What gas BBQ should I buy for the family?

  • What gas BBQ should I buy for the family?

    You are the typical Aussie family. You are busy but the family enjoys a BBQ and at times you have to cater for family and friends.

    You want to cook the staples such as steak, chops, sausages, eggs and bacon etc.

    Should I buy a 4 burner, the tried and true BBQ or one of the new style like the Weber Q or Zieger and Brown (Ziggy)?

    Being a family I am looking for value for money and I don't want to spend the earth but I don't want a cheapie that will break in a year.

    What do you think I should get?

    Edited once, last by 12x7 (October 23, 2016 at 7:42 PM).

  • What do you think I should get?

    The next time I'm in that position I'll be looking at a Ziggy. The last time I bought a Weber Genesis and while I've been very happy with it, I think I can make do with a smaller (and cheaper) gas BBQ.
    If looks are very important though, it would be hard to get a better looking BBQ than the black Weber Genesis.

    Masterbuilt Gravity 800 | Maximus Pizza Oven | GMG - Daniel Boone | Cyprus Grill | Big Steel Keg | Blackstone Griddle | Fire Pit | Weber Genesis |

  • Either the Weber 3200 or the Ziggy Triple Grill. My preference is the Ziggy which has better control with 3 burners and has much better accessories with the 3 part grill having the option of a centre cast iron pan with trivet for roasting or use as a shallow frying pan, as opposed to a flat hot plate option on the Weber.

    Big Green Egg - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Weber Kettle - Maximus Pizza Oven - Dragon Hibachi - Ziggy Portable - baby kamado - Grillz 2 burner - Cobb BBQ - Converted Gas Bottle Spit - Charbroil Grill2go - Anova sous vide - Digi Q controller - plus Tip Top Temp - Smokeware cap - Grill Grates

  • Why do experienced BBQ'ers who have owned the traditional Aussie BBQ like the ones below


    now recommend BBQ's like the Weber Q and Ziggy as the family BBQ? The old style BBQ seemed to cook well when Dad used to cook on his and for the Scout's sausage sizzle?

    Weber Q300


    Zieger and Brown (Ziggy)

  • My old faithful 4 burner died a few years back. She came into my life in 1999, and we parted ways in 2012. We were about to start house extensions so a new alfresco was coming so I was not yet ready after the separation to start another long term relationship with another 4 burner (I actually had no where to keep it till the extensions were done), so I thought I'd have a little fling with a newer smaller model which could always be flicked over to being the camping bbq.

    Also not wanting to fork out any cash, I decided to trade in some Qantas points and ordered a twin burner Ziggy. Well it wasn't long before my new fling blossomed into love. Gas use was a fraction of the big 4 burner, and the way gas prices are going this is a huge plus. Also I'm not sure if it's because of the shape of the lid or the smaller area, it works so much better with closed lid cooking. Try a split chicken on the twin burner, light one side, put your chicken over the lit side to get colour, then move it to indirect heat with lid down to finish. You get the best of both worlds, the taste of the char, and the juiciness of an oven.

    Anyway, extensions were now finished so it was time to get a bigger Q. We are a family of 7 and often have others around, so as much as I love the twin burner it really is on the small side for us. I'd had a NG gas point put in the new Alfresco, so time to decide what to get. I ended up with a Weber Family Q. Again Qantas points. The Ziggy triple natural gas was not being offered at the time with points, but the family Q was, and while I feel the Ziggy is a better option, both are great BBQ's and to me Natural Gas was more important than the extra flexibility the Ziggy would have given me.

    So I can now cook for us and visitors with ease, using a fraction of the gas and getting juicier meat. That is why the days of a big 4 burner are over for me. Also, while the area of the grill in the family Q or Ziggy Triple is much smaller, they seem to cook more evenly over the whole surface, the old 4 burner you had hot and cold spots, so there were places you didn't want meat to go effectively reducing your usable area, so the difference in cooking area is not as great as it would appear.



    Traeger - Weber Family Q - Ziggy Twin Burner - Charcoal Grill - Akorn Kamado - Hark Tri Fire - Jumbuck Pizza Oven - Go Anywhere - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Hibachi Grill - Anova Sous Vide x 2

  • I prefer my hooded 4 burner on Natural Gas over my WeberQ 2200. Mind you I have taken everything bar the two grill pieces out of the 4 burner so it is basically the same as the Q just a bit more convenient being on NG and more flexible given the multiple individually controlled burners.

    Smite The Shepherd And The Sheep Will Be Scattered!

  • Hmmm, I have 6 x like the 4 burner and 2 x Heatleigh Flat tops...but no Q or Ziggy/Bugg kind of thing at all! :whistling:

    I might just have to lend you the ziggy then..... 8o



    Traeger - Weber Family Q - Ziggy Twin Burner - Charcoal Grill - Akorn Kamado - Hark Tri Fire - Jumbuck Pizza Oven - Go Anywhere - Asmoke Pellet Grill - Hibachi Grill - Anova Sous Vide x 2

  • I am old school but not old, i love my 4 burner turbo classic had it for 12yrs and still going strong.

    It is the same as my dad used and still has. Cooked plenty of great food. Even got my 1st scar from it trying to impress a lady.

    Ahh the memories.

    My possessions: GMG DB - Ziggy Triple

  • Still a regular user of my 4 burner. I have upgrade mine with grill grates. I'm wondering how many gas BBQ owners, Weber Q, Ziggy or traditional 4/6 burner owners have upgraded with grill grates?

    With summer nearly at our doorstep and the fire restrictions that come with it I reckon the gasser will be getting more use over summer.

  • My old 4 burner is still seeing use...as an overflow plant bench most of the time. :doh: If I had to replace it with another gasser I'd likely go down a similar road again, cheap and cheerful but does the trick for some snags or similar.

    Ignore the kettle knockoff, that's where the Akorn lives nowadays

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