Grilling setups

[JBrax]

I searched thinking there was already a thread covering this but no luck. This year we’ve started upgrading our backyard with landscaping, re-staining the deck, furniture, and a new gas grill for when feeling lazy and not wanting to mess with charcoal. Next up will be furniture and a fire pit.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Looking really nice there..

Nothing fancy here for sure... just good ole charcoal and a mess for sure.

 

[JBrax]

Nothing fancy huh? That looks industrial grade and pretty fancy to me! We’ve also got a small Weber charcoal grill but sometimes we just want the easy way out. Nothing beats charcoal though.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

It's made out of a propane gas tank. While it wasn't exactly cheap, it's really not fancy at all... just a plain ole charcoal grill that can cook a LOT of meat at one time if needed.

 

[JBrax]

Function over form wins out every time! Maybe I’m getting old because I want quick and easy more and more as I get older. My smoker is an all day affair and while the results are always amazing at times I wish I’d gotten something much smaller and easier. I’ll probably get a Traeger here soon and have the best of both worlds across every platform. Four BBQ setups is probably overkill but I like the versatility.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Jeff, I have a very similar grill. Pricey, but a fantastic buy. The bluetooth/probe system is fantastic. We had some of the best burgers last summer and chicken breast (which can be a challenge on grill... I always seemed to dry it out) was coming out great.

Plus, you can hang inside watching baseball while monitoring is done for you ;-)

 

[JBrax]

Yeah, I’ve read conflicting consumer reviews on the iGrill 3 system. Many people seem to love it but just as many seem not so impressed? The majority of complaints focus on app crashes and Bluetooth connectivity failures. I was going to hold off but if you’re pleased I might just have to pull the trigger after all.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It's hard to know how far folks are venturing from the grill, I guess. I've had nothing but a positive experience with it!

 

[JBrax]

All I needed to hear Todd. On order.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I look forward to reading about your experiences.

The only kind of meat it really isn't compatible with is a thin cut (like a skirt steak)... but that kind of meat is quick and easy any way. But, cuts that have traditionally given me some problems (like a thick cut pork chop... which alway seem to dry out as I strive to cook through) have be nailed to perfection. I've been able to pull it off over medium heat settings, and steaks, chicken, and pork have all been to great. And because you can run up to four probes (which I typically disperse across each of the four zones on my grill), you can tell the app to monitor each zone to specified temperatures. So, if you have a gathering and some like their steak rare while others prefer medium or well... or even better, if you're cooking steak and chicken together... you can, for example, tell the app that Probe One is steak that is cooking to medium rare, Probe Two is steak cooking to well, and Probe Three is chicken breast... and it monitors each one for you. The app gives you real time internal temperatures and target temperatures (easy to know when to flip when the meat is 1/2 cooked), gives you an audible warning when each zone is close to done (usually about a 2 min warning), and then lets you know when the meat has reached a target temperature.

I used it all last summer and I gotta say: I'd much rather be watching the O's and having a cold one as opposed to constantly monitoring the grill. ;-) Plus, perfectly cooked meat is way better than meat that's over cooked!

 

[JBrax]

Now if that wasn’t an effective sales pitch I don’t know what is? You had me at watching baseball and having a cold one instead of constantly tending the grill. I’ll let ya know what I think after giving it a test run.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Speaking of ball - I'm going to miss Opening Day this year. Super SUPER bummed about that. I've gone the last 5 years. One of my favorite events.

 

[JBrax]

Well that stinks! I’ve never been a huge fan of opening day because the ticket prices are about triple in price. I’ve been a few times but would rather stash that extra cash for playoff tickets and gasp....World Series.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Aren't you glad you paid up for that WS appearance?

I'm still bitter your boys had step on mine to get there, btw. I've pretty much been crushed since Oct 2014.

 

[JBrax]

While the cost was steep both in my wallet and the farm system that has been depleted it was all well worth it. How bout Moose coming back for $5 million? Sheesh, he turned down the $17 million qualifying offer.

 

[Todd Anderson]

He blew it!!!!

I actually can't believe the Yankees didn't snag him.

I think a lot of these players are over estimating their market value.

 

[JBrax]

We did some steaks and pork last night and it was phenomenal!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Looks delicious!!

 

[JBrax]

Thanks Todd it was! Thinking about smoking a pork butt with the Weber this weekend. The iGrill 3 is smokin hot!

 

[JBrax]

Picked up some chairs and a propane fire pit yesterday.

 

[mechman]

Nice! I’ve had a Weber E300 for several years for basic grilling. Then I have an electric smoker in the garage for smoking. The only thing that I hated about my smoker was the adding chips all the time. I solved that by getting one of these.

 

[JBrax]

Thanks, yeah I’m leaning towards an electric smoker for when I don’t feel like babysitting my smoker all day. As for the new Weber I couldn’t be happier. The “flavorizer bars” give food that authentic charcoal grill taste. I had my doubts but I’m a believer.

 

[mechman]

I just keep a smoker box on top of the flavorizer bars filled with wood chips for a smokier taste out of the Weber.

 

[JBrax]

I might have to look into that. Pretty cheap option although I’m more than satisfied with the amount of smoke as is.

 

[mechman]

I don't think I'm ever satisfied with the amount of smoke. But here's what the box I use looks like.