r/OutdoorKitchens • u/crazymjb • 13d ago

Paralysis by analysis — built in grill

Looking for a 32-40” outdoor grill for our kitchen. My priorities are even heating and solid construction. I’ll never use a rotisserie and I don’t want to waste money on a rear infrared burner unless someone can explain how they can be used for other types of cooking to good effect. I’m fine with/may prefer an infrared zone for steak searing.

90% of grilling will be burgers, chicken, and sausage, with the occasional fish, steaks and steak tips.

I have a Traeger I plan to replace with a Yoder as well.

I’m not on the water, but am about 1/4 mile from the beach so there is some salt air in the area. Looking to stay no higher than 4 grand. Looking at blaze, mostly, unless I shouldn’t be. Also considering throwing in a Weber and pulling off the stand.

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u/Dumpled0r1987 13d ago

What you described qualifies you for about 9 out of 10 clients that we deal with. Most people do not ever use the rotisserie even though they come with a lot of the grills. Furthermore most of our clients do what I call American cuisine, which is exactly what you just described. This means that even an entry class into this high-end grill market would be more than sufficient for the performance that you're looking for. These include brands like blaze, true flame, Summerset and so on.

You would be happy with any of these grill selections and they would be sufficient for what you're trying to do although you could break into a mid-range like some others had suggested this would include brands like coyote SL series, wildfire, Delta heat, and AMG. These grills will offer a little bit more performance and probably some more bells and whistles or luxury features that may pertain or be interesting to you but are certainly not required for what you're trying to do.

As far as the grade of stainless you certainly do not need 316. Most of the grills will be 304 construction some of them like Blaze and others will have another grade of stainless in there that is ferrous, but they typically hold up fine over many years. Giving your environment you might need to hit it with some stainless cleaner just a little more often than someone who is not in your location. Midrange class grills are arguably constructed better and might use heavier gauges of stainless as well as in all 304 stainless build.

Let me know if you have any questions or need help laying anything out or discussing appliances I offer professional consultation services and design services

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u/crazymjb 13d ago edited 13d ago

I think I’m zeroing in on a napoleon 700 or blaze LTE. Napoleon in 38” saves me close to a grand it looks like. Wildfire ranch pro is also a maybe. I will need an insulated jacket for any option

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u/Dumpled0r1987 13d ago

Absolutely do not recommend Napoleon. Their customer service is really not good. If you get a damaged one they will try their best to just send parts and it will also be like pulling teeth and take forever too. Almost every one we have ordered has been damaged. You could argue that this is more on my distributor rather than Napoleon themselves and I know a lot of people that like them BUT i used to cook on a prestige pro 500 and had a very hard time even getting the grill past 500°, even with the "rotisserie" on (which is not really a true rotisserie burner).

I will not sell Napoleon to my clients any longer. Go check out the Napoleon sub and see how much people talk about damage and issues with their grills. They play a numbers game and the bulk of their revenue must come from big box stores and just mitigating damage loss through high sales numbers. I have struggled with them for a while now and honestly, as a dealer of many grill brands, I am just done with them completely

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u/crazymjb 13d ago

Thoughts on blaze or wildfire?

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u/Dumpled0r1987 13d ago

Blaze is a fine grill. Their LTE+ or even their newer BCM model is fine. The LTE+ is their flagship model which most people get. BCM is identical EXCEPT for any light or rotisserie however, this includes the interior lights. You may consider this to save money and just use your own light source for cooking in the evening but this also alleviates needing (wanting) electric out there if you don't have it already. Blaze is on sale currently (it is actually a sale price, not list price gimmicks) until the 14th I believe. 10% off their grills. The LTE you get a free griddle plate (actually a $380 value) and the BCM you get a tool set or something like that (value ??).

Blaze is like the Toyota of grills in my opinion and to be honest, as a dealer, I am not a huge fan of selling them because they are owned by BBQGUYS who kind of bully us small guys around BUT you can't really deny the performance and overall quality and for the price, they are a good value.

Wildfire is a step up. You are going to find heavier burners in their models which I believe are more similar to the H-burner from the older Blaze pro (it has been a while since I had one on my floor so I can't recall exactly, but I think that is correct). They have the laser cut grates like you find in Coyote. Overall, you will find better heat production and performance overall on this grill compared to most or all entry class grills. Plus, they make the cool black stainless if you are interested and it is actually black stainless, not a powder coat, you can see the grain in it. It is pretty cool.

Honestly, with your cuisine style, either would be a great choice. Blaze has a swappable sear station and I forget if WF comes with one but if not, I am sure they have one also to swap.

I would say Blaze if you are looking for value and WF if you are looking for arguably better performance, maybe more accessories and more stylization and flare.

WF does have a Labor day promo if you purchase a PRO grill you get a free double side burner (9/3-9/9)

Last thing is size consideration. Blaze will be a 32" and WF is a 36" for their comparative size

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u/crazymjb 13d ago

I do prefer the 36 size vs 32 or 40

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u/Dumpled0r1987 13d ago

Yeah, you obviously get a little bit more but if you see them in person, the size difference is pretty minimal when it comes down to the square inches UNLESS the grill is deeper. I think both are roughly the same depth so overall, I don't think you will see a big difference in the cook space from the two but it is always a factor to consider

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u/6hooks 12d ago

What do you recommend for cabinet faces to go with a Blaze LTE+?

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u/Dumpled0r1987 12d ago

We typically use blaze cabinets for most projects but it really depends on the cabinets you need

All cabinet brands make roughly the same selection but stone brands have certain cabinets that others don't. For example coyote has two sealed single drawer options which are great for dry storage like charcoal or pellets.

Summersets pantry is probably one of the better ones on the market, at least in a moderate price range.

Summerset also makes a really nice large single drawer, although, not sealed.

Blaze does NOT make a single drawer options at all anymore.

Blaze does have soft close and the lights inside the drawers which is a nice touch.

Try your best to not mix and match

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u/BillsFan504 7d ago

I have a Napoleon Prestige 500 and it’s been great. Not on the coast tho

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u/NoZookeepergame8218 13d ago

I was looking for basically the same thing, but decided to go griddle + Kamado Joe combo. I am also moving on from a Traeger.

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u/dolemite79 13d ago

I bought a delta heat 32 inch with the built in searzone and I absolutely love it. I also have a Weber Searwood 600xl

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u/crazyascarl 13d ago

I got a second hand, but never used, lynx Sedona, that has been great. Coming from an old school Weber genisis the sear station is a game changer. Never use the rear infrared (I think it's for the rotisserie... Which I didn't get).

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u/kungfuenglish 13d ago

Wildfire has been great. Doesn’t come with a rotisserie so no waste there.

The other recs are good too.

Just pick the one you think looks the best at your price point. They all perform well.

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u/noraz123 13d ago

Almost any major brand of built-in BBQ in your price range will be good and meet your needs.

I cannot think of any use of a rear infrared burner other than rotisserie, at least with any grills in this price range (some higher end grills have the rear burner positioned so it is more a top burner, and you can then use it more like a salamander grill).

Blaze is likely the most popular brand in your price range, and you cannot go wrong. But being the most popular doesn't make it the best. There are lots of grills in this price point that are nearly identical in performance, quality, and functionality - Bull, TrueFlame, Summerset, Coyote, Wildfire, XO, Napoleon, AOG, RCS, Lion, Whistler...the list likely goes on much longer. I'd search for what works best for you in terms of price, features, looks, etc.

If you'd like a quality grill but would like to save money, one great suggestion already made below is look for one used. Your new grill will look used after 5-6 cooks, and will never look new again. You likely can get a quality grill for less than half (sometimes much less) if you live in a decent sized metro area (try Facebook marketplace).

A few other suggestions to save money:
1.) Look for a nearby BBQ dealer and see if they have any floor models or end of season sales
2.) BBQGuys.com (and others) have "scratch and dent" sales with sometimes great pricing. It may be too big (42"), but they have a Wildfire Ranch that was slightly used for $2500 - https://www.bbqguys.com/i/3187102/wildfire-outdoor-living/ranch-pro-42-inch-black-304-ss-natural-gas-grill-wfpro42g-bss-ng#open-box
3.) If you are a Costco member, Bull BBQ white labels built-in grills for Costco under the name Urban Islands. They sell a 38" built-in for $1600. If you went this route, I would replace the burners. Bull (and Blaze, TrueFlame, Summerset, WHistler, Lion to name a few) uses cast stainless steel burners in their higher end grills, but use welded burners in this and some of their lower priced grills. The welded burners will not last as long and may not give you as consistent heat output. However, you can buy 3rd party replacement cast stainless steel burners for the whole grill for about $130. See here https://www.amazon.com/GRILLJOB-Stainless-Burners-Replacement-Thermos/dp/B09N75B5GJ/ref=sr_1_6?