New Jumbo Joe grate recommendation


 
Jerry N.

Jerry N.

TVWBB Emerald Member
I’m looking to upgrade the grate for my jumbo joe. Which would be better (I know, subjective) a Grill Grates insert or a cast iron grate. The cast iron seems to be about $20 more but at these prices, price is not a deciding factor between to two. Which one will cook better, clean up better and last longer?
 
LMichaels said:
I would steer clear of the grill grate. If you can get cast iron that's ok. If you could find heavy stainless ones..................da bomb right there
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Okay, we can add that to the list. They’re in the same price range. What advantage would I get from heavy duty stainless versus the grate that it comes with? I’m sure it would last longer but would it cook any different? Any better?
 
EZ maintenance and the same quality grilling or better overall than CI. Trouble with CI as a grilling grate (as I see it and as I've had to deal with them) is while CI can take pretty intense heat, in a grill (especially a coal burner) you're looking at not only heat but intense radiant and open flame heat. Which will tend to burn off any seasoning. On a gas grill that is bad but a gas grill does not see the same intensity of radiant (infrared) heat as burning coal gives off. And I can tell you trying to maintain the CI I had on my Wolf grill was a nightmare. Oh I loved them but more for the "idea" than the actual performance.
My SS ones are irreplaceable. Far superior in every way to what the CI was.
 
You can take my CI grates from my cold, dead hands!

And if you will. These bastards will outlast me.

I do use them on the spirit grill, and I love em to death. High heat searing, heat retention, normalizes heat between the burners. Everything I want.

I do not have issues with the seasoning. If you do, you can put a little oil on the hot grate before the cook. That way you always have a little layer on.
 
If you use the JJ often to keep the grates cured with oils from cooking they will not rust, and will give great controlled even heat. And last, which all means you will only buy once.
 
Wish that was true, because if so I would not have had to buy new grates from Dave Santana for my Wolf. I cared for them the way a new mom cares for a newborn. Down to keeping them inside, reseasoning after every use and more. Raw CI is not a good match for grill grates. Beside, I'd rather be cookin' than playing with grates
 
LMichaels said:
Wish that was true, because if so I would not have had to buy new grates from Dave Santana for my Wolf. I cared for them the way a new mom cares for a newborn. Down to keeping them inside, reseasoning after every use and more. Raw CI is not a good match for grill grates. Beside, I'd rather be cookin' than playing with grates
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Any signs of wear on those grates from Dave?
 
Did a little searching and it doesn't look like he (Dave) makes a grate for the Jumbo Joe (18" round). Best I could find was one made of 7 gauge stainless steal. In the picture that doesn't look any thicker than a standard grate.
 
I had bought brand new CI grates for my project Q320 as the originals were rusted through. Seasoned them up properly and am aware that there is some regular maintenance required on them regularly. Great for high heat searing and such-but after cleaning the Q up and re-seasoning, I brought out my old A with the Dave Santana ss grates, and there's still nothing like them. As Larry said, best $$ ever spent! Easier to clean and maintain, just reaffirmed to me that if a grill has to go it will be the 320 but not the A!
 
Interesting eBay interaction. I reached out to Dave to see if he would fabricate a heavy duty grate for my Jumbo Joe. To do so, I had to set up an eBay account and send him a message. Somehow that triggered an algorithm and my account got suspended. I sent eBay an email explaining the situation (new member reaching out to a seller) and they still upheld the ban. Hard to believe that wasn’t a normal activity but I guess they have an issue with it. Oh well, thankfully Dave was able to respond (not sure how he got the message given the account suspension) but he wasn’t interested in making a round grate and said he hasn’t even done any grates for awhile. So, I’ll be off to do more shopping for a grate. I guess it won’t be on eBay.
 
They ban any and all activity that no matter how faintly has a whiff of trying to do business with a seller outside of their jail walls. One of the reasons I will rarely sell on there anymore. Plus anything I sell gets accounted as "income" reported to the gummint who feels the need to stick their nose in the $25 item I sold and somehow made a fortune on. GRRRRRRR. Don't even get me started on that path or I will likely be banned from here for good :D
 
+1 @Ed P

I've bought a few items from CGS. And, if you have questions, just call them on the phone or email them. They are good people.

A grid from a large BGE might be good for the Jumbo Joe

Features Large EGG Replacement Cooking Grid​

Y'all asked, we delivered - a heavy duty, cooking grid for the Large Big Green EGG. The Heavy Duty Grid has all the build parameters as EGG's Large grid except we use thicker diameter wire where it counts, the 24 crosswires that support and cook your food.

Other grid suppliers don't list grid specifications, like wire diameter. Maybe because it's small wire. Here are the specs on our Heavy Duty Large Big Green EGG Grid.
  • 24 crosswires,
  • 2 support wires,
  • 18-1/4 inch actual diameter
  • all 304 Stainless Steel,
  • all 0.225-inch diameter wire.
  • 5.25 lbs.
  • Made right here in the USA, not China or India like all the others!

 
I think the biggest ceramic grill game-changer for me was the KA charcoal basket and the @DanHoo method of lighting the charcoal from the bottom, using a burner on an outdoor range or turkey fryer, or the side burner on a gasser. Temps are much easier to control when the coals burn up from the bottom, I find, and ash cleaning is so much easier with the basket. You might consider those options, too.
 
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