I did tons of research online to find the best gas grill. I wanted a good quality grill that will last, not rust out and not need constant upkeep and replacement parts. I'm only cooking for my wife and I so I did not need a huge oversized grill. I checked all of the local big box stores. The smaller grills at these stores had a nice price tag ($80-$150) but they were so flimsy and all of the online reviews said they either rusted out or broke after a year or two of use. I was willing to step it up a notch and pay more, but in the big box stores all you get for a bigger price tag is a bigger grill that will still rust out and break down after a couple of years. I wanted something that would last. The next option up in the big box stores was to purchase a Weber. Weber has a great reputation for quality, but they are so expensive and big. I found that the Broil King brand was the perfect solution to my problem. They build high quality grills (via Onward Manufacturing Co. which has some affiliateion with Weber, but I'mnot sure what.) Broil King has several differnt models with a lot of configurations and options. They are one of the few companies that use cast aluminum for the oven (it will not rust and comes with a lifetime warranty). Their burner design is praised in online reviews and comes with a 5 year warranty. They use heavy duty cast iron cooking grids that weigh over seven pounds each. Their heat diffuser (Flav-R-Wave) is made of heavy duty stainless steel (other companies use cheap steel..just a step up from aluminum foil). I finally narrowed my search down to a Monarch or Crown model. Amazon's price ($319), no tax and free shipping sold me on the Monarch 40.
One thing to note, is that the stand looks like stainless steel, but it isn't. It is steel painted to look like stainless. Also, I agree with another poster that the stand could use some extra stffness. The fact that the casters are plastic bother me, but they work and they are used on all of the Broil King's grills. So I think the only con on the Monarch line is the cart/stand. It will last, but I think the actual grill will outlast the cart. Of course, this is the bottom of the Broil King line. In the end, I think I finally found what I was looking for. I just wish Broil King was sold in more local stores. If they were, the would tear up the competition!
One final thought. The "Mr. Bar-B-Q Platinum Prestige Medium Grill Cover" is the perfect fit and best quality cover I have found. It was only $19.99 when I bought it...and free shipping!
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After dealing with corroding cooking grates, extremely uneven heat, and a bottom that had nearly rotted through my old grill, I decided it was time to replace my 6yr old Coleman grill. On one shoulder was a little voice "buy a Weber", while on the other was the cost-conscious "get another box-store special".
I wanted Weber quality at a reasonable price. I think the Broil King line is a great compromise. There are some obvious cost saving measures in the construction but they appear to be away from the major cooking components. The oven box (cast aluminum), cooking grates (cast-iron, NOT porcelin coated), and burners (stainless steel) are all high quality.
The pedistal on which the grill sits is where the construction seems a bit shoddy but this is a relatively light grill (being cast aluminum) and doesn't need a TON of support on which to rest. The pedistal is painted sheet metal which you bolt to the plastic base. It seems very light and flimsy when handling the components but when put together is actually very sturdy. Similarly, the side shelves are molded plastic, but one nice part is that they fold down for a lower profile when storing, and seem good and sturdy when in the upright position.
As for the performance of the grill, I've only cooked on it once but it is terrific. The heat is VERY even, and with the lid down it heats to 600 degrees in a matter of about 10-15 minutes. My first meal on the grill was a pork tenderloin which was juicy, delicious, and evenly cooked throughout. Even the grilled asparagus was a breeze with the even heat provided by the burners/cast iron grates. The grill slowly came down to a nice med/low heat. Precise temperature control appears to be one of the strong suits of the burners in this unit.
And in a boneheaded move, upon preheating the grill for my first meal, I mistakenly lit both burners, AND the side burner while the cover was still down. Coming back out to the grill 10 minutes later I realized my mistake, but it was too late the paint on the side-burner cover was burning/melting, as was the plastic handle. I later called the Broil King customer service line and then quoted me about $5 for the parts, and $10 for shipping fair enough I thought. Then the rep tells me that they're going to send it out to me free of charge! Awesome customer service!
As another reviewer mentioned, they have an affiliation with Weber, as I believe all Weber grills in Canada are sold through Onward manufacturing (the maker of Broil King). It makes perfect sense, b/c their service is top notch. Try getting that kind of response from one of the box store brands....
I'm looking forward to many years of happy outdoor cooking with this grill, and am confident that if/when I need to relpace something it will be easily handled by Broil King's customer service. I am also confident that if I take reasonable care of the grill it's lifespan will challenge the Weber that I was looking at that cost nearly double.
Bottom line: Nice grill, great price (esp. with Amazon prime free shipping), great company to deal with. As long as you're not hung up on the name brand sitting on your deck, get one and don't look back you're wallet will thank you.
Best Deals for Broil King 934664 Monarch 40 40,000-BTU Liquid-Propane Gas Grill
I chose the Broil King over a Weber Spirit 210 after much study and indecision. Walmart discounted the Webers by (...) but they did not have cast iron grates. Home Depot has the Weber with the cast iron grates but at full retail (Walmart now has dropped price on Weber by (...) for floor models. The reviews of the Broil King were all very good and I liked the style and the cast iron grates which make for a great sear. I purchased my Monarch 40 from Amazon and received it in 2 days with free shipping. The box arrived with a hole in the side which looked like a forklift had missed a pallet and hit the box. I opened the box fearing the worse. There was no apparent forklift damage but three key pieces were bent. Both sides of the stand were bend along the fringe where the holes are placed for assembly. The front edge of the grill oven itself, the most visible area below the knobs, was bent in two places. I began assembly and realized that the second plastic caster (small wheel) was missing. I will be calling customer service tomorrow and will follow up with a report on service. The grill was very easy to assemble although the directions are not very detailed. Much of the assembly is obvious and there are no steps that take you too far so you have to disassemble if you make a mistake. I had to use a red brick to balance for the missing castor but the grill fired right up and was at nearly 700 degrees in about 15 minutes. I seared and cooked boneless chicken breast, onions wrapped in foil and attempted to cook tofu kabobs but they stuck onto the grate and the warming rack (my mistake not the grill). The chicken and onions turned our great and when I turned down the temperature it leveled off to around 250 300 degrees and the chicken was moist inside but with a nice sear. At over (...), it was extremely distressing to find bent parts. Only the bent edge of the oven is visible once assembled. Missing a castor was irritating as well. It seems like the actual cooking parts of the grill are solid and well made and I was pleased with the first cooking experience. I had what I think was a small Broil King in the 1990s that lasted several years and the stand gave out before the actual oven. I am hoping I will get that type of performance from this one and that I do not regret passing up the Weber. I have tried Uniflame and Charbroil grills and never got more than a year to 18 months out of them before parts rusted, broke off of stopped working. I would recommend this grill based upon my initial impressions notwithstanding the bent parts and missing castor. There are a lot of bad grills out there and few worth parting with (...) or more. From my research, Broil King and Weber appear to be a safe investment.
Honest reviews on Broil King 934664 Monarch 40 40,000-BTU Liquid-Propane Gas Grill
This grill got high marks on a grill-review site. Had a good price here and so chose it based on positive reviews. Love it. Have grilled steaks, salmon, burgers, chicken, etc. Starts easily and cooks great. Very hot, and warms up quickly. Most grills have gone to a molded sheet metal cook box, but this one is cast aluminum...so it is sturdier and maintains better temperature. Cooking grid is cast iron which is better for grilling...plus gives nice sear marks. Flameup preventer works great and is far superior to other grills I've owned. Can cook really hot, with very few flameups. It's cheaper than other grills, but the economy pieces are the base and sides...not the cook box (which is the most important part). I am VERY pleased with this purchase.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Broil King 934664 Monarch 40 40,000-BTU Liquid-Propane Gas Grill
I read many of the reviews before deciding to buy this model of grill. While it is better than many grills on the market in this price range, Broil King's quality seems to have gone down over the years. The box arrived with only minor outside damage, nothing that would cause internal harm. The grill was not difficult to put together even though some of the graphics were not the best. Several of the sheet metal pieces had to be tweaked back in to place due to minor bends. The screws and nut assemblies seem to indicate poorer quality hardware as them seem to give as they were being tightened. The description says the cast iron grates are porcelain covered and they are not.
The next day I went and bought a new tank to try it out, only to find out the ignitor doesn't work. Tried a new battery and still nothing. Not a problem it has a hole to light the burner with a butane lighter. The grill reaches temperature quickly and easily achieves 600 F. The outside ends get a lot hotter than the center especially when using one burner. I tried wiping the cast iron grates with oil and seasoning them but so far it has not resulted in any lasting effect. It would have been nice if they were porcelain coated as the description states. On a positive note flare ups have not been a problem and the cast aluminum housing will last a lifetime. I still enjoy cooking on it and it will beat many of the grills in this price category in a side by side comparison.
