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Grillgrates - worth it?

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    Grillgrates - worth it?

    Hello all,

    It appears that the general consensus on GrillGrates is good. I generally grill on my gasser, a Weber 3 burner Genesis Silver, if details help. I am an avid fan of the Maillard reaction and now I grill most foods by flipping and rotating the meat onto a different section of the grate so it can be hotter (not recently cooled by the meat).

    I believe the GGs go OVER your existing grates? To me, it seems like they won't get as hot because air is a poor conductor of heat, and there would be little contact between the old and new grates to give much conduction. Plus they add about another 2" in height, making the cooking surface that much further away from the burners.

    Does it make sense to alter the fit of the GGs so they fit into the grill's natural slots and omit the factory grates? What about removing the factory grates and putting the GGs over the "flavorizer bars" (pyramid-shaped covers that protect the burner) which are right over the burners? Also, do you grill with them cover on, or cover off, and why?

    I hope this isn't too many questions...I'm interested in what you all have to say.

    TIA.

    #2
    GrillGrates can go over the original grates or they can replace the originals. Your choice. I've used them both ways and I can't tell any differences.

    Think about it ... If you put the GGs on top of the original grates, you're only lifting the GGs higher by the thickness of the original grates ... maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch. How is that a significant difference in elevation?

    Heat transfer to the grates on a grill is primarily by radiation. If your regular grates function properly in this kind of environment, then, again, think about it -- why wouldn't the GGs function any differently than the original grates? You're talking as if they function radically differently than regular wire grates and I"m not sure I see why you have that opinion.

    You can grill with cover off or the cover on -- whatever you do with your current grates is what you'd do with the GGs.

    The original grates are above the flavorizer bars for a reason. And the flavorizer bars aren't designed to carry weight or they'd be much heavier metal than they are. So ... did you cut the original grates down so they fit directly on the flavorizer bars? If not, then I fail to see your logic about putting the GGs directly on the flavorizer bars?

    Comment


    • smokyYank
      smokyYank commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks, IowaGirl. You raise good points.

      If I'm searing Tuna, I'll put a steel omelet pan directly on the flavorizers. I actually bought 3rd party replacements made of 16 ga stainless steel, and can carry a LOT of weight.

    #3
    I have a similar grill, the Weber Spirit 3-burner, and got the GGs designed to replace the originals. Total game changer! They live up to the promotional descriptions pretty completely, in my experience. I can get a much hotter surface than before, and when you turn them flat-side-up, that's a fantastic flat searing surface. And rail-side-up is ideal for the indirect side on 2-zone cooks. Highly recommended!

    IowaGirl's analysis seems spot-on to me...

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    Great for tossing some pellets on the hot side to provide a little smoke during 2-zone as well:
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    Ideal for chicken thighs.
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    Comment


    • smokyYank
      smokyYank commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks, DaveD. Looks good! Can you send me a sample just so I can be sure? LOL

    • PNWsmoke
      PNWsmoke commented
      Editing a comment
      I have Spirit 2 and yes total game changer.

    #4
    I had a Weber Genesis Silver A (2 burger version of your grill) for many years, and now it lives at one of my daughter's houses. I outfitted it with a replacement set of Grillgrates, and it was a game changer for that old grill, in that it blocked flareups when filling it with burgers or chicken, and the flat side gave me my first experience of using a griddle to do smash burgers. I used the rail side for most other stuff though. The Grillgrates definitely amplified the searing performance of that old grill.

    If you buy a full replacement set, they are cut to sit on the ledges the original cast iron grates go on, but they can also sit on top of the cast iron grates, but I usually just left the old grates on a shelf in the garage or under the grill on the bottom shelf. The only reason I kept the old grates was for times I would want to use a cast iron skillet or something like that on the grill. They don't recommend using cast iron on top of the aluminum grates, as it can cause warping.

    The one caveat with Grillgrates is that burned crap tends to accumulate in the gaps between the rails. I handled that by using a brush to push it to the back, then shovel it out with the included "grate tool". Or just take them off every few cooks and hose/rinse things off. You can also burn stuff off if you flip them over and run on high heat a bit.

    If I had known I would be getting a flat top in 2020 and a kamado in 2021, I would have not replaced the old Silver A with a new Genesis II 4 burner in 2019, and I would just have kept using it here myself.

    Comment


    #5
    I use them on my Weber Spirit and definitely consider them an upgrade.

    Comment


    • Attjack
      Attjack commented
      Editing a comment
      I use the flat side 90% of the time.

    • smokyYank
      smokyYank commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks Attjack, I think I'll surprise myself by getting them as a birthday gift!

    • Attjack
      Attjack commented
      Editing a comment
      smokyYank I bought mine when they were having their annual seconds sale at a substantial discount.

    #6
    Attjack is right -- Get on their email list. and wait for a regular sale or a "seconds" clearance. I bought seconds at a very good price and honestly couldn't see where the imperfections were. You can't wait, however, if you want to snag the seconds -- they sell out fast.

    And I almost always use the GGs with the flat side up. I can get a wonderful sear on beef and burgers that way.

    Comment


    • smokyYank
      smokyYank commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks, IowaGirl. Their website is charging $205 and I found a 3rd party website charging $149. Do you think I can do better than 25% off if I wait? And, do you know what time of year they have this sale?

    • IowaGirl
      IowaGirl commented
      Editing a comment
      I don't have a clue about an answer to either question. All I can say is to be wary of Amazon's many scammers.

    #7
    I see they are having a 20% off sale right now.

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    #8
    I think on a gasser they should make a huge difference. For comparison sake, I use them on the direct side of my Hasty-Bake and I typically cook using Kingsford Pro or Cowboy briquettes. Either of those allow me to get the direct zone on the Hasty-Bake to about 700F (measured with an IR therm) using the original stainless steel grates. When the Grill Grates are in place, I get over 900F on them. That's steakhouse level right there!

    Comment


    • Attjack
      Attjack commented
      Editing a comment
      I opted not to use me ne on my Blaze (my Spirit ones fit perfectly) because that grill gets much hotter and I was worried about warpage. So good to know you have had no issues.

    • ecowper
      ecowper commented
      Editing a comment
      Attjack it would be pointless, in my humble opinion, to have grill grates on the Hasty-Bake if they should never get hotter than 500F. I can get to 700F plus on my Hasty-Bake all by itself without the grill grates.

    • Attjack
      Attjack commented
      Editing a comment
      The only reason I consider using them on the Blaze is to control flare ups for certain cooks. My sear burner is my obvious choice for a good sear on that grill.

    #9
    Newsflash!

    I was just about to pull the trigger on the GrillGrates directly from them. ​.​They wanted $202 for my model less 20% off, thanks to @Attjack​. Did a price search and found the exact same ones at all things barbecue (atbbq.com) for $149 AND found a $10 off coupon, so pre-tax $139 with free shipping vs. $161 at grillgrates (I think their shipping is free, too). 22 bucks saved is 22 bucks.

    Can't wait to step up my game! Thanks again to all who commented above.

    Comment


    • ecowper
      ecowper commented
      Editing a comment
      Even Better!!!!

    #10
    smokyYank Be careful not to get them too hot. They can't take the heat like traditional grates as they will warp. I have a Genesis and never go more than one bar past medium with two burners. I use them primarily for searing with the flat side up. The surface temps are 500+ degrees which is plenty for a good sear. So dial it down what you normally do.

    Comment


    • smokyYank
      smokyYank commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks Rod, never knew that. I usually cook with all 3 in HIGH for a good sear. Appreciate it.

    • ecowper
      ecowper commented
      Editing a comment
      I've not had a problem with them warping and I get temps over 900F on them

    • Rod
      Rod commented
      Editing a comment
      Mine haven't actually warped, but one corner deformed and the tongue and groove between 2 panels no longer tongued and grooved.

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