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[...] inch stainless steel fire bowl for burning wood, charcoal, and artificial logs [...]…

The Char Broil K6B is the largest of the assorent for 2010 from Char Broil. Because of its size, with more than 650 sq. in. of primary cooking area, this grill utilizes 6 stainless steel burners (with a dedicated searing burner) and a total of 65,000 ….

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Definately a great buy. Just one word of advice…if using in semi-windy conditions, be aware the newspaper ash will fly out from the bottom of the chimmney.

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I really like that this requires no lighter fluid and will start the charcoal faster than the lighter fluid ever could. Applying a little cooking oil to the paper you place in the bottom does seem to start the charcoal faster, although it will temporarily smoke a bit more. Without adding oil I have found that I sometimes need to wait 10-12 more minutes longer or add more paper to the bottom before the charcoal is fully going.

To stress again the size of this, filling the starter completely as shown in the picture would probably use between one-quarter and one-third of a 20 pound bag of charcoal.

By consistently filling my it to approximately the same level (between the second and third holes on the side) my starter has developed a nice dull ring around it from the oxidation of the aluminum at high temperatures. Yes, the can was red hot (actually glowing). This does not in any way affect function and is almost certainly the reason for the aluminized steel, since this layer of oxidized aluminum will help to prevent oxidation of the steel (rust). I suspect that this would extend to cover the whole can after several years of use or a few big barbecues where the whole can is filled.

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The aluminized finish on this resists heat and rust quite well. Other reviewers have commented on the helper handle, but the really key feature of this chiminey starter is the conical wire grid inside that holds up the charcoal. Unlike perforated metal plate inside the no-name chimeny starters, this wire grid lets all of the flame from the newspaper through to the charcoal, resulting in the charcoal lighting in half the time.

All of that, and it isn’t any more expensive that the no-name brands. Bigger, faster, and more durable. What more could you ask for?

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The difference is night and day — my coals start in half the time with the Weber, are much hotter when started, and, if I need to, I can start a LOT more coals at once. When they call this “Rapidfire” they mean it. If I had known what I do now, I never would’ve gone the coffee can route. This thing is so cheap, and works so well, that everyone with a charcoal grill should have one.

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Now, I initially bought an electric smoker from Amazon about a year ago, I bought the Masterbuilt Electric smoker Masterbuilt 20070106 30-Inch Electric Smokehouse Smoker, Black after deciding to get into smoking meats. I choose electric because of the convience of being able to set the temp and let it run without having to touch it until the meat was done. Well, it worked fairly well….for a year… Then the smoker died and I found heating elements were not availalbe for the unit and the main control unit was not working. Technology and grills/smokers don’t seem to mix very well…

So, I needed a new smoker and after contemplating on getting a $75 brinkmann smoker from the local hardware store I decided to pay the premium for the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker and let me tell you this thing makes perfect smoked foood! My first attempt at smoking with this smoker was pork butt. My wife wanted to take the pulled pork to work with her the next day so my first smoke experience was an overnight. I was worried about temp fluctuations so I set my alarm to wake me up every 90 minutes to check on the temp and make adjustments as needed. I never had to make one adjustment! I started the charcoal using the minion method (fill charcoal ring with unlit coals, then take a chimney of about 10 coals and put them on top, mix in a few pieces of apple wood and set vents about 1/4 open on bottom and leave top vent on top open) The cooker got to about 225 degrees and stayed at that mark for 12+ hours without me having to add more coal, open or close the vents or any other maintenance. I was upset after waking up every 90 minutes I actually didn’t do anything, but at the same time I was so impressed this thing worked so well out of the box without any tweaking like is needed on cheaper units. Fyi, I smoked the butt at 225 degrees for about 13 hours with 2 foil packs filled with apple wood chips, I was going to use apple wood chunks but couldn’t find any and I found the foil packs of apple wood chips work perfectly!

My second smoke was a turkey as the plan is to use the smoker for our thanksgiving turkey this year and rather then try my first turkey on thanksgiving I figured we’d do a practice turkey. I got the smoker up to approx 225 degrees again using the minon method listed above and put the turkey on the smoker, it sat for about 10 hours (12lb bird) and when the internal temp reached 165 degrees I took it off and let it rest. The bird was juicy and so good. Once again used apple wood chip foil packets.

This smoker is fantastic. Is it more difficult then electric? No, both require cleanup but the scientific properties of smoke from charcoal are definitly different then smoke from electric smokers, somehow it infuses into the food much more efficiently and you can tell by the visible smoke rings on the meat. The weber smokey mountain cooker really is as easy as it gets and the reason is the design and construction. You could get cheaper units but the modifications you would need for proper air-flow, plus the thickness of the smoker is important and Weber uses high grade steel. You really get a premium product when you choose the smokey mountain. The only gripe I have is the door on the side to add more coals or wood chips or refill the water pan. The door is sort of flimsy however there are sites where you can find replacement after market doors for approx $20 that are very strong. Maybe one day I’ll upgrade but for now the included door works well, just a little thin.

If you want a smoker I highly recommend this unit. It will easily cook a turkey and a ham or pork butt at the same time. I’ve seen pictures of people cooking a total of 50lbs of pork shoulder perfectly. This smoker rocks and will last a long time, after all it’s metal and comes with a 10 year limited warranty. My old electric smoker that lasted approx a year before it died had a 90 day warranty and was poor quality at nearly the same cost! Stick with American made, high quality and get yourself the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, you won’t regret it!! Well…maybe you’ll regret not getting it sooner!

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It took about 15 minutes to assemble. A snap. And since it was in 3 major pieces, it was easy to get from the assembly area, the living room, to the smoking area outside. I poured in enough briquets to fill the briquet containment ring. Heck, I didn’t know what was too much or not enough. Turned out it was a good amount.

I lit it up just like the Weber kettle I have and got the coals all toasty. Put on the middle stage, got the hose and filled the water bowl, put on the top grate, threw on a 6 pound pork roast that I had put a dry rub on (about.com, dry rub recipes, Kansas city style). Put on the lid and began smoking, the meat that is.

I fiddled with it for about an hour just getting a feel for the air adjustments. It didn’t take much to get a temp set perfect.

I added briquets, 10-15, every 90-120 min or so and rustled the others around to keep the ash off of them. A long pair of cheesy, dollar store tongs was helpful for doing this. I also added a stick of well-seasoned plum wood at the same time. Nummy nummy!

8 hours later I had a smoked pork roast that was GONE after being done as all of the neighbors wanted to try some. Needless to say it was a hit with me and a crowd.

Next day I fired it up, put a brined whole chicken on it with NO rub or sauce. 3.5 hours later I had chicken to die for.

My wife told me I could NOT smoke our Westy.

Buy this thing. Painless, fiddleless, fool proof. Nuff said. Straight up. (Did I mention how well made and heavy duty it is?)

Y’all gotta smoke with this think.

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I was so confident in my skills that a few weeks later ( and after much research) I had a BBQ at my house and smoked 15 lbs of chicken, 4 slabs of ribs, and 2 pork shoulders! I had to stay awake most of the night before (off & on), but the thermometer and the ease of use in adding charcoal made it very easy… I received rave reviews for my meat at the BBQ the next day!

If you’re in the market for a smoker- this is it! It’s great for everyone- experienced or newbie- it’s worth the money 2x over!!!

P.S.- I didn’t bother with a lot of the extras but the following items were invaluable. I used paraffin cubes that worked wonders!!! (non-toxic/no taste- found at Lowes) Also, If you’re planning on ribs- invest $15 in a standing rib rack- you can stand 4 slabs up at a time- conserving space while not compromising on taste…

Happy Smoking!

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The previous smoker was an easy 5 stars in my book. I guess I’d have to give this one 6 stars, because it’s better!

After using my old smoker for some time, I began finding ways to improve it. It seems that Weber thought so too, and their changes include all of mine plus a few more.

Here are some important improvements:

Wider door for adding charcoal & such. This is NOT a small detail but rather a much appreciated design change. The older model’s smaller door made it more difficult to place wood chunks or new charcoal where I wanted them and once upon a time I knocked the water pan down into the coals trying to put a wood chunk toward the back of the smoker.

The door latch is spring loaded and features a lever type handle. The previous door latch is not spring loaded and had a featureless round knob. It was less secure and not always easy to tell if the latch was fully closed. Now it’s obvious — for those of us who need things to be obvious.

Built-in thermometer! To think I paid more than Amazon’s current price on the smoker and then another $50 on a thermometer. Mine is even in the same place on the lid. Great minds think alike, I guess… and Weber added this useful feature while keeping the price under control.

Bottom ash catch pan. I never thought of that one but then again I have a concrete pad set up and it was never a big deal to sweep up a few stray ashes.

Overall, the smoker performs as well as the older model but is much easier to use. With the thermometer, it will be much easier to maintain temperature and smoke up some great grub right out of the box.

I am by no means an expert, but here are a few quick tips for using this smoker.

0. If you are interested in instant gratification, get a gas grill or go out for dinner. It takes some work, time and patience to use and maintain this smoker.

1. Keep the temperature as stable as you can.

2. Don’t lift the lid any more than you have to (for mopping, adding charcoal, etc.

3. Use briquets, at least at first. It’s much easier to work with compared to lump charcoal. If you do choose to use lump charcoal, don’t add any extra wood chips or would chunks! You’ll oversmoke the food and that’s bad!

4. Start early. Give the charcoal time to start up, and the liquid in the water pan to get up to temperature before you put on the food.

5. Line the water pan with aluminum foil. Trust me; it will be much easier to clean later if you do!

6. Make small changes to the vents when you need to adjust the temperature. Give it some time to work.

7. Get a good book on smoking. I think we all know a good place to look for one…

8. The internet is your friend. Check out Weber’s site, some of the bbq forums and most definitely Virtual Weber Bullet.

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1. Add to instructions that there are two different washer configurations, the self adhesive attach to the bottom, the others are used with the screws.

2. Remove the flame shield before attaching the base so as to align the screws better and avoid striping the threads.

3. As this is just a cast iron grate, not porcelain coated, proper seasoning of the grate is required, nothing is mentioned on how to do this to avoid rust and insure proper use.

4. Suggest lining the bottom with heavy duty aluminum foil for easy clean-up.

The overall quality of this unit is only average, but the design and function are great, would be glad to spend another $20 for higher quality.

This grill heats quickly and evenly, reaches searing temperatures for steaks and fits a small space.

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A couple of things about the grill that aren’t mentioned: the grate is reversible. Why would you want to do this? On one side, the bars of the grate come to a point, like an inverted ‘V’. This is fine for steaks and more ‘solid’ foods. If you turn the grate over, the surface is flat and wider. If you are grilling burgers or delicate foods, it is easier to get a spatula under the food for easy turning. One other point: You can attach a hose to the grill and use your 20lb. propane tank. I called Cuisinart and they confirmed that you could do this if you made sure that the connections were free of leaks. This ensures that you will always have plenty of fuel (if you check the tank or have a pressure gauge) when you need it and can grill for longer times.

I am pretty much of a charcoal person but this one was too good to pass up. The weather has been just awful here and though it says that we are in the summer season, it just continues to rain and rain…. The yard is a swamp even when the sun does make a rare appearance so I just place the Cuisinart on the picnic table and in a couple of minutes, we are ready to grill. I really can’t say enough about how well this one is built and more importantly, how it performs. Even the stainless veggie tray is a recognition by the manufacturer that people’s tastes go beyond traditional grill fare. In short…buy it…it’s a bit pricey for a portable but in this case, it is true that ‘you’ll only cry once’!

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The grill is heavy duty and I’m guessing it’s going to last a long time. The grate is genuine cast iron, so season it before using to get the full cast iron effect, and extend the life of the grate. It has a very fine coating of wax on it for protection, so you should wash it the first time with very hot water to remove the wax. Dry it well then coat it, both sides, with an oil of your choosing – I used olive oil. Put it into your oven (pre-heated to 450), turn heat down to 300, leave it for an hour, turn heat off and let it cool. Your grate is now seasoned. You won’t need to wash it again. Just keep it debris-free with your grill brush, and oil before each use.

This grill heats very quickly, and the surface of the grate is evenly heated. The size is more than adequate for an average size family. I recommend reading more of the reviews for more info and helpful tips! I could not be more pleased with this purchase.

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The grill arrived in its own packaging. When I opened it up, I found it to be well packaged and all the contents to be in great shape, which I was surprised given the treatment my packages typically get by UPS. Heavy foam and cardboard enclosed all the parts.

Assembly was a snap with just 4 screws and washers that screw into the short stand the grill sits on. I sprayed the grate with non-stick spray to season it. It does not say to do this in the instructions, but I always do with new grills to make sure the food does not stick and it is easy to clean. When I fired it up I immediately noticed that it preheated very fast. It was up to 500 degrees in just a few minutes. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked on my first meal of chicken.

We have had this grill about 8 weeks now and use it around 2 – 3 times each week We keep in on a table on our deck near the charcoal grill. I find myself running out with a couple frozen burgers for lunch or some chicken tenders at dinner time to complement a salad. This avoids heating up the stove in the summer time and having to clean up a mess. The grill gets hot quickly and I end up turning the temp down unless I have a very full load. I liked being able to grill with the lid down to control any flare-ups and maintain better overall cooking. Some other grills do not let you cook with the lid down. A bottle of propane seems to last us a long time, but I guess that depends on your cooking habits.

It has two handles and my wife and I find it easy for one of us to carry in and out of the truck and car and set up. The side tables both turn in and store under the lid. They turn out and snap in place when ready to use.

I found cleanup to be easy as the grate easily removes. Grease either burns off on the flame guard or runs into the grease tray that slides out under the grill. I typically do not clean out the inside very much unless I cook something that builds up a lot of ash and burnt on food parts. The outside stainless wipes off easily and looks like a new grill again each time.

I would recommend this grill to anyone that wants an easy to use, great looking grill that I am sure will last for many years.

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My thoughtful son bought me this one instead because he knew I’d enjoy the feminine color and the moon-and-star cutouts. I’m a “fool” for ambience, and he know I’d go ga-ga over the way they reflect the light, creating a mini outdoor show.

Now when the grandkids come over we can roast marshmallows AND keep warm in the cool evenings as well.

I love my new fireplace!

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One thing, at the end of the instructions, just when you are getting excited to fire it up, they tell you to add 5lbs of sand to the bottom. the reason being, to help insulated the surface below(grass, deck, etc) from the heat, and to keep the ash form corroding the bottom of the fire pit. DARN! I wish it said make sure to buy 5lbs of sand while I was buying it at the store! now I got to go get sand.

also, do not leave it in the rain, do not allow it to fill with water as it may shorten its life – corrosion again. I think they need to anodize these things! so make sure you cover it, or put it away, out of the rain.

nice thing, it has a nice grill, as in you can use it to cook on with the supplied grill rack. Nice! and it also has a spark screen and a poker/handle to remove a hot screen with. a lot of fire pits do not include them.

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They did reinburse us and took it back without any problems but BUYER BE AWARE. Look for those sellers that try to get away with little things and your money.

I did contact Amazon immediately and they were very helpful.

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The screen stopped major sparks, but did let tiny ones through, especially through the open space under the top/back half and above the lower/front half. So to be safe here in tinder-dry country, we’ll only burn wood in it after the rains have dampened the wildlands nearby. We had one rainy evening and got to try it out thanks to the rain. I’m actually considering getting the extra-large size dome screen available elsewhere (wish Amazon would carry it) to put on top of the large size one for double coverage and then maybe we could enjoy this pretty fire pit even now in the dryest part of the year. Not sure what CalFire would say about that. It might just fit, though, since the large screen actually measures 1.5 inches less in diameter than the 30.5″ listed (that measurement includes the 1.5″ handle) and so I imagine the x-lg screen, listed at 37″ is probably truly 35.5″ in diameter, which is exactly the actual width of the size large fire pit listed at 36″.

The screening material did sort of wither inwards in one area, about 6″ in diameter, during our first and only fire so far. Still fully functional, even so. Don’t know what that indicates for future longevity.

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The grill was shipped when promised, the trucking company called to schedule a time, and it arrived within the window that had been set. Assembly takes a bit of time, but the instructions are understandable and no special tools are required.

My unit was the natural gas version, so connecting to the gas line coming from the house required a trip to the local Ace Hardware to match the provided quick connect to an assembly that would tie into the gas line. A neighbor with a little prior experience helped here in assuring no gas leakages.

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As for performance, the grill works well and it’s nice being able to cook something that takes a long time without worrying about running out of gas. I wanted a natural gas grill for a long time but I kept waiting for my old Weber (Silver) to give up the ghost…it never did. I finally just found a place to donate it.

The starter seems much improved. It’s not real sturdy but it doesn’t need to be either; just takes a light push. One nice thing is that it works after heavy rain with no issue. My old manual ‘red button’ light would fail when wet.

One other thing that’s sneaky nice is that it easy to move around. While tethered to the gas supply, the hose is still very long and the wheels reasonably sturdy. Plus with no propane tank the wheel action is more balanced and lighter. This provides a nice feature on my patio. I can pull it out when needed, but easily get it off to the side when not grilling. I was considering a built-in type, but this is far better for me.

Considering my past experience with a Weber grill, I expect to have this one for a long time.

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Grill heats evenly, no flare ups, and it gets hot fast: 600+ in less than 10 minutes for me.

After setup I thought my gas line wasn’t working fully because I could not see flames from the burners. Turned out the flames are just so hot and blue that you can’t see them easily in sunlight (close the lid and look through match hole to see them).

Weber customer service is excellent – called about not seeing burner flames. Calling their 1-800 number results in speaking to a real person in less than 1 minute who stays with you until your issue is resolved.

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The LXE can come off its convenient stand and be used for a table top grill. The stand is a foldable handle and wheels for easy portability, and the best part is that the grill grates can interchange with a griddle (mix and match) or stove grate. All of the interchangeable plates are removable and dishwasher safe.

I highly recommend this grill.

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I was going to get a Weber Q but it doesn’t have the cart, at least not at a sub $200 pricepoint. This grill does the job and then some. I used the grill five times in the last two weeks, trying different approaches and methods, and have come up with a few tips and tricks to make the grill work it’s best. Please note that this grill is one of the best I have ever used and certainly better than the majority of gas grills I have used. It’s no Weber, but then, it ain’t 500 bucks either. So, on with the tips.

1. The burner has a “low” to “high” settings. The high settings are ONLY and I mean ONLY for using the burner attachment or griddle attachment. There is no need to use 20,000BTU’s of heat on a grill this small. These guys that are melting handles and such are also ruining food with entirely too much heat. They ought to put this in the book, but they don’t. So you read it hear first, been grilling for over 25 years, do NOT use the high setting for grilling…PERIOD! Think about it…my Weber, which is almost twice as big and has enough clearance built into the cover for a turkey or upright chicken, only has 40,000BTU. So 20,000 for a grill with a three inch clearance cover and burners less than an inch away from the food is way too much. NO HIGH!!! PERIOD…there, now I feel better.

2. Properly preheat the grill. Fire up the grill, set it to “MED”, no higher (READ # 1!!!), close the cover, and let it run for 10 minutes. This will get the grates properly heated as well as everything else. This will allow for even heat for cooking.

NOTE: The cover for this grill (I am referring to the lid that covers the grill during cooking) is durable as long as you (say it with me, folks!) DON’T USE THE HIGH SETTING FOR GRILLING!! Now given that, even on the lowest of heat setting the lid will “warp” when heated. I would bet that even a good dose of sunlight would do this. It’s no worries, but it does cause a potential issue. This happens to most grills but it’s so little you never notice it. But on this grill, the lid lock pin slides down into a slot that only has about a 1/16″ clearance. The cover then heats up, moving the lock very VERY slightly but just enough, causing the grill not to open easily because of the pin catching on the slot. TO avoid this, after unlocking and opening the grill cover, just turn the lever to the “lock” position prior to preheating. ADVANCED FIX: I think utilizing a bit of backyard engineering IE tinsnips to open up the slot for more clearance while still being able to lock the lid may do the trick. IN the interim, just flipping to lock will still allow the lid to close, but the lock pin won’t slide into the slot. As far as the highly reported melting lid handle, I have made attempts to get the handle hot enough to melt with the grill on medium and have determined that it simply won’t happen. No concern, as long as you FOLLOW RULE#1!!

3. Once preheated, do what you would do with a normal gas grill heat control utilizing the “Coleman Roadtrip Medium” setting as “HIGH.” Most folks go to Medium on a gas grill, so that would be half way between MED and LOW on this grill. Make sense? Good. I usually cook a tick above halfway.

4. Now just use like a normal gas grill, keeping the cover closed at all times. I will state that even at these supposedly low heat settings, this grill does cook faster than my big Weber, so keep an eye out the first few times you use it.

5. Foil for cleanup of the drip pan? I don’t like that idea. The shiny drip pan cleans up so easily it’s not required. Also, there is a problem if the foil is wrinkled at all you won’t have proper draining of the grease, resulting in flair up and fire. I use hot, soapy water and let the excess water go to the drip pan. It cleanse up very easily.

That’s all I got. If you follow my rules, you will love this grill.

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One big problem, though. You can not grill with the top down!

It appears to me as though they came across this fact after they designed the grill, because there are a number of design items which appear to be for cooking with the top down.

There is no mention of this fact in the instructions, but a sticker on the back of the grill says it in real small print combined with 20 other disclaimers.

the handle melted off and the lock stuck, runing our first meal.

Bottom line, if you are like me and always cook with the top down to sear in the jucies and keep in the heat, DO NOT PURCHASE THIS GRILL

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Robert Recupito wrote an insightful review of the Coleman Road Trip LXE Grill on July 9, 2006. I echo much of what he reported in his use of the LXE grill.

Our experience was limited to two days and nights of varied cooking. The first experience was grilling polish dogs for lunch. The dogs fit perfectly in the grill’s grooves and were cooked very evenly through and through with the lid closed. That evening I cooked two tri-tip roasts. The grills had been pretreated with Pam barbecue spray, making cleanup very easy. After some basic seasoning, the roasts turned out perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and full of natural juices on the inside. Day two was an instant replay of the first day with hamburgers as the main course.

I had purchased the gridle and a grate accessories for the LXE grill and can report that this was money wisely invested. My wife used the grate to brew the morning coffee and, later, whipped up a tasty mixture of hash browns, onions, and cheese. The LXE’s variable heat and grate sturdiness made the preparation of this and other large pan dishes a snap. The gridle made cooking pancakes a breeze. Even with no Pam or cooking oil, the pancakes were light and fluffy and did not stick to the gridle.

If you’re a barbecue enthusiast and use the Coleman LXE extensively, consider using a large propane container like I did. I bought a CharBroil propane hose/adapter at Lowe’s for $16 and connected it to the LXE. Since I already owned the 5 gallon propane tank, my only expense was filling the tank with propane. Why go into so much detail about this, you might ask. If you’ve priced those little propane bottles to fuel small barbecues and lanterns, the money spent on the larger quantity of propane and the hose adapter will pay for itself rapidly over a summer’s worth of use.

Clean up of LXE was certainly effortless. The recommendation of using foil to line the area surrounding the burners is certainly worth considering as well as the drip tray beneath the LXE. I soaked the cooking grates in OxyClean for about 15 minutes and whatever residue remained from two days of cooking was easily removed.

Like many other users, I recommend the LXE for its ease of use and versatility.

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After deciding on this grill we ordered it from Amazon for $159.00 and we chose the free shipping as we were not in any hurry since football season pre-games don’ start until August. Amazon had the lowest price we could find. We were surprised to see this grill show up on our door step just 4 days later when the free shipping option told us it would take almost 2 weeks.

I opened the box and set it up immediately and I was pleasantly surprised that it came out of the box nearly complete. Just put the wheels on, attach the handle and the regulator and you’re good to go. About 15 minutes in all as compared to hours I have spent assemblying other new grills.

Next came the cook test and the clean up test. After reading other reviewers saying that they lined the inside with foil for easier cleanup, I thought this was a good idea and did the same. I laid foil across the entire insides and with a steak knife cut around the 2 burners and a hole so any drippings could fall into the drip pan. I have read that the instructions for some of these roadtrip grills say to place water in the bottom for easier clean-up. NOT this model. The instructions say nothing of the sort. From reading many reviews, I summize that is on the standard Roadtrip model Model No. 9941-768 not this LXE model so the foil is a good idea.

I chose a beautiful 28 day aged NY Stip steak and my wife a 2 1/2″ barrel cut filet. I preheated the grill for 5 minutes with the lid open on medium, wiped one side of the grill with vegetable oil and the other side with Pam for grilling(handles higher heats). I wanted to see right from the beginning which worked better on these porcelain coated cast iron grills. I can tell you I saw absoultely no difference between the two and will continue to use the Pam.

This grill gets HOT! I have to say that I was concerned about the fact that these grill surfaces do have the center area as solid cast iron(no open grill) so no flame gets through over the top of the burners. My concern was no flame hitting the meat = less flavor. The purpose for this is so that grease does not fall directly onto the 2 burners themselves. Let me clarify, there is open grill area…just not directly over the burners. I can report that this concern turned out to be competely unfounded. I rubbed the steaks with olive oil and salt & peppered them and placed each one directly over each burner on the unopened flame area. From the very first second I knew that the searing was going to be awesome and it was. It sizzled like nothing I have ever heard before except on commercial kitchen grills. The grill marks were perfect, the taste and flavor was perfect. I can’t say enough about this grill. So far I love it but what about clean up.

The grills cooled down very quickly. I soaked the two porcelain coated cast iron grills in soapy hot water in my kitchen sink over night, as they fit no problem. I honestly don’t think I needed to because I ran my finger accoss to see how “baked” on the residue was. It semed to come off pretty easily but I was full on a 16 oz NY strip and several glasses of Cabernet so they could wait until morning. The next morning the grills cleaned up so easily with a soapy wet sponge and I removed the foil lining and wiped the whole inside down with a soapy wet sponge and wiped it out with a dry towel. There was no difference in ease of clean up between the vegetable oil side or the Pam side. Both were easy. The porcelain coated cast iron grills do not need “seasoning” as un-coated cast iron grills do and if something does get baked on you can use a brass grill brush to clean them. Just make sure the brush is brass. It’s softer and won’t damage the procelain coating.

Folks, forget about any of the horror stories you hear about this grill…it’s awesome. It gets so hot you don’t need to close the lid so don’t let that be a deterrent unlesss you smoke your food. The only reason I give this grill a 4 and not a 5 is because of the fact you can’t cook with the lid closed. Although I said don’t let it be a deterrent, it would be nice to smoke food. Also worth noting is that this new version comes with two grill surfaces. The older version came with one grill and one griddle and you were forced to buy an additional grill surface. Also with this new version the grill does NOT come off of the stand to be placed on a table top and the lid does not come off. I have read the opposite from other reviewers. Perhaps those things were true with older models. I know this was a long review, but these were all things I was concerned about and that I read conflicting stories on. I hope my review is helpful to you!

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Several of the previous reviews indicate this brush has brass bristles but the two they sent me have steel bristles. I have had two of these with brass bristles and thye were good brushes. But like a lot of other things these days they have cheapened the product but are selling the junk at high prices based on a previous product. They have left misleading reviews which discussed a previous product with brass bristles in place without comment. These sellers have the morals of Bernie Madoff although $26 won’t make or break my retirement.

So it isn’t what it appears to be and it’s priced at 50% more than it ought to be. Avoid this item. If you want a steel brush get one for $8 at weber.

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Our 10-year old Weber 6422 grill brush wore out and we replaced it with the same model. The current model has steel bristles, while the older model had brass bristles. Weber probably switched to steel to reduce their manufacturing costs (brass is more expensive), instead of staying with brass and simply raising the price to cover their costs.

In any case, steel should last longer than brass bristles. Brass is better on softer materials that could scratch, but for stainless steel (or steel) grill racks, steel bristles are better since they are stronger and stiffer than brass. The bristles do not appear to be stainless steel as asserted by other reviewers, since they are strongly attracted to magnets. Weber’s web site doesn’t claim the bristles are stainless.

The handle should be bent upward more, so you’d be less likely to bang your hand when brushing a grill rack that’s still in the barbeque grill.

The 1/4″ half-round scraper is the right size for Weber steel grill wire racks. The bristles are numerous, stiff, and plentiful, so they are effective in cleaning the top third or so of the grill rack wires. Competing brushes with fewer bristles or with the bristle bundles further apart can slip down between the grill wires, so they don’t work as well.

This tool wouldn’t be a good choice for scratch-prone surfaces. However, for the old-style BBQ grills (that use charcoal for fuel), this tool works well and is a good value.

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Update – I emailed by Amazon invoice to Weber and they sent me a replacement which seems better.

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Note that I am NOT refering to cleaning the holes or slots.

I took a paper towel and saturated it with vegetable oil (soy) which has the highest smoking point of all the oils.

Even the handles are hard to clean which had no food touching them.

It just may be that one needs to use a low smoking point oil.

Also note that I was surprised that bon ami did a much better job tha bar keepers friend. It may be that with normal stains bar keeper friend is better, but in taking the cooked on oil stains, bon ami is better.

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Last night I used these for the first time. I made baby squash and corn on the cobb. I did oil the pans before use. Nothing stuck to them, and the vegetables came out perfect. The raised edges at the side keep the food from sliding off. My family finished them off, even though I had cooked enough for an army.

I am going to use this product every time I grill. And since I live in California, it means that I will use it most of the year.

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One was a square-ish pan and the corners snapped and became unusable. A common problem with many pans; they are welded and not stamped or folded. The welds usually break due to the high heat in the grill.

My old favorite is a bowl style; it’s decent, but the problem is the top is bigger than the bottom so there is not a lot of actual grilling space. As a result you either have steamed veggies or you have to keep stirring.

The biggest complaint I have about most grill pans is the holes. Either they are too big and things like cherry tomatoes and sliced onions fall through, or the holes are too small. Small holes have many problems: difficult to clean, too many and the food gets too charred, too many holes and the metal separating the holes breaks…etc.

This pan is the best pan I have used yet. It it made of one piece with NO welds; the sides are bent up to create a lip and give the user an edge to flip and turn food. Also, the holes are not actually holes, they are slits. This means that one does not have to worry about food slipping through the spaces; from time to time sliced onions get stuck, but not really a BIG deal. It works great for Portabella mushrooms though it is not just for veggies, it’s great for fish. Another big seller is that this is stainless and easy-ish to clean. It’s not going to be non-stick easy to clean, you will have to scrub, but with a Brillo pad and elbow grease it’s not a big deal.

The only complaint I have is the size. I have a two burner grill (unless I can talk my wife into getting a new grill next summer) and the pan can be a little too big for this type of grill. This “complaint” is not that big of a complaint since I usually don’t do veggies at the same time as the meat.

If Weber updates this pan, I would recommend making it available in a smaller size and upgrading the metal; it’s a little light weight. It’s not bad, a little more heft would be nice.

If you have a grilling fanatic in your family (even if it’s you) then buy this pan. It’s great! You won’t be disappointed. Get this pan.

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Importantly, why to get this for a Weber Grill over more generic ones that I’ve also purchased. It actually fits under the secondary grate. Other ones I’ve used don’t fit under the secondary rack so you end up having to take it off in order to use the basket. This one actually fits under it on a Weber grill, which makes dealing with that secondary rack much easier.

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Like a few suggested, I use peanut oil to keep the veggies from sticking.

And as for the comments about this being really tough to clean . . .I don’t have any idea what the complaint is. A couple of drops of soap and a little water – this thing cleans up slick, with no food particles left. It is stainless steel, so of course it will tarnish and discolor, that is the nature of stainless steel when heated. If you want it to look new – then don’t use it!!

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The grill arrived with a few dents in the body. I contacted Char-Griller and they shipped replacement parts to me immediately – they arrived within two days.

The set-up was fairly easy. The instructions recommend 2 people, but I was able to set it up by myself.

I seasoned the grill, and I have grilled 3 – 4 times on it now. Every time I learn a little bit more about grilling, and controlling the temperature on a charcoal grill.

Overall, I think this was a great decision for me. Sure, you can spend $10 more and get the Super Pro – but that is just more grill to heat.

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Assembly could be challenging for some but if you have the required tools, common sense and can read then you will be fine. I had the box with a picture of the grill on it in the same area I was assembling for reference.

The only concern I had with this grill was (as you can see from the picture) how to haul it. You had to hold onto the side shelf, which is constucted of a thin wood, to move it. Though properly secured with metal support, the wood shelf part feels like it could break off in my had if I wasn’t very careful. Since I don’t move this around everyday, I only notice it when that time comes.

I am very pleased with my purchase would say to anyone considering it “Go For It!”

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But if you REALLY want a smallish grill (in fairness its not THAT small, the main grilling area is slightly larger than a Weber 22 1/2″ Kettle grill) its perfect. Features are great, contruction is heavy duty, and the cast iron grills are the best.

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So Char-Griller seemed to have all the feature I wanted, especially the airtight hood which has the advantage of snuffing out the coals when you’re done. That makes it possible to reuse the coals a second time. Plus the reviews here for other Char-Griller models were positively glowing, so I ordered one blind without seeing it in person.

The grill was straightforward enough to build, but there was some confusion about whether or not the cast iron grates were treated at the factory in China. It turns out they were, but you still have to prime the entire inside of the grill with cooking oil. It then needs to burned off for something ridiculous like two hours before you use it the first time.

The warming rack warped pretty noticeably after this first burn off, and it is clear from the smoke leaking out of the sides and back that the airtight flanged hood is not quite as advertised.

Instead of raising or lowering the cast iron cooking grates, this model has you lift the coal grate up closer to the food. The handles have notches on them that rest on tabs inside the grill body. Fine in theory, clunky in practice…also the handles are metal and get quite hot…mitts are essential.

Dumping the ashes is another pain…you have to remove the 3-piece cast iron grates and then lift the ash pan out using the same handles that adjust the height. Unfortunately, those handles do not lock onto the ash pan, so it’s difficult to maneuver it.

I’m not sure if it’s because the manufacturer skimped on the gauge of the metal but the grill body bows inward and the hood outward on the sides which creates a 1/4″ gap on each side. That lets in a lot of air which makes controlling the cooking temperature difficult. This unit also has a chimney which for some reason is installed from the inside of the hood. That makes it possible for water to leak into the hood and onto the cast iron grills. You will need a cover if you plan to leave this one outside.

Very disappointed with this one, especially since most reviews for similar models were so positive. I’m not sure how long Char-Griller has been manufacturing offshore, but maybe that has something to do with it. Contacted customer service about these issues but their response was indifferent. And of course, once you’ve used it…you can’t return it.

UPDATE 09/2006: Was able to seal leaks and hood with high heat silicone seal caulking. This is the same stuff they use to make those new silicone ustensils and bakewares. However, surface rust has appeared on the hood after 3 months outside. Paint quality seems to be poor as well. Seriously consider getting the cover.

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I like the Q-100 and I recommend it. However, there are two issues to be aware of, both of them minor in my view.

One, I find that the food gets done quickly. So quick, that if you aren’t paying attention, your burgers, chops, etc., will be burned and dried out. So I just decrease the heat and cook only for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. That seems to resolve the problem. The second issue is that the grate is a bit of a chore to clean — and I do use cooking oil on it in the hope that food won’t stick. Yet for me, it does. Cleanup is a bit more labor intensive than I’d like, but not enough where I wouldn’t continue using the grill. I like it a lot, and its portability is a definite plus for times when you want to have an old-fashioned cookout in the park.

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It no longer has the retaining wire for the small gas cylinder, so accepts the larger 16oz. The cylinder doesn’t flop around and seems stable without extra support. Of course, many will use with a larger tank but for those that don’t, buy whichever size you want.

Some people have written they’ve had problems with the starter. I’ve only used it 4 times and 2 of those times the wind was really whipping through the porch. No trouble starting it, only took 1 click each time.

I line the inside with foil and will only change it when it gets coated. That saves some cleanup. Spraying or brushing the grill or your meat (I use olive oil) also helps and keeps things from sticking so much. GREAT grill marks on the steaks!

I thought we would miss the charcoal grill with the wood chip smoke, but I read another reviewer’s hint on how to get the wood smoke. Make a tiny foil pan to fit that flat area over the spark starter. I made my little pan about 1″ by 2″ and maybe half inch high. Then soak your chips for the required 20-30 min (I used Mesquite chips). It worked great and we had our Mesquite smoke flavoring… and it doesn’t take hardly any chips:-)

Last but not least, the steaks and burgers have tasted great!! And this is soooooo much easier than the charcoal grill, specially for doing something quick after work when you’re tired.

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Get a stop watch,a basting brush, tongs,grill brush and read the Webber grilling book. This makes a huge difference in the quality of your cooking, I mean it, follow a few directions to get sucess everytime. The weber book is worth is for the grilling time charts.

Leaving charcoal behind took me way too long… this is superior.

Support from Weber is wonderful….

So buy this grill and have fun cooking this summer.

Another year later I am still in love with my grill. The heavy cast iron grate is what makes ths grill superior to other, cheaper grills. My friends bought the cheaper ones, the food sticks, and burns on.

You must clean the grate when the grill is hot, after cooking, it takes about one minutes of scarping with the grill brush. My friends with the cheap grills never want to grill, their grills are dirty and a pain to clean. My grill is always ready to go.

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Q100 Grill

Weber Cart

Bulk tank adapter

5-lb. propane tank

The grill surface is large enough for a family of four. Six 1/3 lb. burgers fit well enough; more and they are hard to turn. I’ve also been able to do two average sized tri-tips at once. The lid isn’t tall enough to allow a whole chicken. I was a bit wary of the 8K BTU rating at first, but the grill heats up just fine- it will do a wonderful sear on pretty much anything after 7-10 minutes of preheat. The heat is also very even, with the virtually whole grill surface usable. The best thing about the small burner is fuel efficiency; 5 lbs. of propane lasts all season (in SoCal!) at 1-2 uses per week. Please note that this is a single burner grill with a ring-shaped burner. Indirect cooking isn’t really possible although on low heat, one can get close enough to do justice to a tri-tip.

I’ve only got a couple of small complaints… First, the support ring for the portable tank (at least with the Baby Q) only accepted 14 oz. propane bottles- the kind used with plumber’s torches. They are more expensive than the 16 oz. bottles used for camping. I just made my own 16 oz. bottle ring out of a heavy coat hanger. Of course with the bulk tank, this is a non-issue. The 5 lb. tank (from Home Depot) is pretty small. Second, the grill is somewhat sensitive to wind. A good breeze blowing through the sides causes a definite loss of temperature above the grill surface, under the lid. Cooking is still possible but times go up about 30-40%. Last, the holes in the burner can get clogged up, especially when there’s a lot of liquid pouring off the grill surface. I’ve had to ‘unclog’ parts of the burner with a push-pin a couple of times now.

Anyway, I love the product as it’s about 75% of a full-size grill at 1/3 the size and 1/4 the price, within its limits (grill area). I think the only thing I’d do differently is get the version with the side tables (Q120).

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It has four burners so you can adjust your heat (using one, two, three or four burners) easily. I found that using just the two center burners on low works best for me. I also like that fact what the grills are close together so meat can’t fall down into the fire box. I read one review that said they had that problem with it, but I tried to put a frozen patty between the grills and it’s just not happenin’. They must have had really thin meat! The electronic igniter is also a good feature. But I’m sure like all gas grills, this will go out first.

The burners as well as the fire box are stainless steel so they will last longer that other metals. You should still cover it up during the winter months.