Grill test Tom Smith

I think I can help on this.  I own this Weber grill, running on its own pipe connected to my 1000 gallon propane tank.  I have more than once turned it on full blast to clean it, forgotten about it, and then come back the next day to find the thing hot, and I mean probably pushing 1000 degrees.  I don't recommend this, but it sure does burn off any excess grease and tests the general ruggedness of a grill.  It still works great, and I've had it for 5 years at least, and I had its predecessor model for many years before that.

These Webers come in kit form, which you can order from Amazon or buy at Home Depot.  They are easy to assemble though actually have quite a few parts.  But the directions are a model of clarity (!) which tells you something.  Everything actually fits together the way it is supposed to.

You can buy higher end Webers as well, though I'm not sure what the point is, unless you actually throw frequent parties for dozens of people or more.  The three burner model can easily grill  5 or 6 steaks at a time, or more if you want to pack them in.

My lovely wife Jeanne is a superb cook and grills everything on it, fish, vegetables, steaks, burgers, chops, you name it.  My father in law, who is a true grill Meister of the old school, has cooked Christmas turkeys and geese therein, with never a complaint, though possibly it runs a little hotter than some grills.

If I may express an engineering judgment, I would say the most important features of this style of Weber grill are the design of the heat box and the innovative flavorizer bars.  The Weber heat box appears to do a good job containing the heat evenly and using fuel efficiently.  The flavorizer bars are these bars that catch the drippings, and burn them, imparting the smoky flavor.  Purists will say this is a mere imitation of drippings burning on charcoal, but it is obviously much more convenient.

BBQ unfortunately is bad for you, but nobody wants to live forever, especially if it means not getting to eat steaks that are slightly charred on the outside and red and bloody inside.