Total Newbie

[Rudy]

Hi first I would like to introduce myself. My name is Rudy and I am a 19 year old college student. I have some money saved up and was looking at getting a grill. I am tired of using my room mates crappy eletric george forman which is awesome at turning the top and bottom of the meat extra tough :rolleyes: . Anyway I don't own a grill but have helped my dad a little on his gas grill growing up. However I much prefer the taste of a charcoal grill. I was looking at the Webers on their website. I had some questions.
First of all I don't think I would need the bigger 22.5 inch so I would go with the 18.5inch. The question is should I go with the gold touch or the silver touch. It looks like the gold has the ash catcher and maybe some slight extras in build quality but other than that to my untrained eye I don't see a difference. Nor do I see the need for the price jump. I don't however want to go purchase a grill and regret not upgrading. Any comments or suggestions. Certain material to read up on. I am very big into researching things before I do them. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

[Mingo]

Welcome Aboard!

This is THE place to be for all things grilling related...whole lotta talent 'round here.

One thing I've learned since signing on is that it's always best to go for a smidge bigger than you think you want/need because about the time you commit to something you'd of wished you'd of splurged for the larger size when you need the extra room.

If you are into charcoal taste over gas grills go with it...it's all preference, and taste. I'm not sure what the price range differences in the silver/gold, but if it's within a hundred bucks I'd go for the upgrades. Weber is one of the best (trust me, I learned the hard way) in both quality and customer service, so you are ahead of the game in picking them.

Have fun shopping & get grilling! :D

Mingo

[swamp smoker]

Hey Rudy
I say go for the gold and then chain it so no one steals it :cool: . You will own this grill for a long time if you just take a little care of it. I would recommend you getting this book [How To Grill] buy Steven Raichlen. This book will tell you a lot and get you up to speed quickly. Past most people you probably know. The small things are what make the difference and Steve explains alot of the pitfalls your likely to fall into.Look forward to your post.

Seeyaa
Swampsmoker

[hubgrill]

If you’re in the dorms I would suggest a cheap (Charbroil) gas. This is what I did in school.

Two friends and I bought it together. I lived in the dorms so I did not have a place to keep the grill outside. We stored it in the storage closet and hid the tank near the bike racks. We were able at a moments notice to run the grill down stairs and smile a jealous people passed by was we enjoyed grilling. It was quite the conversation starter with the ladies. We also took it to all the home football games and had a BYOM tailgate party. Much fun! Since gas cools quickly it was much more convenient for us. During homecoming we got a cheap travel charcoal to add to our grilling space.

I graduated and my two friends stayed in town as I moved back to Arkansas. Since it was a cheaper grill I felt like I got my monies worth there were no hard feelings and I didn’t worry about the grill.

Now that I am married and can leave my grill safely so it can cool off, I am all about cooking great for just one girl (my wife) I enjoy my charcoal kettle so much.

If you are expecting similar to what I describe I would seriously consider getting a cheap gas over charcoal for school.

[Rudy]

I decided I am going to step it up to the 22-1/2. I live in an appt so I have a porch I can chain it all up on. The real question is silver or gold?

[JackStack]

Definitely go for the gold, Makes ash removal so much easier, but then again that does eat in to the beer money, so you may want to get the silver. If you live in a norther state, check out Home Depot, Lowes, or any other stores that sell grills, they sometimes throw their floor models on clearance in the fall. The Target down the road from me had a 22.5in Silver on clearence for 39 bucks last year, it was missing the ash catch pan.

[sharky]

I have a silver 22.5 myself and love it. The ash catcher would be nice, but for the price I don't mind emptying the ashes from the tray myself.:-) You are in college, so unless you are made of money I would save the cash and use the extra for some nice Steaks to break your new purchase in!