Author Topic: Weber Grill worth it?  (Read 84415 times)

fiveoh

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Weber Grill worth it?
« on: December 15, 2012, 01:45:52 PM »
My gril has finally rusted completely through.  I use it a lot(2-3x a week).  Everyone seems to say weber is the best brand of grills, will last a long time, and are worth the extra money.  Does anyone have any experience with these?  I'm all about buying quality over quanity but I can buy a brand new other brand grill for the price of a used weber.  Any weber fans(or dislike) out there? 

James

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2012, 02:00:48 PM »
My brother and my dad both have weber gas grills and like them.  They have lasted forever and continue to work well.  I got a fancier stainless grill for more money, and it has worked well but looks a lot worse then theirs does.  I would say the mid to lower level is probably worth it, just don't spring for bells and whistles.

Kriegsspiel

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2012, 06:42:29 PM »
Are you talking a charcoal grill, or a gas grill?  I'm not sure how much propane costs, but charcoal is pretty expensive as far as I can tell.

Nords

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2012, 06:58:55 PM »
We've had a Weber charcoal grill through at least a decade, maybe two, including at least one (and maybe two) moves.  It looks fine and cooks great.

fiveoh

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2012, 09:33:49 PM »
Are you talking a charcoal grill, or a gas grill?  I'm not sure how much propane costs, but charcoal is pretty expensive as far as I can tell.

Propane.  It's about $17 to fill up a tank.  Lasts me almost 6 months of 2x a week use.  Probably comparable to my natural gas stove and it helps the house not get hot during the summer. 

The_Dude

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2012, 09:54:22 PM »
I went the used weber route. I wanted a quality grill that would last. I ended up paying about the same as a new charbroil I was looking at but that was what my old grill was and it was crap.

My weber was already 3 years old but it cooks fantastic. Gets much hotter than my old charbroil and is much more efficient on propane uaeage.

Ozstache

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2012, 10:44:28 PM »
I have the char grill version of the Weber, which makes roasts second to none. The steel bits in ours are now a little rusty, as I put water on the coals pretty much as soon as I'm done to use them again and the wet coals must cause it.

I have hooked my gas grill up to the house natural gas, using a conversion kit that cost about $100. No more gas bottles running out on me mid cook and no more expensive gas bottles to refill (about $25-35 here in Oz).

Matt K

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2012, 07:39:01 PM »
My Dad has had a Weber for almost a decade. It sees a lot of use and continues to work great. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the big stainless grilling bars. So when I went looking for a BBQ, I went to Weber first. It would have cost close to a grand to get what I wanted (and no one was selling them used).

In the end I got a Broil King. Similar giant stainless bars. Cost me 1/2 as much with the bells and whistles. Owned by the same parent company (not sure if manufactured by the same factory, but it is made in USA). I've only had it two years so I can't comment on life span, it still works like it's new, and I'll be able to get replacement parts for a decade or more.

awlong

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2012, 01:00:00 PM »
I think a Weber is worth it so far.  I have a propane one that I use 2x per week for about 9 months of the year.  It is 3 years old and not showing the first signs of wear or rust.  I do take good care of things (cover it and clean it), and I expect it to last trouble free for 10+ years....at least.

daizy744

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2012, 04:41:52 PM »
Another Weber bbq fan here.

We inherited a Weber from my DH's grandparents. They bought it back in the late 80s or early 90s, used it for about 15 years, before they gave it to us because they found it too big. It's still going strong, with no hint of rust, over 20 years later. We did have to replace the grills, as those had rusted, and the burners, which were clogged up. We keep it covered but it spends its time outdoors in summer heat, rain, and Canadian winters.

If we ever have to replace it, I'd get another one in a heartbeat. When we bought our house in 99, we received a cheapo bbq as a housewarming gift (before we were given the Weber one). It lasted 3 years before it rusted through and fell apart. It's worth paying good money for something that will last and that will keep its resale value.

MMMdude

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2012, 05:07:37 PM »
I actually got a Weber Genesis as an Xmas gift from my mom.  She sometimes buys gifts way too expensive for me and she knows about my minimalist lifestyle but I couldn't talk her out of getting me one.  I have only cooked one set of steaks on it - so far so good - but I would never spend that kind of money on a BBQ.  My old bbq was a broilking and I had it for 10 years with no problems whatsoever.  In fact I find that the Broilking heated up alot faster since it is quite abit smaller than my new Weber.  Broilking was propane whereas the Weber is nat gas so not sure if that is part of it.

I also have a cover for it.  I never covered my BroilKing and find covering the bbq up to be a hassle since you have to wait for it to cool down.  Is this really necessary given this is supposed to be rust proof? 

Matt K

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2012, 07:27:12 AM »
I also have a cover for it.  I never covered my BroilKing and find covering the bbq up to be a hassle since you have to wait for it to cool down.  Is this really necessary given this is supposed to be rust proof?

Stainless steel can still rust, it just takes longer. Certain things such as tree sap and bird poop can both speed that along as well as stain the metal.
Additionally, leaving it uncovered allows for more access for critters like spiders to make their way in (they will anyways, but this lets more of them and their food in). Spiders are bad in gas and propane BBQs because they crawl into the burners and the tubing and block it up with their webs and egg sacks.

My suggestion: make a point of covering the bbq (I find if I leave the lid open it is cool enough right after I finish eating) , but don't fret it if you forget once or twice - just cover it the next morning.

Some people swear by a solid brand that "lasts a life time". Some people buy that same brand and have to replace stuff often and wonder what the big deal with the expensive brand is. It has been my experience that how well you take care of your stuff has a lot to do with which group you fall into.

chucklesmcgee

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2013, 04:23:04 PM »
My parents had a Weber charcoal Grill that we used for BBQs. We had it for at least 20 years. Looked a little dingy after that time (we kept it in a leaky shed) but still worked great. I'm always hesitant to buy something that I'd personally use maybe 3-4 times a year, but if you know you'll use 2-3 times a week, it's probably worth putting in the money for something that.

BlueMR2

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #13 on: January 14, 2013, 10:08:35 AM »
Got a Weber charcoal grill as a wedding present.  Been sitting in the shed unused for years.  Nice piece of equipment, but we also got a gas grill and it turns out that my wife does all the grilling (and she prefers gas).  If it was me doing the grilling, it'd be all charcoal...  :-)

AlexK

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2013, 11:37:14 AM »
I needed a grill 2 years ago and wanted something quality that would last. I bought a WeberQ propane grill and it is awesome. The heat is perfectly even over the cooking surface and it uses very little gas (just refilled my 5 gallon tank for the first time). I bought the hose to use it with the large propane tanks instead of the disposable ones.

lauren_knows

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2013, 02:23:44 PM »
I have a Weber charcoal grill, and as of December a Weber smoker.  Both are extremely well made, and I expect them to last a lifetime.  My father-in-law has a Weber charcoal grill like mine that he's had for 35+ years. 

A bit off topic, but holy hell are smokers awesome. I ate brisket all week for lunch. It's moved past steak as my #1 favorite cut of beef.  Sorry steak, you had a good run.

matt_g

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2013, 04:05:35 PM »
Yes, buy a weber, it's worth it.

burly

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2013, 03:50:54 PM »
The q-120 + stand. Versatile, can fit in your car for tailgating and is super sturdy.

http://www.weber.com/explore/grills/gas-portable/weber-q-120-1

Guitarist

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2013, 12:49:32 PM »
Get a Weber, completely worth it.

If going the Charcoal route (which I recommend), stick with Kingsford. An old roommate of mine bought the cheap stuff and used more then one jug of lighter fluid to try to keep it lit. On that note, do not use lighter fluid, buy a chimney starter.

I also just got an electric smoker (it was a present that I didn't even ask for... otherwise I would have made due with my Weber as I had been) and will let you know how that turns out. If anything, it will be easier to control over the hours my food will be in there.

James

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #19 on: January 22, 2013, 05:38:01 PM »
I have a Weber charcoal grill, and as of December a Weber smoker.  Both are extremely well made, and I expect them to last a lifetime.  My father-in-law has a Weber charcoal grill like mine that he's had for 35+ years. 

A bit off topic, but holy hell are smokers awesome. I ate brisket all week for lunch. It's moved past steak as my #1 favorite cut of beef.  Sorry steak, you had a good run.


I've been wanting to get a smoker, just want to find something used so I'm not out much money to see if I like it.  I should start watching craigslist, I'm sure they come up.

destron

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2013, 09:14:07 PM »
I have the Weber Q220 (I think that is the model) with an attachment to use a full size propane tank. I love my grill and use it ~3x/week from April through October for vegetables, chicken, pork, whatever. What I love about the grill is the cast-iron grate. It was definitely worth the price to me, although I bought it years before my mustacian days.

GoStumpy

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2013, 10:07:23 PM »



I've been wanting to get a smoker, just want to find something used so I'm not out much money to see if I like it.  I should start watching craigslist, I'm sure they come up.

Absolutely, I got a small smoker from craigslist for $50 last year :)  Smoked a bunch of fish, already paid for itself in fish!

lauren_knows

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #22 on: January 23, 2013, 06:58:42 AM »
I have a Weber charcoal grill, and as of December a Weber smoker.  Both are extremely well made, and I expect them to last a lifetime.  My father-in-law has a Weber charcoal grill like mine that he's had for 35+ years. 

A bit off topic, but holy hell are smokers awesome. I ate brisket all week for lunch. It's moved past steak as my #1 favorite cut of beef.  Sorry steak, you had a good run.


I've been wanting to get a smoker, just want to find something used so I'm not out much money to see if I like it.  I should start watching craigslist, I'm sure they come up.

Not to be a debbie-downer, but I searched CL for about a year before I ended up purchasing new.  The problem with this particular class of item, is that in general they will last a LONG time with very little maintenance.  So, you need to get lucky to find someone who is moving or something to put one on CL that is of any quality.  Without exception, all of the ones I saw online were either extremely limiting, crap quality, or in poor poor condition.

YMMV.

Watertree

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #23 on: January 24, 2013, 07:50:04 PM »
The Weber grill is worth the extra money! I purchased a Weber Genesis Silver gas grill in 2000. Last year  I replaced the burner, v slots and the electric starter for around $100. Available from Amazon.com. I also clean the grill every couple of years. Looks and cooks like a new grill.

The best feature, I don't burn the meat with a Weber gas grill.

Worsted Skeins

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #24 on: January 25, 2013, 04:31:04 AM »
I have a Weber charcoal grill, and as of December a Weber smoker.  Both are extremely well made, and I expect them to last a lifetime.  My father-in-law has a Weber charcoal grill like mine that he's had for 35+ years. 

A bit off topic, but holy hell are smokers awesome. I ate brisket all week for lunch. It's moved past steak as my #1 favorite cut of beef.  Sorry steak, you had a good run.


I've been wanting to get a smoker, just want to find something used so I'm not out much money to see if I like it.  I should start watching craigslist, I'm sure they come up.

My husband picked up a smoker at a yard sale. Not a Weber but the $10 price tag was a selling point.  Works great.

I want to point out that the current issue of Make magazine has instructions for making a smoker from a used 55 gallon drum. A little over the top from my perspective...

http://blog.makezine.com/2012/12/12/how-to-nellie-bly-smoker/ 

hoosier

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #25 on: May 12, 2017, 07:24:27 AM »
I have a Weber Propane grill that's about 7 years old.  I love that thing.  Still works as good as the day I bought it...I would have been on my 2nd or 3rd box store grill by now.  I couldn't get them to last more than 2 or 3 grilling seasons before the internals started rotting out.

Samuel

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #26 on: May 12, 2017, 09:01:41 AM »
The q-120 + stand. Versatile, can fit in your car for tailgating and is super sturdy.

http://www.weber.com/explore/grills/gas-portable/weber-q-120-1

I also have the Q-120. It's a bit small if you're cooking for more than 3 or 4 but I can confirm it's awesome. I had a big Char Broil (the cheapest model, I'm pretty sure) that just flat out sucked (thin grate, weird hot and cool spots, and just didn't get quite hot enough) so I rarely used it. The Weber cooks so much better it's crazy.

I have to keep it out on the deck of my apartment so I skipped the official stand and instead bought a big rubbermaid exterior storage bin. The grill folds up to fit perfectly in the bin and is well protected from the weather. It just takes 10 seconds to deploy and I just use the container as the stand.

Fireball

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #27 on: May 13, 2017, 09:41:50 AM »
Webers are awesome, however I can't justify the expense.  Our off brand requires we replace the internals every 10 years which is $75-$100 and takes 20 minutes. It would take 70-80 years of use before I made my money back.

purple monkey

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #28 on: May 14, 2017, 05:37:00 PM »
Yes, buy a weber, it's worth it.

+1

calimom

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #29 on: May 14, 2017, 05:55:18 PM »
Ypu'll be happy at Thanksgiving when you roast a brined turkey in it.

nick663

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #30 on: May 14, 2017, 06:14:58 PM »
On that note, do not use lighter fluid, buy a chimney starter.
This needs to be repeated.  I somehow went 25 years of my life before being introduced to the chimney starter and it is amazing how much easier it makes grilling with charcoal.

I have a Weber charcoal grill.  5 years outside without a cover (because my cover blew away and I refused to buy another one) and still looks almost brand new.  I would buy the exact same one again without hesitation.

Harrison42101

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #31 on: May 14, 2017, 11:45:16 PM »
i love mine

Daphnechen

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2017, 12:49:33 AM »
My brother and my dad both have weber gas grills and like them.  They have lasted forever and continue to work well.  I got a fancier stainless grill for more money, and it has worked well but looks a lot worse then theirs does.  I would say the mid to lower level is probably worth it, just don't spring for bells and whistles.
cannot agree with you more.

axel4770

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #33 on: June 21, 2017, 01:39:48 AM »
Yes weber grill is totally worth, well it depends at the end you have to eat steak not grill haha. Got this bbq indoor grill from hometronix website and its working totally awesome now.

surfhb

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #34 on: September 29, 2017, 04:26:00 PM »
Be patience and look for deals on CL.    I bought a decent 7 year old grill for $20....been in my backyard for 5 years now 

vern

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #35 on: September 29, 2017, 09:04:39 PM »
My Smokey Joe is 22 years old and still going strong.

GuitarStv

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Re: Weber Grill worth it?
« Reply #36 on: October 02, 2017, 11:41:46 AM »
I also have a cover for it.  I never covered my BroilKing and find covering the bbq up to be a hassle since you have to wait for it to cool down.  Is this really necessary given this is supposed to be rust proof?

I've never owned a big money fancy BBQ, but can tell you that regularly covering cheap ones seems to about triple their lifespan in my experience.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!