I have looked at the Medallion breifly at Home Depot. The unit is made by Vermont Castings. A very reputable company. If you don't want or need the rotisserie and the unit would suit you, maybe it would be a good value. If I remember correctly, the unit has porcelin coated grates and not a great deal of stainless steel. Have you ever used a rotisserie? I hadn't until I got the Virco, and now I just love it. It cooks a perfect chicken. The unit hadn't been out when I bought my Virco, but I remember seeing it quickly one day while shopping for something else. It looked like a pretty good unit and with Vermont Castings' name on it, I am sure you couldn't go wrong. For me I feel that for all of the extra features and SS that you get it is worth the $200. I can't tell you all of the specs on the Medallion, but I can give you a quick list of the main features of the Virco.

3 Main burners @ 20K BTU
Side Burner @ 12K BTU
Rotisserie Burner @ 12K BTU
SS Main Burners
Large Cast Brass Side Burner
Stainless Flame Tamers
Very Heavy Rotisserie Rod
Rotisserie Motor - SS Cover
Welded and Formed SS One Piece Hood
SS Fire Box With Front SS Drip Tray
Side Burner Integrated Into Unit (Much Stronger)
Hidden LP Tank with No Fuel Indicator
Thick Cover
Smooth Edges Everywhere
Electronic Ignition for all burners - No static ignition
SS Frame With Double Layer SS Doors & Full Skirting to Hide Casters Better.

When I bought mine I was comparing to higher end grills that cost $$$$ and of course the Member's Mark from Sam's which is the same price as the Medallion. Good luck on your decision.

I think I'm sold on the Virco, I love that stainless look. Now I've just got to beg for financing. Unfortunately, in Wisconsin we don't have Costco to be able to go see the product. I also don't grill enough to fully justify this purchase. I'm lucky if I get to grill once a week during the summer months.

Thanks for the advice.

-ER

EGR1 - About not grilling enough to justify the purchase.

:)

That's what I said when I lived with my old grill. And trust me - I grilled way less than once per week. Till I bought it. Now all I do is grill on it. Almost every day.

I'd bet money that you'd be WAY more into grilling once you get one of these babies.

Anyone have the same experience?

Same here, meagain!! I've had mine since 7/31 and have used it a bunch. And I still haven't used the rotisserie, which I'm sure will add a whole new dimension to my grilling pleasure..

Sometimes, I just go out and look at it for fun...

I agree totally. I now grill (or want to) almost every day. A couple of times I've fired up my Virco just to cook 1 burger for me if I get home and the family has eaten! I used to bbq on my old Weber about 6x a summer, I've used my new grill more in 2 weeks. Tonight it's shish kebab, bakked cobbler, burgers and dogs!

The Virco is a good grill, but not quite what is cracked up to be on this forum. A $2K grill it is not, definitely not.

Most Vircos have some uneven heat distribution problems, but they are a great value for the bucks and the heat can always be adjusted. I don't think they have many other quality issues as mine seems to quite well made. I just wish the other Virco owners would stop worshipping a grill as a god....it is somewhat embarassing.

Also, I will be providing many of my coveted recipies in the near future. You will all be very lucky to get them as they are award winning!

Do you have a recipe for humble pie?

SPD-Rich - Give it a few days for the proper build up. Has to be subtle at first. Then I expect you'll be getting that pie in your face. ;)

It has to be the right combination of alcohol, lack of medication and the "I wish I had a real life".

I'm just wondering what on earth awards sage could have won.

Maybe it was for a p*ssing contest?

;-)

Here is a good recipie for my grilling friends!

Title: Bbq Chicken And Andouille Hash With Poached Eggs
Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients

6 oz chicken breast
1/4 c prepared bbq sauce
1 salt and pepper
2 tb olive oil
2 c diced cooked potatoes;
-1/2-inch dice
1/4 c small diced onions
2 tb minced shallots
1 c chopped andouille sausage; ,
- (8 ounces)
1 tb minced garlic

--------------------------POACHED EGGS--------------------------------
4 eggs
3 tb sliced green onions

-------------------------SAUCE PIQUANTE-------------------------------
1 tb olive oil
2 tb chopped onions
2 tb chopped green onions
2 tb chopped celery
2 tb chopped green bell peppers
1 tb minced shallots
1 tb minced jalapeno peppers;
-seeded
1 tb minced garlic
1 tb chopped fresh basil
1 ts chopped fresh thyme
1 ts chopped fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
1 c peeled; seeded and chopped
-italia
1 c chicken stock
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts cayenne pepper
2 turns fresh black pepper
1 tb unsalted butter

Instructions

Heat the grill. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brush
the BBQ Sauce on the chicken, coating the breast completely. Place the
chicken on the hot grill or broiler and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side.
Set aside and cool.

For hash: In a saute pan, heat the oil. Add the potatoes and saute, shaking
the pan occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the onions, shallots, and
andouille and stir-fry for 1 minute. Small dice the BBQ chicken and add to
the andouille mixture and saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and season
with salt and pepper, stir occasionally for 4 minutes.

For poached egg: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil with 1/2 teaspoon white
vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over high heat. Crack an
egg into a cup and slide the egg gently into the water. Crack another egg
into the cup and when the water returns to a boil slide this egg into the
water as well. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and
simmer until the eggs are set, about 2-2 1/2 minutes. Drain on paper
towels.

Yield: 4 servings

SAUCE PIQUANTE: In a sauce pot, heat the oil. Add the onions, green onions,
celery, bell peppers, jalapenos, shallots, and garlic over high heat. Add
the basil, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the
tomatoes, stock, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Cook
over high heat for 2 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring
occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter and remove from the
heat. To assemble, spoon a small amount of the sauce in the center of the
plate. Place 3/4 cup of the hash on the sauce. Top with the poached egg and
garnish with shaved green onions.

This thread should be over on Virco 4.

I've given up for this year, too many other projects with the new house. I've still got an itch to get a nice stainless something. The Virco would look nice on my deck.

I had some company coming so I replaced the burner, flavorizer and thermometer on my 1997 Charmglow. Not quite like new, but an amazing difference anyway. The old burner was literally a pile of rust with flame jetting out.

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep watching here for the latest and greatest, and next spring, or maybe this fall, I'll start serious again.

Thanks,
-ER

Any experience with the one they are selling now at $799?

OK.. I have read most all of the forum threads, or at least I think I have. Thank you for the expertise as well as the humor, straight up or tongue in cheek.

I like the sound of the customer service to be experienced at Virco; also the fact that converting to NG doesn't void the warranty like it does the Members Mark grill. Now, where do I find the one that compares to the Members Mark grill that sells for around $600? If I read correctly, the most popular Virco grill (Model #?) is priced a few hundred dollars more, but the warranty seems to be worth the extra $$. I am in the Nashville, TN area and believe we have one Costco store located on the far south edge of the city.

Would someone be kind enough to provide me with the model number of the stainless steel Virco grill most commonly discussed in the forum? "bsbbq" describes it nicely in a message above but I didn't catch the model number I should be looking for. I am ready to purchase one if I can find it. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Doug

The Costco model number is #450322. You can find out more information on my web site at the link below. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Virco Grill

bsbbq:

Thank you for the model number, I must have passed it over. I joined Costco online last night to try and order the grill on the link provided, but once I had joined and tried to order, the online ordering process indicated that there were none to be had.

Soooo, later in the day, I called the Costco store I mentioned earlier in Brentwood, TN, and once I gave them the number, they said they had 5 in stock. I hopped in the Sport Trac and headed down. Although my membership somehow was not yet registered in the computer system from 16 hours earlier, they were very courteous and gave me a free pass for the evening (without the 5% markup).

They helped load it on my cart for me and again onto the truck once I had purchased it. The design of the grill looks closer to the large grill they have at Sam's Club for $1,500 (?).

I am excited to get started. I am going to order the online conversion kit as soon as I can get someone to give me a membership number. They took the credit card quick enough, I hope my membership number can be forwarded as expediently. hehehe..

Thank you for your help and assistance. I am going to print out the old forums and keep them with the grill manual for all the useful cooking and technical information the contributors have provided.

I am closing on a new home later today and will start moving into it in about a week and have decided not to try and unload the unit to set up and use it for only a week on LP just to have to repack it for the move. I will save it as my own housewarming gift as a NG grill. I am excited. Thanks again.

Doug