The Real Grill
Written: Aug 02 '03
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Pros: Quick to heat, no flare-up, looks great.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Heavy weight grill for heavy weight grilling.
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| gopherm's Full Review: Weber-Stephen Products Genesis Gold C Premium (LP)... |
We use our grills as an extension to our kitchen. As a matter of fact, we probably cook more on our grill than the kitchen range. Since we use it so much I don't mind spending a fair amount of money to try and get a good quality grill.
A few years ago I finally upgraded to what I thought would be a great grill three years ago and bought a Sunshine Legend 3000 (one of those Australian grills). This was my initial big shift up from the Char-Broil and other run of the mill grills. The Sunshine was costly and advertised to be quiet rugged. After three years the innards began to rust out and it was going to cost more than I was willing to pay to end up with a grill less sturdy than the Char-Broil so I did my research, checked the Epinions reviewers and bought the Weber Gold C. After enjoying the old Weber Kettle I don't know why I every strayed from the path to begin with.
The Weber Gold C was purchased form a True Value hardware store for $599 and assembly was free. Since we grill so often (almost nightly) I elected the Gold C over the Silver C simply because it seemed more durable with the stainless steel hood. The store rep helped load the completely assembled grill into the back of a pickup and off we went. I don't know how accurate the propane tank scale is since I took mine home, rolled it onto the patio and connected it to my home's propane supply and made sure all the burners worked.
It is heavy and I have read some comments about the cheapness of the wheels. This ain't no go-cart...it's a grill and other than short rolls around the patio I think the most significant contribution the wheels provide is to keep the metal frame off wet surfaces so the frame won't rust. Shoot, I can remember back in the old days when grills didn't even come with wheels. Our patio is brick and I have no problem rolling it around to get it under shelter if I am grilling and mother nature is raining.
The stainless steel and all the surfaces are easy to wipe clean. All the burners seem to put off more than enough heat. After starting the grill on the high setting I quickly shift it down to medium and in about 10 minutes the temperature is up to around 550 degrees F. The internal burners don't seem to be affected by the wind and the side burner works well in the moderate breezes we have had here in our area so far.
I haven't tried tried to use the side burner to boil large pots of water or to fry a turkey, but it works great for frying bacon, sausage and even eggs in an iron skillet. The wife won't fry most of those messy things in the house and I am not particularly fond of the taste and texture of microwaved bacon.
So far I have cooked salmon, pork chops, steaks, and chicken with great success. As I said, it heats rapidly from ignition and is ready to cook in a fraction of the time required for other grills to get up to temperature. The heat stays constant and seems to be uniform across the entire cooking area with no noticeable hot spots. Meats sear quickly and the grill marks from the stainless steel cooking surface are perfect. Everything comes out juicy and delicious. With the burner tubes running the width of the grill, it is very easy to turn off the center burner, place the meat over that area use the roasting and convection heat to cook.
A wipe down of all surfaces quickly cleans the cabinet and lid and I have found that using the brass wire brush as soon as I turn the gas off makes quick work of residue on the cooking surface.
I ordered the griddle insert but have not had a chance to season or cook with it yet. The Sunshine grill had a griddle surface on it and I found it perfect for cooking summer squash and other veggies, as well as bacon, sausage, and other items. Weber also makes a smoker tray that can be filled with wood chips in one compartment and water in another (not the smoker box) and I plan on buying that next.
The high quality thermometer seems to be very accurate and the ability to use it as a meat thermometer is a wonderful idea.
Everything about the grill from the heavy stainless steel lid to the durable service shelves proves that Weber spends a lot of time thinking about how they can give their grilling enthusiast their money's worth.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 599
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Epinions.com ID:
gopherm
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Location: Leonardtown, Maryland
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Now that the barn has burned down, I can see the stars.
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