BGE does an EXCELLENT job of grilling but it's charcoal fired. I gathered you didn't want that. It's also a very good to excellent smoker. The limitations are size, weight, ugliness and price.
You can get the same performance from a "Primo," which is larger and less money.
You can also get a marginally better performer, with much better looks and spend a lot more money with a few of the upend ceramic or refractory cookers designed along the same lines. My friend David has one of the tile covered Komodos and it's not only a great performer it looks fantastic on his patio. A real wife pleaser.
Not to take anything away from the ceramics, but a WSM does the same things about as well, for a lot less money, and is portable to boot.
I'm a charcoal guy when it comes to grills, no more gas for me. But I prefer something larger and a little more traditional for both grilling and smoking than the ceramic types. So, I have steel separates.
Going back to an earlier Weber concern -- it's true you can't get the same high heat output of of a Weber that you can out of some others. The way around this is to preheat the grill with the cover closed to build up a lot of heat at the grate, and get your steaks seared -- then finish cooking them at a slightly to much lower temperature.
Of course if you really want huge heat you can look for a grill which includes an IR burner. Or ... just go ahead and buy your Weber, and buy a portable IR at the same time. That way, you not only have a steak specialist you have something to schlepp along for picnics.
BDL  |