I like my Weber Baby Q. I believe it's called the Weber Q100 now.

 

To the OP let me give you some gas grill buying tips:

1. NEVER buy anything made by Charbroil
2. NEVER buy anything from a major B&M store unless it's a Weber (Charbroil, Kenmore, Amana, et al are all pure junk. They look good until you use them).
3. Do buy the following brands, Weber, Viking ($$$), Vermont Castings, DCS ($$$)
4. Do make sure the grates (cooking surface) are enameled cast iron.
5. Be prepared to spend at least $450 (Weber Spirit E-310).

 

we had a trusty weber for 8 years (a small one) before we finally replaced it with....another weber. relatively cheap

 

I did buy an off-brand Members Mark grill from Sam's Club. I looked at grills everywhere and I wanted a good quality unit that would hold up and not need rebuilding every year. I'm very hard on a grill and I wanted something heavy in SS with good "guts" to go along with it. This was the best I found under $1000. Buying an off brand might very well come back and bite me in the butt when I do need parts but many parts are pretty much standard. The outside of my grill still looks almost new, the grates are in fine shape, but the burners will need work in the next 6 months.

 

Be aware that some high-end companies have low-end versions of some bbqs which look similar to their expensive counterparts but are made with inferior parts (ie. non-stainless fasteners).

Be aware of this if you come across a deal that is too good to be true.

Avoid the ones you'll see at Loblaws or Superstore (President's Choice or otherwise) as they may look nice, but always have inferior parts.

Like you said, if you're going cheap, go cheap. Don't look for a middle ground. I spent $140 at home depot on my BBQ with a cover and some crappy cooking utensils, but it is now going on month 11 and looks brand new because I clean it lightly after use. It heats evenly, uses very little propane (I'm still on my first tank and the thing averages 2 uses /week), and it's solid enough.

When you spend less money, you spend more time assembling.

 

One caution on stainless steel. There are various grades being sold and all have the name stainless steel. The best test is to use a magnet. If it sticks it is cheap stainless (too much steel). If it falls off it has a high nickle content which is what you want for durability.

 

I personally do not like a gas grill! But Weber does make a good grill.

 

What's the budget?

I have a Kalamazoo Gas Grill, ain't cheap but will last. I also use a Weber and have a smoker.

Brother's wife is a trained chef with her own restaurant in Beverly Hills.

She has taught my wife and I well, we eat good at our house

 

So far I have looked at Broil Mate which is made in Canada, and a Charmglo (made in China)

I also looked at a Broil Mate charocol, these are heavy duty, built way better that the BM gas.

The lady at homedepot said no way to the made in china ones. The funny thing is they have heavier lids and look better built.

I am going to look at Sterling as a brand this weekend. I would really love the big green egg, if the truth be told.

 

Weber.