Do Higher-End BBQ Grills Make Food Taste Better?

[JudahMcB]

I've been wondering this for some time and was hoping to get some insight from the DDF community. Does the same exact quality meat cooked on a $2,000 gas grill taste better than if cooked on a $200 gas grill? I've always assumed (maybe I read somewhere) that the science behind a good grilled steak is determined by the consistency and high temperature of the grill. Assuming that a cheap grill can reach and maintain 500-550 degrees, is there any reason why it can't cook a "great" steak?

I've never owned an expensive (i.e., Weber or similar) gas grill, yet I've cooked some fantastic steaks in my lifetime. I've also had steaks grilled on friends' expensive grills and they are about the same. This spring I bought a huge Char-Broil 6-burner grill for under $200 at Lowes and it has been amazing. The same size grill by Weber or another high end manufacturer would have cost me over $2,500. Sure, the Weber would probably last much longer, is easier to clean, has fewer flare ups and has some other nice features, but do any of them affect the taste of the food it cooks?

Is it fair to compare this to a discussion about luxury cars? A BMW is nice to drive, but at the end of the day, a Honda Civic will get you to where you need to go in the same amount of time. I can definitely see the value of a luxury car over a standard one. But take all of the "luxury features" out of the car (and the status that accompanies them) and you are left with 4 wheels and an engine. Is the same true for gas grills? So what are you getting for the extra $2,000 besides a nameplate?

Note that I'm not asking if it's worth it to you to spend the extra money on a high-end grill - that's a whole different thread. I'm just asking if it makes the food taste different? And if so, why?

[AJK]

The argument for higher-end grills, just like it is for pots and pans, is (largely?) equal distribution of heat. Presumably, a grill (and pan) that best distributes heat will cook the meat better and more evenly, leading toward better tasting meat.

[CountValentine]

For every day use like cooking steaks I have not noticed a difference. The reason I bought a Weber is because of the quality. They last a lot longer.

[JudahMcB]

a grill (and pan) that best distributes heat will cook the meat better and more evenly, leading toward better tasting meat.

How much variation in temperature is there on a low end grill vs. high end? I rarely, if ever, grill one type of meat on my grill all at the same time anyway. It's usually a few steaks, some burgers, and either chicken or hotdogs simultaneously. I always cook the steaks/burgers on a higher temperature and chicken/hotdogs on lower. Even so, each piece of meat gets cooked until it is done - e.g., I don't take all of the burgers off the grill at the same time just because they went on the grill at the same time.

I get it that cheap grills may have hot and "cold" zones even with all of the burners at the same level. I usually use this to my advantage. Is there really enough variation in the heat distribution of a cheap grill in the 8" or 4" width of my steak or burger that it matters? I don't think I've ever ended up with a steak that was unevenly cooked from side to side (though definitely from outside to inside).

[JudahMcB]

For every day use like cooking steaks I have not noticed a difference. The reason I bought a Weber is because of the quality. They last a lot longer.

With the $2,300 I saved on buying my cheap grill I could have bought 10 cheap grills and used a new one every 2 years. I doubt your Weber will last 20 years. In reality mine may last me 3 or 4 years if I'm lucky. I hate throwaway culture but there's a limit to how much I'd spend to not contribute to it.

[Dan]

With the $2,300 I saved on buying my cheap grill I could have bought 10 cheap grills and used a new one every 2 years. I doubt your Weber will last 20 years. In reality mine may last me 3 or 4 years if I'm lucky. I hate throwaway culture but there's a limit to how much I'd spend to not contribute to it.

Weber has a full 10 year warranty, so it should last longer than that, even if it doesn't last for 20.

[JudahMcB]

Weber has a full 10 year warranty, so it should last longer than that, even if it doesn't last for 20.

If mine lasts only 3 years I still end up ahead.

The biggest factor to me is the end result: does the food taste better?

[CountValentine]

With the $2,300 I saved on buying my cheap grill I could have bought 10 cheap grills and used a new one every 2 years. I doubt your Weber will last 20 years. In reality mine may last me 3 or 4 years if I'm lucky. I hate throwaway culture but there's a limit to how much I'd spend to not contribute to it.

Weber's are less than 1k. Last 10 years in a heartbeat. You will make out in the long run.

[yungermanchik]

Weber's are less than 1k. Last 10 years in a heartbeat. You will make out in the long run.

where do you see a Weber 6-burner for less than 2k?

[CountValentine]

where do you see a Weber 6-burner for less than 2k?

Oops don't have a 6 burner. What size grill we talking about?

[yungermanchik]

From the OP

This spring I bought a huge Char-Broil 6-burner grill for under $200 at Lowes and it has been amazing. The same size grill by Weber or another high end manufacturer would have cost me over $2,500. Sure, the Weber would probably last much longer, is easier to clean, has fewer flare ups and has some other nice features, but do any of them affect the taste of the food it cooks?