Mid to Mid Hi end Gas Grill Advice

[UFLawdog]

I am looking to upgrade my still highly useable 17 year old, 3 burner Genesis - the one with the east west burner alignment. I have mostly moved on to smoking on an WSM and searing and grilling on a kettle, but I find the gas grill convenient for inclement weather and larger cooks. My biggest complaints about the Genesis are the lack of indirect zone space and insufficient sear temps.

I have been eyeing the Blaze Lux 4 burner and swap in an infrared when needed. I am not crazy about the Chinese manufacturing or that the infrared takes up grill space when I want to do a reverse sear. For example I am hosting a dinner party on Saturday and plan to smoke and sear three tomahawks on my WSM/Kettle. But the weather may be so windy and rainy that I would want to do it on a gas grill vs changing my menu.

I value high quality and reliability above gimmicky functions.

I debated a Summit but the sear of the Blaze seems like a better fit for me.

What would people recommend in the up to $6,500 range that could match the Blaze for the function I am looking for?

[FireMan]

Take a look at Napoleon. Just might fir yer need. Did mine.

[Max Good]

Have you explored our searchable equipment reviews?

https://amazingribs.com/grill-and-smoker-search/

[Donw]

I have been eyeing American-Made Grills for a while. Slightly more expensive than your 6500 budget but close. Take a look at their warranty which looks very promising. Here is a link to one site that sells them, https://www.bbqguys.com/american-mad...ane-estfs36-lp but probably more information on American Made’s own site

[UFLawdog]

Have you explored our searchable equipment reviews?
https://amazingribs.com/grill-and-smoker-search/

I did. That’s how I learned of some of the brands and models I’m considering. I appreciate the reviews. I am curious to known people’s real world use, especially after a few years of ownership.

[Redwng]

I have been looking at the Blaze Professional for a while but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I really like the "H" burners and the inside lights would be real handy this time of year.


I looked at the Napoleon and came really close to buying it but the one thing that bothered me was that they refer to the rotisserie burner as an infrared burner when in fact it is a tube burner like the ones in the bottom which is what they call those. They have some perforated steel in front of it so you can't really see it. I had to go to repair manuals to see what it looked like. They refer to the sear burner as infrared but to me infrared and a tube burner are two different things. This has just bothered me almost like a bait and switch.

[DavidNorcross]

I have owned the Blaze and the Summit. They are both great grills. I prefer the Summit compared to those two.

[DavidNorcross]

I really never could put my finger on it to be honest. I always thought that it cooked better. Held heat well and I could make small adjustments. And aside from their recent issues, Weber has great support.

[UFLawdog]

Agree with their support. My biggest concern with the Summit is the searing capability. It’s not an infrared burner.

[Dan Deter]

UFLawdog I never use the sear burner on my Summit, the other 6 burners put out plenty of heat. In fact the infrared rotisserie burner is not working (something in the gas flow) but I haven't bothered to fix it since I discovered that even without it my rotisserie chicken gets nice and crispy on the outside.

[Hulagn1971]

I have a Blaze professional and love it. It is built like a friggen' tank. I believe Attjack has one as well and cooks on it a lot more than I cook on mine. He can give some good input too.

[Attjack]

I do not have the professional and with his budget, he would be getting that model if he went with Blaze. He has other options too with that much to spend. That said I do like my Blaze very much.

[Attjack]

What if you got yourself a grill AND a sear station? I just googled for one and am posting it but I have not researched or compared the options out there. But this one seems pretty intriguing with its options.

https://www.bbqguys.com/sunstone-grills/ruby-series-13-inch-propane-companion-pro-burner-w-cooking-grates-flavorizer-rack-led-accent-light-sun13cpro-lp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=1558034804&utm_content=396774082796&utm_term=3145548&species=shopping-ad&campaignid=1558034804&adgroupid=83179604349&creative=396774082796&targetid=aud-295980301882:pla-2269825178397&network=g&device=c&adtype=pla&productchannel=online&productid=3145548&productpartitionid=2269825178397&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyeWrBhDDARIsAGP1mWRb-hJDbaKXNJ3haKV48WLtE5gdT89BmNfeqgKl8wV8NOilD5SOuhwaAg1tEALw_wcB

[Attjack]

UFLawdog I suppose you could pick up a stainless steel table like this one and drop it into that. Or a bigger one and use it for prep too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QKVRTQ6...&creative=9325

[Oak Smoke]

Attjack I wonder if that is similar to the table 58limited had to repair.

[58limited]

It is. If you plan to put something heavy on it you will need to beef up the wheel mounts. This comes with plastic mounts which are not durable. My 330 lb rated table with 165 lbs on it broke - flimsy plastic wheel mounts. Their customer service was surprisingly good but they sent the same mickey mouse parts: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ective-product

[mgaretz]

I got the Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 - it has four burners (plenty of space for indirect), infrared rotisserie burner and a side infrared burner that can be used as conventional burner or a sear station. I like it a lot.

[STEbbq]

GolfGeezer had a Hestan that he replaced with a Napoleon and is presumably much happier. Food for thought on spending the extra money over the Napoleon IMO.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/charcoal-grills/naploeon/1013420-pulled-the-trigger-prestige-pro-500-srib

[UFLawdog]

A while back I was looking at the Napoleon. The Prestige Pro 600 Series. The cooler in the side table thing seems like a gimmicky and for that childish reason I was turned off to them. They are well built and I like that the infrared is an external burner.

[GolfGeezer]

UFLawdog Yes, it is a bit gimmicky. I never use the cooler part for anything, although someone might like the convenience of extra storage. However, I love the pull out slide for the propane tank, the easy, slide out drip tray for cleaning, love the side infrared burner, and the rotisserie works great. It is not built like a tank, but that has not been a big deal for me.

[UFLawdog]

GolfGeezer I appreciate that you shared your thoughts.