I cooked something for the first time last Saturday and the burner was all glowing red. Is that normal for that burner or did have it set to high or something?
I'm sold on the Weber. Everyone I know how has one loves it. My dad's is 10 years old, replaced the igniter a couple years back, other than that it is still like new. Don't know what kind of grate his has.
In the final result, you will see about no diffrence. Both work. I'd go with the True Value dealer. Well, not really. Weber is a very good grill, but there are other brands that suit my needs better and are equal or better quality. The signature series of Vermont Castings, MHP, or Broilmaster. Check to local outdoor furniture dealers or a good propane dealer and see what they offer.
They can be converted. If you go with NG, I doubt you'll ever change back.
Every three years?? I have a ten year old Weber gas grill that we use a couple times a week in the summer, a few times in the winter. Other than to clean it off once in a while I have never replaced a thing on it!
As far as the OP. The ceramic grills are OK, but I believe the stainless steel are better. The ceramic grills will slowly disintegrate, the stainless grills will hold up better over the long haul. That said, I have the ceramic coated grills and they are in good shape yet, so either is probably ok. Price the stainless steel replacement grills compared to the ceramic coated. AI am sure the stainless steel is higher priced.
I have my Weber running on natural gas. As far as I know all Weber grills can be converted, but it is quite a price to do so. It would probably be cheaper to buy a natural gas grill instead of buying a LP grill and converting it later. I lucked out when I bought my grill. I wanted natural gas, and I found just what I wanted. The store gave me a pretty good deal to as they had the grill in stock for some time and were unable to sell it. It was a stationary grill, no wheels. Seems pretty much everyone wants wheels on their grill. Greg
If you want to switch from natural to propane, you just need to change the orifices. Shouldn't be a problem, as I see natural gas grills all the time mixed in with the propane ones at HD.
I recently replaced a 25 year old Jacuzzi LP grill. Wooden handles, plastic knobs, wooden shelf and steel briquet rack had all been replaced numerous times, but the porcelain coated cast iron grates and cast iron burner were original and looked as good as new when I retired it. I'd remove the burner and run a 1/8" drill through each hole every two or three years to clean them out. The aluminum venturi tubes (or whatever they're called) finally gave out and I just didn't feel like repairing the beast anymore. I understand that a cast brass burner is more or less equivalent to cast iron in terms of longevity. If I'm not mistaken, Kenmore's Elite line of grills use cast brass burners. Stamped stainless steel burners (sheet metal) have seams that split after a few years and need to be replaced.
I replaced the Jacuzzi with a Napoleon. This has stainless steel tube type burners (no seams or welds) and stainless steel grates. The grates are made with what looks like 1/4" commercial type rods that should last a good long time. It comes with a lifetime warranty, so I'm not too worried. It's also got an infrared bottom burner that heats to 1500 degrees F. It's absolutely super for searing steaks!
I had two LP tanks when I was using LP, so I never actually ran out, although cooking was interrupted from time to time while I changed tanks. My Napoleon is NG and I will never look back! Conversion either way a simple matter of replacing the orifices - a 5 minute job as long as you can get the parts, which shouldn't cost more than a few dollars, although I don't know what Weber will charge you for them.
Thanks for all the replies! I'm going with the Weber Genesis Silver B, LP, with the stainless steel grates. I grill several times a week, year round, and my old grill is toast, so decided not to wait for someone to come install a natural gas line. Plus now I can move the grill more easily if I wish to. I often use it in a different place in the winter time so I have less snow to walk through to get to it.
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