GrillGrates on Gassers


 
JJackson

JJackson

TVWBB Member
Question for those of you with older Weber gassers and/or GrillGrates (I myself have a Spirit 700 and Genesis Silver B, both using same size grates): Which direction is best for running the grates? I need to replace the current grates (one side is now gone and I can’t sit GGs on top), and GrillGrate reviews are, for the most part, excellent.

These older gassers have east-to-west burners, but GrillGrates (any grates) traditionally run N/S. Other than searing burgers and steaks, most of my grilling is indirect, which I see as a problem with E/W burners and super-conductive N/S grates. Michael at GG suggested getting 24” long GG and running those E/W, which sound fine. Just worried about picking up meat, flipping, and scraping, since (it seems like) I’ll have to use that big fork thingie. Too difficult/messy from the sides to be worth it?

Does anyone have GG experiences they can share? I just don’t want to spend a chunk of money on restores and grates, then wishing I had done something different.
 
I should also say that any non-GrillGrate opinion is also welcome. I know next-to-nothing about this stuff.

I kind of like the heavy PCI grates on the Silver B, but I don't like being scared of giving them a good scrub. And I was/am looking forward to flipping GGs upside down for some griddle action.
 
Basically they turn your Weber into a CharBroil. You can actually buy replacement IR grates for Charbroils that will fit a Weber and cheaper too. But than what's the point?
 
LMichaels said:
Basically they turn your Weber into a CharBroil. You can actually buy replacement IR grates for Charbroils that will fit a Weber and cheaper too. But than what's the point?
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I've been creeping around here for a while and never read that. Very interesting. Do you happen to know which model grill they're from, or the part #?

I'm still not dead-set on GG, considering the risk of them not working out. I was just impressed with reviews, reports of customer service, and I like that griddle feature.
 
I have a 2002 Genesis Silver B that I restored over a year ago and put GrillGrates on it. I run mine from front to back and have been very satisfied. GrillGrates made a very good gas grill a great gas grill.
 
glen jones said:
I have a 2002 Genesis Silver B that I restored over a year ago and put GrillGrates on it. I run mine from front to back and have been very satisfied. GrillGrates made a very good gas grill a great gas grill.
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Very good to know. I've heard nothing but good things.

How is it cooking indirectly on it? I was worried that the low/no flame area would still conduct a lot of heat, since GGs heat so evenly.
 
When the basic, stamped-steel, porc-coated grates and flavorizer bars started rotting-out on my old Spirit:

I contacted that "rcplanebuyer" guy on E-bay, and purchased a set of the 5/16 stainless rod stock grates and heavier-than-Weber flav bar replacements. They were not cheap, and have served me well for the past two years, with little to no signs of wear. I would be willing to bet that I will get at least another five years out of that grill that I picked up for about $100US. The grates & bars cost me more than my original purchase of this grill. The bars on these run front to back, perpendicular to the burners, and I think that does not matter one bit.
 
yep much better overall to invest in a really good set of grates and flavorizer bars. get them from rcplanebuyer and you'll never buy another set ever
 
I'll also put in a big thumbs up for the stainless grates from rcplaner. I have a set on my genesis and can't imagine anything better.

My understanding is the big advantage with the grill grates is reduced flare ups. But weber gassers already do that by design. So I'm not sure what the advantage would be?
 
Ron G. said:
When the basic, stamped-steel, porc-coated grates and flavorizer bars started rotting-out on my old Spirit:

I contacted that "rcplanebuyer" guy on E-bay, and purchased a set of the 5/16 stainless rod stock grates and heavier-than-Weber flav bar replacements. They were not cheap, and have served me well for the past two years, with little to no signs of wear. I would be willing to bet that I will get at least another five years out of that grill that I picked up for about $100US. The grates & bars cost me more than my original purchase of this grill. The bars on these run front to back, perpendicular to the burners, and I think that does not matter one bit.
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LMichaels said:
yep much better overall to invest in a really good set of grates and flavorizer bars. get them from rcplanebuyer and you'll never buy another set ever
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Yeah, I've been reading that everywhere, too. Are his flavorizer bars better than Weber's SS? I have 6 of those already.
 
Greg M said:
My understanding is the big advantage with the grill grates is reduced flare ups. But weber gassers already do that by design. So I'm not sure what the advantage would be?
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I've heard flare-up control is a part of it, but also how quickly and evenly they heat. Some people have said that the efficiency has doubled how long their LP lasts. Or made the whole grilling surface a "sear station," rivaling the heat of a charcoal grill (this was the biggest selling point for me).

And while I like that they get a lot hotter and keep the sizzling juices closer to the meat, I also don't ALWAYS want a huge sear station (indirect cooking, crude attempts at smoking, etc.). So I was just weighing pros to the supposed cons, wondering if they even WERE cons.
 
JJackson said:
Yeah, I've been reading that everywhere, too. Are his flavorizer bars better than Weber's SS? I have 6 of those already.
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His (rcplaner) are better. The webers are good but his are thicker and will last longer. His are a bit cheaper too.

Interesting that the grill grates are supposed to make the grill more efficient. I wonder if that is true? I can't imagine them lasting as long as the stainless rod grates.
 
Greg M said:
His (rcplaner) are better. The webers are good but his are thicker and will last longer. His are a bit cheaper too.

Interesting that the grill grates are supposed to make the grill more efficient. I wonder if that is true? I can't imagine them lasting as long as the stainless rod grates.
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I definitely don't know about GGs lasting as long or longer than SS. They'll both for sure last longer than PCI and be less maintenance than cast iron.

Reviews have said the GGs hold heat just as well, if not better, than CI. And one of the cons I've read of SS is that they don't heat up as well as CI or the GGs.

Heat retention is what I was looking at compared to SS. And I am afraid GGs would heat hot and evenly no matter which burners were on and at what level, making indirect grilling difficult.

So that's why I'm torn between GGs and SS.
 
I Have the ss flavorizer bars ,but my cast iron grates just won't do what my GrillGrates will do. Hardly any flareups and I can cook on both sides of my GG. I think the GG will last forever and no rust. Best money ever spent on a gas grill.
JMHO
 
glen jones said:
I Have the ss flavorizer bars ,but my cast iron grates just won't do what my GrillGrates will do. Hardly any flareups and I can cook on both sides of my GG. I think the GG will last forever and no rust. Best money ever spent on a gas grill.
JMHO
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How are they with cooking indirectly?
 
I have GG and I love them. I almost feel like I am cheating because they make it very easy to cook food. Keep in mind that stainless steel is not a very good conductor of heat. Aluminum is a excellent conductor of heat. A good example of this would be to look at stainless cookware, they have to sandwich a piece of aluminum to the bottom of the stainless cookware to improve the thermal conductivity and balance out the heat across the bottom of the pan. Stainless is good for durability, ease of cleaning and the resistance to rusting.

The GG can be flipped over so you have a flat surface which makes for a easy "Sear Station". Since the grates com in 5" or so panels, you can make your sear area as big or small as you like. The improved efficiency comes from the fact that the aluminum does not require as much energy to heat and maintain a balance cooking temperature on the grid. Also, because the grates are for the most part a solid surface with holes scattered around, more of the heat is maintained under the cooking surface and not lost to atmosphere as quickly, and you can cook at lower temperatures.

I still use my stainless steel grid for slow cooking BBQ. I use a pan of water which sits on top of the flavor bars and directly under the ss grate and my ribs, brisket or whatever. Also the flat back side of the GG makes for a great surface for cooking pizza on the grill.

So to each his own, we have many ways to grill. Enjoy and Fire Up!
 
You will also not that most chefs use stainless steel or cast iron NOT aluminum for searing. That is because those metals help support the maillard reaction better than aluminum.
 
I've been going through the same dilemma as I need to replace my CI grates on my Weber Genesis Silver C. Been bouncing back and forth between GG and SS. Now I think I more confused then ever. Since I use the gasser mostly for M-Th cooking, I probably want speed and ease of clean up. Sounds like GG is the way to go.

Problems with that logic?
 
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