277859 Tue May 10 08:36:56 -0700 2005 13 31 Home Cooking 0 1469316 My husband is a purist who only believes in grilling with hard wood charcoal and has used a Weber for years. He is finally considering getting a gas grill-mostly because I want the ease when we get home at 7pm and need to feed the family quickly. He has done ribs, brisket, whole turkeys for years with the water and wood chips, etc. What recommendations do you have for brands/types of gas grills to buy? We are considering keeping the old broken down Weber in addition if necessary. Tue May 10 08:36:56 -0700 2005 0 sgschef 1 1469323 I have a Weber Genesis Silver A model, which is pretty basic. I purchased it because it was highly rated for minimizing flare-ups. It has been very reliable over the past 3 years and it really does minimize flare-ups. We grill chicken with the skin without fear that it will go up in flames. After 3 years, the grates are showing some rust, which they should not be doing. (There's a 3 year warranty on them.) Replacement parts are readily available at my local hardware store. We also purchased the rotisserie attachment and have been happy with it. Tue May 10 09:52:28 -0700 2005 1469316 0 PollyG 2 1469331 We have the same Weber Silver A - it's going into it's 6th year now and is still in great shape. We haven't had any rust problems (Do you keep the cover on it?). I still prefer charcoal but I agree with the original poster - gas is just so much faster. Tue May 10 10:43:00 -0700 2005 1469323 0 Dipsy 3 1469359 I have had a Genesis Silver B for 5-6 years. We use it winter and summer. I have no complaints about it. Best gas grill we have ever owned. We have the rotisserie too and like that. Tue May 10 12:43:09 -0700 2005 1469331 0 Candy 4 1469420 Also have a Genesis Silver B - about 4 years old and can't complain. But enlighten me please about the rotisserie. Bought it last summer and did two chickens on it. Tasted great, but I can't say better than turning them a few times on the actual grill. But the rotisserie was so unwieldy, those chickens were slip sliding around and I almost dropped them many times. Getting them off the rotisserie while they were hot was comedic. What do you cook on the rotisserie and how to you keep control of it? Tue May 10 18:28:45 -0700 2005 1469359 0 Junie D 5 1469451 Generally, when you cook a whole bird or a roast on the grill, you're roasting - you don't use direct heat, you're cooking with hot air, as in the oven - generally people will turn off the side that the roast will sit on, or at least turn it down low. Rotisserie cooking is like broiling - direct radiant, very high heat. The ability to keep it turning keeps it from burning - trying to do this manually, say by keeping the grill temp high under the roast - usually results in a burnt piece of meat. The problem is that the highest temp on most gas grills just isn't high enough to do real rotisserie cooking. I can't comment on the Weber Genesis in particular, but my experience with rotisseries on gas grills is exactly the same as yours - you might as well cook indirectly. I've seen special heating elements on some gas grills, and could imagine that they get hot enough - they are closer to the rotisserie than the gas elements down below. But most of the ones I've seen are very small. Now - a rotisserie attachment for the Weber kettle is different. Using natural wood charcoal for a really hot bed, boneless leg of lamb, pork loin roast, chicken, duck, and beef rib roast, all work really great. It's the extremely hot temperature that makes rotisserie cooking work - you get the crisp outside (on birds) and a nice crust on the others. The wood charcoal burns much hotter than the chemical laden briquets, but it does burn faster, so you have to replenish the fire in the kettle more often - but it's worth it! Tue May 10 23:48:12 -0700 2005 1469420 0 applehome 5 1469478 Can't solve the heat problem, but to keep the chickens from slipping: * make sure you truss tightly so wings and legs are held in close and tight to the body * put the prongs (the things that hold the bird on the spit) in as far as you can into the bird and screw down firmly. Wed May 11 09:59:40 -0700 2005 1469420 0 doctor_mama 1 1469345 Another gas Weber user. 6 yr. old, can't remember the model but purely touble-free. I agree charcoal is best. Even though gas is quicker it's tasteless. My wife and I had the same discussion, I lost...... Tue May 10 11:53:52 -0700 2005 1469316 0 FatBob 1 1469358 Costco has an impressive stainless steel BBQ. Good price. Be sure to get one that has smoking capacity...usually a metal tray that you can burn chips in. Tue May 10 12:36:12 -0700 2005 1469316 0 Jim H. 1 1469375 This month's issue of Consumer's Reports does a full review of gas grills. They gave their top rating to a grill by Vermont Castings. $400 at Home Depot. Tue May 10 13:10:25 -0700 2005 1469316 0 Bob Martinez 1 1469386 Broil King at Home Depot has had consistently high ratings (higher than Weber) and is inexpensive. Less than half the price of a Weber Genesis. For more money I'd get a Vermont Castings. Depends whether you want to pay $200 or $400. Tue May 10 14:30:35 -0700 2005 1469316 0 The Rogue 1 1469407 The big stainless steel model sold at Costco is pretty hard to resist for value. On the higher-end side I can recommend DCS (Dynamic Cooking Systems) , see link below. I needed a built-in, natural gas model and went with their 30"unit. Pricey, but it was a good value in that specific arena. I've had cheaper units before and they do not hold up well along the coast, where we live. Hopefully the investment in better construction quality will pay off. DCS also makes Propane units. Link: http://www.dcsappliances.com/outdoor/index.php?id=24 Tue May 10 16:41:09 -0700 2005 1469316 0 Midlife 1 1469531 Sorry, I don't understand. If you want convenient, you probably already have an oven in your house. Buying a gas grill only moves the oven outside, but an oven is an oven is an oven... Wed May 11 16:22:23 -0700 2005 1469316 0 ricepad 2 1469558 Ricehead read the post... It says for grilling not for roasting. Wed May 11 20:09:14 -0700 2005 1469531 0 Link