Mod note: stay on topic
Re-posting here due to Falcor feeling the need to display his authority
Iāve had a few Char-Broils over the years and one thing was the same with all of them - the paint. Build quality can vary greatly with Char-Broil but if yours has no dents and assembles smoothly, you should be fine on that count.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a can of header paint now before you need it. Header paint is not only very resistant to high temps, it also comes in plenty of nifty colors to customize your grill. It needs to be cured to last but itā worth the effort and if yours is anything like mine, you will probably need it before grilling season ends.
Sorry, fixing.
I really appreciated this article. Iāve got a Kenmore that has lasted me about 10 years now, but with 2 kids weāre running out of space. This might be a good replacement, especially if I can find one at the end of the season when they usually go on deep discount.
These are definitely a step up from those bargain grills that you see in front of the Home Depot, but I would highly recommend saving up for a Weber.
I have to disagree that high end grills start at a grand. The Genesis is 699 and worth every penny. I bought one about 6 years ago and itās still like new. The last 200 dollar grill I bought lasted me about 2 years.
Wait till they have a sale or special at Lowes or Home Depot and they will deliver one assembled to your house for no extra charge.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_221890-505-6519099___?productId=3284708&pl=1&Ntt=genisis
I have the 4 burner version of thisā¦after seeing this I have to find the place to hand that grill scraping tool. I will point out that it is a good idea to pay attention to the instructions regarding seasoning the grill with oil (like a cast iron pot) Even stainless steel will rust in the high temperature conditions of a grill grateā¦
I bought a used Weber silver four years ago (I think it was about 4 years old then) and itās still in great shape. Iāll never buy a budget grill as a result, Iāve seen my neighbor buy two of them since I got my used one.
Thanks for the detailed assembly notes. I just ordered one of these, and saw that many reviews say it takes several hours to assemble, so Iāve been dreading that ordeal - your post will be a great help!
Infrared burners were new to me (if not the market) when I went shopping for a grill a few years ago. I was skeptical then and remain somewhat skeptical now. It just donāt seem natural. I have a 5-burner traditional gas flame and it does me pretty well - heats up nicely and cooks evenly. I do get āflare upsā and I suppose itās a little harder to clean than something that covers all burners with a grate, but to me itās one of those things you just learn to work with. But Iām open to change (even if Iām replacing my grill any time soon). Anyone care to extol the virtues of infrared cooking?
Iāve found that procrastinating and never getting around to buying a grill has been the cheapest option. Another month or so and Iāll be able to put it off again until next year.
I have to agree. I have a larger version of this and it is far and away the best grill I have ever used. It heats to 700+ degrees quickly and, most importantly, it makes me look like Iām a brilliant grill master.
BTW, if you look at Sears at the end of the season you can pick one up for ~50% off.
Adverb
Anyone shopping on a budget I just point to a Weber kettle. Sure its a little trickier to deal with than propane. But its significantly cheaper. And more importantly you can smoke propperly on it. Iāve never had luck attempting to cook real bbq on a propane. Propane isnāt even possible in some places. Its effectively banned in much of NYC.
Be skeptical but it works, largely as advertised. Think about it this way, all your doing is taking the heat from those burners and spreading it out evenly. The infrared name probably is BS, its really about upping the amount of radiant heat and evening everything out. Even Weber, as an example, those flavoriser bars if you pre-heat properly are acting like an infrared burner. And their rotisserie burners these days are actually a full ceramic infrared burner. If you want to test it out without searching out a new grill you can check out those aluminium Grillgrates things (review [here], 2nd from top)1 They basically convert your grill over to the infrared approach. Got a few for my dad when his last grill was getting dodgy (Jenn-Airs are crap). Really do work as advertised. Though finding the correct size can be a bit of a bitch.
Interesting. Those Grillgrates look to be an expensive upgrade for my grill at around $100, but it also looks like they might improve things a bit, especially with the sous-vide based grilling Iām doing these days. I also like the fact that they do double-duty as a griddle, which would make āgrilledā pizza a lot easier. Iāll have to do some more researchā¦
you are all so, so, so wrong. so wrong. wrong wong wrong wrong wong wrong.
cut down a tree, dig a hole in the ground, burn wood in hole, and eat food over said hole.
700F? thatās barely hot enough for my bath water.
(and even though i mean every word i just said, if that doesnāt float your canoe a Weber is probably the best grill on the market)
sous vide grillingā¦ āeasyā grillied pizzaā¦???
(i love my anova sous vide immersion cooker btw)
Proper 1100f pizza.
Not sure ifā¦
I suppose you are one of those people who uses a blowtorch on their sous videād meats? I havenāt taken that step yet. In my defense, I think grilling and sous vide are a great combo because you can prep for a whole bunch of people, get the grill nice and hot, and then serve everything up with a quick sear. And it doesnāt set off my smoke alarm like finishing in a stove-top cast-iron pan does.
As for the pizza, I canāt argue with you, but I live in New York City in a 4th floor apartment, and Iām pretty sure the FDNY would object to me building an 1100 degree wood-fired brick pizza oven on my roof deck.
Do eeeeet!!! I will help!!!
of course i am mostly tongue in cheek, thatās how i roll 
i lived in an apartment for a couple of years which had a policy of No Grills Whatsoever, except George Foreman Grills. There were blank stares all around when i casually questioned that one.
shuffles feet why yes, i do have an assortment of flame throwersā¦ they just donāt get hot enough
