Nobody Using Q Grills?


 
Bruce said:

These should fit your Q100 if it has the holes in the handles..
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Thanks Bruce. I'd seen those and also learned that there is an aftermarket stainless grill set that one of the guys here (@Sam Bee) is using. Between adding the thermometer and, possibly, the tables, I'm starting to get to the model I should have bought in the first place but without the taller lid (not that that feature would be useful to me considering my limited interest in grilling roasts or whole birds). I guess this all falls under first world problems. ;)
 
ChrisG said:
Thanks Bruce. I'd seen those and also learned that there is an aftermarket stainless grill set that one of the guys here (@Sam Bee) is using. Between adding the thermometer and, possibly, the tables, I'm starting to get to the model I should have bought in the first place but without the taller lid (not that that feature would be useful to me considering my limited interest in grilling roasts or whole birds). I guess this all falls under first world problems. ;)
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Here are the grates I use...

 
The way the Q is designed to work you lose a lot of efficiency of that design with those type of grates. The Q is designed to work with the grate actually being the diffuser. More of a "hybrid" grill/griddle than a regular grill with burners, then some type of heat distribution above them (flavorizer bars, ceramic briquettes, or in some cases a combination of those). Or back in the day there was the "Holland" grill with a large very heavy metal plate above the burner(s). Acting as diffuser and grease deflector.
There is a reason Weber always has the large heavy cast iron grates on a Q. It's NOT because it's cheaper. It's because they're designed to be an integral part of what makes the Q such a great little grill. Bruce and I have stainless ones but they're very thick and heavy plates of stainless. Laser or stamp cut. They weigh nearly as much as the CI ones. But they work perfectly well. And don't detract from the original intent of their design.
While the rod grates are for sure easier to use/care for. They don't actually work with how the Q is designed to work
 
LMichaels said:
The way the Q is designed to work you lose a lot of efficiency of that design with those type of grates. The Q is designed to work with the grate actually being the diffuser. More of a "hybrid" grill/griddle than a regular grill with burners, then some type of heat distribution above them (flavorizer bars, ceramic briquettes, or in some cases a combination of those). Or back in the day there was the "Holland" grill with a large very heavy metal plate above the burner(s). Acting as diffuser and grease deflector.
There is a reason Weber always has the large heavy cast iron grates on a Q. It's NOT because it's cheaper. It's because they're designed to be an integral part of what makes the Q such a great little grill. Bruce and I have stainless ones but they're very thick and heavy plates of stainless. Laser or stamp cut. They weigh nearly as much as the CI ones. But they work perfectly well. And don't detract from the original intent of their design.
While the rod grates are for sure easier to use/care for. They don't actually work with how the Q is designed to work
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Are they no longer available?
 
Chris, Stanbroil sold them 2-3 years ago and then at the end of the year, they discounted them and sold them off. I wish I had bought a few sets at that time. I don't know why they quit making them. They are very good Q grates. They are 4mm thick

___ Stanbroil Q200 Grates (1).jpg
 
LMichaels said:
The way the Q is designed to work you lose a lot of efficiency of that design with those type of grates. The Q is designed to work with the grate actually being the diffuser. More of a "hybrid" grill/griddle than a regular grill with burners, then some type of heat distribution above them (flavorizer bars, ceramic briquettes, or in some cases a combination of those). Or back in the day there was the "Holland" grill with a large very heavy metal plate above the burner(s). Acting as diffuser and grease deflector.
There is a reason Weber always has the large heavy cast iron grates on a Q. It's NOT because it's cheaper. It's because they're designed to be an integral part of what makes the Q such a great little grill. Bruce and I have stainless ones but they're very thick and heavy plates of stainless. Laser or stamp cut. They weigh nearly as much as the CI ones. But they work perfectly well. And don't detract from the original intent of their design.
While the rod grates are for sure easier to use/care for. They don't actually work with how the Q is designed to work
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I totally understand the logic, but I've had the stainless rods a long while and have noticed no ill effects as far as cooking quality etc. Even works perfectly with it having a half griddle installed
 
Eric-NH said:
I totally understand the logic, but I've had the stainless rods a long while and have noticed no ill effects as far as cooking quality etc. Even works perfectly with it having a half griddle installed
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You won't notice anything bad happen. It's just not how the Qs are designed to actually work. There is no real mass there as in the SS ones Bruce and I have or the CI ones. So for what the Q is, I prefer to use it to it's design potential. But I get the convenience factor
 
LMichaels said:
You won't notice anything bad happen. It's just not how the Qs are designed to actually work. There is no real mass there as in the SS ones Bruce and I have or the CI ones. So for what the Q is, I prefer to use it to it's design potential. But I get the convenience factor
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I wonder if the biggest benefit would be keeping the grill hot when opening the lid. At that point the cast iron acting as a heat sink probably makes the most sense
 
That and spreading and releasing heat for good contact grilling. Like I indicated (and I think someone else made a really good post about a while ago). There are different ways heat can be managed and "moved" to the food. Qs are designed to act more as "contact" grills. More like a "griddle" than a grill as we think of a grill.
I think a big reason of that is for efficiency (both space and fuel) management. The way Weber designed the Q to work is actually pretty genius. And if you look at a few other "portable" gas grills they do very similar designs. There are some that get by with out the "hybrid" design but they're generally not regarded as being particularly good. And they require way more fuel consumption as well.
 
Used the Q1000 again tonight to grill a couple of Kirkland's frozen grass fed burgers. I was so skeptical of how the Q would handle meat the way the larger Flavorizer bar models do (as good as charcoal IMO). But that grate design, nuisance as it is to clean compared to the larger model's grates, does an outstanding job. All I've made on the Q so far is burgers and flap steak but I am looking forward to doing chicken in the near future. I've just been red meat deficient for awhile and the only way I truly like it is grilled. I don't do recipes, casseroles, etc. For me, the world of beef is burgers and steaks. I do want to give pork chops a go as well. I just have to chuckle at myself that this Q sat, unused, in my garage since I bought it around covid. Now? I'm using it almost daily!

P.S. I'm not uploading photos because how many pictures of a couple burgers on a grill do we really need to see? ;)
 
Chris: Yah, Q grills may not be for everyone, and they do have their limitations, but they are awesome grilling machines, all things consider.
Pork chops are great on the Q and starting to hit my shopping cart a lot more often these days due to the price difference between that and beef.

Throw some well seasoned skin on chicken breasts and you will be very happy with the results.
 
Bruno said:
Veggies, I think my Q is my best veggie cooker. Asparagus a little SPG! And avacado oil.
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I've read a number of posts, maybe from just a couple guys, saying how much they liked their Qs for veggies. On the Silver B, we've done corn on the cob, sliced red peppers, zucchini, onions and potatoes. So far, on the Q, as I posted, it's only been burgers and flap steak. I bought a little pcci grill for it and am going to try scallops and shrimp if I remember to get some thawed out overnight.
 
Depends on the chicken you are doing (whole, spatchcock, pieces) there are different techniques to consider with the Q. May want to set it up for indirect cooking with pan and rack. Check Youtube as there are a few good videos that I learned from and got great results.
 
IDK, I've done a lot of things on Qs but a whole bird is not one I think I'd attempt. What is the deal with the strange grate conglomeration? Never seen that
 
Larry, why would you not attempt a whole chicken on a Q3xx. I would think you could even do a pretty good sized one on a Q2xx.

Those grates are similar to our grates Larry. But I am skeptical that they have the blanked out areas that cover the burners. I have a set of those that fit a Genesis Silver B/1000.
 
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