Charbroil CB940x v. Bar-B-Chef Texas Grill

[LowRent]

Those chargrillers look pretty flimsy to me. Take a look a the legs. What is the body made out of? I wouldn't trust any grill for quality that was $139.00. Get a good quality grill. You'll pay more up front but less over the long term.

Know if you really want to make an investment take a look at this one.

It's a Rolls Royce but it will last you a lifetime!

http://www.bbqpits.com/20x42_grill_chef.htm

That was kinda my reaction to the Chargriller too. But, I have no doubt one could make some darn fine food on it. I'm no knocking it, but it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It is much less expensive, and one could make a strong case for it.

That linked Klose BBQ is gorgeous. Just out of curiosity, is there any correlation between Kloset BBQR & Dave Klose?

After looking through this forum and others it's obvious there are many fine, fine grills out there. I thought that $450 would be about the top of the line for a charcoal grill. Well, I'm wrong again.

For me, the value of the Texas Grill or CB940x is great enough that I can't justify the price of the higher-end brands/models. Now, I'm not saying others shouldn't go the high-end route. It's always nice to look at 'em anyway.

 

[Finney]

Lowrent,
Go look at the Texas grill and see what you think. Also, Sam's club sales a knock off of it made by Brinkman for approx $150 (at least they did last year). It is much cheaper made though. It does have a similar charcoal lift system and CI grates, but all the metal is thinner and the hinges are flimsier.

 

[Kloset BBQR]

That linked Klose BBQ is gorgeous. Just out of curiosity, is there any correlation between Kloset BBQR & Dave Klose?

Low rent,

The only connection is that I have a Klose smoker (20"x42") and am awaiting the arrival of a Klose grill. I did not order the one I linked since I already have a smoker but if someone was looking for a multipurpose grill and smoker (and had a large budget) , that is the one I would get. My Klose smoker weighs in at approximately 900lbs and the grill weighs approximately 700lbs.

The grill I got is on page 7 of the following link. You will need adobe reader to open it. It is a 24"x48" fajita style steak grill with hood, had an adjustable meat rack (hand cranked) a stainless steel work table and a fish fryer table (160,000) BTU's.

http://www.bbqpits.com/backyard_grills/ ... atalog.pdf

I'm not trying to sell you a Klose. Heck the shipping on that thing is over $500. I do believe though that if you are looking for a grill that will last you many years, then buy something of substance. That Texas grill to me looked like it had all the features that you are looking for. Like I said previously I've had bad luck with the Charbroil gas grills and would never consider owning another one. The charcoal charbroil does look to be a better quality than their gas grills though.

If you get a good quality grill, you can smoke in it also. I've done it many times on a Weber kettle. Have you considered a Weber? For a grill in the $100-$200 range they don't come any better than a Webber 22.5" Kettle. Spend a little extra money and get a rotisserie ring. For $179 you can pick up a WSM smoker. The WSM has won many championships. It is definitely the best economy smoker you can buy. Nothing comes Klose!

Here is a link for you on the WSM. Read all the 5 star reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... n&n=507846

Here is a link to the Weber grill that I own:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... n&n=553764

And definitely don't forget to get a Chimney starter:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... n&n=507846

I hope this helps. Just throwing out some other options for you. Don't know if you are into Q'ing or just grilling. I think that either of your options will work out fine for you for just plain grilling.

Good luck and let us know what you went with. If you have any questions, ask me today. I'll be out of town for the next two weeks on vacation.

Kloset

 

[LowRent]

That linked Klose BBQ is gorgeous. Just out of curiosity, is there any correlation between Kloset BBQR & Dave Klose?

Low rent,

The only connection is that I have a Klose smoker (20"x42") and am awaiting the arrival of a Klose grill.

So, you probably chose the spelling based on being a big fan of the Klose products? Got it. I was just curious.

Thanks again for the link. Those Klose grills are beyond my current means, but as I said they're still nice to look at and use for comparison.

I definitely do BBQ. I currently have a 22" Weber. It's clearly a fine product.

I do not do any smoking, but I may in the future -- with a smoker.

I mainly grill & Q.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for other options for the next few days, but I'm definitely leaning toward the Texas Grill. It really seems to fit the bill for me.

 

[Kloset BBQR]

Low rent,

It looks like a fine grill. I think you'll be happy with it. Make sure you let us know when you take her out on its Maiden Voyage!

And post some pictures too!

Kloset

 

[Bruce B]

Hey TexLaw,

When you smoked on your 22.5, did you have a water pan over the coals and a drip pan under the meat? Or, how was your set up?

 

[Kloset BBQR]

Bruce,

I know that this question wasn't directed at me but I thought I would chime in anyway. When I smoked on my Weber I set up the grill for indirect heating, that is half the coal on the far left and far right of the grill with the water pan approximately half full of water in the center. Place the meat over the water pan. Use the vents to control the temp. Had no problem smoking a couple of racks of baby back for over 4 hours on one chimney starter full of charcoal briquettes.

I also took about three cups of presoaked hickory chips, wrapped them in 2 aluminum foi pouchesl, punctured the foil puches on top only, and place the foil pouches directly on the coals to get the desired smoke effect.

Hope this helps. Now off to the airport and spring break with the family.

Kloset

 

[Finney]

I forgot you had that Corndog. If they just made a charcoal grill.

 

[LowRent]

Hey TexLaw,

When you smoked on your 22.5, did you have a water pan over the coals and a drip pan under the meat? Or, how was your set up?

Bruce,
I also am aware this question was not addressed to me. So, I'm just going to chime in with my experience, but I would not presume to answer for someone else. In other words, just my $.02.

Basic set up:
I've used about 1/3-1/2 a chimney full of ashed over brickets placed in a mound on one side only. If you substitued lump it would need to be tended more rigorously, of course. I added a couple of big hunks, e.g. about 3" x 3" x 2", of hickory on top of the coals.

Maintenance:
I kept a close eye on the 22.5. I added more cold charcoal to the fading hot coals after about an hour and 15 minutes. That was the only time I added coal. I also added more hickory whenever I noticed smoke dwindling. I could always see smoke coming from the grill. I never checked the temperature with a guage, but it was "low." It was substantially hotter than a true smoker, of course.

I smoked/Qued a butt this was for three hours before wrapping it in HD aluminum foil and placing it in the oven at 250 for 3 more hours. It turned out very well IMO. A friend, whose done very well at butt competitions in this area, said it was very good too. I believe he was sincere.

I did not use a drip pan, but I had a bunch off fat/juice in the ash catch pan as a result.

I dry rubbed the butt the nite before, but put no other prep into the meat. Of course I let it rest for about a half-hour before cutting/shreading it.

EDITED TO ADD: of course, we're talking about indirect heating so the butt was on the opposite side of the grill from the heat. The butts I work with are in the 10-12 lb range.

 

[Finney]

VodkaTonic,
The Bar-B-Chef, Texas grill is only available at BBQ Galore. You can buy it on Amazon... but you are still buying it from BBQ Galore. Still $75 to ship.

 

[LowRent]

Is the Bar-B-Chef Texas Grill only found at BBQGalore? I live in Michigan -- nowhere near a store -- and it is $75 for delivery...

The grill & stand is very heavy. It may be $75 to ship, but they also get you for something like $26.xx for other charges. So, you're just in excess of $100 total costs. However, you won't be charged sales tax. So, there is a partial offset.

There is a grand opening promotion in Fulsom, CA. I mention it because the store manager, Dan, in Atlanta, GA (Duluth) honored the 15% discount from that out-of-state-promotion.

If you can get someone else to do that for you, or maybe have Dan ship you one, then your bottom line price will be around $481.65.

The price at $449 plus 6.5% tax is $478.16. That's a negligible difference.

I believe the Fulsom promotion runs through the end of the month. If Atlanta isn't willin to work with you, you could contact any of the Sacramento, CA stores to see if they'd ship one to you.

It's well worth it. I just got one. It's impressive, and I can't wait to use it more. It's an oustanding grill. I think over on the BBQGalore forum someone was complaining that the grates could be heavier. I can't see why. They're very substantial, and I have no complaints.

I couldn't be happier.

 

[Bruce B]

VodkaTonic,

ROAD TRIP :partyman: :drinkers: \/ :joy:

 

[Finney]

LowRent,
You bought your grill in the nick of time. I went to BBQ Galore (Charlotte, NC) on Friday and the steel version of the Texas Grill had gone up $50 and the stainless version had gone up $90. The bitch at the store wouldn't even talk about the discount that you had gotten. Even though it wouldn't have been any cheaper than it was on Thursday.

 

[LowRent]

LowRent,
You bought your grill in the nick of time. I went to BBQ Galore (Charlotte, NC) on Friday and the steel version of the Texas Grill had gone up $50 and the stainless version had gone up $90. The bitch at the store wouldn't even talk about the discount that you had gotten. Even though it wouldn't have been any cheaper than it was on Thursday.

That stinks, dude. There are other good grills out there. I'm sure you'll keep your eyes open for "deals." Don't forget about the CB940x for $329. Of course, you'd have to get it from Columbus, GA. Something to keep in mind when you plan your vacation, etc.