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Outdoor Grills - DCS vs. American Outdoor Grill

nandakumar
11 years ago

We are planning to build an outdoor kitchen with 36" grill with additional side burners and sink.

Below are the two grills we liked, could please give your opinion/recommendations or suggest any other 36" grill below $3000.

Thanks in Advance

1. American Outdoor Grill 36NBX - $2000

36" Built-in Gas Grill with 648 sq. in. Cooking Surface, 61,000 Total BTU, 3 Stainless Steel Burners, Rotisserie with Back burner and Heavy Duty Warming Rack

2. DCS BGB36BQARN - $3500

36" Built-in Gas Grill with 3-25,000 BTU Burners, Heavy-Duty Rotisserie Motor and Smart Beam Grill Light

Comments (21)

  • Nunyabiz1
    11 years ago

    For "me" the way I cook outside and what I need, such as cooking "BBQ" smoking, high temp sear, pizza oven, etc.

    If I had that much money to spend on a grill I would get a XL Oval Primo Kamado Grill and set it into a nice counter top.
    About $1200.
    Then get a Solaire 27" GXL with Rotisserie which is true Infrared and Convection combination.
    About $2000.

    Those 2 side by side and you can cook ANYTHING and in anyway.

    Lifetime warranty on the Solaire and 20 year warranty on the Primo.

    http://www.amazon.com/778-Extra-Large-Ceramic-Charcoal-Smoker/dp/B0017L529A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342010857&sr=8-1&keywords=primo+xl+grill

    Here is a link that might be useful: Solaire

  • barjohng
    11 years ago

    You might want to check out TEK but the price will be over $3000. I have a Firemagic about 3 or 4 years old. I don't think the burners were made of 316 SS when I purchased though they are heavy cast SS. They rust. Flavor enhancers also wear away though made of SS.

  • weedmeister
    11 years ago

    The DCS is a more-powerful unit. It has those interesting V-shaped grill surface that are (if desired) tilted to the front. When installed as a 'V', they channel grease to the front where it drains into a catch-basin. This is good for high-fat things like chicken and burgers. Set as a '^' for steaks and you get those nice grill marks.

    The DCS has a longer rotisserie burner, good for larger items.

    I've seen people complain about the ceramic flame-tamers in that they are somewhat fragile. You shouldn't hit or drop them.

    The DCS is made of thicker steel, and I would guess welded seams in places instead of screws though you would need to check that.

    The AOG seems like a nice unit but I'm not familiar with it.

  • nandakumar
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks to all for the detailed response and suggestion. I haven't seen these two grills, visiting the dealers this weekend and update the forum.

  • NewHouse2013
    11 years ago

    Which grill did you choose? Are you happy with it? We are in the process of selecting a grill for an outdoor kitchen similar to the one you described. I would love to see pic's of your finished project if you are willing to post them!

  • barjohng
    11 years ago

    I purchased the TEK sold by FrontGate. It is far and away the best grill I have ever owned. First, it is 100% infrared. The company that invented the ceramic infrared burners you see in use on many brands today were invented by TEK and they had the exclusive until their patent expired. However, the new TEKs use a different system that uses an inrared glass filter between the burner and the grates which sit directly on top of the glass. This means that sauces that drip off of the cooking food drip onto the glass where they smoke and add flavor but do not fall into the burners to damage the burners. Second, the heat range is highly adjustable unlike most ceramic infrared burners that only work well on high. Third, it cooks more evenly than any grill I have owned (including Firemagic) and truly seals in the juices. My wife used to complain about the food being to dry when cooked on the Firemagic but loves how juicy the food is on the TEK. Lastly, it is self cleaning and really easy to clean. No greasy dirty looking grill. Just close the lid and set the burners to high. Come back in 15-30 minutes and everything is burnt to a white ash. Let it cool down and remove the grates and wash off with a hose and do the same with the glass panels. The metal sides are all removable and can be washed in teh dishwasher on occasion though not needed very often.

    So what are the negatives?
    First, the high price. Second, though made of high quality SS in the USA edges could be better finished and seams and bends, etc. could be done better such that they would have a more polished finish and look. Finally, the number of burners and size is very small for the price.

    I would still take it over any other grill on the market and I looked at most and as I have said, I have owned several high end grills. It just cooks better and you can even place pans directly on the glass and cook so you don't need a separate side burner. However at nearly $4K for the two burner and more for the 3 burner it is not inexpensive.

  • sportsrx
    11 years ago

    Bump.....getting ready for spring/summer 2013....building a bbq/ kitchen island, looking at the usual high end suspects for 48"+. Dcs, wolf, lynx, firemagic etc....i think if $$ was no object fire magic is the best of the best (from what ive read). But its nearly double the price of the DCS which seems to get consistently great reviews...its one thing to spend $4k for a great grill but 6-7k?? Welcome all input & feedback

  • cookncarpenter
    11 years ago

    I've been a lifelong Weber Charcoal Kettle purist. However, last fall in anticipation of our current kitchen makeover, and the fact that we would no longer be having an indoor grill on the new range, I purchased a Lynx. Beautifully constructed, and cooks good, convenient to just turn on the gas. The rotisserie is nice to have, It has one infrared burner for searing, and an interior light with lighted controls as well. I would recommend the Lynx, but I've also kept my Weber for occasion because for me, there really is no comparison to cooking over charcoal.

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    11 years ago

    I'm tuned to this thread because we will be doing similar in our new property. We have an outdoor kitchen now, and I insisted on granite for the countertop.

    The grill is a black drop in with from PGS, and has worked beautifully for 10 years. If I had it to do over, I'd use anything but granite for the counter. NOBODY sits at the bar. It gets way too hot! You can't even rest your arm on it, and your beer will go instant hot! If I did granite, I'd put umbrella holders every 5' to keep the thing in shade.

    Good luck with your grill choice!

    Suzi

  • teachmkt
    11 years ago

    question for you who've actually cooked on regular gas, IR and even charcoal grills. Am thinking about replacing our Weber gas grill, but over the years find ourselves going back to charcoal for steaks and some fish due to higher heat and better sear (but a PITA compared to gas). Also have had Wolf IR charbroiler on range and we also prefer steaks done on that over the Weber. Don't know much about actual gas IR grills and am interested, but the cost difference compared to Weber could keep us in new Webers until 2030. For those who've cooked on IR and other grills, what have you found? Have cooked on the newer Webers with the "sear" burner and was not impressed. We grill at least a couple of times a week year round.

  • Nunyabiz1
    11 years ago

    Like I said last year on this thread, I would still opt for a REAL BBQ that you can do anything in and that imparts that real BBQ charcoal, wood smoke flavor and then a small but very usable infrared grill. Mainly for the Rotisserie.

    A large Kamado smoker/BBQ pared with a Solaire or similar infrared grill and both together can be had for under $3000.

    There isn't ANYTHING you can not cook with that setup.

    I used my Kamado just yesterday to cook some burgers and wings.
    Had some old charcoal already in it from last time, took out the weed torch lit it, that took 20 seconds, opened both top and bottom vents and it was at over 500 degrees before I ran back in and made up the burgers and brought them out.
    I like a super hot 500+ fire for burgers.
    Which is a tad too hot for chicken wings, so I took some heavy duty aluminum foil tossed the wings into that and poured BBQ sauce over them and then sealed it up tight.

    Threw that on the BBQ first for a few minutes which steam cooked the wings fast, then I put on the burgers and put the wings on the grill to finish them with that nice smokey goodness and crisp up the skin.
    They were tender on the inside, crispy smokey on the outside and cooked super quick.
    Burgers had a really nice char on the outside which sealed them quickly and were super juicy on the inside, ran down my arm type juicy.

    I started the BBQ, cooked burgers and wings and was eating all in under 25-30 minutes from the time that pulled the cover off the BBQ.
    The charcoal I use is a mixture of "Ebony, Limoncillo, Tenaza, Hueso de tigre, Mesquite" and then I add a few small chunks of hickory just before I start cooking.

    You simply can not get that flavor on a Gas Grill.

    This post was edited by Nunyabiz1 on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 13:02

  • Nunyabiz1
    11 years ago

    "teachmkt"

    If I were you I would get a Kamado style BBQ and a Weed Torch to light it with.
    With the Kamado you can get over 800 degree temps and can control that temp very easily from a very even 220 degrees for 12+ hours without having to touch it up to 800 (depending on amount and kind of charcoal) and everything in between.

    You can start a charcoal BBQ in about 20-30 seconds with a weed torch, have it at smoking temp (220) in about 2 minutes, 350 degrees in about 4 minutes and between 500-600 degrees in about 6-8 minutes.
    It is certainly a bit harder to mess with than a gas grill, but done properly really isn't that bad and virtually just as fast to be ready to cook on, just not quite as easy as "turn knob".
    But the trade off is that no gas grill can compete with a good charcoal grill in flavor.

    You can get a great Kamado that should last a lifetime for under $600.
    We bought ours from Costco for $539.00 last year.

    Ours is a Vision Grill, every bit as good as a Big Green Egg but cost half as much.

    this is ours.

    You can smoke on it, grill, sear, bake, even has a nice Wok attachment you can buy.
    Set up a water smoker or regular smoker, nice pizza stone.
    This is the Weed Torch lighting it.

    Here is the Wok, get your fire to over 800 degrees and this is the best Wok cooking you will ever do.

  • sportsrx
    11 years ago

    I think the issue w those, not really comparing , is the size of the cooking surface. We have a family of 6 & routinely cook for 15 or more...thats why im focussed on grills 48-54".we need SIGNIFICANT cooking area.. Anyway if anyone has opinions on the pros & cons for firemagic, lynx, wolf, dcs, alfresco, etc... Would very much appreciate

  • barjohng
    11 years ago

    I have cooked on all three and the TEK IR is the only gas grill that cooks as well as charcoal. It's advantages over charcoal are that it is quick to set up, easy to clean up and does an excellent job of creating the charcoal taste. As many here know, the flavor is created by the smoke from the fat striking the hot surface be it charcoal or something else. The higher the IR energy (from gas or charcoal) and the less the flame, the more smoke generated rather than being turned into additional flame. The TEK creates a great deal of smoke because the IR glass sits between the flame and the dripping grease. On older style IR burners there is still an open flame to ignite the grease drippings reducing the amount of smoke to add flavor. With charcoal, once the embers are glowing red, it is emitting a lot of IR and much less to no flame and hence produces a lot of smoke and flavor.

    I have owned the FireMagic and I would not purchase another. The burners are cast SS but they still do rust over time and the flavor grills wear out too. They are very hard to clean and the heat was not anywhere near as good as the advertisements. If you are the type that never clean a grill and don't mind a gritty looking grill it may not matter. I am the type that wants it to look clean and inviting each time and the self cleaning feature along with the dishwasher removal panels makes the TEK a breeze to clean and keep looking nice. For me that was worth a lot. The more conventional grills like the Firemagic, even with their ceramic infrared burner are not even a close match.

  • subonim
    11 years ago

    Nunyabiz, thank you for the info on the Kamado style grills. Got me reading about them and they are pretty amazing. That primo oval xl is huge. What would you use the infrared grill and rotisserie for? Doing a whole beef tenderloin, whoe chickens or leg of lamb?

  • Nunyabiz1
    11 years ago

    Welcome Subonim

    For me personally I would not need the secondary infrared gas grill.
    That is just a suggestion for those that feel they must have gas.

    Also do not need the cooking area that the XL Primo Oval has.
    The regular old Vision Grill works fantastic for us.
    I cooked for 8 people last summer and had no problems.
    I can cook whole Beef Tenderloins, Prime Ribs, Leg of Lamb, big fat Turkey and I think probably about 4 whole chickens on ours depending on racks used.
    You can not beat a Kamado grill.

    They cook amazingly well, can hold a very low 220 degree temp for at least 12+ hours and never have to touch it.
    Gets to well over 700+ degrees.
    Ceramic cooks very nicely, meat stays juicy.

    Using a weed torch they are "almost" as easy and fast to use as a gas grill.

    My only mistake is that I did not buy a Kamado at least 30 years ago, I would still have it today instead of messing with all those disposable grills I have bought over the years. Mostly old "Brinkman smoke & grill" for $50 a pop and they lasted about 2-3 years, turn them on their side and smash em flat and throw them in the garbage.

    Prime Rib on a Kamado is unbeatable, so tender you can cut it with a fork.

  • teachmkt
    11 years ago

    "barjohng": Thanks, very helpful. I think this is right where I'm headed.

    "nunyabiz1": The weed torch is certainly an interesting approach and alternative to my chimney lighter . . . just not sure someone like me should be left alone with a tempting toy like that. Only one grill on the deck, that's the law on the domestic front.

  • Nunyabiz1
    11 years ago

    teachmkt,
    Well personally I think you would be much better served with a good charcoal grill.
    The weed torch is only about $20 at Harbor freight and then another $25 or so for the small propane tank that should last a few years between fill ups because you only use it for like 30 seconds to maybe 1 minute at a time.
    Get a good Kamado and you will have a lifetime grill that can cook anything.

    No matter what anyone says, a gas grill can not compare to a good charcoal grill when it comes to the final product.
    That is the whole reason that I "BBQ" outside in the first place, if I all I had was gas I would probably just use my oven/broiler in the house.
    You can add aluminum pouches full of wood chips which helps considerably but charcoal/wood just plain cooks better.

  • compumom
    10 years ago

    TIme for a seasonal review! We're in reno mode and would like to build in a 36" gas grill. I've seen the DCS, Firemagic, Lynx and Viking. I was directed by a friend to the Dynasty by Jade, however they don't seem to be available in 36". We currently have a 4 burner Bull. My dislike is that it doesn't seem to cook evenly from back to front, although after 5 yrs the cart and grill are in excellent condition.

    I like the concept of the ceramic flavor bars or briquets to even out the heat. I just took a look at Frontgate's site for the Tek only to determine that it's not what I'm looking for.
    What's the thinking on the Weber S series or the AOG?

  • teachmkt1
    8 years ago

    2 years and 2 grills later--an update. Largely because of y'all's posts, a new house, minimal will power but a constrained budget, here's how it ended: Char-griller Akorn Kamado charcoal grill and a Char Broiler Tru IR gas grill. about $650 total for all, sans some required grill toys. You charcoalers were right, the Kamado is seriously hot and great fun for low and slow smoking. Great grilled steaks. The Char Broil IR was a gamble but CR and some online posts gave it some thumbs up. While clearly cheaper in construction than my prior gas Webers, the IR cooking seems superior---much hotter (although not as hot as the Kamado stoked up), much more juicy grilled meats and more convenient and quick to get ready than the charcoal. The results fortunately helped quell some domestic cacophony over how one grill became 2. thanks for your comments, they'd always stayed on my mind.

  • Mick Levin
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I use a CharBroil infrared grill . But I think a smoker is much better because meat and vegetables are tastier.