Discount Broil King 996647 Imperial 490 Natural Gas Grill with Side Burner

Customer Ratings:

I was tired of buying a disposable grill every three or four years and I was tired of running out of propane in the middle of the burn. So I went hunting for the best all-stainless natural gas portable out there, and I think I found it. For starters, the parent company, Onward Manufacturing, has been around about as long as me and has grown and morphed into one of the major contenders. They make and distribute other brands including Weber, but the Imperial line is the hands-down winner based an cost and features. And they're made in America.

Everything except the cart box is solid stainless, including the double layer hood, the burners, reflectors and grates. It comes partially knocked down but is easily assembled with a #3 philips in about an hour. The instructions are all pictographic, so you don't need a degree in engineering to understand them. It comes complete with a back burner and rotisserie (both easily removed), three large drawers and even interior lights. The natural gas flex line and connections fittings are also included. I really don't think you'll find such a complete package until you approach the $2,000 range.

My first few uses have been modest in scope, but the performance seems fine. There's a little front/back heat difference, but that's pretty common. The heat retention with the hood closed is impressive. The rotiserie roasts low and slow as you'd hope. Two large chickens took about an hour and were eavenly done.

The $50 cover is worth the price, custom fit and heavy duty.

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I decided on this grill after looking at several other bbq grills in the 400-600 dollar range. What I came to discover is that all of the grills in that price range are essentially low quality and I wanted something that would last me a long time so that meant I was going to spend more money which I was ok with. I looked at Weber, Napoleon, and Broil King. From what I could tell, all were of exceptional quality. I felt that the Broil King Imperial 490 offered the most features for the money. It came with very nice built in hood lights and a great rotisserie kit. Plus the company has been in business for 20+ years and is built in North America (which was important to me). Overall I am very happy with the quality of the grill. It came almost completely assembled and only took me a short time to install the side tables and wheels. I highly recommend this bbq for anyone who is looking to make the jump from an entry level grill to something better. Like the other review, I did notice some difference in cooking temp from the front to back but nothing major. The ignition system and burner controls are the best I have seen yet. Lots of storage and nice thick heavy duty stainless steel cooking grates and internal baffles. This one should last me a long time!

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There are a number of alternative products in this category, but few are as well made as the Broil King. The added value in this model are the side burner, the rotisserie and the really useful drawers.

The unit performs as it should and produces great results. Looks like it will last for many years and I would be happy to but another identical unit if I ever need to replace this one.

Honest reviews on Broil King 996647 Imperial 490 Natural Gas Grill with Side Burner

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Broil King 996647 Imperial 490 Natural Gas Grill with Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie

Bought this grill to replace an 8 year old Members Mark stainless grill from Sams Club whose non stainless parts ( the burners) rusted out beyond repair. I spent about the same money for these grills. The cabinent on the Broil King is not sturdy or rigid and twists or warps enough for the drawers and doors to be obviouly out of alignment if it is not sitting on a perfectly smooth even surface. My grilling patio is brick pavers. I contacted the manufacturer and their solution was to send me what was supposed to be sturdier wheels for the unit. They are the exact same wheels that came with the original. The cabinent is simply not sturdy enough for the high dollar cost in my opinion. It borders on flimsy and if were not such a major pain to disassemble and repackage for return I would have done so. So far the grill gets good and hot but the anti flare up technology did not stop a flame up under a nice porterhouse. Don't walk away thinking your grill is impervious from turning your food to charcoal.

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Did my homework on this product and ordered thru Amazon and one of their suppliers for the grill. Problem was with the spec's offered on the website and there was no way to ask a question before ordering a $1400 grill. The order was placed and unfortunatly the wording on the site for the grill allowed me to order the wrong model (Not propane) natural gas instead. After receiving the unit and realizing it was the wrong gas supply type I contacted the "middleman" and was told that there was nothing they could do to help. They offered me the idea to try and sell the grill myself! They also admitted that the wording and opportunity to ask a question about product before ordering was nonexistent. Thankfully the manufacturer will sell me the conversion kit at cost and I have to convert myself. Think twice before using these "deals" on Amazon.