Time to buy a new grill

[smokinrun]

So its time to buy a new grill and what better place to come for advice then here. Proud to say my Brinkmann Smoke N Chill is still putting out some amazing Q but unfortunately my Brinkmann 4 burner gas grill has bit the dust.  Now I am in the market to replace it but this time I think I want to get a combo gas/charcoal grill.  I'll have to say I love modding out cheap grills to make them perform better and the last Brinkmann gas grill I had lasted 5 yrs.  But as I look for the perfect combo grill I'm not sure which way to go.  Should I stick with the cheap Brinkmann gas/charcoal combo for 200 bucks or get a Char-Broil, Char-Griller, or Dyna-Glo.  Possibly there is another option out there, but these seem like the most common and affordable in the class.  I'm looking for at least 3 burners and a side burner. A firebox option is nice but not necessary. Again stainless and cast iron are nice but not completely necessary.  Or maybe you can convince me to just get a gas grill and keep charcoal grilling on the smoker.  Let me know what you guys think.

 

[laughingpanther]

IMO, a gas grill is just an outdoor stovetop. Charcoal grills give you an authentic flavor you won't get from gas. Anyway, to answer your question, Char-broil products are usually fairly good. I owned a Charbroil electric smoker that I got good results with and still have a Char-broil kettle. Don't know a lot about Brinkman gas/charcoal combos.

 

[smokinrun]

I agree 100% that's why I want the option.  During the week when time is a factor the gas option is great especially because I tend to grill 2-3 times a week, but I also want the charcoal option for the weekends when I have the time to BBQ.

 

[guelphsmoke]

Not to put a downer on things, but my biggest concern is the combination grills are two half BBQs, cooking space is limited. So a few questions, I'd be asking myself are:

How much cooking space do I need?  How do I control the heat on this thing?  How do I add more charcoal?  What am I normally going to cook on this, and will it fit?  If I wanted to do low and slow, how would I do it?  How often am I going to use the gas vs the Charcoal? 

I admit I'm not a huge fan of all in one devices.  All in one's do everything OK, but nothing really well.  However, think about the answers to the questions.  Again, this is my opinion so take it as you will.

Hope this helps.

Guelph Smoke