Blaze Grills have already managed to make a name for themselves, despite being relatively new grills. They are effective, look great, and can work with a wide variety of outdoor kitchens. Even professionals enjoy working with them, and there are plenty of BBQ restaurants that have a Blaze Grill, or several, for preparing their food.
However, just because a grill is effective and suitable for professionals doesn’t mean that it’s going to be the right option for you.
Here’s what you should be thinking about when you get a Blaze Grill. We’ve included things like how you’re going to use the grill, what kind of equipment and setup you already have, how you want to use the grill, as well as some information about the grills themselves and how they work.
With all that information in mind, it should be easy to decide if Blaze Grills are right for you and to pick a model that suits your needs.
10 Things You Should Know Before Buying A Blaze Grill
These 10 things will help you figure out if a Blaze Grill is a good model for you, the basic information you need to decide what grill model you want, as well as some basic information about the company and manufacturing that are important for consumers.
What Kind Of Grill Do You Want?
Blaze Grills might be a little newer than some other companies, but they already have a very complete grill lineup. That includes a lot of different fuel types, ranging from natural gas or propane to charcoal, wood pellets, and grills that work with several different types of fuel.
There are pros and cons to all of the fuel types available. Natural gas can be one of the most convenient, especially if your home already has a natural gas line you can connect to the grill. Propane is another common option, and propane is pretty widely available and affordable.
Hardwood grills are a little less convenient, but many people prefer the flavor of hardwood to the alternatives. Hardwood and charcoal also both need higher grilling skill, but give a skilled cook more control over the process and better flavor in the finished product.
Knowing which kind of fuel you want to use can help you narrow down the options to just the types of grill you’re most interested in cooking with.
What Size Grill Do You Need?
Blaze Grills are often designed with professional use in mind, which means that they come in a wide range of sizes, but tend to be a bit larger.
That’s important to note because you don’t actually want a grill that’s bigger than you need. A large grill needs more fuel, takes longer to reach cooking temperatures, and needs more fuel to maintain those temperatures, even if you’re only using a single cooking zone.
The ideal grill is just large enough to let you cook for a larger gathering but not too much larger than you’re going to need and use on a day-to-day basis at home.
If you have a family of four, you’ll probably want a medium size grill. If you’re regularly cooking for 6 or more people, you probably want a large grill. But if you’re mostly grilling for yourself and one or two others, you can get away with a smaller grill.
Remember that grilling is also often faster than other kinds of cooking, which means that batch cooking for a larger group is much easier.
Worried about the cooking speed for some grilled items, like fish and seafood? This Herb Grilled Salmon recipe will give you a good place to get started with a hearty fish that’s a little more forgiving than other seafood.
Do You Already Have A Natural Gas Hookup?
If you’re considering getting a natural gas grill, or even a different fuel type, you might want to see if your home has a natural gas hookup. If you have a natural gas hookup, that can make installing a natural gas grill a lot easier and might make that the best option.
But, if you don’t already have a natural gas grill, you might want to choose a propane grill or a different fuel type. Natural gas lines can be expensive to install, and buying natural gas in a canister is usually more expensive than using propane.
Do You Want A Built-In Or Freestanding Grill?
One thing to consider before you decide whether or not a Blaze Grill is right for you is whether you want a freestanding grill, or are building an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill, or are replacing an existing built-in.
Most Blaze Grills are designed to be built-in grills, though they also have plenty of free-standing models. Like knowing what fuel type you want for your grill, knowing whether you want a built-in or freestanding grill can help narrow down which models you want to purchase.
How Often Are You Likely To Grill?
This is one of the top considerations before buying a Blaze Grill. Blaze Grills are intentionally designed for luxury and professional use and are really meant for people who love grilling and live somewhere they will grill often.
If you aren’t likely to grill very often, you can probably get away with a smaller or more affordable grill as opposed to the luxury grill option.
Of course, if you enjoy grilling and want to grill more often, switching to a Blaze Grill can make that easier. These grills are also highly durable and don’t have as many performance changes over the lifetime of the grill compared with more affordable versions.
Do you want to grill more often but not sure what to make? Well here are 26 of the Best Grilling Recipes for you to try at home!
Most Blaze Grills Have Heat Zone Separators
This is a big advantage of Blaze Grills, though it’s hardly unique to the brand.
Almost all Blaze Grills have multiple heat zones so you can control the cooking speed of the food on your grill, as well as choosing the right temperatures for different kinds of food.
Grilling masters will know what a big difference this can make, especially when it comes to making things like chicken and steak or steak and seafood, where different cooking temps and times are needed for the different kinds of food.
Speaking of steak and seafood, here’s a recipe for some of the best-grilled shrimp you can make. Plus, it’s Weight Watchers-approved!
However, it’s even more important to know about the heat zones in a Blaze Grill because they have better than average zone separation. While the whole grill will share at least some heat, the heat zones can make a significant difference in the temperature of the cooking surface.
However, like all grills, you do want to make sure your Blaze Grill is up to temperature before you start cooking if you want to get the best results. You won’t get the delicious sear marks grills are known for if the grill isn’t warm enough to start, for one thing.
Are Blaze Grills Made In The USA?
No, though the company does have a significant number of US employees, including some customer service staff, the grills themselves are assembled in China and shipped to the US for sale.
That’s not a big deal for some people, especially since a lot of consumer goods are manufactured that way. However, it can be a sticking point if you’re looking for US-manufactured grills specifically.
If you’re worried about the quality of the grill and components with Chinese manufacturing, you don’t need to worry. All Blaze Grills use high-quality steel and the best construction and control options. Rigorous quality control also helps ensure that all of the grills that are sold are in top quality and work the way they are supposed to.
How Long Blaze Grills Last
One of the biggest downsides of getting grills designed to be affordable is that they often fall apart faster, or don’t work as well over time, compared with their more expensive competitors. Since Blaze Grills are on the more expensive side of home grills, they must last a long time.
Fortunately, there are a few advantages to getting a Blaze Grill, including that they have a long functional life, and don’t tend to change much in terms of heat or insulation over time.
You also don’t need to worry about the burners needing frequent replacement or the other challenges that come with some grills. For the most part, as long as you give your Blaze Grill proper maintenance, it will keep working for years or even decades, without really changing.
Do You Need Other Outdoor Kitchen Equipment?
If you are thinking about getting a new grill, it’s also a good idea to think about what other outdoor kitchen equipment you should be getting at the same time.
Fortunately, the Blaze Grill company also makes outdoor-rated refrigerators, cabinets, and counters, in addition to the grills themselves and the accessories you need to use them.
Blaze Grills Come With An Impressive Warranty
Last but certainly not least, if you’re worried that a Blaze Grill might not be the right choice for you, or are worried about the price tag that comes with the best Blaze Grills, these appliances come with an impressive warranty.
When you buy one of these grills you get a limited lifetime warranty.
That’s important because it means that your grill is protected if something does break when it shouldn’t. The limitations on the warranty are mostly about misuse, or not protecting your grill from the elements. So long as you do your best to take care of the grill and use it properly, you shouldn’t have to worry about accidentally voiding the lifetime warranty.
Final Thoughts: Are Blaze Grills A Good Investment?
Overall, Blaze Grills have a lot of advantages and advanced features that make them a good investment for people who enjoy grilling. The trick is that these are high-end appliances, so you need to have a good idea what you’re looking for, and how you’re most likely to use the grill before you choose the right model for your home.
