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bpatel9

built in patio grill

2 years ago

I am looking for opinions of outdoor patio grills. It will be a build in, I am not sure were to start. we do not have a grill right now and I am not sure how ofter we will use it. I don't have specific size or style in mind, would like something easy to clean and big enough to use if entertaining.

Comments (4)

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    Buy a portable grill. When you use it you will experience your needs and be able to determine what you need in a built-in grill. If you do not use it . . . CraigsList.

  • 2 years ago

    I do all the grilling and have owned many grills over the years. We built in 2021 and I bought a Hestan Grill, which is on the higher end of grills. Paying more doesn't always guarantee a better product, but the main reason I bought the Hestan was because of their lid/hood design. I am short/small and I've had grills that pull me back into the grill/heat as I open the lid, so for me, their spring design and ability to stop the lid at any height was very important.

    The main thing with an outdoor grill, specially if it is under a lanai, like I have in FL, is the exhaust hood above the grill. I have a properly sized one, but if I was doing it again I would get an even deeper exhaust hood. Mine works great until you open the grill and then the smoke rolls out over the hood, so code should be changed to makes the hoods deeper to contain the smoke all the time, not just when the lid is closed.


    If you aren't big on grilling, but your neighborhood and house price point expects a built-in grill, then I would just go with a mid grade/priced product. Go with a 36" size grill.

  • 2 years ago

    Consumer Reports has reviews of grills of many types ($10/month digital).

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    bpatel9 - I would advise against a built-in grill. Problems would exist replacing it, should the grill were to break down. Which it will!!! My sister and brother-in-law put in a fancy outdoor kitchen. The entire area stayed dirty unless they were entertaining. And then clean-up was a major pain. I know because I had to do it in preparing the house for a celebration of life for my sister. Grill maintenance was a problem. My brother-in-law died two years later, before anything had to be replaced, but he told me it was a big mistake and that he rarely used the area.

    For the last two builds in my own home, DH and I have built an open enclosure to partailly hide our outdoor grill. We get Webers. Should they need to be replaced, we don't have to run around looking for a size to squeeze into an opening that was made as a "built-in".

    Here the grill is behind our screened porch fireplace.



    As seen (or not seen) from porch


    Previous home - Grill enclosure to right - as seen from breakfast room.