Tips for Selecting a Propane Barbecue Grill
Are you in the market for a new propane grill? I hope that you don’t make the same mistakes that my family and I did when we purchased ours. We bought a propane grill that cost us close to $1,000. It didn’t even last a year. Here’s where we went wrong:
Examine the Rolling Cart
The first, and perhaps most crucial, mistake that we made in buying our last gas grill was not paying enough attention to the rolling cart. The grill that we chose was supposed to be stainless steel and it was, at least on the top half. The rolling cart turned out to be made of some inferior metal that rusted extremely fast. It fell apart within the year, which left us with a reconstruction project. We eventually tore off the rolling cart and built a new base for the grill ourselves.
As such, I would suggest that when you go gas grill shopping that you bring a magnet along with you. Use the magnet to check all the metal surfaces of the grill that you’re interested in buying. If the magnet sticks, there is a good chance that the grill is made from a ferritic grade stainless steel , a martensitic grade stainless steel or some other metal that may not be as rust resistance as you had hoped. Magnets won’t stick to austenitic stainless steels. Austenitic stainless steels also tend to resist rust the best. Therefore, I’d recommend that you look for a grill that is made from an austenitic grade of stainless steel instead of the other grades.
Examine the Burners
The second mistake that we made was to assume that the gas grill’s burners were made from a high quality, stainless steel. Unfortunately, they were made from the same poor quality, metal used in the construction of the rolling cart. After about six months, the burners started to disintegrate. When we called the manufacturer to inquire about purchasing replacement burners, we almost fell over from shock after hearing the price. Let’s just say that we passed on buying the new burners and used the money to buy a brand new Weber charcoal kettle. The charcoal grill is still working fine by the way. I can’t say the same for the gas grill.
Choose Grates Wisely
The third mistake that we made was purchasing stainless steel grates. Even after coating the grates properly before each use, the food would still stick to them. It was a real bear to clean. In retrospect, the better option would have been to purchase porcelain-coated, cast-iron grates. They tend to be easier to clean and hold up to the elements a lot better than the other grates. They also seem to distribute heat more evenly.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys summer sports and recreation with her family. She has also traveled extensively.
More from this contributor:
Best BBQ Dry Rubs for Beef Ribs
Tips for Buying Summer Camping Cookware and Cutlery
How to Protect Yourself From Insects During Southern Camping Trips
