I have plumbed my walk out basement patio with propane to run a gas grill. So... I need a grill... so I read the latest Consumer Reports magazine's reviews of grills A-N-D listen to wife's admonition to get a good big one.
I read the reviews and go with a highly rated unit by Blue Ember. It is on sale at Lowe's for $100 off so it is "ONLY" $800 (she had cut an ad out of a magazine and when I researched the depicted grill it was over $4,000!!!) Not in stock at the closest store so off to Norman, Oklahoma the home of OU. Buy grill, they load it, and we take it home and BIL helps me unload it.
It has 4 main burners, a rotisserie burner, and an external burner not under the lid. The rotisserie burner doesn't light with the electric spark ignition(this grill plugs into the wall for electricity) The external burner doesn't light. I "manually" adjust the spark electrodes of the rotisserie burner and it works OK. Ditto the external burner. The LCD computer screen is defective. We fire up the main burners and try to grill some steaks and fresh pineapple hunks. Pineapple gets warm and after an hour the steaks are discolored but require microwave to get to medium for SIL.
The thermometer in the lid started at 100F with the unit off and barely made it to 300 with all 4 main burners.
I return the unit for a refund (no replacement in stock) and go to Moore, OK 10 minutes away to get another of these highly rated units. Take it home after buying the extended warranty which gives me in home service instead of carry in.
The rotisserie burner doesn't light. The electrode holder for the external burner is loose and doesn't light the burner. The main burners work and rapidly bring the lid mounted thermometer to about 500 degrees. Since the spark doesn't light the rotisserie burner I use a flame to light it. WOW! The fire brick IR radiator thingy doesn't get a flame or make heat but flames shoot out the back of the grill and char some wires and stuff.
The two thermostats do work and yo can control the left two burners and right two burners independently. There is a removable separator to put in the middle to essentially make it into two half size grills for cooking things at different temps.
I call Lowe's #2 and we negotiate. The manager is very nice and the bottom like is they will deliver a 3rd unit to my patio (60 mile drive) and pick up the defective 2nd unit. I will test it before they leave.
Looking forward to the thermostatic controlled grilling with meat probe and such...when and if I get a good unit.
The unit has a smoke box to hold chips but I want to get a smoker as a separate unit, preferably a cold smoker, I think.
Any smoker recommendations?
Pat