I purchased my first smoker about two ‘seasons’ ago. May 31, 2010. This was actually my 3[sup]rd[/sup] choice of the 2010 spring having returned a Char-Broil Quantum Commercial 4 burner grill due to rust, and giving the little Kenmore I bought to my son and daughter.
My choice was the very manly looking Char-Griller Duo with Side Fire Box. Preassembled at Lowe’s thank goodness.
After trailering this bad boy to the porch, the Side Fire Box had bent the sidewall of the charcoal side so much that you could tell be looking at it. You could tell even worse when smoking let me tell you. A large hammer took care of it, but that was the first of many disappointments.
Another profound experience was the time I almost blew myself up on the gas side. Yeah… very scary. Admittedly, I got the unit way too hot, so hot in fact that the grease in the grease catch pan ignited. Fortunately, the fire was out before the tell tale smell of propane and hissing sound indicated how close I was to death.
The hose burned through and the match light wire was actually imbedded into the hose. The hose was easily replaced at a local gas supply place, but it still scares the tar out of me when I think how close I was to a flame thrower death.
Warning about the gas lines – be sure and position your bottle and regulator so the gas lines are not touching the grill or any metal component. I supposed I should have thought of this before, but the grills I’ve had in the past prevented this issue through design.
Since then, little things have been bothering me. For example, the chrome plated warming racks are crap! They rusted almost immediately and I had to remove the one on the charcoal side just to fit a beer can chicken.
The Side Fire Box has been a pain in the ham. Managing the temperature has been the biggest headache, but my biggest disappointment has been that on long smokes, the thing clogs up and loses the ability to produce heat. I’ve actually dumped the ashes during a long smoke (into a bucket of water), so I could start fresh. Yeah, it worked but what a pain.
Now – a likely the inspiration of this post – the grill grates are rusting terribly. I mean really falling apart. So much in fact that I move the best 3 (of 6) around depending on which side I’m cooking. I’ve priced replacement grates and the least expensive porcelain coated ones I can find are $30 each. The whole grill is selling for $199 on sale these days.
Overall, the unit is rusting everywhere. I paid the ransom for the custom cover and take care of my grills but this one is disintegrating before my eyes. In all fairness, I have grilled/smoked - on average - probably once or more per week. Still, a well cared for grill should last longer than 18 months... don't you think?
So I thought I would share my experience with you all. I’m still deciding on my course of action for 2012. I like smoking, but I grill out a lot. I like the gas side and charcoal side for larger gatherings, but I like the ability to smoke a whole turkey if I want to.
I’m quite sure than when I plan and build my house, I will be posting in the custom build section of this website because I think that’s the best way to go. i.e. easy to find and replace components in a custom (built in) outdoor kitchen. Until then, probably a new gas grill AND a large Big Green Egg will suffice.
My choice was the very manly looking Char-Griller Duo with Side Fire Box. Preassembled at Lowe’s thank goodness.
After trailering this bad boy to the porch, the Side Fire Box had bent the sidewall of the charcoal side so much that you could tell be looking at it. You could tell even worse when smoking let me tell you. A large hammer took care of it, but that was the first of many disappointments.
Another profound experience was the time I almost blew myself up on the gas side. Yeah… very scary. Admittedly, I got the unit way too hot, so hot in fact that the grease in the grease catch pan ignited. Fortunately, the fire was out before the tell tale smell of propane and hissing sound indicated how close I was to death.
The hose burned through and the match light wire was actually imbedded into the hose. The hose was easily replaced at a local gas supply place, but it still scares the tar out of me when I think how close I was to a flame thrower death.
Warning about the gas lines – be sure and position your bottle and regulator so the gas lines are not touching the grill or any metal component. I supposed I should have thought of this before, but the grills I’ve had in the past prevented this issue through design.
Since then, little things have been bothering me. For example, the chrome plated warming racks are crap! They rusted almost immediately and I had to remove the one on the charcoal side just to fit a beer can chicken.
The Side Fire Box has been a pain in the ham. Managing the temperature has been the biggest headache, but my biggest disappointment has been that on long smokes, the thing clogs up and loses the ability to produce heat. I’ve actually dumped the ashes during a long smoke (into a bucket of water), so I could start fresh. Yeah, it worked but what a pain.
Now – a likely the inspiration of this post – the grill grates are rusting terribly. I mean really falling apart. So much in fact that I move the best 3 (of 6) around depending on which side I’m cooking. I’ve priced replacement grates and the least expensive porcelain coated ones I can find are $30 each. The whole grill is selling for $199 on sale these days.
Overall, the unit is rusting everywhere. I paid the ransom for the custom cover and take care of my grills but this one is disintegrating before my eyes. In all fairness, I have grilled/smoked - on average - probably once or more per week. Still, a well cared for grill should last longer than 18 months... don't you think?
So I thought I would share my experience with you all. I’m still deciding on my course of action for 2012. I like smoking, but I grill out a lot. I like the gas side and charcoal side for larger gatherings, but I like the ability to smoke a whole turkey if I want to.
I’m quite sure than when I plan and build my house, I will be posting in the custom build section of this website because I think that’s the best way to go. i.e. easy to find and replace components in a custom (built in) outdoor kitchen. Until then, probably a new gas grill AND a large Big Green Egg will suffice.
