Thinking of adding a gasser

[AJ328]

Usually during the week I'm too tired to fire up one of the kettles for a few chicken breasts, steaks or burgers and I've been thinking about getting a gasser for weeknight hot and fast stuff. My first thought was a Spirit 220 or 320 (I also like the idea of using the burner to fire a chimney). My only reservation is that in reading reviews that are, as a whole very good, the few bad reviews all seem to mention it being underpowered.

Does anyone out there have a Spirit? What kind of temps are you getting out of it. A lot of reviews imply that even with twenty plus minutes of preheating you still can't get a good sear.

Any help would be appreciated or any other suggestions. I've thought about a Genesis off of craigslist, but they all seem to go too fast or are asking way too much.

[Hogsy]

What about a Q....there the kettles of gas bbqs
I think the spirit range is the only gas BBQ Weber make in China and are obviously at the bottom end of that style of BBQ . I can't comment on heat output but if it was me I'd be looking at the Q range and then the Genesis

[AJ328]

I don't know much about the Q or more precisely I really don't understand it. It seems more like a tailgating/ camping grill, which I'm really not interested in and the one with the stand is the same price as the 3 burner spirit.

What do you mean by, "they're the kettles of bas bbqs?" Like I said I don't "get" them. Can you smoke stuff on them? Are they somehow more versatile? What do you like about it?

I may have to rethink this whole thing now. I just have to get over the tabletop/ stand look.

[Hogsy]

It took me a while to get my head round them too, my first weber was the Q320 and after using it I fell in love with its versatility and ease of use
I've had big four and six burner gas bbqs before and found that I was only using a couple of burners.
Here's a few things I like about the Q
- Very, very economical on gas
- No cold/ hot spots on the grill
-No flare ups
-Low maintenance
-Easy to clean
- Its very hard to burn or stuff up a cook
The fact that there's only a few parts makes it very easy to maintain just like a kettle
Very easy to setup for indirect cooking
The Q320 has the equivalent cooking area to most 4 burner bbqs plus there's no cold spots
Apart from low and slow there's not much I can't do on my Q that I could do on a kettle
The only thing it lacks is the charcoal flavour you get from cooking on solid fuels.
Smoking meat can be done with the use of a smoker box or foil pouches full of chips
I've had mine for 5yrs and if I spend 20mins cleaning it it looks brand new again
The wok burners on gas bbqs are generally under powered and just don't get hot enough
Yes you can use them to start chimney but you must be careful not to burn or melt the ring that sits over the flame
I'm not trying to talk you out of the the Spirit I just love the Q range
There is a reason it has been Webers best selling BBQ in Australia for the last 5-10 yrs

[AJ328]

Thanks for the input Hogsy, I'm definitely looking into the Q now. I just have to find a dealer around here that carries the whole line so I can compare them in person. The Lowes and HD over here typically only carry the 1000.

I just have two questions:
1. When moving it around do the shelves come off or fold up?
2. Is it possible to do indirect cooking with a single burner Q

[Hogsy]

The shelves fold down on the Q3000 and fold in and sit on the grill under the lid on the Q1000-2000
And yes indirect cooking is easy with all Q models. My main recommendation with ever size Q you decide on is get the premium model over here those model numbers are Q3200,2200, 1200
They have electric start, built in thermometer and a higher lid for roasting

[LightningBoldtz]

I highly recommend a Q they are the perfect gas grill for a charcoal guy.

[pbe gummi bear]

The hidden strength of the Q is the patented "Q" burner. Many people don't realize how integral that  patented burner is to the Q. It burns very evenly and strong so when coupled with the cast iron grate they are one hell of a sear machine. Imo the q2xxx series are the best bang for the buck. Small enough to lug and move around but large enough to cook for small groups. The domed lid is enough for most things except maybe whole birds and ham. You should be doing those over charcoal anyway

It's also less grill to maintain- you don't have cross burners going out, multiple valves breaking, flavorizers and frames rusting, etc etc. The cast aluminum body is very high quality and distributes the heat well

In any case I'd stay away from the Spirits. They are the cheaply made diffusion line for weber.

[demosthenes9]

I might just have to try a Q some time in the future.    That said, AJ, any qualms about a used grill ?  If not, you can almost always find an older Genesis on Craigslist for a good price.   Easy to restore (if needed) and they last almost forever.

Not sure where you are in N. Jersey, but here's a free Sliver B 3 burner in West Orange.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/for/5050583470.html


Here's a 3 burner Silver C (with side burner) for $55 in Hillsdale

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/grd/5049637080.html





Here's a newer model Genesis 3 burner that's a steal at $350.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/hsh/5049554004.html



Here's an older model Summit that might be a steal at $100.  All depends on what kind of shape the insides are in.

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/app/5041877903.html

[AJ328]

demosthenes9, thanks for the links. I'm only 15 minutes away from west orange and sent them an email. Free is a great price especially since I'm thinking of a Q now.

[addicted-to-smoke]

Usually during the week I'm too tired to fire up one of the kettles for a few chicken breasts, steaks or burgers and I've been thinking about getting a gasser for weeknight hot and fast stuff.

AJ328 that's certainly a "valid" use and agree with what's been said about the Q line. On the other hand I haven't used the Q300 I cleaned up and upgraded.

But ... I'm not working, either. But ... there are times when I also don't want to crank up the charcoal machines and not just because of the machines. They are all out and down a flight of stairs from the kitchen and my Q can work on my covered (but open) porch located right off the kitchen.

Can't tell you why I haven't used mine. Maybe it's because anything I envision cooking on it will turn out better on charcoal.

But ....

searing, the griddle ... stuff that needs heat but not "flavor" ... I'm conflicted, still.

*****************

Now, as for what to expect with a Q? Mine needed a good cleaning out of the burner tubes, at least the orifices.

@Hogsy how do you use the 1-burner 100x and 200x series Qs indirect, when all of the grate is always heated up? Even with my 2-burner Q300, its 2 zones are weird, inside vs outside, not left-right or back-front.

[OoPEZoO]

I've had a Q100 on my deck for the past few years. I picked it up cheap off of CL with the stand, large bottle adapter, and cover included. It works awesome for exactly what you described. I fire it up for evening cooks when I don't have the time or patience for one of the kettles. My favorite thing to cook on it is fajitas. I do the peppers and onions directly on the cast iron grate for about 15mins, then push it all to the side, toss on the meat, then pile the onions and peppers on top. It's perfect for cooking one thing for about 4 people. Any more than that, and it gets crowded fast.

I also have to clean the burner tube orifices about twice a year. I use a little metal pick and it takes about 5 mins. I also have to clean the igniter contact once or twice a year to get it to reliably start. Takes about 30 seconds with a small wire brush. Other than that, I haven't done a thing to it in years.

My only wish is that I could have landed one of the 2 burner models. I'd like a little more space and ability to cook more indirect. I actually just picked up an older 3 burner Genesis Silver C to "replace" the Q100 on the deck. The Q is going to moved to the shed, but I won't get rid of it until I'm 100% sure that the Genesis will do what I want. If not, I'll shuffle things around to bring the Q back up and move the Genesis down to the patio with the kettles.

Best of luck with what you decide, but I can't see you being disappointed with a Q

[1buckie]

Usually during the week I'm too tired to fire up one of the kettles for a few chicken breasts, steaks or burgers and I've been thinking about getting a gasser for weeknight hot and fast stuff.

AJ328 that's certainly a "valid" use and agree with what's been said about the Q line. On the other hand I haven't used the Q300 I cleaned up and upgraded.

But ... I'm not working, either. But ... there are times when I also don't want to crank up the charcoal machines and not just because of the machines. They are all out and down a flight of stairs from the kitchen and my Q can work on my covered (but open) porch located right off the kitchen.

Can't tell you why I haven't used mine. Maybe it's because anything I envision cooking on it will turn out better on charcoal.

But ....

searing, the griddle ... stuff that needs heat but not "flavor" ... I'm conflicted, still.

*****************

Now, as for what to expect with a Q? Mine needed a good cleaning out of the burner tubes, at least the orifices.

@Hogsy how do you use the 1-burner 100x and 200x series Qs indirect, when all of the grate is always heated up? Even with my 2-burner Q300, its 2 zones are weird, inside vs outside, not left-right or back-front.

"But ....

searing, the griddle ... stuff that needs heat but not "flavor" ... I'm conflicted, still."

What about smoked pancakes?

[Hogsy]

Indirect setup on the smaller Q's is the same as the larger. Double thickness foil on the grill then place the trivet on top. I use this method when cooking pizzas too except the pizza stone goes on top of the trivet
Here's a pic , the top photo shows the setup for general roasting and the bottom setup is for pastry or more delicate food. Weber also sell convection trays now that replace the foil

[addicted-to-smoke]

1Buckie, you're right, even the types of things you might not think could benefit from a little whiff of char smoke still "might-could", so maybe griddle use is also questionable ... wrong thread to discuss or persuade on that score.

Hogsy thanks for those pix, I'd forgotten about the foil/shield and trivet setup. The trivet is yet another Q accessory Weber doesn't offer to North America. But now that I think about it, such a trinket could be useful on any machine. Like adding more indirect space to a kettle without needing a stacker/smoker middle section.

Think I'll slink back to the kettle threads now ...