Why pay for sheet metal and cheap burners when you can learn, compare, and get a quality grill in the same price range? For Gas Grills 101 check out "How to Choose", "Major Differences", and "What to Look for" at www.picksinc.com/GasGrills/home.htm For Gas Grills 201 check out the "GrillTalk Message Board" at www.picksinc.com/Grilltalk.htm Don't spend $500 or $1000 for a grill that is poorly constructed, made of sheet metal, and has cheap burners!

Alek, I enjoyed looking at all the info on your web site. Recently I saw a NG Y0660 that had been returned to Sam's Club because the buyer really needed the LPG version. It was a bit dented-up in the front, and missing the rotisserie parts. Sam's wanted $700 for it. I started the task of trying to figure out just what it would take to convert it to propane and to repair the cosmetic damage. When I realized that the valves would have to be replaced, as well as the orifices, both doors and one drawer, as well as all the missing rotisserie parts, I almost bagged the idea, but decided to call Grand Hall and check on parts prices anyway. Am I ever glad that I did! The prices were so reasonable that the total cost to convert to LPG and restore the grill to new condition was only $270.00 including shipping. When my offer of $500.00 was accepted by the manager at Sam's I picked up the grill and ordered the parts. I've installed them all, with the exception of one valve that was not correct, a missing bracket to mount the rotisserie motor, and slides for the tank drawer ... basically just "noise-level" problems. Haven't had a chance to use the grill yet, as the weather hasn't been too cooperative, but I'm looking forward to it. My total cost for an "almost new" Y0660 grill is now $770.00. ! ! ! ! ! ! S C O R E ! ! ! ! ! ! There are a few things that I've learned from this exercise that I'd like to pass along: 1) Grand Hall's customer service folks are great! Their policies are pretty good too ... with the incorrect part it was "Oh, we'll get a replacement out today", not "Send it back and we'll see ...". 2) If you know what you need, and how to ask for it, you *CAN* buy the parts to convert these grills from NG to LPG and from LPG to NG. 3) The parts costs are ludicrously low ... the main valves, which include the orifice are only $5.00 each, and the side burner and rotisserie valves are $8.00 each, as they include a little more hardware. It probably makes more sense to just buy the darned things than to do the drilling for the LPG to NG conversion, and it's WAYYY better to buy for the NG to LPG conversion than to try filling and redrilling with smaller holes. 4) Rather than actually replacing the valves, which can be difficult to get off the manifold of the Y0660, it's better to just swap the valve cores and the orifices. I don't know for sure if the valves are common between the Y0660 and the smaller Y0101XC, but the conversion pictures on your site look identical. For example, the main burner gas valve part number is P03222007A for LPG. Also, the valve bodies have the number "0404A" cast into the side. This is the same for the NG and the LPG valves. How does this compare to the part number & valves for the Y0101XC? I have a full set of parts for anyone wanting to convert from LPG to NG. I'd also be interested in that guage that you've got left over from your conversion,...

I agree....if you are trying to sell me something it's not a party....and I don't go even if I like the people who invited me. I have gone to too many Longaberger basket parties and Lia Sophia, and....and. I don't consider it entertaining in any way to listen to a sales pitch....or to look at stuff I really don't want and try to be interested for the sake of being polite. And to get back to the original question....sort of...LOL! Two years ago last Spring I got talked into a Pampered Chef Party for the benefit of the church kitchen....so naturally I had to buy something....one of those hamburger mushers. The party was full of "sweet young things" who rarely really cooked for their family and about once a year helped with a meal in the church kitchen. They insisted we have a can opener which no one can work ( doesn't work on institutional cans at all) 3 knives in their little sheathe to keep them sharp....well one has rusted because it was put back wet and all are very dull because they are used to chop on a glass cutting board. There is also ANOTHER lettuce spinner because someone thought we needed 2, and that dumb hamburger smasher. Someone did buy us 10 of those small wooden tongs which are wonderful for sticky bars and such....but the rest was expensive junk that we didn't need. No, I don't like PC products. They are too expensive and kitchey, for what they cost. Go to a commercial kitchen supply store and have a party with your friends without any sales pitch and bad cooking demo. You'll save money and have more fun...AND get better products. Just my feelings. Linda C

As usual, I find Rachelellen's post full of wisdom. It gives me some of the guidance I want. Cooking the same cuisine (not the same dishes) for one week straight would be no hardship at all for me. When I returned from a one week trip to Italy I cooked nothing but northern Italian food for at least three weeks. There was nothing monotonous about it. That experience has faded. I need another trip to Italy for a refresher course. I don't see the need to limit the experiment to a single cookbook, although that could be an effective way to do it, given the right book. Books I would recommend are: Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy These books are similar in approach and format although about different cuisines and by different authors. They provide a solid foundation for cooking each cuisine. Again, I say that switching to another ethnic cuisine for an extended period of time is a fine idea. Those for whom that is their native cuisine eat it daily year after year don't they? Jim