I've been grill shopping too. I narrowed my choices down to Lynx, Fire Magic, Twine Eagles and Alfresco. I saw all of these grills at local dealers. I did not consider Kalamazoo because of the high price, but I did research it on the Internet. All these brands have the reputation of being very fine grills (which should be the case in this price range) so it comes down more to a matter of personal preference rather than quality, build or performance issues, IMHO.

Here are my impressions of each brand:

Lynx -- I was very impressed when I saw this grill in person; its design is streamlined and elegant and certainly would win first prize for sheer beauty. It also has a nice set of features -- lots of BTUs/sq in of grilling surface, a multiposition, 3-speed rotis, an interior halogen light for night grilling, a spring-actuated lid assist, a smoker box (no smoker burner though) and the cast-brass main burners you mentioned. The pricing is right in line for this class of gas grills. It wound up being my second choice.

Twin Eagles -- the Lynx dealer also carried Twin Eagles so I saw them side by side. Very similar features as Lynx, but not quite as pretty, not quite as many BTUs, and not quite as expensive. Like the Lynx, it's American-made of 304 SS, and the fit and finish appeared excellant. That's true of all the four brands I saw, and, I'm sure, also of the Kalamazoo, except that it's in a category by itself in terms of build and materials, as you would expect for the price.

Fire Magic -- this is a very old company with an excellant reputation for selling very high quality grills. However, for the price, I think you could do better. IMHO, Fire Magic is lacking innovation in both the appearance of the grill, which I would rank at the bottom of this group and especially that tall, tear-drop shaped lid, and also in the ommission of such a desirable feature as an interior light. They sell a clip-on, but who wants that? All that, combined with distinctly higher pricing than the others (except for Kalamazoo) means you really have to want the special features they do offer--such as the ability to do charcoal grilling in the main burner compartments--to choose this grill.

Alfresco (even though you didn't ask) -- this wound up being my first choice. I ordered an 30" LX2 cart model (the LX2 is the higher-end of their two grill lines) with one infrared sear burner, which was shipped today. I saw the Alfresco at the same store as the Fire Magic and there was no question in my mind. Alfresco was the winner. Why? The pricing is similar to my second-choice Lynx, but Alfresco has one feature that really iced it for me. The rotis motor is built into the grill and you can leave the rotis rod right in place while you're grilling other things. In all the other grills I saw, you have to store the motor and rod when not in use. With these others, the motor, when in use, hangs outside the grill and the rod penetrates through openings in the lid. With Alfresco, the integrity of the lid is not compromised in this manner, and you don't have to trouble yourself with storage or with installing the components when you start rotissing. It also makes for a much sleeker appearance. The warming rack has four positions, one of which swings it completely out of the way when you're rotissing so that you also don't have to worry about removing the rack. Also, unlike the Lynx (and like the Fire Magic), the Alfresco has a dedicated smoke burner right below its smoke box, another feature that's important to me. Plus, the Alresco is almost as nice looking as the Lynx.

Still, if money were no object, I'd be mighty tempted by a Kalamazoo. Judging by the pix on the Net, they're built like a tank and those "dragon burners" sound like they'd survive more than a season or two in Hell itself.

Not that you'd be using it there.

The Firemagic I looked at (Echelon) has halogen lights. I liked the Firemagic best due to its flexibility. You can have 3 zones of cooking, one with charcoal, one with gas and one with infrared all at the same time.

I have a Lynx. I was able to buy it on sale at a store that was going out of business, so I got a good price. The one thing I wish it had are 'lighting pipes', those stainless pipes welded in that let you light a burner with a match. I think FireMagic has these.

There is another brand made by FireMagic, RCS, that is a lot cheaper if price is an issue.

The webstore below has a LOT of information including videos of the various models broken down and in use so you can compare features.

Here is a link that might be useful: grill website

Fire Magic, DO NOT BUY! YOU ARE WARNED.

Do not
purchase any of these grills or side burners! I’ve had nothing but trouble with
mine, it’s under an enclosed porch so it hasn’t seen any weather. However, all
the electronics stopped working about six months after installation, the wiring
is cheap. The burners don’t light all
the way (only about half way up) and where the meet the venturi tube large flames shoot out and you can no
longer adjust the flame up or down. In short, the grill is no longer safe or
usable. The small grease pan is all but useless and the front design where the
knobs are is poorly designed, it collects grease. As far as the side burner, ignition
has broken, battery connector fell off, there is no flame adjustment, it’s on
period. There is no high or low, but the
knobs do turn, they just don’t work.
This was an Echelon 36” grill and is only a few years old. Do yourself a favor, don’t spend this type of
money for a grill that will not last longer than a few years, get a Weber, you’ll
get a much better product and save some money, and I know for a fact they have
great customer service and the stand by their grills, which this company does
neither.