Howdy Ags,

I am in the market for a built-in gas grill and wanted to see if y'all had any recommendations. To help narrow things down a bit, the brands I am looking at include:
-Blaze
-Bull
-DCS
-Fire Magic
-Lion
-RCS

Also, to those of you who have ceramic briquettes or rods in your grills how do you like them?

Thanks in advance!

DCS is top notch but pricy. I have had one for years. You will have to replace the ceramic rods from time to time.

I also use Coyote Built In grills in the new homes I build. They are high quality and a good value for the $'s. Expect to pay $1750 for a 36" grill with rotisserie.

I also have a DCS. I love it, had it for 2 seasons now.

Just purchased a built-in Lion 32" nat. gas grill from bbqguys.com
They have some pretty good reviews and top 10 lists

+1 on Lion from bbqguys. Great grill for the money. That being said, in the past 7 months (since we've had our outdoor patio/kitchen) we've grilled probably 25-30 times and all but 1 time have been on the charcoal pit. Just can't replicate the flavor on gas.

For what it's worth, I've had a 30" RCS for about 3 years now and have had no problems.

The look of a built in outweighs the function. Imo.

What happens in 10 years when the internals go bad and the company doesn't exist or sizes have changed? Just some thoughts of what I've seen from gas grills over the years.

And oak coals or nothing
Mesquite for the brush country boys.

The look of most things in life outweigh the function. Grills aren't an exception. I know people that have $600-700 regular gas grills and get a new one every 4-5 years. If my built in makes it 10-12 years and I can't find parts, then I'll simply take it out and get a new one. There's a reason I bought a middle-of-the-row priced grill and didn't buy a $3500 one.

DCS.

Expensive but damn fine grills.

I agree with the natural smoke flavor. I am mounting it in an outdoor kitchen next to a Primo smoker. We wanted to put in a gas stove top but decided against it due to outdoor elements. A gas grill is convient to heat up a side dish or grill something something quick that doesn't require smoke. That said, they offer a searing burner that is recommended but I didn't purchase due to already having a Primo.

I sell both the dcs and the twin eagles. I've cooked on both and I know each grill. I like the twin eagles over the dcs. That said they are both good but I'll only purchase a twin eagle from here on out. I like the customer service side and I like the design better. I'm on year 9 with a twin eagle and still going good.

Jake,

I sell RCS, American Outdoor, Firemagic along with Primo ceramic and EVO griddles. Here's my take:

Bull is crap but you see it a lot because they will pretty much let anyone become a "dealer". Low quality overall and a fairly low price. I have seen the chrome plating peel off the handle after a year.

RCS, Blaze, DCS, and Lion are fairly equivalent based on price and features. I would exclude the 30" DCS since the 36" is a much better grill by design.

The Firemagic is superior in quality and temperature range. Cast iron burners have the best warranty and their grills are widely regarded to be the hottest available. 1100 plus degrees. They have quite a few accessories and add ons as well.

PM me for info.

I've been happy with my Blaze. Got it from BBQguys.com

Blaze is actually owned by bbq guys/shoppers choice. It's a decent grill for the price.

I have a Lion for the new house. BBQGuys is a great place to shop. Very friendly and if you call them and buy their products, they will work with you on price. They knocked an extra $200 off my purchase.

Thanks for all of the replies!

I am definitely leaning toward a DCS, Lion or Fire Magic Grill, however I need to be able to answer some questions regarding the differences between the mid range grills (AOG, Cal Flame, Bull) and the upper level DCS and Fire Magics of the world.
I guess another way of putting it would be, what are the specific differences between the $1500-$2500 Blaze, DCS, RCS etc. grills and the $3500 Fire Magic and DCS grills? I like the fact the both Fire Magic and RCS have been in business for a long time, Fire Magic is made in America, and the warranties but we really need to know what exactly we are getting to justify the extra $1000.
Every time I think I have a grill narrowed down, I see another one and I'm back to square one. This has proved one of the more challenging purchases from a research standpoint that I've ever made!

After over 40 years of outdoor grilling I have learned an expensive lesson. OTHER THAN MY SMOKER... I only buy inexpensive "throw away" gas grills. In the Houston area with our climate I have found that the guts "rot" out on ALL of them in 4-5 years leaving me with some expensive SS cans and no guts. I now just buy a cheap end of season gas grill, use to for a few years and then take it out to the curb.

That is most likely true with just about every cart grill. They aren't made to last. Most built ins are stainless steel, some heavier gauge than others. A good built in will have cast burners - not stainless tubular that will burn out with heavy use in a few years. With built ins, the more expensive grills will last.

Definitely not hoping to have issues with the grill after 4-5 years. On the other hand, wanting something that, with proper care and maintenance, will last.

To that point, does anyone have experience with a grill that has been a workhorse for 10+ years?

AggieSam -

I'm looking to install an outdoor kitchen. Glad I found your post as I was leaning towards Bull. Are you a dealer? I'm interested in the fire magic line. Something small in the 28-32" range. Any help or advice would be appreciated

The a540 or a660 would be great. I have a special running on Firemagic, AOG, & RCS that's thru my distributor. We are only able to offer it 2 times a year. Basically 30% off list. Don't want to get in trouble for advertising. Not sure what I can/can't say without a sponsorship.

Wow... Just looked up pricing on those two models. Too rich for my blood.
Any recommendations in the $1,500 range?

RCS ron30 is my best seller. $2300 list. After tax $1678 with discount thru 3/13.

Another vote for Coyote.