# best place to buy a grill in Houston?



## Hdfisher427 (Jul 7, 2008)

I talking about a place that specializes in grills and that can educate me on the different types etc.......

Thanks in advance!!!


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

What are you looking to do? Smoke? Grill over gas? Grill over charcoal?


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## Hdfisher427 (Jul 7, 2008)

scwine said:


> What are you looking to do? Smoke? Grill over gas? Grill over charcoal?


Not grill over gas but not sure about either grilling over charcoal or smoke. I'm trying to understand the difference and then which grill to purchase.


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## scwine (Sep 7, 2006)

Okay...

Smoking food(ribs, chickens, pork butts, and brisket) at low temp...(200-275 degrees) I prefer a Weber Smokey Mountain 22.5"... http://www.amazon.com/Weber-731001-Smokey-Mountain-Charcoal/dp/B001I8ZTJA

grilling....Higher temp. for chicken breasts, and steaks... I prefer a http://www.amazon.com/Weber-741001-Silver-One-Touch-2-Inch/dp/B00004RALU/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1378697841&sr=1-1&keywords=weber+kettle+grill

I have a gas grill, but really do not prefer to use it for anything.

I'll take a charcoal/wood chunk flavoring over a gas grill any time.


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

Smoking uses indirect low heat which takes longer than grilling over charcoals. You can use wood, charcoal, or a combination of both. 

Grilling over charcoals is a direct heat.


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## 2hours2thecoast (May 1, 2006)

I agree 100% with scwine. The Weber kettle is the best grill for the money. You can do most anything but smoke large pieces of meat (like pork butts or brisket). I realize you can but it is not optimal. For $100, you can get in the game and cook great steaks, chicken, ribs, etc. 

I have never used a WSM but have only heard great things about it. I prefer offset smokers, mainly because I like to burn wood and shovel in coals. Suggest you buy a 22 inch Kettle and figure out what you like to do. 

Gas grills are quick and easy. That being said, if you are organized it will not take you any longer on a Kettle. As your charcoal is cooking down, you can prep the food and enjoy a beer. As you crack the 2nd or 3rd beer, it is ready to cook.


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

2hours2thecoast said:


> I agree 100% with scwine. The Weber kettle is the best grill for the money. You can do most anything but smoke large pieces of meat (like pork butts or brisket). I realize you can but it is not optimal. For $100, you can get in the game and cook great steaks, chicken, ribs, etc.


3X. We've been under a burn ban here, so using my big smoker is out of the question. I brought our old, semi-retired kettle home from our deer camp & gave her a very thorough cleaning, then I oiled her all up (as the vents were rusted & would not function). Then I built a charcoal/wood basket out of a small piece of expanded metal that I had laying around & added a cheap temperature gauge. This old girl (15 yrs +) still works like a charm.


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## Billphish (Apr 17, 2006)

w_r_ranch said:


> 3X. We've been under a burn ban here, so using my big smoker is out of the question. I brought our old, semi-retired kettle home from our deer camp & gave her a very thorough cleaning, then I oiled her all up (as the vents were rusted & would not function). Then I built a charcoal/wood basket out of a small piece of expanded metal that I had laying around & added a cheap temperature gauge. This old girl (15 yrs +) still works like a charm.


On a budget if I could only have one grill the Weber kettle would be it. They have a fairly new model, 26" I think.

Not being on a budget I went with the Primo Oval XL. Does everything well.


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

I have a number of outdoor cookers
an infrared gasser grill
an infrared oilless turkey fryer
a vertical electric smoker
and two wonderful charcoal cookers
one is a 70s vintage aluminum grill
and the other is a 22"OldSmokey (made in Houston since 1923)
if I had just one outdoor cooker it would be my OldSmokey









it has two major advantage over most all other charcoal cookers
the firepan sits 8"in. below the grill grate 
(the kettle's fire grate is 5" below the grill grate)
which means you can cook chicken direct over the coals and never have a flair up that burns the food
you just put your chicken on bone side down and cook it till it reaches the final internal temperature that you want for that piece. it is the best chicken cooker I have ever cooked on

another advantage it has over the kettle is the tall lid
you have plenty of head room to do stand up chicken or ribs in a rack




























to do longer indirect cooks I broke off two of the end grill wires
so I can add charcoal and wood chunks during longer cooks
it is really easy to run the OS at different temps with the two bottom & two top vents










some of the direct - over the coals - chicken cooks


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

since the OS's firepan is 8" below the grill grate it's too low for high heat searing
the firepan normally sits on the three lower leg screws 1Â½" off of the bottom
if I put Coke or beer cans on the bottom it raises the firepan 5" to 4Â½" below the grill grate
I have a set of GrillGrates and what's fun to do is put the coal in some Weber charcoal baskets
with the GrillGrates over them
then this sucker really cranks up the heat


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## KIKO (Oct 24, 2006)

*Old Smokey*

I love my Old Smokey too. Its portable too and goes for only $60 -$65. The best I've used. I need to get another one, mine is considered an Old, Old, Old Smokey. Its held for about 5 years of grilling about 2 times per month and left outdoors.



CaptJack said:


> I have a number of outdoor cookers
> an infrared gasser grill
> an infrared oilless turkey fryer
> a vertical electric smoker
> ...


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## CaptJack (Jun 13, 2004)

one thing to know about the aluminized metal they make the OldSmokey out of
if you leave them outside with the ashes from the last cook in them and they get rained on, the water with the alkali ash will rust out the metal. 
I'm pretty disciplined about going out the next day and dumping the ashes in the trash and putting the cover on mine.

I bought the good, heavy vinyl cover they make for the 22" Weber
and I have the lid to an old long gone garbage can that I put on top of that


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Same can be said for any grill Jack... I always clean them out the next day... especially true with my big smoker. You take care of them, & they will last a vary long time.


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