Showing posts with label mini grill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mini grill. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Plastic Marinade Injector Volume: 2 Ounces

Plastic Marinade Injector Volume: 2 OuncesI adore this lil' pup, all stainless steel, and built to last. I sharpened the end slightly for better results. This isn't a throw away item like many others at Amazon are [at about $9 a pop]. This litle injector will give your grilled meats that something extra. I also use it on firm fleshed fish (say that 3 times!) as well as poultry cutlets & fryers (whole turkey or turkey breast). This tool really makes the difference in the flavor and I enjoy the raves when I have guests over, lol!

Highly recommended...and fast shipping too (!) from merchant. Thanks! A keeper :) & great gifty item.

Though a tad bit pricey,this unit is well built. Too, it could've come with a finer tip included. But, all in all, this is a good tool...and the delivery was prompt and courteous.I'd erroniuosly rated this product as 1 star. So I'm editing same to change it's rating to 5 star, thanks to the error being pointed out me me by another reviewer. Thanks again.

Alvin

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Ordered this for a Christmas prsent ended up giving to my husband early on Thanksgiving, he used on the Turkey Fantastic!!! Very easy to use and clean!

The company was fantastic to deal with I ordered two they only sent one, with one phone call, problem was resolved and order at my home within 2 days.

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This product works well as long as you don't have real thick marinade to use. Sometimes it is hard to poke into the meat but if you can somehow make the point a little sharper then it works great. It is a good quality meat injector.

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When I purchased this I was not aware the point was rounded, unlike virtually every other injector on the market. I used this on chicken and it was hard to penetrate the skin. It might work better on meat.

When I tried to clean the needle, the injector would not pull any water. Fortunately, the unit contained an extra o-ring (now I understand why). Once I replaced the o-ring (after one use) it worked.

I called the manufacturer to get another o-ring, and was told that none were available, nor would any become available. The customer service rep advised that I buy another unit if I wanted an o-ring. Right.

Don't waste your money on this.

8/1/12 update: I purchased a Butterball brand injector and have used it once on a pork butt. It has a sharp tip, offset needle holes and best of all nylon o-rings. Much better injector than this product.

9/22/12 update: I've used the Butterball injector several times now and it works great. Far superior.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Cuisinart EPM-7 Electric Nonstick Griddle, Stainless Steel

Cuisinart EPM-7 Electric Nonstick Griddle, Stainless SteelI absolutely love my Cuisinart Electric Griddle. We use ours every weekend to make pancakes an they are perfect. The element itself is very easy to clean and store. The Insert can also be removed and used as a regular griddle!

This griddle makes excellent pancakes,CRUMPETS,toasted cheese sandwiches, etc. The heating element gives the most even cooking of any that I have owned. My first electric skillet was purchased fifty years ago so I speak from experience.

I purchased a CUISINART glass lid lid and my steaks and loins are unbeatable.

Why it is no longer offered by CUISINART, I do not know.

Get one while they are still available.

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Friday, June 13, 2014

Iwatani Corporation of America GM-5 Gas Match/Butane Lighter

Iwatani Corporation of America GM-5 Gas Match/Butane LighterI tried the Iwatani butane lighters because the ones I've bought at supermarkets develop problems before the butane runs out. The safety lock or trigger gets hard to move. The safety lock on the Iwatani is a rolling wheel rather that a slide-switch and is much easier to operate. Four stars for a well engineered product. It's disposable, so the quality is about the same as the competition. If it was refillable, I'd rate it 5 stars.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Cuisinart Omni Panel Versatile Grilling Surface

Cuisinart Omni Panel Versatile Grilling SurfaceWhether or not you have a Cusinart grill or perhaps a different brand, don't bother buying another grill surface pan. This surface grilling pan has a removable wood plank and pizza stone to reveal a very nice, solidly made surface for delicate fish, veggies, etc. This is a bonus! If you are just browsing and not closely looking at the item you may not realize that this one comes apart and is not a solid unit.

You may be considering buying the Cuisinart Simply Grilling Nonstick Grilling Platter, I would say, don't. No offense Amazon or Cusinart. This one serves the same purpose plus it adds so many more options. Why would you buy the other and turn around and wind up buying both when you can have the best of both worlds in one unit?

Okay, it costs more initially, soooo.... the point is? Especially if you wind up buying both? That's not cost effective.

Great multi-surface pan with so many interchangeable parts, only your imagination will stop you.

(P.S. By the way, men are not King of the Grill! Men come to my house for my delicious grilling. So, don't be afraid women of the world! Ha ha).

The Cuisinart Omni Panel works great with my Cuisinart Gas Grill. Mostly I use it for shrimp/scallops and vegetables but it grills a mean trout on the plank ( the ones from the hardware store fit perfectly) and I have even baked a pretty good little pizza on it. Your not going to feed an army from it but for two to four people it is perfect.

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Have only used this one ,but the first time I used it I knew it would be used over and over again,love the little holes in it for vegetables and they will not fall throught the cracks.Will be used especially for camping.

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Purchased the Cuisinart grill at a local store and purchased this accessory to complete it. Works nice for grilling veggies.

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My younger son loves to grill and had asked for this for Christmas, and he was totally satisfied with it.

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Monday, May 12, 2014

Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker

Santa Fe Quesadilla MakerI bought this little appliance on a lark thinking that it would be something to try and would probably end up in the little-used appliance graveyard in my basement. It has since turned into an indispensable part of my kitchen. I love the nonstick surface of the grills (easy to clean), and I especially love that the lid locks, and the entire appliance stores upright, thus leaving some empty counter space while keeping the grill close at hand.

I've read some of the other reviews here, and I can honestly say that I don't have anything negative to write about this appliance. I only had some of the filling drip out onto my counter once, and that taught me to put the filling (meat, veggies, cheese, salsa) closer to the middle of the tortillas. Trust me, it all cooks, and it spreads out to the rest of the tortillas. I've never taken the time to measure out portions of the filling, and this hasn't been a problem. I have also had no problem whatsoever finding tortillas to fit; in fact, I often bring home a couple of bags and refrigerate them so we always have them on hand. I now also keep plenty of colby, monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses on hand for those quick quesadilla fixes! Another reviewer mentioned problems with the tortillas not getting completely done, but I've never experienced that with mine. I've also found that I can use one tortilla and make a 1/2 serving as a quick snack. Since the grill marks perfectly formed triangles on the quesadillas, you can easily cut them or pull them apart into even servings. My only suggestion is to make sure that you pre-grill any meat that you use since this appliance isn't really meant to fully cook meat.

The quesadilla maker comes with a mini recipe book. I encourage you to try some of the dessert tortillas. I made a cinammon-sugar one that was absolutely fantastic with some vanilla ice cream! Yum!

We received this as a gift, and have made great use of it. It is very easy to use: just put a tortilla on the bottom, scoop some filling (ground beef, chicken, cheese, vegetables, etc.) into the pockets, put a tortilla on top, and close the lid! It makes perfect, light-golden-brown quesadillas every time. The triangular quesadilla sections are easy to break apart and remain sealed (i.e., they don't leak the filling).

We have found that it is able to make quesadillas more than fast enough to keep up with the consumption requirements of a family of four (unlike a typical waffle iron, where you are always waiting for the next one). Leftovers are great to snack on or put in a school lunch.

It is extremely easy to keep clean and is very durable.

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I am a fan of quesadillas and I usually make them by slapping a flour or corn tortilla on the pancake grill, adding some grated cheese and salsa, topping with another tortilla and mashing it and flipping it for a few minutes until the surface is toasted and the cheese melted. A couple of swipes with a knife on a board and I have a quesadilla, a fast lunch or dinner or snack.

To make "professional" quesadillas with sealed edges, you need the Quesadilla Maker, which presses your tortillas into cute little wedge shaped pie sections. This unit is made by Salton, lord of all heated griddle and grill appliances, and it's pretty useful if you, like me, enjoy quesadillas and need a quick snack or meal.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

It's bright red (warning, if your kitchen clashes with bright red, hide it away or make a dust cover for its salsariffic redness.) It's round, like a waffle iron and takes up more space than I was expecting. It's maybe 11 inches in diameter and a few inches high. The manufacturer recommends that you put something UNDER it if you cook on formica or other plastic (read CORIAN) countertops as the heat can discolor your counters. Believe it.

There are two lights on the lid, green and, you guessed it, red. The red light is the 'power indicator' and the green light is the 'ok, time to cook light'. As in many of the Salton grills, the heat is one temperature. There is no adjustment and no timer.

Inside, there are two concentric circles on a non-stick surface and wedge-shaped impression inside these circles. The circles are the outer perimeter seal of your tortilla, and the wedge areas are where the filling gets pushed into the quesadilla pockets. There are six segments. The unit has a hole in front, oval, and a small drip pan that fits under it. This is obviously to catch any fat or cheese or filling running out of your quesadilla. Nice touch.

MAKING A QUESADILLA

After the first use, where you prime the plates with a bit of vegetable oil, you are ready to cook. Heat it up, wait for the GREEN light and get your ingredients ready to go.

NOW HERE'S THE KICKER: This unit says USE ONLY 10" FLOUR TORTILLAS. No small burrito size, no CORN torillas, which ticked off the non-wheat-eater in the house who also loves quesadillas and his are made special with good quality corn tortillas to suit his delicate tummy. Sadly, we haven't found hugeaceous corn tortillas to try out, and I assume they might not work well in any case. If we find 10 inch corn tortillas, we will experiment and report back here (assuming we survive the experiment.) But for now, assume 10" flour ONLY. And they must be fresh and pliable, not old, hard and stiff.

Now you are ready to distribute your ingredients evenly over the tortilla. OLA! Do not allow el queso (cheese) or meat or salsa to touch the edges. The quesadilla will not seal and the juice or flowing lava cheese will run out of the front. Also, this isn't magic. If you put a hamburger (whole) inside, the quesadilla maker will not magically press it down effectively. Anything that can tear out of the relatively fragile wrap is likely to poke through. I suggest you use chopped meat (taco meat) or finely sliced meats and not big chunks or strips.

Also, there is not enough heat for enough time to cook a tough pepper. Or fry an onion. If you like these things, cook them in a touch of oil on the stove, stir fry style and then put them inside. Again, they should be fine strips.

After you fill your quesadilla and pop on the top tortilla, close the lid and let it ride for five minutes.

When done, pull it off with a heatproof spatula and place on a plate that can take the ministrations of a pizza cutter or knife, because you will have to divide up the sections. The maker does not cut the segments up for you.

CONSIDERATIONS

1. It takes up counter space, about the size of typical waffle irons.

2. It's RED

3. How many quesadillas do you eat (we eat them, so this is fine, but as a fad in the house, you may be better off with a sandwich maker instead.)

4. No corn tortillas. So wheat-free people will not be happy with this unit.

SUMMARY

I like the Quesadilla Maker because we like these Mexican grilled cheese sandwiches for snacks and quick meals. I am playing with recipes like Stuffed Sopapilla Filling with Green Chile Sauce, to replace deep-fried, puffy, lard dough sopapillas with a more healthy alternative. I like the idea I can make hot pockets with my own filling, so to speak.

I was not pleased of the limit of 10" flour tortillas only, but it's a small price to pay for a unit that makes a great snack, and might I add, a great kind of hors d'oeuvre.

Read Best Reviews of Santa Fe Quesadilla Maker Here

I initally put this item on my bridal registry as a joke, and actually ended up recieving it. After I took it home and unpacked it I decided to give it a try, and I was rather impressed. The surface is certainly non-stick, which comes in handy when you forget to put the top tortilla shell on and the cheese begins to melt to the top iron. It cooks the quesadillas evenly and when you are finished cooking them (which only takes about 4-5 min)you can easily break off the sections. The cooking time is quick, and even with the prep time it takes to cook the chicken for the filling, you're looking at about a half an hour tops before dinner is ready. I am very satisfied with the quesadilla maker, even though I initially thought of it as a joke. It is certainly a worthwile purchase, especially when the gang is coming over for the game.

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I bought this on a whim, it was in a sale list, seemed reasonable, and would be something that my daughter could use to make an after-shool snack. It works great. I love it, she loves it.

I find it very easy to use and clean up. We have made many different kinds of quesadillas with it, and have had great success each time. The only filling that caused problems was using the peanut butter and jelly suggestion from the book included with the machine. The filling did tend to leak a bit, but once the tortillas had "sealed" there was no more leakage. It seemed the filling melted before the seal was formed.

As mentioned in other reviews, clean up is a snap. A paper towel or two, and you are done. Nothing seems to stick even the peanut butter and jelly!

As mentioned in another review, I have found it is easier to assemble the quesadilla before you put it on the griddle. The plates seemed to cool too much when I tried to assemble the food with the cover open. A little advance planning solved this problem.

If you prefer a browner, crisper snack, simply spray the griddles lighly with a non-stick cooking spray before you start. I learned this by accident, the first one I ever made was brown and crisp, the later ones lost this. By spraying the griddles, I got the original results again and again.

We find this to be very family friendly. By setting out a few different types of toppings, everyone can make their own, just the way they want it.

I would highly recommend this appliance to anyone who enjoys quesadills as a quick, easy to clean up to the traditional skillet method.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Euro-Pro TO161 Convection 6-Slice Toaster Oven

Euro-Pro TO161 Convection 6-Slice Toaster OvenWe live in a climate with hot summers and don't like to use the regular gas oven if we can avoid it. I bought this unit at our local HEB grocery for $37 and am pleased with it.

Pros: It holds a 12" plate or pizza thanks to a curved bulge in the back

Comes with two racks and three different positions for them

The convection feature (a small fan that circulates the hot air) really does keep the temperature even

Due to the large interior size, food isn't too close to the heating elements, so you can use temp & time settings similar to a real oven

Cons: The racks don't slide in and out very easily; extreme caution is needed if using a casserole or anything else heavy

The settings around the dial are in very small print and it's hard to be sure you have them where you want them

Since there isn't a dedicated toast darkness feature, you have to set it every time on the mechanical timer and really watch to make sure you don't overtoast

I bought this little toaster oven after both my kids left home, but used it very little. After my husband died, I began to use it almost daily... why use the big oven just for me? I've had this little oven for probably 6 years now and have baked 1 person meals, 1/2 dozen cookies, 2 person pies, and more (I bought little toaster oven bakeware from Bed Bath & Beyond). It's been a great little work-horse for me.

That said, there is one idiosyncracy that I'd assume to be common among all toaster ovens and that is that I have to set the heat down 25' lower than what the instructions or recipe calls for. I assume this is because it's much smaller than a regular oven. No big deal.

Also, the timer knob has now broke twice in the past 6 years; I would assume this is because it gets the most stress and use. I replaced it the first time via the manufacturer's website. Unfortunately I'm unable to get a replacement this time since the website now seems to be for the Shark vacuume, so I've been using a flat head screw driver to turn the timer on. In the meantime...

I just remembered this morning that Ace Hardware carries a variety of replacement knobs, so I'm pretty confident that when I go up there, I'll find one. I'll update this part later...

I'm not elderly, but I am a fairly patient person and would recommend this product. You just have to realize that knobs will wear out and small ovens heat hotter; so turn down the temp and remove the top rack when baking something larger that would come in close contact with the top element like taco shells... and check your food often the last 5-10 minutes like you would anything else in a larger oven. Food burns people and you can't blame the oven for that!

UPDATE!

Ace no longer carries replacement knobs. However I DID finally find a number to call... 800-798-7395 ... and immediantly got cust svc. As of 10/7/2011, the replacement knob was $3.95 + shipping and tax. Was told it would ship out via UPS and that I should have it within 7-10 days. I also asked if there was a website I could have gone to and was told no, so I guess calling is the only way to get replacement knobs (I ordered 2). I ALSO wrote the 800 number with a Sharpie on the back of my oven.

Also, while doing a web search for replacment knobs, I stumbled upon one clever lady who said she super glued her knob back together AND THEN placed a metal nut around it for added strength.

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I really love this little oven! I can cook french fries in about 10 minutes and make biscuits in 7 w/ no pre-warming! The knobs and handle are not very well made.

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Within weeks of purchase the bottom knob broke off. That's the one that controls on/off and the timer. For shorter times, the timer seems to work better without the knob. I use a putty knife to turn it on and to set the timer. Keep thinking I should just put it in the dumpster and move on. But it has some aspects that make it worth keeping. But it is a little embarrassing without its knob. I put the support web site URL from the manual () in Internet Browser and that site now solely supports a vacuum cleaner. Guess that tells all about euro-pro's product support.

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First: the timer is not so fit, hard to set it under 5 mins. Second: After two years it die, as a toaster oven it look like short life.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Global Sun Oven® - World's Best Solar Oven

Global Sun OvenĀ® - World's Best Solar OvenGlobal Solar Oven: I have baked cakes and bread so far. Everything has been done to perfection. Much easier than a conventional oven, and results are better. Only regret is that I waited so long to purchase one. Preheats much faster than a conventional oven, bakes evenly, and is close to normal cooking times. Well worth it !!

Works well, have reached 400 degrees on an April day in central AZ @ 5500 feet elevation, full sun.

You'll want to 'dry run' it in full-sun conditions 3 or 4 times before using it with food; as the enamel/paint they use to coat the interior bleeds into the food taste the first few uses.

Highly recommend, will purchase 2 more for family members.

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I have two of these ovens (one for two years) and use them year round. They are like using an oven or a slow cooker. They are well made and are easy to use. The only thing you can't do in them is deep fry.

Read Best Reviews of Global Sun Oven® - World's Best Solar Oven Here

We are going to bake something every day now with no more worrying about how much electricity our electric oven is sucking up.

I just talked with the manufacturer because I was only hitting 250 degrees and he told me how to line it up to the sun to hit 350 degrees (basically you make sure the wood edge near the handle plumbs down to its own shadow when you are looking straight down). I had the angle too high and he said most people go too steep (about 2 clicks too steep) and not too shallow. You can maintain a full 325-350 by tracking the sun every half hour.

He had a few other tips: 1. Spray some water on the top of bread so it will brown in addition to cooking. 2.Every time you open the lid the temp drops about 25 degrees and will recover in a few minutes, so don't open the door too often. 3.You can put a frozen chicken inside at 8am, aim it to where the sun will be at noon, and feast when you get home. 4.Cook things in dark enamel (available at Target) or cover with a dark cotton cloth. 5.Cover or bring inside when not using to save cleaning time.

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Nov 18,2011. 70* est-Tenn. Having pre-cleaned the sun oven earlier. At 11:30am started pre heating oven. 360* by 12:10pm. Put in biscuits for 30 minutes. Cooked un-covered. Really nice. Soft,Moist. No plastic taste! Now that I know how it works, I will take the time to make some bread, to put in the Sun Oven. Very Nice Product. Mark

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill

Weber Genesis 6531001 E-330 637-Square-Inch 38,000-BTU Liquid-Propane Gas Grill, BlackThis is an excellent grill. Good, old-fashioned, solid quality and design. I'll try to cover some things that haven't been mentioned already.

If you want more info before you buy, download the assembly instructions and owner manual at the Weber site, under Gas Grills, Genesis 2011 series. Don't bother printing the instructions, as they will be too small to be useful. The included instructions are on both sides of a 22" by 17" (56 x 43 cm) sheet.

From arrival of the box to first flame was about two hours. None of the assembly steps are difficult, there are just a lot of them. There were some trivial things about assembly that could be improved.

Lift properly while unpacking: Most everything is heavy, and packed-in tight, and you have to lean over the large box to get them out.

The included wrench isn't that useful, so I used a socket wrench. All the parts were SAE instead of metric.

The doors are very simple to install. Set the door on a pin in the front of the frame, use your finger to push down on a retracting pin on top of the door, and move it into place. That's it. The instructions say to use a screwdriver in a slot in the back of the door to pull down on the spring under the pin. This is actually what you would do to remove the door.

The side tables are stainless, and they were covered by a sheet of sticky protective material. Although it pulls off cleanly, it is a little hard to pull out of seams and corners. I would guess the stainless model of the grill would have a lot more.

There are two locking nuts that are used when attaching the cookbox to the frame. The instructions show a flat nut. Putting the smaller, locking part of the nut facing into the cookbox seemed to be the correct way to do it.

The grease tray slides into position on two rails, and securely drops into place. The instructions show some kind of spring clip that isn't there on this model. It's definitely not needed.

Left over parts? Two. The grill is shipped with the lid attached to the cookbox using the same pins that are in a bag. I can't imagine those ever being lost or worn out, but you will have spares if they do!

You'll forget all that when you start to use it.

First, the casters work extraordinarily well. I literally rolled it across my wooden deck with one finger. It's a good thing the front two lock, because I think it could move on a high wind day.

Ignition is instant. With the first click of the igniter I had fire on any burner.

The instructions say 10-15 minutes to get to 500 degrees. On a 78 degree (26 C) day, with a good breeze blowing, and in the shade, it took 10 and 1/2 minutes to get there using the three main burners. There were a few, small wisps of smoke that smelled like hot paint.

Other reviewers have said it cooks really well, and I agree, so I won't bore you with how delicious that chicken was....

If you're looking for a top quality grill that cooks great, I'd recommend this one.

Far from being wowed by anything you can pick up at Home Depot or Lowes I did a ton of research on grills. Not willing to accept my stepfathers warning that they are all the same and all go bad in a couple years even if they are 400 dollars, I started to find that the construction of better made and more expensive grills keeps them around for a long time. Price does not equal quality mind you but there is a difference, you just have to know what to look for. Better steel to keep from rusting, cast components to make it more sturdy so it doesn't flex like a branch in the wind, insulated hoods, cast parts instead of stamped, etc. Things like burner construction, heat distribution and heat up time can vary wildly between different grills. I'll compare this to a 450 dollar grill my parents picked up from The Great Indoors / Sears (maybe Grill Master or something) It made it about 3 years and started rusting through in Michigan and blew over in a bad storm. Basically it's trashed and they already bought a new one. (cheaper this time thinking that was always going to happen)

Construction:

Theirs : stainless steel hood and shelves painted panels, nut and bolts through flimsy painted black steel panels of the cabinet. Joints were folded ends of the panel. Burners were standard tube style with a 90'd piece of aluminium or the same flimsy steel as the sides. Cast iron grates, what you would expect to find on everyday grills.

The E330: First of all the box and grill weigh 190 pounds. I'll let that sink in for a second. 190 pounds.... The panels are thicker than you would expect. Framing the panels....welded square tube stock. Now THAT is how you make a durable piece of equipment. All through the process you will find welded support pieces attachment points, cast pieces, etc. Very impressed. Just a handful of nuts and bolts and the rest are machine screws into tapped holes. That's right the steel is thick enough to run a tap through and thread the holes for the screws! All my experience with cheap grills over the years, who knew?! Anyway back to assembly. Everything fit VERY well. No bending, forcing, cussing. Follow the instructions and this thing goes together like a precision machine. Burner and hood construction? This impressed me before I even turned it on. Sure the typical tube burners are present but then you also have porcelain coated iron plates that go underneath the burners to reflect the heat up (wow that's new), porcelain coated iron heat distributors or flavor bars I think they call them to go over the burners. Basically just 90 degree folded strips that that run front to back over the burners and even the space where there are no burners. Really? Between the burners? Weird but ok, probably for good reason. The grates, I opted for cast iron. And these suckers are about twice as thick as what you see in other grills. Great for retaining heat and searing food, which I had yet to do on any gas grill to this point. The hood is nice and durable and insulated on the inside very well. When you're done it effortlessly glides around the patio on its castors but if you lock it into place it's solid as a rock. Go ahead try to make it flex, I dare you. Oh yeah and it looks like a million bucks. chrome and stainless trim powder coated panels. My wife who was an extremely hard sell on spending $700 on a grill walked out and said "Wow, that's a NICE grill."

OK on to the good part...cooking: I won't even go into the part about how my parents grill cooks food. If this isn't your first grill you already know how much it's not what it's cracked up to be. Go get a Weber charcoal and spend the extra time to get superb results with cooking steak. By the way my wife told me she wouldn't be upset if I got rid of mine (a gift from her) to which I replied HELL NO I'm not getting rid of that!

So I read somewhere that BTU's don't mean squat. And that makes sense to me now after assembling this sucker. If you don't have correct heat distribution and insulation, the cold air hitting that hood, etc will make it take forever to heat up. Keep in mind this only has 3 burners (left middle and right) and they sneak in one more between the left and middle and call it the "searing burner" or "searing station" and you'll see why in a minute. I haven't officially clocked it but if you turn on the main 3 burners on high this thing is at 500 degrees in the blink of an eye. Which for the purpose of this review we'll concentrate on how well this thing cooks steak since you can technically cook hamburgers and hotdogs on any grill. 500 degrees is roughly where you want to be for the baking part of the process. First you sear then you move to indirect heat and let it cook for a few. OK so back on track...500 degrees in a flash, we're talking 5-7 minutes. Parents grill 20..at LEAST and I have yet to leave sear marks on a steak over there, even letting theirs get up to 800 degrees. (This is where the heat distribution, flavor bars, whatever they call them, come into play. The WHOLE grill is hot, not just over the burners.) With the Weber you now fire up the searing burner on high, turn the right burner to low (equivalent to indirect heat on a charcoal) and slap your steaks on. Listen to them crack and sizzle. Go ahead, spin em at a minute and a half you will already have sear marks, might as well make some more! Flip em after 3 minutes (this is where other grills fail big time) and what do you know they are STILL sizzling on the hot grates! I still think charcoal cooked steak tastes better but I was seriously impressed by this point. I totally expected this thing to run out of steam and the grill to cool down too much to leave any marks on the 2nd side of the steak. And because of the thick cast iron grates you've got some big time sear action on those puppies. Exactly what the mission is with steak. Seal it up so the juices stay inside. So now you turn off the searing burner and throw the steaks off to the right, close the lid and let em cook for just a few minutes at about 500 degrees. I don't even need to tell you how they tasted because you've had a beautifully cooked steak before and you just did it on a gas grill for 700 bucks and 18 minutes of your time from start to finish. Now I'll tell you a funny story about hot dogs. After heating the grill up I put this on medium heat on 2 burners and threw some hot dogs on there. I left expecting to come back in a few minutes to flip them. I came back MAYBE 10 minutes later (rule number 1 don't get distracted from cooking) The hot dogs were beyond done. And I'm not talking about burnt on the bottom. They looked like they survived Hiroshima blast and were equally burnt ALL THE WAY AROUND THEM! You couldn't tell which part was facing own. Anyway funny story but it shows you how fast this cooks and how well it uses that heat under the hood. I screwed up my lunch and was still impressed. Now that's a grill. And burgers a few nights later. Nice thick black sear marks and juicy as all getup, enough said.

Obviously I'm very excited about this purchase because I never write reviews and this is a bit long. haha I found one article that gave this grill a stellar review for its price point and it has not disappointed me yet. I would be weary that other models might have different construction and all Weber grills might not be built the same (they need to have something different among their price ranges) but I can tell you first hand that this Genesis E-330 grill is the real deal and it won't break the bank to do it. I know 700 is 300 more than a sears Kenmore special but I'll happily go up against their $1000+ stainless model too. And I'll be happy to come back in 10 years and tell you how great it still is because there is no doubt in my mind it is built to last and is an impressive piece of cooking appliance. If you need/want a grill and can afford around $700 (Notice I didn't ask if you WANTED to spend $700 because I was skeptical at first too, I asked if you could "afford" it) pull the trigger on this thing. If the cooking space is what you need you will be as ecstatic about the results as I am.

Buy Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Now

Through a confluence of circumstance I was in a hurry to get this grill in and installed right when this new model came out. Other than the pain suffered through paying full retail (ouch), it has been a great experience.

Assembly:

Everything fit together as it should. Get an 11mm socket on a real wrench though the 'tool' that comes with the set is great for adjusting the doors, but don't count on using it for primary assembly unless you have a few days to spare. Hint: Use the 3 silver headed screws for the drip tray the black headed screws are for the side burner.

NG vs Propane:

If you're going to grill year around in a climate that can get cold and can get the hook up done go NG. Seriously. I'm loving it.

Pre-heat:

40* ambient to 600* in 9 minutes (NG version). I took it up to 650* (13 min) just to clear any remaining mfg oils on it. This is WAY hotter than any reasonable use would entail. All 4 burners running full out.

Cooking:

Food has come off the grill outstanding. Set the three main knobs to the same position and the entire grill cooks at the same rate. I have not found any cold or hot spots food has cooked evenly anywhere I put it on the grill. It has all come off with great flavor. Frankly, after cooking on several other grills over the years, this one makes it too easy.

Searing:

The addition of the 4th burner creates a large HOT zone on the left side of the grill. It's kind of this grills hidden weapon. You can grill 'normal' on the entire surface. Then, if you want, you can crank up the left burner, sear burner and center burner and turn the left half of the grill into a searing wonder. When you're done, turn off the 4th (sear) burner and you're back to 'normal' pretty quick.

Side burner:

Pretty straight forward turn the knob, push the igniter, put stuff on to heat it up. Works just like it should.

Burners run NS instead of EW:

Pre 2011 Genesis models had EW burners. The 2011 model has NS burners. So far, from what I can tell, the difference is moot. I have not done rotisserie on it yet though, and apparently that is where the EW burners shine. I don't think it will be an issue though. This grill cooks so evenly that I don't think it's going to matter a bit.

Community Support:

Check out the forums at:

www (dot) bbqsource-forums (dot) com

They have a great bunch of people in the Weber forums there, and I put up a pile of pictures of this grill right after I assembled it.

Amazon's Service:

Ordered it with Prime shipping and it arrived 7 days later in a REAL big 200lb box. The delivery guy put it in my garage without any fuss.

Amazon's Photos Error:

At the time of this writing 12/2/2010 the pictures that Amazon has of this grill are not accurate. It looks like they are using stock photos of a 2011 Weber Genesis EP-330 instead of a 2011 Weber Genesis E-330. The difference? The pictures show a stainless grill rack and stainless flavorizers. The E-330 has cast iron cook grates. If you enjoy great grill marks, cast iron grates is a GOOD thing. Amazon's description is correct but the photos need fixed.

Drawback:

This grill makes great results too easy. It really feels like less work than it should be to get such great results.

Read Best Reviews of Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Here

The price online was the same as our local Home Depot and Lowe's. They, however assembled it for free. But, I would still have to rent a trailer and get it home myself. This would cost me about $40. In addition, I would have to pay the local sales tax, approximately $80. Getting it online I saved about $120. Amazon included free delivery, but I would have to assemble it myself. Since I am 75 and have a little difficulty getting up and down, I was a little anxious about putting it together.

The shipper Amazon used was ABF Freight Systems, Inc. They called me when that had it at the local delivery point and made an appointment to deliver it. They were very cordial and flexible in setting up a time for delivery. I would not be home on the day the said they could delivery it, so they changed it to a later date. Amazon had per-approved basic inside delivery so I wouldn't have to worry about getting the box from the curb to the garage. Since the box weighted 190 lbs this was a concern I had had. When the deliver time approached, the deliveryman called and said he would be running late. He gave me an estimate of the time he would be there and was there shortly afterwards. When he showed up with the grill, he asked where I would like it. Since I would be assembling it on my back patio, I ask if he could take it back there, and he said sure, no problem.

The following morning I went out to my patio and unpacked and started to assemble the grill.

Prior to ordering the grill I found a YouTube video that shows how to unpack and assemble this same grill. It is:

This was a great video and very helpful in unpacking and assembling the grill.

The pictorial instruction sheet can be a little confusing at first. But having seen the video, it seemed to make sense.

I seem to have read that the assembly time is about 1 to 2 hours. In my case, due I'm sure to my age, It took me about 6 hours spread out over a couple of days. Everything went smoothly with the exception of the "wind deflector", the sheet metal part that goes under the control knobs. The next part to be installed after that was the doors. I found that they could not be installed, and finally figured out that I had installed the "wind deflector" upside down. Removing 2 screws and reversing it solved the problem.

The rest of the assembly went smoothly and later that evening I was trying out my first steak.

If you like to do steaks, you'll love the searing burner. Per the instructions, I turned on all the burners to high, let the grill warm up for 10 minutes, then turned the right burner down to medium. Put the steaks over the searing burner, rotated them 45 degrees after 1 minute, flipped them over after another minute, then rotated them again after another minute. This gave me those perfect steak house grill marks on each side. After searing I moved the steaks to the burner on medium and cooked them an additional 4 minutes per side. The were perfectly seared and cooked to a medium, which I like.

I've cooked a few hamburgers as well and they came out great.

Keep in mind, there are 3 different "models" of the New Genesis grills. There is the E, the S and the EP. The E series, comes with porcelain enamel grates. The EP and the S come with the stainless steel grates.

I was initially confused about which grate I was to get, contacting customer support cleared that up.

Bottom line, I like this grill, the third Weber I have owned. They are well built and while a little more expensive, last. You do have to assemble it yourself, but that is not to complicated.

Want Weber Genesis E-330 637-Square-Inch Grill Discount?

I have had quite a few grills including a $2k grand turbo elite and this was just amazing. I had debated on the summit 420 with the extra burners and size, but this grill works for everything. I have had it 2 months and cooked ribs, t-bones, rib-eyes, and beer can chicken. Completely thrilled with grill. No flare ups, great temp holding. I was grilling in 20 degree weather and no issue with holding temp. The sear burner works great and the side burner is wonderful. No regrets at all with this grill. Definitely a quality weber product especially with the change on the burner controls and burner routing (E-w vs. N-S).

I opted for the e-330 vs the s-330 based on the price. You can go and buy the grills and and the warmer rack on Amazon for less than the price difference with the s-330, plus the swill start to brown after a few years.

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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Cast Iron Fireplace Grate (327ml)

Cast Iron Fireplace Grate
  • For coal or wood
  • One piece
  • Cast iron
  • Open ends
  • 27" Front, 23-3/4" Back

I spent some time looking online for a cast iron fireplace grate and decided on this one. I've burned about 1/8 cord of almond wood on it so far, and it's working exactly as I'd hoped it would. One reviewer commented on the legs being too short, but they are just the right height for my needs. The legs raise the grate about 4 inches off the floor of the f/p, which was high enough to clear the gas lighter pipe. The grates are far enough apart to allow the fire to get air, but not so far apart for major pieces to fall through.

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I am pretty happy with this grate..I burn wood almost every night. It hold lots of logs in it..The only negative thing is, maybe it could have been a little higher (the legs could be long)..But not a big problem.

Read Best Reviews of Cast Iron Fireplace Grate (327ml) Here

Great product. I was surprised how thick the cast iron is on this grate. It is 2 times as heavy as the grate it replaced. The closer spacing keeps the coals from falling out and results in a hotter fire and complete burn. I wish I had bought this 3 years ago.

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Look no further. This is the one you need for your fireplace ! I have been building fires in my fireplace for 40 years

and after much frustration and years of poking logs around I finally realized that I needed a grate that would hold the

embers close to the wood for a constant burn. I ordered this one and boy does it do the job. Start with a 3 or 4 small pieces of fatwood between your stacked logs and the grate does the rest. Beautiful constant fires . No jumping up every 10 minutes to adjust the logs. Just add a log when needed and you will have hours and hours of enjoyable fires. This grate is an absolute must have item if you want to enjoy your fireplace.

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meets expectations; dimensions accurate with online description; one piece cast is better than bolt on legs; leg height offers adequate clearance for fire starter material