Weber Summit Gold B4

[sizedeep]

I'm new to the forum and I really enjoy reading what you guys (and gals) have to say about grilling. I am contemplating picking up a Weber Summit Gold B4 at Home Depot but I am a little nervous about the grills. They are the "stamped" stainless steel grills, not the higher end type. Has anybody had any experience with the Weber Summit Gold B4 and with this type of cooking surface? I am new to this stuff and would appreciate any help I can get. Also, Home Depot has this model on a clearance and I can have it for $879.00, which seems quite a bit cheaper than I've seen it elsewhere... Is it a good buy? Or should I get a bigger Ducane or Vermont Castings for the same money?

[snapshotmd]

I bought the same grill last year and if I were to do it again, I would've spent the extra $200 or so and gotten the platinum version. Weber doesn't normally stock the 14" wide ss rod grates and getting them is next to impossible, unless you stole the grates from someone with a platinum ;) . Other than that, this grill cooks like a champ! I still get decent grill lines from the stamped steel grid, but not as nice as a solid grate.

I'm planning on building my own solid grates. I have a buddy that knows how to weld.

snaps

[TomKattt]

That price is at least a couple hundred off the normal price. It's a good deal. The stamped grates are kind of a weak feature for a grill in this price range, but they work well enough. Weber sells the solid grates if you really must have them, but they are really expensive and probably aren't worth the money.

Regardless of the grates, I really don't think the Ducane or VC is a better grill than the Summit.

[snapshotmd]

The thing is, the 4 burner model is an odd size. You can certainly use the 12" wide solid rod grate, but it will leave 4 inches of open pit. What is needed is a 14" or 16" wide grate.

snaps

[sizedeep]

Hey, thanks alot all. I bought the grill last Thursday and I used it three times already!! I have to say, I love it. What do you guys recommend in terms of cleaning and maintenance? My buddy told me not to clean the grates and flavorizers after every use. Is that correct? Also, are the welded stainless grates available to fit my grill or no? Thanks again....

[JackStack]

Not sure on the flavorizers, I havent had a gas grill in 7 years, but I would clean the grate after or before every cook. It will keep your food from sticking to the grate, and picking up the charred remains of a previous meal. Im sure there are plenty of folks with the same grill that can give you great advice on how they clean theirs.

[snapshotmd]

What do you guys recommend in terms of cleaning and maintenance? My buddy told me not to clean the grates and flavorizers after every use. Is that correct?

It depends on who you believe. Those who clean the grates after cooking think that the grizzle may attract moisture and cause oxidation. Those who clean right before cooking think that the grease and oils left over from the last cook will help prevent rust; kinda like seasoning a cast iron frying pan.

Rust happens! Just make sure you have a clean grate before putting food on it.

As for the flavorizer bars, I only clean them if needed, ie. excessive flare ups

snaps

[TomKattt]

Your grill has stainless grates so they should not rust. The heavy bar-stock grates are better, they will fit your grill (you did get that Summit, right?) and they are great grates (I love saying that fast 3 times. :p ) You can buy them from Weber, or possibly get a little better price from Amazon or other aftermarket sellers. But the solid grates cost almost a hundred bucks each, and I really think you'll find the stamped grates will work well enough. For that price, it's hard to justify the cost.

Weber should have maintenance procedures in the owners manual or online. Most people just clean the grates, either before they cook or after. You want the grates to be clean and lubed when you put the food on them. But the rest of the grill only needs seasonal cleaning, maybe once a year, more or less. The flavorizor bars probably don't need to be cleaned since drippings and food burn off. The bottom tray needs to be cleaned out if too much gunk builds up because it can catch and absorb grease and cause flareups. But this shouldn't be necessary to clean very often. Most of the time, all you need to do is brush the grates.

[sizedeep]

Thanks again everyone... I'm going to stick with the grates I have for now, they seem to be working just fine. Maybe if (when) they need to be replaced I'll step up to the platinum grates.