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Recommend me a built-in outdoor grill

Storm the Field

By Storm the Field
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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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Conversation begins and ends with this.  And I don't think it's even close.  This is Weber's only built in grill option.  After some exhaustive research, which included talking to a lot of neighbors and buddies and even using some of their more common ones (Bull comes to mind which is one a lot of builders use), this is where I landed.  I've put one in each of the last two outdoor kitchens I've built.  And when I build my next one, that's what I'll get.  Even if I buy a place that already has an outdoor kitchen, I'll tear it out and put in one of these.

You pay a little extra, but it's worth it.  And yes, they may have a couple bells and whistles that you think you don't need (i.e. rotisserie) but you're paying extra for the Weber.  And the best model that Weber makes.  Plus it's not that much more than most other brands...a few hundred bucks maybe.  Also, these come with storage underneath which most don't have so it's probably about a wash if you were to add the doors for that.  And I'd be shocked if it doesn't last ten plus years.

I did the 4 burner my first round and the 6 burner my second round.  I'll probably just go back to the 4 burner when I do another one.  Only difference is grilling capacity and I really didn't need all that space very often as I don't entertain a whole lot.  But if you cook for a lot of people, go with the 6.

Pretty sure you can find them a little cheaper than what the Weber site has them listed at if you shop it around right and maybe catch a sale.  But even at full retail...worth every penny.  Thank me later.

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/gas-grills/summit-series/7260001.html?cgid=221#start=1

7260001B_1800x1800.png?fit=fill&h=950&w=

Or the larger one...

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/gas-grills/summit-series/7460001.html?cgid=221#start=1

7360001_1800x1800.png?fit=fill&h=950&w=1

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Gladeite

Gladeite 375

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Weber is the correct answer.  Had it at my last house and I was a steak searing magician.  900 degrees was no problem and easily the best grill I ever had.

Just moved into a new house and went to look at the Weber, got talked into the 3X more expensive TEC with ceramic plate, smoker grill, etc...  It sucks compared to the Weber.

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Bert Orange

Bert Orange 1120

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My summit 670 just turned 13. I had the box liner, all burner tubes and grates/flavorizer bars replaced under warranty at year 8 (they needed it). Warranty was outstanding. No questions asked. Didn’t even ask for pics. Just shipped me the parts and had a licensed Weber guy come replace all the stuff. New grill at 8 years for all intensive purposes. 
 

all that said, buddy has a Firemagic and it has my eye if I go built in route next. 

Edited by Bert Orange
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PorscheGuy

PorscheGuy 127

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Have had a Weber for years and love it.  Will be 4 years old soon and I use it 4 or 5 nights a week  

That being said, I went with Blaze for the outdoor kitchen that should be finished up next week.  It checked all the important boxes in terms of price, options, capabilities, etc.  I researched the hell out of almost everything on the market and picked Blaze over the Weber mainly because i did not like the look of the built-in webers (looks like the one I have, just without side burner and table) and because of lack of options for side burner configurations. 

 

Check out BBQguys.com.  They have awesome package deals.  I saved a ton of money on a set of drawers and doors, trash can pull out, trim kits and under counter fridge when I bought the grill and double side burner.  Free next day delivery, no tax, good customer service.  Also bought outdoor gas fireplace and a few other things as well.

I did use my friends built in Blaze a few weeks ago and was seriously impressed, which made me a lot less nervous about the switch.  

I'll report back soon once it gets hooked up and I fire it up a few times.  

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Storm the Field

Storm the Field 5294

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Thanks for the input guys, has been really helpful. I think I'm ultimately gonna go with a setup fairly similar to Buzzrock's with a hard-wired 4 burner gas grill and an adjacent kamado. Looks like the equivalent Bull to the one in that picture, just without the extra setup runs about $1500, which is significantly more affordable than some of the other options.

Question for those of you with a Bull: How well do the burners hold up over years of use? 

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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1 hour ago, Storm the Field said:

Thanks for the input guys, has been really helpful. I think I'm ultimately gonna go with a setup fairly similar to Buzzrock's with a hard-wired 4 burner gas grill and an adjacent kamado. Looks like the equivalent Bull to the one in that picture, just without the extra setup runs about $1500, which is significantly more affordable than some of the other options.

Question for those of you with a Bull: How well do the burners hold up over years of use? 

I don’t know how they hold up, but I specifically remember cooking on my buddy’s Bull when I was researching these things and I found the temps to be pretty inconsistent, which is what I didn’t like compared to the Weber.  Hot and cool spots across the surface.  Weber also seemed to have much better precision with its burners.  That was also like 10 years ago so maybe they’ve improved that?

I do think a lot of it is that you really don’t know what you’re missing unless you know.  I know there are even pretty extreme differences between the levels of Webers.  The Summit is the best and it’s noticeable compared to some lower tier models.  My dad has like a Weber Genesis or something and he marveled at how great my Summit cooked compared to his.

I remember my wife thought she had to have a Wolf range at the first house we built and I thought she’d lost her fucking mind.  Told her there was no way in hell we were getting an $11K range.  That’s just stupid.  So, we compromised and she got the Wolf range.  Happy wife blah blah blah.  Then I cooked on it.  I’ll never own anything but a Wolf again.  There’s just a difference.  It’s like a car or anything else.  Driving a Chevy is great and you can totally drive one all day and be really happy with it.  Until you get used to driving a Cadillac.

That said, I wish I had some of the money back that I’ve spent on Webers and Wolfs over the years.  And cars.  So, maybe I’m the sucker.

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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2 hours ago, chesthair said:

You are doing mankind a huge disservice if you dont also include a built in flat top.  I use it 3:1 over my built in grill.  

I don't think Weber makes a built in flat top.  So, Give me one of these...

7404_reverse_side.png?auto=compress,form

https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/cooking/griddles-and-planchas/7404.html#q=griddle&lang=en_US&start=1

And this over a BGE...

18301001F_1800x1800.png?auto=compress,fo

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/charcoal-grills/summit-charcoal-grill-series/18301001.html?cgid=226#start=1

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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I'm not sure I'm not just gonna go with these 2 as my complete finished product when I "build" my next outdoor kitchen.  Not built in, but the advantage there is I can take it with me when I move.  Plenty of counter space between the 2 work spaces and every feature I can think of needing...rotisserie, sear station, side burner, storage cabinets, etc.  Total all-in price at full retail would be $5,600.  I know I can't do anything built in for that price.

Only thing it doesn't address is refrigerator, which is a problem.  Need to keep work-shopping it for that.

292101_1800x1800.png?auto=compress,forma

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/gas-grills/summit-series/292101.html?cgid=221#start=1

18501001AB_1800x1800.png?auto=compress,f

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/charcoal-grills/summit-charcoal-grill-series/18501001.html?cgid=226#start=1

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Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

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Didnt want to start a whole new thread but I'm in the process of getting design ideas for an outdoor living area. moving to a new home so we have blank canvass. We are wanting to go the fully covered route with built ins---Grill, BGE, Fridge, etc. Any of you have thoughts of musts haves? pictures of what you all have? Budget will be 35k-40k.

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Grimas

Grimas 669

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I bought a Saber 3-Burner SS grill (Char-Broil’s high end line) over 5 years ago and their customer service has been great! Just passed the 5 year warranty and I need the infra-red grates replaced (under the grill and prevent flare-ups) as they were rusted out and they offered to replace them even though I’m past the warranty date for free if I just pay the shipping costs...

I also have a BGE and WSM that I also use. (I stopped using the WSM since I got the BGE but mainly out of playing with the new toy...)

one thing to consider in the kitchen is a high-BTU burner -  I bought a “wok- burner” that is used by food carts all over Asia for both the Wok as well as putting a big 80lt crawfish boil pot on it.  I use it for stir fry almost as much as the grill as it generates many more BTU’s than my gas countertop inside....

Running water and electricity are things that would have been nice when I built my kitchen but I’ve done fine without them...  to be honest, the one thing I regret is not having a second dishwasher for the occasional times when you have a big party but am about to install a second one in the regular kitchen...

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Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1552

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12 hours ago, Errestaurants said:

Didnt want to start a whole new thread but I'm in the process of getting design ideas for an outdoor living area. moving to a new home so we have blank canvass. We are wanting to go the fully covered route with built ins---Grill, BGE, Fridge, etc. Any of you have thoughts of musts haves? pictures of what you all have? Budget will be 35k-40k.

From the perspective of what to get, go with what you know / use from a cooking standpoint.  For me, I bypassed the gas grill and went with a built-in charcoal grill.  Get an outdoor rated fridge.  They're expensive, but if you go with a cheap one that's not rated for outdoors, you may be replacing it every few years.  A sink is a must.  Small electric on-demand water heater as well.  If you have the flexibility to tie in to the house's sewer line, consider adding a garbage disposal.  Run plenty of power, too.  I added a griddle and a big power burner.  Get plenty of under-cabinet storage if you have the room.  TV / surround sound goes without saying.  That's a healthy budget, and you should be able to get something pretty kick ass.

From a brand perspective, there's lots to choose from.  Lynx is popular, but expensive.  We went with Bull and have been very happy.  Bought everything from Four Seasons Outdoors in Driftwood.  The owner Will is a good dude and can really help with product selection.  I think they do design and even turnkey construction as well now.  We had a warranty issue on one of the burners of the griddle, and they took care of it including pro-actively replacing the other two burners that would have eventually failed.

Regarding construction, make sure it's either CMU or metal studs.  DON'T let anyone use framing (even pressure treated).  Consider finishing out the interior of the cabinets if they're not self-contained units.  I regret not doing that.  The inside of my cabinets are just raw masonry.  Not visible to others, but stuff gets dusty when stored in there.  I went with galvanized countertops to save money and to match our aesthetics.  It goes without saying, but make sure your countertops are durable and won't get too hot (avoid dark colors) in the sun.

strauss-33.jpg
strauss-32.jpg

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Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1552

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11 hours ago, Grimas said:

I bought a Saber 3-Burner SS grill (Char-Broil’s high end line) over 5 years ago and their customer service has been great! Just passed the 5 year warranty and I need the infra-red grates replaced (under the grill and prevent flare-ups) as they were rusted out and they offered to replace them even though I’m past the warranty date for free if I just pay the shipping costs...

I also have a BGE and WSM that I also use. (I stopped using the WSM since I got the BGE but mainly out of playing with the new toy...)

one thing to consider in the kitchen is a high-BTU burner -  I bought a “wok- burner” that is used by food carts all over Asia for both the Wok as well as putting a big 80lt crawfish boil pot on it.  I use it for stir fry almost as much as the grill as it generates many more BTU’s than my gas countertop inside....

Running water and electricity are things that would have been nice when I built my kitchen but I’ve done fine without them...  to be honest, the one thing I regret is not having a second dishwasher for the occasional times when you have a big party but am about to install a second one in the regular kitchen...

Good point on the dishwasher.  Same as the garbage disposal.  If you're tied in to your sewer line, do it.  It's a pain the in ass hand-washing and/or dragging everything inside to clean. 

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Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

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2 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

From the perspective of what to get, go with what you know / use from a cooking standpoint.  For me, I bypassed the gas grill and went with a built-in charcoal grill.  Get an outdoor rated fridge.  They're expensive, but if you go with a cheap one that's not rated for outdoors, you may be replacing it every few years.  A sink is a must.  Small electric on-demand water heater as well.  If you have the flexibility to tie in to the house's sewer line, consider adding a garbage disposal.  Run plenty of power, too.  I added a griddle and a big power burner.  Get plenty of under-cabinet storage if you have the room.  TV / surround sound goes without saying.  That's a healthy budget, and you should be able to get something pretty kick ass.

From a brand perspective, there's lots to choose from.  Lynx is popular, but expensive.  We went with Bull and have been very happy.  Bought everything from Four Seasons Outdoors in Driftwood.  The owner Will is a good dude and can really help with product selection.  I think they do design and even turnkey construction as well now.  We had a warranty issue on one of the burners of the griddle, and they took care of it including pro-actively replacing the other two burners that would have eventually failed.

Regarding construction, make sure it's either CMU or metal studs.  DON'T let anyone use framing (even pressure treated).  Consider finishing out the interior of the cabinets if they're not self-contained units.  I regret not doing that.  The inside of my cabinets are just raw masonry.  Not visible to others, but stuff gets dusty when stored in there.  I went with galvanized countertops to save money and to match our aesthetics.  It goes without saying, but make sure your countertops are durable and won't get too hot (avoid dark colors) in the sun.

strauss-33.jpg
strauss-32.jpg

Wow. That's really nice brother. What stone is on the patio? 

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7777

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On 11/19/2019 at 12:24 PM, Landomatic said:

I don't think Weber makes a built in flat top.  So, Give me one of these...

7404_reverse_side.png?auto=compress,form

https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/cooking/griddles-and-planchas/7404.html#q=griddle&lang=en_US&start=1

And this over a BGE...

18301001F_1800x1800.png?auto=compress,fo

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/charcoal-grills/summit-charcoal-grill-series/18301001.html?cgid=226#start=1

$1,500 for a Weber Kettle?  You must be out of your damn mind.

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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4 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

$1,500 for a Weber Kettle?  You must be out of your damn mind.

That’s not a kettle.  That’s Weber’s BGE answer.  Not that far off in price when you add a table for the big green egg.  With a better lid and some other technological improvements, most reviews I’ve seen agree it’s worth the extra $.

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7777

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12 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

That’s not a kettle.  That’s Weber’s BGE answer.  Not that far off in price when you add a table for the big green egg.  With a better lid and some other technological improvements, most reviews I’ve seen agree it’s worth the extra $.

I'm a big Weber fanboy for their kettles and propane grills, but I'll stick with the guys who have been doing ceramic forever.

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Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

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6 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

It's just regular 2-1/4" patio stone (limestone).  I had my mason cut it to random sizes.  We used a colored mortar (Eldridge Buff from AHI) on both the patio stone and the stone veneer. 

What is your total spend? If u dont want to Humblebrag then PM. Thanks for your input.

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Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1552

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Posted
1 hour ago, Errestaurants said:

What is your total spend? If u dont want to Humblebrag then PM. Thanks for your input.

It's hard to give it an exact number since we rolled it in to the initial build.  I own a construction company, so I did it myself (no GC fee), and a lot of the work was done by my employees (masonry, countertops).

All the stone work went into the masonry budget.  Same with electrical and plumbing.  I spent $8K on appliances (refrigerator, griddle, burner, charcoal grill) plus stainless cabinet fronts.  I'd say the outdoor kitchen was $20-25K give or take, excluding patio cover but including associated masonry work, fire pit, etc.  Like I said, you can get a pretty nice setup, including foundation and cover for $35-40K.

Quote

I've heard/had a couple people tell me that outdoor sinks aren't worth it. Basically they just collect dirt and shit. Most I cook for is 8. 

They do tend to collect dirt and insects.  But, I still think it's worth it.  I keep knives, platters, etc out there and I like not having to go back inside to wash them.  

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conVINCEd

conVINCEd 21469

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16 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

I guess sinks and dishwashers and disposals are whole other level shit because I’ve seen some great outdoor kitchens/bars but never saw a need for those things.  I keep all my grilling tools and dishes inside so I can’t ever see needing any of those things.

If I was building from scratch, you could talk me into a sink.  But dishwashers/disposals are a little much.

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Sam Lin

Sam Lin 3556

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Posted

I also have paper towels, but good luck being food-safe with paper towels.

Depends on your cooking situation. I mainly cook for large groups, where I'm rinsing and using a pan again and again (tangent: any serious Chinese restaurant puts a swing-out faucet right over the stove, so you can rinse your wok while on the stove), or where a pan used for raw food gets washed and immediately used to carry cooked food.

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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13 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I also have paper towels, but good luck being food-safe with paper towels.

Depends on your cooking situation. I mainly cook for large groups, where I'm rinsing and using a pan again and again (tangent: any serious Chinese restaurant puts a swing-out faucet right over the stove, so you can rinse your wok while on the stove), or where a pan used for raw food gets washed and immediately used to carry cooked food.

You serious?  The faucet above the range is for filling pasta water.  Pot filler...not pot cleaner.  Speaking of food-safe.  How do you really intend to sterilize a pot with tap water and no soap or drain?

Anyway, yeah I guess it depends on your style.  I’ve just never needed a sink for grilling.  Do most of my prep and all of my dishes inside.

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Sam Lin

Sam Lin 3556

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7 hours ago, Landomatic said:

You serious?  The faucet above the range is for filling pasta water.  Pot filler...not pot cleaner.  Speaking of food-safe.  How do you really intend to sterilize a pot with tap water and no soap or drain?

Anyway, yeah I guess it depends on your style.  I’ve just never needed a sink for grilling.  Do most of my prep and all of my dishes inside.

You may have more Chinese restaurant experience than me, but I doubt it. My username will check out.

My outdoor sinks have hot water, soap, and drains, but for sterilizing, how does heat/cooking work? Rinse to remove the flavors from the last dish, and in goes the next dish.

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Landomatic

Landomatic 3813

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14 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

You may have more Chinese restaurant experience than me, but I doubt it. My username will check out.

My outdoor sinks have hot water, soap, and drains, but for sterilizing, how does heat/cooking work? Rinse to remove the flavors from the last dish, and in goes the next dish.

Wasn’t questioning your Chinese authenticity...questioning how the fuck just rinsing a pan with with tap water that’s intended as a pot filler is any better for food safety than a paper towel.

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Storm the Field

Storm the Field 5294

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13 hours ago, Errestaurants said:

any of you guys have a fireplace/fire pit? and actually use it? 

We're putting in a gas fire pit to the side of the stairs heading up to the outdoor kitchen. Pool guy is actually doing it as part of the pool build. I plan to use it often.

I currently have a cheap throwdown wood fire pit and use it as much as possible during the 3-4 months where having a fire in Houston makes sense. I just really enjoy sitting out by the fire on a cold evening, drinking a good beer and reading a book while keeping an eye on something on the grill.

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