Minden Grill Company MMC1000 Master Natural Gas Grill, Classic Black

I have mixed feelings about this purchase. I love the grill and the looks of it and its cooking. However, as of now (June 2009) this grill is not ready, in my opinion, for natural gas customers yet. It looks like it was a quick conversion from the propane version, but not well thought through. It is too complicated to explain here, but there is a kink that the gas pipe needs to make in order to stay within the grill that is actually scary. Makes you wonder if gas will actually flow through that kink. It does, hopefully safely... (see attached pictures)

I need to give 5 stars to the people of Minden for customer support! They promptly replied to e-mails and called me back immediately to walk me through setting it up and solving problems. They have also committed to replacing parts that need to be replaced and also to mail me an upgrade part for the natural gas grill, when it becomes available, so I will update this review as needed.

The setting up/assembly instructions (that are also apparently being upgraded) are not totally correct, have mistakes and seem to be not completely converted from the propane model.

Overall, I think this natural gas version was rushed out to the market, probably to meet a demand. The grill looks great otherwise, and cooks very well (only used few times). Small, light and very mobile, if you need to move it around.

This is a copy of my review for the exact same GREEN model of this grill. For some reason they are not listed as one item with color choices so I have posted the review for the other colors, having actually purchased the Green model.

*****See Update Below******

Having now had this grill for over a year, I would describe it as a decent quality grill for a fair price. I use this grill frequently, probably twice a week or more, even in winter. If you are an occasional user, you may find this a more ideal product.

The Good Points-

1) It looks great and is perfect if you don't want and over testosteroned massive stainless grill on your property.

2) The quality and functionality is decent.

3) If you get a hold of a real person at Minden, they are very nice and will go out of their way to help you.

4) Heats up very quickly.

The Bad Points-

1) You MUST purchase separately the stainless steel grate. The included enameled grate will wear out in less than one season.

2) The wood handle will also become moldy in less than a season. I extended it's life by using some spray varnish on it, but I would still prefer the stainless steel one (which I've seen at Williams-Sonoma on a version of this grill that only they sell).

3) The spatter plates become quickly rusty. Minden was nice enough to send me (essentially for free) 3 stainless steel ones.

4) Some of the bolts which hold the unit together become rusty over time, they should be made of stainless steel, but they aren't.

5) The grill does not evenly heat, and has hot and cold spots, which over time if you understand where they are you can compensate for them.

They really have the makings of a great grill with some small modifications, I would encourage them to change some parts to stainless steel (described above) and attempt to resolve the unevenness of the heating surface.

******UPDATE April 8, 2012********

After having this grill for about two years, I sadly have to conclude that it's not something I would buy again.

The rust has continued to the point where critical functioning parts are failing. The bracket for the trough which supplies gas from burner to burner has failed, causing the trough to fall off. I've managed to stick it back using some rocks so I can still use the grill.

The hot and cold spot issue seems to have gotten worse, and it's also now hard for me to get the grill started without pressing the start button 10 or 15 times.

Additionally, the threaded plastic gas tank hookup broke in half, and I had to replace it with a new one.

After doing some math, I've concluded that the cost of ownership of this grill is simply too high.

At 479, lasting two years, means 249/year (this does not include the MANDATORY cost of buying the Stainless Steel Grate)

***Conclusion: I've pretty much settled on purchasing the American Outdoor Grill Model 25PC (with back burner). It's basically the same physical size, but at 1650 is considerable more expensive. However, nearly every part on the grill is guaranteed for 10 years, with some parts being guaranteed for longer. Even if one figures that the all stainless steel, made in America grill will last for 10 years, the cost of ownership per year is only $165.

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Grill Dome External Temperature Gauge

I purchased my Grill Dome directly from the manufacturer many years ago.

This is the exact same thermometer that I purchased from them at that time. My old one had gotten damaged and this is an exact replacement.

It arrived calibrated properly, so I'm very happy!

Electric Skillet with Lid

Amazons seller, this is twice as much as I paid for mine at Bed Bath and Beyond, they sell it for $40 and with a 20 percent off coupon...it was a great deal!! I love this skillet, it's large and the sides are nice and tall, very easy to clean, temperature control...can't go wrong!

I looove my skillet. I've had it for a while now and so far it's worked very well. I've had it for a lil over a year now and I've made all kinds of meals on it and it's still working just like it was new. Luv it!

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I purchased this for my Mom for her birthday and she loves it. It's a nice size as well as nice quality.

UPDATE:

I purchased this grill for my Mom for her birthday and she was pleased with how big it was so I decided to also purchase one for myself from Cuccinabella. THAT was a BIG mistake purchasing from them! My grill looked new but the thermostat plug obviously wasn't new! The box for the thermostat had oil on both ends AND the unit had a ding in it where you adjust the temp, not to mention the plug-in part was all discolored from being used. Upon receiving and opening the box I was very upset and contacted seller as well as Amazon to report this and requested a full refund as well as them to pay for the return shipping costs.

The company wrote me back the next day stating "I am sorry to hear that. We normally ask for pictures of the item to see who was in charged of packing it the condition but we trust you are being honest so I just went ahead and issue your refund you should see it back to your card that you used to pay for the grill in 1 day. As far as the grill as a token for our mistake we will let you keep it. Again sorry for the inconvenience, we noticed that you bought another grill from us before so we wouldnt want to lose you as a customer for this mistake. Please keep the grill as a token for our mistake".

I thought that was an honest attempt from the company to right a wrong. That was until the seller got caught trying to deceive me on only paying me $35 and not the TAXES and SHIPPING/HANDLING fees associated with the purchase. Total purchase cost of item, taxes, and s/h came to $51.89. Since they had to refund me yesterday for the full amount, I received a UPS mailer from them this morning now wanting the item returned. I just want to make others aware of the bad business practices, order at your own risk!

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So far so good, we have had this for a while now and its doing wonderfully. The non-stick is great and it heats up fast and evenly. The tempature is very good and constant. I have been recemending this to everyone I can its just great! Best electric skillet I have ever owned and very well priced!

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He does the cooking at home, so when his broke, i bought this, he loves it cuz of the shape it's bigger and loves the glass lide also some don't have a glass lid. Perfect. He loves it.

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Smart Planet PPM-1K Keebler Personal Pie Maker

I got one of these from my CVS Drugstore for $20. I had a coupon so got it for less than half price. I wouldn't pay more than that.

The first batch of pies came out great. The directions tell you to use pie crust for the bottom crusts and puff pastry for the top. I didn't know that when I bought it. Don't expect to be churning out loads of pies though. Each batch of 4 takes about 8-11 minutes.

Pros: Tasty pies and you can make any flavor you want

Cons: After the first batch, the item is hot so you are trying to put pie crust into it without getting burned.

Second, the pies are difficult to get out of the pie maker in one piece. My tops kept coming off.The third batch was a hot mess, literally. The pies leaked everywhere, the bottom crust was difficult to position, and two tops didn't get cooked while the other ones were getting too brown.

My plan had been to make several pies to give as gifts to neighbors but I am afraid this will be one of those appliances that I only use once in a blue moon. While the pies are cute and nice for small servings, it is much easier to just make a big pie.

I bought this mini pie maker this weekend, and made several batches of pies for dessert. Using the pie maker was very easy and fun. First you have to find the just right size round item to use as your "mold." I used a tall saki cup that was was perfect. Then use roll-out pie dough for the bottom crust , and puff pastry for the top. Fill the pies with whatever sounds good. I used chocolate and lemon pudding and cherry pie filling. So we had lemon, chocolate, cherry and chocolate-cherry pies. Each batch cooks 4 pies. The instructions say bake for 8-11 minutes, but I didn't even time them. After a few minutes, open the pie maker and see if the crust looks done. If it looks done, it is done. Puff pastry that's golden brown is perfect. If it's not golden, give it another minute or two and check again. All together, I think mine baked for about 6 minutes, but each one is unique, so check like you would a pie in the oven. To remove them from the pie maker, I used the point of a steak knife, and it worked perfectly. I cooled them on a rack and transferred them to a plate based on what flavor filling was inside. Today I made only sweet pies, but I'm certain that savory pies like mini empenadas would be great too.

I served my pies to kids ranging from age 14-15 and adults 28 to 50-something. They were a hit with the kids and adults. It was fun having a personal pie that was big enough for 3-5 bites, but small enough that you didn't feel guilty or stuffed. They were fresh and yummy and just plain fun! I will use my pie maker again soon. I know my kids will be asking, "when will you be making more pies for us?"

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I BOUGHT TWO OF THESE. ONE FOR ME AND ONE FOR A FRIEND. SHE LOVES HERS. I GOT IT TO TRY AND CUT DOWN ON THE FAT FROM FRYING PIES. WE ARE BOTH EXPERIMENTING WITH THESE TO SEE WHAT ALL KINDS OF GOODIES WE CAN COME UP WITH. ITS WONDERFUL. ONLY THING WRONG IS YOU CANNOT OVERFILL THE CUPS. ITS ELECTRIC AND JOHN DEERE GREEN. WORKS WELL AND THE LITTLE PIES ARE GREAT. I MADE CHERRY PIES WITH MINE. SHE MADE APPLE. BOTH WERE GREAT. THEY DON'T MAKE LARGE PIES. THERE IS FOUR CUPS IN EACH. THE COST IS LOW. SO THE PRICE WAS RIGHT. I MADE CREAM PIES ALSO. I MADE THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST AND PUT IN THIS LITTLE BAKER. LET THEM COOL AND ADDED BANANA CREAM PIE WHEN THE CRUST WAS COOLED. GREAT BUY

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OK, if you do not want too much room in the pan. I am able to cook small desserts for my son who loves them. At first, I thought I would have to send it back but used it several times and I just love the quickness of cooking so I decided to keep it. I do not care for the hard green color but who cares if it cooks good. This is a good purchase if you do not mind small cupcake/muffin type bakery.

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It works fine, but the pies are smaller than I anticipated. 4-stars because it works as described and at a great price. But be aware that there is a bit of a cool down period required between batches and the size means you won't feed 4 people very quickly.

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Brinkmann 9021 Shish Kabob Set

Straight out of the box, I managed to make three batches of perfect kebabs on my first attempt with this set. Yes, I bought three sets. Beef, Mediterranean lamb, and Asian chicken all turned out perfectly. The points are sharp enough to pierce meat and vegetables, but dull/safe enough that they don't pierce your fingers. The skewers are flattened just enough that they're still small (didn't split onions), but the chicken didn't spin around like it can do on single wooden skewers. Some reviews suggested that the meat was not resting on the grill it's not really supposed to be, indirect heat works best. The height of the stands was perfect for 1-1/4" cubes of meat and vegetables to just lightly contact the grill(1-1/4" cubes are ideal for slight char on outside yet still cooked through over med-high heat without overcooking veg).

So, perfect results, why not 5 stars? I'm giving a 4 out of 5 for three reasons the frame folds, and can be a little tricky on the grill lifting the skewers to turn them (probably just need to get used to them). The rings at the top of the skewers have a slight gap, and when they don't have food on them, they tend to get stuck to each other worse than a bunch of empty clothes hangers. The notches where the skewers rest in the frame are rounded at the bottom, so the skewers sometimes want to rotate to one side or the other (hard to control the precise angle critical for 90-degree rotation every 2-3 minutes.)

Two of these fit on the grill at the same time (I've just got an average-sized propane grill). Just make sure to place the rings on the outside on both sets (away from each other) for ease of access with tongs for rotating.

THe prongs do the job but if you insist on using the accompanying rack you are out of luck. Everything becomes to crowded very quickly and you can't really fit everything on there -as shown in the picture. Blah Blah Blah -I still use it.

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I ordered two sets of these. One of the frames broke just taking it out of the box. The frames and skewers are made of the same low quality material. Basically I got no sense of any durability whatsoever. Surprised Brinkmann even put there name on this product.

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Its good for the price of the product. I wish it was a little deeper. The product is not very heavy. I wish it were heavy.

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Fits perfectly in my Char Broil patio grill, which is small. So, if you have a larger grill it will fit fine, and it'll open up room for other stuff. I've only used it twice, but both times were successful, and all parts have been easy to clean thus far.

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Char-Broil 4984300 Interlocking 4-Container Spice Stick with Hanging Hook

I've been looking for a decent way to store my spices up off the counter and out of the cabinets, and a set of these works perfectly! They are better quality than I thought they'd be, considering the sale price, and they look great in my kitchen. The bottles used are all the same, so you can store one hook and add bottles to the bottom of another stick, or change the number of bottles on each stick. Great design!

I bought 4 of these when I made Dutch Oven kits for my husband and son's. They worked wonderfully. I wish I could get more. My boys have used them for a couple of years and the are great.

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This is a great, little handy addition to my husband's BBQ supplies. He used to have to haul out all of the 'big' spices we purchase at Costo, now he has his favorites close at hand.

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Gave this for my grilling sons for Christmas, it will work well for their grilling needs.

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You can hang it from a tree, a tent, a camper, a tailgate just about anywhere. Take you 4 favorite spices with you where ever you go. Sealed and locked together when not in use keeps spices dry and ready for the next cook out adventure.

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HAIER 1.3CF 1100-Watt Microwave, Stainless Steel

This microwave was the worst thing I have ever had which completely surprised me because we had a Haier fridge at my work that was a beast & lasted forever (& is still working).

I received this as a wedding present & we started having problems from the first week.

First, the stainless steel on the outside started to rust, I was able to clean it off & chalked it up to the fact that we live in Louisiana so the humidity probably got to it.

Second, whenever we would cook food it would steam up so bad in there that it would leave puddles of condensation in the bottom of the microwave.

Third, the paint started to peel off the inside under the turntable wheels.

Then the microwave became self aware & figured out that it's warranty was up & it decided to act like it was possessed by a poltergeist. Whenever you close the door it would automatically turn on, the light would come one, the turntable would start turning & the microwave would make the whirring noise associated with it cooking, but it wouldn't cook. You would have to close the door a certain way to get it to not do that. After awhile closing the door a "certain way" no longer worked, you would have to push the door in while it was on to make it cook something. We just said "EFF YOU" & got rid of it.

Even without all the problems it was still a huge pain to clean the grilling element inside & when you did try to grill something it would take 10-15 minutes to grill some bread with garlic butter on it. We ended up just using our oven for all of our grilling needs because it just wasn't worth the hassle of using the grill. Plus to even get the grill to work you have to press thirty thousand buttons to get it to the right one (while trying to decipher what the stupid icons meant in the manual), then it would stop every 5 minutes for you to flip the item (even if you didn't want to or need tothere was no way to turn that off) & it would take FOR-EV-ER.

Seriously, take this review into consideration when thinking of purchasing this. It's a cumbersome, faulty, confusing, space hog that routinely gets possessed by poltergeists & has a worse grilling/toasting capabilities than something you could make out of tin foil & wishes.

Their commercial appliances seem to be awesome, but their home appliances (most specifically this microwave) are garbage!

I purchased the "Beast," a year and a half ago, shortly before moving into my space efficient, uber cool pad. I had no idea (guess all that stainless prevented me from visually observing the size of this monster, how huge it is. Also I didn't even entertain the thought of returning it because even though I could have sent it back, The Beast weighed in at 37 pounds plus 20 pounds of shipping materials. A total of 57 pounds that I'd have to pay in shipping costs out of pocket to return Zelda. I must say, Haier got me every which way. From the outstanding photos to the great copy, they had me hook line and sinker. And whoever thought to offer returns as an incentive is a genius. They got this dumb blonde consumer who will have this Beast until the cows come home. If you really want to buy one, I'll give you mine--free. Come get this whale out of my kitchen!

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A nice product from Haier. Works well. Does its job efficiently! Delivered on time from Amazon. No problems, so far! Its not so big, if you are going for a small-to-medium sized microwave...

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This is a big pile of junk. I have owned it for a year or less, the handle broke off, the inside is rusting and the paint is chipping off. I have NEVER seen such poor quality in my life. I will be throwing it in the dumpster and replacing it as soon as I can find one that I want.

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The interior of this unit started cracking 3 months after purchase. I went through 4 months of hassles to get a replacement. When it finally arrived the replacement was defective. I'm waiting again for a replacement for the replacement!

It's now 3 defective replacements and 8 months later. After the 3rd replacement arrived damaged and I had to insist for a refund I was charged a "10% usage fee". I was charged 10% for using their piece of garbage for 3 months before it broke.

Only buy from this company if you have money you can flush down the toilet and enjoy hassles.

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Grill Pro 40066 5-Piece Set Stainless Steel Premium Grill Tools

Unfortunately, I fell for this good deal. The pretty handles are already coming off. And the scrub brush is rusting already. I guess they still serve their purpose, but falling apart after only a few weeks of use is not what I expected.

Weber Q 120 Gas Grill

First off I have a huge Kenmore Elite (6) burner grill made by Weber. Which is a great grill. However most of the time I am grilling just for myself or up to 3 people tops. To run a grill as big as the (6) burner makes no sense. Last summer with the Big Grill I went through (6) or (7) 20lb propane tanks!

So this year I bought the Weber Q-120. What an amazing grill. It gets up to 400 deg. quick & with the cast iron grill. It makes beautiful sear marks; With 189 sq. inches there is enough room to easily cook for 6-8 people. It uses a single burner which is "conservative" when it comes to propane use. About TWO hours out of a 1 pound tank. If you buy the Weber hose adapter you can hook it up to a 20lb tank & grill al summer off ONE tank!

It puts together easy about 15 minutes. And has many wonderful accessories. i.e.: portable cart (well worth looking into)

Pros: * Sears meat as good if not better than a big grill.

* Very Well Made

* Electronic Ignition (immediate fame FIRST push)

* Cast iron cooking gril

* Cast aluminum body (won't rust)

* Very Portable

* Conservative when it comes to propane use.

Cons: Only 1 minor one. I wish the side tables were metal, so you could fold them away before the grill completely cools. (very minor issue) They probably did not due that due to cost & weight.

They make (6) models 100, 120, 200, 220, 300 & 320 The 100 series is the most compact, 200 series is mid size but still quite portable & the 300 series is plenty big enough for serious entertaining. By adding the "20" at the end of each series you get the fold up & in side tables (which are awesome), A temp. gage & Electronic Ignition!!!! (really awesome)

I highly recommend any of the Weber Q Grills

In typical character for me I over-analyzed this purchase. I carefully looked at various models and got to know the different manufactures. I was really convinced I wanted one of the snazzy stainless ones like the Cuisinart CGG-200. Then I got interested in the extendable legs of the Cuisinart Petite 180. There were other brands I was looking at, some look even snazzier than the Cuisinart. I didn't particularly care for the pac-man look of the Q series.

Then I ran across a store that had most of the others on display Fry's in Portland. After about 5 minutes of looking at all the different models I'd researched on websites such as Amazon I knew they were all cheap, thin gas burners and would be adequate but not great. I went to Lowes and looked at the Q100. I knew after looking it over that this is the RIGHT grill.

DO NOT buy the Weber Q 100 !! It's really worth the little bit extra money to get the Q 120. You get the fold out side shelves, an electronic ignition and the temp gauge. Any one of those items are not worth it but all together it really makes it the right one to get.

Amazon offers a bundle with the Weber 6507 cart DON'T GET IT! The Weber 6549 is only a few bucks more but is a newer design. You don't save much money by getting the bundle. I also ordered the vinyl 6550 cover and 6401 mitt.

The Q 200/220 are significantly larger. The Q 100 is good for 4-5 people which is perfect for me but if you want to be able to cook for more then get the 200 or maybe even the 300 size. But for me it was important to be able to carry in my RV. The 100/120 size fits in the storage compartments of my Jayco with ease. The 200 size might also fit in there but it would be bulky and cumbersome. Bottom line they are significantly different in size. If you are not sure which one you want find them in a local store so you can see the size yourself.

Cooking steaks and burgers on this grill is great. Nice sear marks and great tasting. Night and day difference from the $20 black square tin can style portable grill it replaced.

Amazon pricing on the grill, cart and accessories was great combined with the great shipping due to the Prime account I signed up for.

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If it were possible to fall in love with a grill then I am in love. The Weber Q120 Portable Gas Grill exceeds all of my expectations and the Weber Rolling Cart that I ordered to go with it is the perfect companion for it. I have owned many grills in my life since I am 67 years old but this grill is by far the best one I have ever had. I did quite a bit of research on Amazon and other sites before making the decision to buy this one. I had decided that I didn't want a large grill with multiple burners this time and didn't want to have to deal with the big propane tanks since I would only be grilling for 1 to 4 people at a time. I would be storing it in the garage and wanted to be able to easily wheel it out when using it and then wheel it back inside when finished. The grill did require some assembly that took maybe 20 minutes to complete but the Rolling Cart came totally assembled and only required unfolding. I was impressed from the beginning with the heft and quality of the materials used to construct this grill and how well it fit together. I ordered the Q120 model because it has two fold out shelves, a thermometer and an electric starter that the Q100 doesn't have. The little extra cost for the Q120 is worth it. The Q 100 and Q120 will both fit securely on the Weber Rolling Cart so you don't have to mess with having to rig up a table to set the grill and your supplies on. The small canister tanks are very convenient to deal with and the electric starter on the Q120 lights up the grill on the first touch every time. The cooking grate is very heavy, makes great grill marks and cleans easily with a wire brush. I have had this grill for about two weeks now, have used it six times and everything has turned out perfectly with it. The rolling cart also folds down to make this whole outfit portable for tail gating and camping. I highly recommend the Weber Q120 Gas Grill Weber 516501 Q 120 Gas Grill and Rolling Cart. Weber 6507 Rolling Cart

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I hate to say it, but since buying the Q-120 I now use my old grill more than ever..... because the Q-120 sits just right on it's side table. I literally have not used my big grill to cook with once since I got the 120. I read all the reviews on it and the Q-100, and was still hesitant to spend the money on a portable grill, and even more undecided between the 100 and 120. Boy was I ever suprised at how well it cooks. It has no problem searing perfect lines, and retains enough heat to flip the meat onto the same spot and still get great searing. The grating has built in burner protection from dripping grease, and so far I haven't had a single problem with flare-ups. The grating itself is very heavy porcelain-enameled cast iron, and looks like it will last for many years. The body of the grill is cast aluminum, and also seems very well made. The burner is stainless steel, lit by an electronic ignition powered by a AAA battery. The grill is very stable on it's feet, even with the lid open. The only time it's not as stable is when you are cleaning it with the grating out, but it's still not a problem. You may have to adjust your cooking technique a little because the grill cooks pretty quickly compared to the grills i've used before, but it's not a problem, and i've yet to cook anything on mine that wasn't good. I find it so much easier to cook on with good results that it is now my primary grill, cooking for a family of four. I have tried many new recipies since getting this grill because it does so well, and am planning to get the Q-320 later for a larger permanent location grill. If you regularly cook for more than four people, you will need a bigger grill than the 120, but the occasional meal for 5 or 6 is not a problem if you are careful. The easily usable grating size is 12" X 16" although it is probably roughly a half inch or so bigger all the way around.

If I had to find a con, I would say that the inside surface of the body could be smoother in places. There are a few spots on mine that will tear paper towels if I'm not careful when I'm cleaning it off. Yeah I know that's minor and I probably can fix it in a few minutes with some sandpaper, but that's all I find wrong with this thing. If you clean it while it's still warm you can wipe most of the grease right off, and the catch pan system works great. I usually line my pan with foil, and just throw it away when done.

As far as the Q-120 vs the Q-100 goes, I would buy the 120 over the 100 again. I think the taller lid with the thermometer is very nice compared to the 100, and the side tables and electronic ignition are just icing on the cake. The tool hooks on the side tables are great to hang stuff on, but your tools will hang below the feet of the grill, so they will need to be near the edge of what ever the grill is sitting on if it's wide like a tailgate or something. The grill is not cheap, but it's NOT CHEAP, and I would say it's a great value because of it's quality. Also, you are supporting an American company. To me it's worth the extra money over the cheaper portable grills out there.

I hope this helps, and if you have any questions ask and I'll try to answer them. Thanks!

EDIT to add: I have read many reviews of the weber Q series having regulator issues with refillable propane tanks. I am using mine with a 20lb bottle with no issues at all. I can hook the bottle up, open both valves, and light the grill immediatly, so I am assuming that any issues they may have had are resolved now. I have a 4.25lb bottle on the way and will test throughly with it also, so if I have any issues with it I will update this.

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Designing a good gas grill is tough; there are enough bad full-size gas grills out there to prove this point. However, to get good results with a travel-size version is even tougher. That being said, the best bet is to go with anything made by Weber, as their reputation for innovative design and quality materials are exactly what is needed to succeed in this arena.

Before purchasing this grill, I already owned a Weber Spirit E-310. The E-310 is the best grill I've seen and has made me a "Weber Guy" through and through. Its flavorizer bars create a sizzling sound that is downright therapeutic and, by the way, also actually enhance the flavor of the meat. The grill-marks created by its cast iron grate create perfect grill marks. However, this grill is big, bulky, and by no means portable.

I bought the Q-120 to fill this void, primarily for tailgate parties. I know that comparing this portable grill to the full-size E-310 is apples to oranges, so please don't treat these as "negatives", but instead, more as "trade-offs" for the portability:

1) The Q-120 has no flavorizer bars The description hints at having a "flavorizer system", but I don't see it. The grill is mostly silent during operation (no sizzle unless meat is being added/flipped). The flavor of the meat doesn't show the evidence of the flavorizer treatment either.

2) Indirect cooking is not possible on the Q-120 I like to cook hot dogs on indirect heat to prevent over-charring. Needless to say, you will need to get creative with the meat layouts in order to simulate indirect heat. I have also heard of some people using aluminum foil to create this effect.

3) The Q-120 generates a lot of smoke. There are two large openings on the sides; it looks like the openings were sized for the tables that flip-in, not sized for the required air-flow. Because the openings are so big, it leaves more space for air to exit, which results in longer pre-heat and more smoke being exhausted.

That being said, the Q-120 cooks the food very well. It preheats quickly enough and does cook the food evenly without flare-ups. The porcelain enameled cast-iron grate creates great grill-marks and is easily cleaned. All of the materials used on the grill are high quality and it's obvious that they will remain in working order for a long time. The only real negative I have about the Q-120 is that the drip-pan isn't secured to the grill. It slides in place without effort, but unfortunately it slides out just as easily; which creates an unneeded hassle when traveling with it.

As far as the Q-100 vs. Q-120 debate goes, there is no doubt that the Q-120 is worth the extra money. The Q-120 has three differences to discern it from the Q-100:

1) Thermometer Cooking without a thermometer makes no sense to me. There are some ways of estimating the grill's heat without a thermometer, but unless you're a pro, you're mostly flying blind. Sure, you can use a meat thermometer, but that's just another thing to take with you during the trip.

2) Electric ignition Way more reliable than what is found on the Q-100.

3) Flip-out side tables When I bought the grill, this wasn't a big selling point. However, in practice, I was surprise to find how much I actually needed them. If you are buying a Q-1X0 for its versatility, these are a must-have.

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Redwood Trunks Photographic Poster Print

This poster arrived today, and my frame was waiting and ready. On the wall now, the poster is absolutely gorgeous: it gives just enough of an impression of woodland that you could almost believe that you're actually IN a redwood forest somewhere. The image is clear and you could almost walk right into the picture--fantastic! Highly recommended wall art.