Vermont Castings Grills Review 2012

After years somewhat in the wilderness and now under new ownership Vermont Castings grills can now be spoken about in the same breath as Weber, Napoleon and Broil-King. The range has been fully redesigned (22 changes in all) and the grills are proudly "Made In America".

The packaging it arrives in (included in the 22 changes) already gives the impression of solidity. You can rest assured that it will arrive undamaged and in one piece.

3 Burner Range

Though there are cheaper 3 burner gourmet grills on the market, the stainless steel used in Vermont Castings grills is type 304, this means top quality and expensive.

If you're buying a grill then the 3 burner comes with a good number of included extras that are either not available in competitors models or you have to pay extra for as ‘optionals’.

You can also buy a 15,000 BTU stainless steel side burner, 15,000BTU 304 stainless steel side searing burner, 304 stainless/polymer grill light, stainless steel rotisserie motor and a grill skirt.

The integrated casters are, in my opinion, a bit on the small size, but that is only a minor criticism in what is a heavy duty grill that cooks evenly with a controlled heat. It's also easy to clean after use by simply removing the cooking grates and sear plates.

Ideal for family gatherings and smaller parties. Make certain you buy a current (2012 and beyond) model!

Where To Buy?

Within each model there are slight variations. For example, if you want “the full monty” with Stainless Steel everywhere then go to GrillsDirect.com

Vital Statistics:-

• 3 Stainless Steel Main Burners
• 37,500 BTUs
• 630 sq in Total Cooking Area
• 440 sq in Primary Cooking Surface
• 190 sq in Porcelain Coated Warming Rack
• Single Source Electronic Ignition
• Soft Touch Knobs & Chrome Bezels with Backlighting
• Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Cooking Grates
• Stainless Steel Sear Plates
• Stainless Steel Handle with Cool Grip
• Commercial Grade Factory Installed Casters
• Integrated Smoker Box
• Towel Bars

4 Burner Range

As with all Vermont Castings grills, the 4 burner boasts having the most included features within its price range. It takes about an hour an a half to set up (mainly because some part numbers didn’t match up to instructions and a bit of detective work is required). But when completed it looked extremely ‘tidy’ to me with a place for everything, including towels and utensils. It has lighted controls but it’s a shame that they didn’t spend that extra buck or two and make the igniter of a more lasting material than plastic.

Where To Buy?

Again, the best online price for the stainless steel grill is at GrillsDirect.com

The Vermont Castings grills range does have a lower cost option with black enamel cooking hoods. To be fair I don't think that they look as good but they are cheaper. You can see this range at Amazon.com

Vital Statistics:-

• 50,000 Main Burners BTUs
• 15,000 Rear Rotisserie Burner BTUs
• 15,000 Stainless Steel Side Burner BTUs
• 707 sq ins Total Cooking Area
• 493 sq ins Primary Cooking Surface
• 214 sq ins Porcelain Coated Warming Rack
• 4 Stainless Steel Main Burners
• Single Source Electronic Ignition
• Soft Touch Knobs & Chrome Bezels with Backlighting
• Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Cooking Grates
• Stainless Steel Rotisserie Motor
• Stainless Steel Sear Plates
• Stainless/Polymer Grill Light

5 Burner Range

To me it looks stunning in stainless steel and looks like it means business, you can practically hear it growl!

When you are spending the kind of money this monster of a grill commands then you are entitled to expect a lot for your money – and you get exactly that. From the curved lid handle that is comfortable to use with its ‘Cool Comfort Grip’ to the integrated tool holders and the calibrated temperature view gauge. It even has a handy LED flex light that shines on the side shelves!

There’s an extremely functional infrared rear rotisserie burner and the integrated warming rack assures that all your dishes turn out perfect and hot at serving time.

Ideal for very large family gatherings and parties.

Where To Buy?

As with the four burner, the best prices on the stainless steel Vermont Castings grills is at GrillsDirect.com.

The lower cost option with black enamel cooking hood can be found at Amazon.com but before you buy, there's a lower price 5 burner in black that's well worthy of your consideration.

Vital Statistics:-

• Sturdy 304 stainless steel construction
• 62,500 BTUs ‘grill power’
• 5 main burners with single source ignition
• 20,000 BTU rotisserie burner
• 15,000 BTU side burner
• 937 square inches of cooking surface
• Grill light
• Rotisserie kit
• 304 stainless steel sear plates
• Set on casters
• Stainless towel bars
• Condiment trays
• Side shelves and doors
• Smoker box
• Cast iron grids.

5 Burner In Black

The Vermont Castings 5 burner grill in black is exactly the same as the stainless steel one........except for the price. It's cheaper!

It used to be more expensive and I guessed that this was maybe down to the popularity of the model that makes it more expensive ie. Not as many are sold so manufacturing costs for materials and distribution costs are higher I don't know but for me it doesn't make sense.

The vital statistics are exactly the same as the stainless steel model above and bells and whistles that this grill has (and it certainly has a few!) so let's just concentrate on the color.

The all stainless steel grill is exactly what it says, all stainless steel whereas this black grill is a black enamel cart, a stainless steel cooking shelf and a black enamel hood. To be honest, I don't think that it looks as good but then check this out:-

You can buy the 5 burner on a stainless steel cart at GrillsDirect.com for $1759 at the time of my research (February 2012).

Now that in my book represents something worth serious consideration when you compare it against the stainless steel model which is $400 more expensive.

And yes you could argue that that's still not super cheap but Vermont Castings have been making products including stoves and fireplaces in America since 1976 and they pride themselves on the quality of their workmanship and their commitment to the environment.

Yes you are going to pay more for Vermont Castings grills but if supporting our quality American workforce is important to you then surely it's worth the extra money?

Care is also taken in the manufacturing plant to ensure that energy conservation is top of the agenda both in the direct manufacturing process and indirect overheads.

See Also:-

Page Updated February 2012

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