I have had the Grilla Primate for less that 2 years. Today I was doing a clean and the heat shield that is just below the burner has completely rusted through. The problem is that I do not see how they can send me a new shield as it is riveted to the box itself.
They have a 4 year warranty and I have sent these photos to Grilla. As flat tops go this is an expensive item and I am hoping that Grilla stands behind it.
I have had nothing but good support from the folks at Grilla and hoping that continues. I will keep everyone posted.
Interesting. My family has MCS and wants me to buy a griddle. Up until a week ago I was a few clicks away from a free 28 in. Weber griddle (courtesy of works points redemption) but ended up redeeming for Disney gift cards. We’re going to Disneyland this summer. Anyway as a Grilla Silverbac owner this was on my watch list but there’s not a lot of info out there other than the reviews on Grilla’s website. Curious to see where this leads.
You will probably get special treatment since you and your wife are movie stars! If worst comes to worst, you can drill out the rivets and use SS screws or bolts to replace the heat shield.
It will certainly be a test of if anything has changed since their recent acquisition. I too, have always had amazing customer service from Grilla. I hope they resolve your problem.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Wow! That looks rough. Do you think it was stainless or regular steel of some sort?
I guess I need to lift the griddle top off my Camp Chef that has been in use since June 2020, and see how the burners and insides are looking after 3 years of use. I've never removed it once assembly was complete, aside from lifting it enough on one end to use a hex key on the levelers that are at one end of the cooktop.
I do know the heat shields on my January 2019 Genesis 4 burner have no sign of degradation - just discoloration from food drippings burning off on them - something a griddle won't experience.
Good news to report. The customer service remains stellar with Grilla. A replacement part is coming out to me today no questions asked. I will need to drill out the rivets as JLR mentioned, but they are also sending the self tapping screws. I received an order confirmation within minutes of getting off the phone with them so all is good!
Just wanted to update everyone on this issue. Especially on the heals of Sid P and his recent testimony of Grilla's exceptional support.
So I attempted to drill out the rivets on the heat shield and found that they were directly located below the burners. There was just no way to get a drill in there and I could not figure out how to remove the burners. I called support the next day and they were beyond helpful but really did not know how to tell me to get to the rivets either without speaking with their engineer's. I heard back and they provided me with documentation and also sent out some complimentary items because of my trouble.
So last night, I took everything apart only to find that the heat shield that they sent to me was 1/4" too narrow and just would not work in the location. It was clearly a different part. I tried to make it work but it just would not fit. I emailed them photo's and then followed that up with a call. I had to wait in line to speak with them because they recently released a new cabinet for the Primate that would fit an outdoor kitchen (now on my list) and also released a wifi upgrade, so their phones were slammed. In the mean time they replied back and told me that there was no way that I should have to deal with this and they were sending out a new Primate!
My current cabinet is fine and they are sending me the grill and the components minus the cabinet. Keep in mind this unit is nearly 2 years old. They have already placed the order as rush and have also called me back twice to apologize.
Folks there may be better cookers on the market and that is no doubt the case. However, I would put the service and support from Grilla at that very top of the heap. Just amazing!
That's amazing customer service for today. I went to their store in Dallas last year and everything looked very well built. The Primate looked awesome.
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