Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Well, I promised that I was out of the market for ANYTHING unless it was (1) close by, and (2) a great deal. Fortunately, or unfortunately, a deal I have been working on for almost two months suddenly came together. This was listed on OfferUp for $100 under the title "BBQ":
TEC may not mean much to you; it didn't to me, but I was intrigued and did a little research. TEC makes REALLY TRUE infrared grills here in the US (Columbia South Carolina). They are noted for their 304 stainless construction and more importantly for their real infrared burner/glass combination that promises "steakhouse" performance with minimal flare-ups.
Here is a link to a review by the BBQ Guys:
https://www.bbqguys.com/bbq-learning-center/expert-reviews/gas-grills/tec-patio-fr-gas-grill
As you can see, they really love these grills. There is, of course a price to pay. The model on OfferUp has been updated, but this one is pretty close:
https://www.bbqguys.com/tec/patio-f...ropane-gas-grill-on-black-pedestal-pfr1lppedb
Wow! $100 for a working $2,900 grill seemed too good to pass up. The seller was not very communicative, but the ad lingered forever. From time to time I would message her again. Once and a while a short reply that it was available and when could I get it. When I said I was ready and asked for a time and address nothing would come back. Oh the world of online/in person buy and sell! Finally, we got it set up, and I decided I would take it only if it looked functional and not rusted out. I knew parts would be an expensive proposition, and the last thing I need is another major project.
What I found was a grill that in spite of the seller's comment that it "might need new internals" was actually in very decent shape. The rotary piezo starter didn't work, but it is fairly easy to light with a lighter. Fires up fine and although it has clear signs of use it didn't need anything but a cursory clean-up for me to give it a try:
My laser thermometer registered grate level temperature over 800. The grate is kind of flimsy although made of stainless. It looks like a great candidate for rcplanebuyer to make an upgraded replacement grate.
This is a small grill. Only one burner. Seems like it is tailor made for searing 6 New York strips or fewer larger steaks. I have only done burgers so far. They were medium well with little over 3 minutes a side. Very good, too. I plan to test it with steaks this week for my son's birthday.
Then I have to figure out what to do. Flip or Keep???
What do you guys think?
TEC may not mean much to you; it didn't to me, but I was intrigued and did a little research. TEC makes REALLY TRUE infrared grills here in the US (Columbia South Carolina). They are noted for their 304 stainless construction and more importantly for their real infrared burner/glass combination that promises "steakhouse" performance with minimal flare-ups.
Here is a link to a review by the BBQ Guys:
https://www.bbqguys.com/bbq-learning-center/expert-reviews/gas-grills/tec-patio-fr-gas-grill
As you can see, they really love these grills. There is, of course a price to pay. The model on OfferUp has been updated, but this one is pretty close:
https://www.bbqguys.com/tec/patio-f...ropane-gas-grill-on-black-pedestal-pfr1lppedb
Wow! $100 for a working $2,900 grill seemed too good to pass up. The seller was not very communicative, but the ad lingered forever. From time to time I would message her again. Once and a while a short reply that it was available and when could I get it. When I said I was ready and asked for a time and address nothing would come back. Oh the world of online/in person buy and sell! Finally, we got it set up, and I decided I would take it only if it looked functional and not rusted out. I knew parts would be an expensive proposition, and the last thing I need is another major project.
What I found was a grill that in spite of the seller's comment that it "might need new internals" was actually in very decent shape. The rotary piezo starter didn't work, but it is fairly easy to light with a lighter. Fires up fine and although it has clear signs of use it didn't need anything but a cursory clean-up for me to give it a try:
My laser thermometer registered grate level temperature over 800. The grate is kind of flimsy although made of stainless. It looks like a great candidate for rcplanebuyer to make an upgraded replacement grate.
This is a small grill. Only one burner. Seems like it is tailor made for searing 6 New York strips or fewer larger steaks. I have only done burgers so far. They were medium well with little over 3 minutes a side. Very good, too. I plan to test it with steaks this week for my son's birthday.
Then I have to figure out what to do. Flip or Keep???
What do you guys think?