Newbie here looking for a grill for husband's birthday. I was at our local
Barbecue Galore store and am trying to compare their line of grills with the
Webers and Vermont Casting at HD. Anyone have any experience with their
grills or heard anything good/bad about them? Thanks in advance...
--k
**remove "nospam" from email when replying**

"KAREN DUTEIL" > wrote in message
news:M1Sae.2752$yc.2037@trnddc04...
> Newbie here looking for a grill for husband's birthday. I was at our local
> Barbecue Galore store and am trying to compare their line of grills with
> the Webers and Vermont Casting at HD. Anyone have any experience with
> their grills or heard anything good/bad about them? Thanks in advance...
> --k
> **remove "nospam" from email when replying**
>
Which ones?

I just bought a Weber Gold B. It was last years model at HD marked down to
$399. It was a the better buy than the Vermont Castings at the same price. I
think the new 2005 Gold B's are over $600.

Like any tool, there is a learning curve to mastering its use. Each grill
has its own characteristics and I had to relearn the cooking times from my
old Charbroil. However, my best advice is to somehow find out what he wants.
You maybe thinking one thing and he's got something entirely different in
mind.

Oops, sorry... I meant to include that I'm looking at the models in the
$400-$500 range or so. Specifically, the VC mentioned in Consumer Reports as
a best buy, the Weber Gold B and BBQ Galore's Cook-on or Cap'n Cook (or
whatever the heck it's called) series. Our first priority is one with a
natural gas hookup...and a fair amount of cook space, good heating ability
(and the ability to control the heat) and one that will hold up for a while.
Don't need a lot of bells and whistles...

There are different lines of VC. Some are chinese some are not. The ones
that are not seem to be very well made the ones that are seem to be the same
shiny chinese stuff. Same goes for the BBQ Galore stuff. Made very similar
to Sam's Club etc. All things being equal take the weber over most anything
else. It will work, work well, and work long with minimal attention in all
kinds of conditions. It won't be the biggest or flashiest but it will be the
best.
Larry
"karen" > wrote in message
news:E4Wae.2093$Nc.55@trnddc05...
> Oops, sorry... I meant to include that I'm looking at the models in the
> $400-$500 range or so. Specifically, the VC mentioned in Consumer Reports
> as a best buy, the Weber Gold B and BBQ Galore's Cook-on or Cap'n Cook (or
> whatever the heck it's called) series. Our first priority is one with a
> natural gas hookup...and a fair amount of cook space, good heating ability
> (and the ability to control the heat) and one that will hold up for a
> while. Don't need a lot of bells and whistles...
>

Hi Karen,

I just went through the exact same analyses and really had a hard time
deciding between the Weber B and the Vermont Castings special HD.

I was a little concerned about the Weber btu to cook area being a little
low, and because the VC at HD is made exclusively for HD, I was concerned
with replacement parts for it. (you can get Weber parts just about any
where, but VC are a bit more limited -- at least that is what I could find)

I went with the Weber but I bought it from BBG as it was the same price as
at HD. Just felt a little better dealing with people that sell grills
excusivley rather then the guy at HD. (no offense HD guys & gals)

So far the Weber has been great. My concern about low power was unfounded...
that thing gets HOT and cooking steaks etc is a breeze even with the top up
(althought they suggest putting it down) The "flavorizor bars which are
actually heat deflectors work well too. Even when cooking very greasey
foods, grease flare ups are not a problem.

The only thing I don't like about the Weber is that you can't turn one side
of the grill off, as you can with the VC and others.. The gas burners run
lengthwise in the grill, and you can trun off the middle one or the middle
and the front for indirect heat cooking, but not half of the grill.... No
big deal though.

But I did like that VC grill too, and I'll bet it would be a good cooker
too....

Hope that helps... Good luck, your husband is a lucky guy...

Larry

Oh one more point... I went with the LP Gas model, but BBG had Natural gas
models on the floor at the same price. I think if you get these from most
HD's you'll need to either special order or buy a conversion kit.

Larry

karen wrote:

> Oops, sorry... I meant to include that I'm looking at the models in the
> $400-$500 range or so. Specifically, the VC mentioned in Consumer Reports as
> a best buy, the Weber Gold B and BBQ Galore's Cook-on or Cap'n Cook (or
> whatever the heck it's called) series. Our first priority is one with a
> natural gas hookup...and a fair amount of cook space, good heating ability
> (and the ability to control the heat) and one that will hold up for a while.
> Don't need a lot of bells and whistles...
>
>

I believe that instead of posting my reply I mistakenly replied via
e-mail to someone in this thread. My apologies!

The general idea of what was *supposed* to be a post was to forget about
C.R. their info is bogus and generally just not worth reading. I can
relate a recent experience regarding elipical machines that they
recommended as a "best buy" and they're crap if someone cares.

Get the Weber and you won't go wrong.

--
Steve

Steve Calvin wrote:

> The general idea of what was *supposed* to be a post was to forget
> about C.R. their info is bogus and generally just not worth reading.

For specialized equipment, I heartily agree.
--
Dave
Dave's Pit-Smoked Bar-B-Que
http://davebbq.com/

KAREN DUTEIL wrote:
> Newbie here looking for a grill for husband's birthday. I was at our local
> Barbecue Galore store and am trying to compare their line of grills with the
> Webers and Vermont Casting at HD. Anyone have any experience with their
> grills or heard anything good/bad about them? Thanks in advance...
> --k
> **remove "nospam" from email when replying**
>
>
I got a Vermont Castings at HD last year and love the quality of it BUT
it's hard to get it hot enough. I'm going to post something else on
the subject.

Thanks all for your input.. I'm going to go with the Weber. Now just hope to
stumble upon a good sale/coupon, even though I know chances are nil in
April!!

mn wrote:
>
> KAREN DUTEIL wrote:
> > Newbie here looking for a grill for husband's birthday. I was at our local
> > Barbecue Galore store and am trying to compare their line of grills with the
> > Webers and Vermont Casting at HD. Anyone have any experience with their
> > grills or heard anything good/bad about them? Thanks in advance...
> > --k
> > **remove "nospam" from email when replying**
> >
> >
> I got a Vermont Castings at HD last year and love the quality of it BUT
> it's hard to get it hot enough. I'm going to post something else on
> the subject.


There is a tradeoff. You can design the exhaust so that you retain more
heat, just like the Webers do but the only way you lose the ability to
hold a lower temperature. This low temp is a problem for many webers
without resorting to propping the lid open or running off.

My VC JennAire would only get up to 525deg (hood temp) after a 20min
burn. I machined a piece of Alum angle iron and it recalibrates the
thermal performance so that it will hit over 600degs in a couple of
minute (and not long after, over 700deg). Now I have to play with the
control to get a lower temps, but I can do it while sacrificing the even
temperature characteristic that the grill had before the mod.
Fortunately I can put a hingle on the setup so that I have the best of
both world if it were a big issue.

The same grill has been rejetted for 60kbtus so it will hit grate temp
of 1100deg. Well guess what, it is useless to have temps that high.
Unlike charcoal grills that produce alot of IR, regular gas grills rely
on the conduction of the grate to do most of the work. With a cast iron
grate, anything more than around 600degs _at the grate_ will cause you
to burn the meat rather than caramelize it. This temperature is hit on
my grill int the stock configuration. Any hotter and the grill marks are
char before the food it done.

-CAL

> There is a tradeoff. You can design the exhaust so that you retain
more
> heat, just like the Webers do but the only way you lose the ability
to
> hold a lower temperature. This low temp is a problem for many webers
> without resorting to propping the lid open or running off.
>
> My VC JennAire would only get up to 525deg (hood temp) after a 20min
> burn. I machined a piece of Alum angle iron and it recalibrates the
> thermal performance so that it will hit over 600degs in a couple of
> minute (and not long after, over 700deg). Now I have to play with the
> control to get a lower temps, but I can do it while sacrificing the
even
> temperature characteristic that the grill had before the mod.
> Fortunately I can put a hingle on the setup so that I have the best
of
> both world if it were a big issue.
>
> The same grill has been rejetted for 60kbtus so it will hit grate
temp
> of 1100deg. Well guess what, it is useless to have temps that high.
> Unlike charcoal grills that produce alot of IR, regular gas grills
rely
> on the conduction of the grate to do most of the work. With a cast
iron
> grate, anything more than around 600degs _at the grate_ will cause
you
> to burn the meat rather than caramelize it. This temperature is hit
on
> my grill int the stock configuration. Any hotter and the grill marks
are
> char before the food it done.
>
> -CAL

Cal, I am having the same heatup problem with my VC grill. Can you post
a pic of your mod?

-Eric