Pictures can be found at:

http://www.komar.org/bbq/virco

alek

Here's another with the handle (on right) and extra shelf (left) installed which is pretty much all you have to do to set it up. By the way - the weight limit on that side shelf is 65 pounds. :) Trust me - I could stand on it!

All in all, they are both good grills. Costco had to react and they did so well with the Virco. The DCS they were offering at the same price point(the Kirkland Signature was
made by DCS,Dynamic Cooking Systems)could not compete with the MM for $200 less. Additionally,it lacked several features(i.e. side burner,infrared back burner) and was far smaller.
As a Certified Grill Expert(CGE), my professional recommendation still remains with the MM for the money.
Parts availablility going forward for the Virco is questionnable as well. Not so for the Grand Hall manufactured MM.

BTW, should anyone doubt my professional designation, I will gladly provide information about the certification program.

They warranty those "thin" burners for a min. of 5 years. So my guess is they aren't exactly designed for 3.

Also, the Kirkland DOES have a side burner as well as an infrared back burner.

So far, you've posted erroneous, wrong comments on both grills in the past few days.

To quote your comment to me on another thread when I pointed out your innaccurate statements...... "It would be best if you researched your facts a bit more carefully before posting where impressionable consumers might take your posts seriously.
Don't you think you owe that to your fellow grillers?"

Sorry to hear about your burners rusting so much after only 7 months. Also sorry to hear about the rubber on your ignitor deteriorating in such a short time.

Oh - And sorry to hear that a becoming a "Certified Grill Expert (CGE)" doesn't involve not being a Troll on boards.

Based on your remarks regarding Cheeseburger eating - I guess you truely would know the meaning of clown.

Ta! Enjoy your grill and congratulations on your accomplishment at becoming a 'Certified Grill Expert'

It's amusing to see a nitwit like you tracking down my prior posts. Makes one wonder what your sex life is like...what your life is like in general!!!
Thank you for paying me the homage that you owe me.
Now I have mission for you. Stop touching yourself, the pocket billiards game is over.

The MM grill rules for the money. You need to watch what you eat and serve, just like fat Billy from CT.

I am a CGE(Certified Grill Expert)

We were comparing the $599 Member's Mark to the $799 Virco genius. Did you read any of the prior posts or did you just jump in without thinking?

Let's see what all of these Virco fans have to say in three years about their grills.

I will admit that I do like Costco as a warehouse retailer better then Sam's, in fact I only joined Sam's for the sole reason of buying that grill.

I have just returned from a BBQ grill conference and expo and the Member's Mark, Grand Hall and Sears Kenmore Elite are all being touted as great grills. They are all produced by the same manufacturer.

Dipsage - Once again, you are a day late & several dollars short. Those Stainless Steel burners are warranteed for a full 5 years. It's a good bet they weren't designed for a few years. I have also been informed by both Costco AND Virco that the Virco will be replacing the Kirkland. The Classic is made specifically for Costco.

Sorry that you've had your MM grill so long that you can't return it.

e·nig·ma Pronunciation Key (-ngm)
n.
One that is puzzling, ambiguous, or inexplicable.
A perplexing speech or text; a riddle.

I have an MCSE, CNE, CCNA, BBA, PMP. I am going to seek out the CGE as the next certification to add to my credentials. Maybe I'll get a raise...

m.i.c- k.e.y. m.o. C.G.E.
and he did his internship at GOOFEY's BBQ
I wonder if his BBQ food is good as his advise

If I have time tomorrow, I'll try to take a pic of the cover. Nice and thick. A handsome slate blue/grey color. It covers everything all the way down to the ground.

Yes - those are hooks to hang utensils. I didn't know it had that either till I unboxed it.

Oh! And the spit is SERIOUS. I can't imagine it bending no matter what you put on it. Haven't used it yet. Probably won't use it much, but am interested in hearing reports about it. The motor looked heavy & substantial.

Maybe I'll post that question on the other thread.

One thing that can be done: The handle bar on the right and the shelf on the left could be switched with each other. I didn't try it but on a quick visual - it looks interchangeable (may be wrong on that).

That is CGE not DOH. You must not understand the professional designation. We understand. You don't frequent those circles very much.

Your Costco won't have them tomorrow. You will be so disappointed. You'll have to wait until your next paycheck from the factory!

I am also going to have a MM to do a closer comparison with, so you better start therapy now LP ;-) Some people might think you are a whack job, but Please DON'T go away, we will need your expert grilling advise (outside of preparing lobster nude) since you have not bestowed any on these forums yet. (BTW, doh is a Homer Simpsonism not an acronym---thought it fit).

Now, other than this bit of entertainment, I hope we can do a further comparison (Alek's was excellent, kudos to him, but somewhat difficult in the warehouse without everything put together) to see if the Virco is really worth the extra $200 if you have it (I got a raise at the factory!).

I am also going to have a MM to do a closer comparison with, so you better start therapy now LP ;-) Some people might think you are a whack job, but Please DON'T go away, we will need your expert grilling advise (outside of preparing lobster nude) since you have not bestowed any on these forums yet. (BTW, doh is a Homer Simpsonism not an acronym---thought it fit).

Now, other than this bit of entertainment, I hope we can do a further comparison (Alek's was excellent, kudos to him, but somewhat difficult in the warehouse without everything put together) to see if the Virco is really worth the extra $200 if you have it (I got a raise at the factory!).

This correlates with what bsbbq told me earlier in the week that Costco's being served from that facility should see units in stock around June 10th. He is actually in transit right now picking up 2 from a Costco served by a different warehouse (one for me--thanks bsbbq!!)

You have to upload your pic to a photo hosting site (preferrably free!). I use MSN. After it's uploaded, right click - properties - and highlight/copy the url link to the pic.

When you hit reply type the following in the message box...

img src=(paste your url to pic here)

Put a < at the start of the whole line and a > right at the end.

It should look like this:

*img src=http:blablabla.com* Just substitute the asterisks with the < and > sign. (I can't post it exactly or it will think I'm trying to post a pic.

How are the Vircos doing? Any problems?

delray - I also picked up that Hoffritz set. I don't recall seeing it last year. Just the Kirkland, which I found inferior (no locking tongs, etc.) so I'm wondering if that is one of their 'temporary' deals.

Also delray - One little detail I really appreciate is this... If you look at the front of it, the outer corners are 'clipped' or angled instead of squared off. A nice little touch they didn't have to do.

I'll have to pick up some cleaners for this. The grills I had in the past weren't really worth the effort to keep sparkly.

About the weight - The label on mine said 400 pounds. Not 450. Would that be accurate?

Has anyone experimented with smoke boxes in this? I've never used them before and was interested in trying it. Just not quite sure what size to get and where exactly to place it.

Thanks to all of the information I read in several threads I decided to purchase a Virco. Lucked out and called a local costco the same morning that 6 showed up. By the afternoon when I arrived to buy one they were down to 3 units. It looks great on the patio!

I have a NG stub on my patio and I am waiting for the conversion kit from the manufacturer. What is the best way to plumb the unit up? I was thinking of putting in a dual shut-off valve set-up (an extra for a future fire pit) and then try to find a quick connect. I just don't know where to get the parts from. all of the Lowes and Home Depot guys just look at you. Any suggestions would be great so I can it ip up and operational as soon as possible!

Loke meagain I am also wondering about using a smoke box for flavoring.

bsbbq

Also thanks to mattw22. Since I have a stub I'm going to look for an actual adapter. I found one site that talked about a real cool adapter but no info on cost and they sound like they only deal with manufacturers. Can't wait to fire it up. Too bad I only have an old style LP tank (full) or I would have had it searing steaks already! Sort of tells you how long I had my old grill.