Weber Q

After moving to our new place on Sand Point Way (about 2 minutes from the University of Washignton), my wife and I found that we didn't have room for our grill on our fairly small back porch. Of course, as any self-respecting red-blooded American man does, I use my grill for just about everything, all year round. I was heartbroken, so I started looking to see if I could find a smaller gas-powered grill* that I could find to replace my older one.

Eventually, I discovered the Weber "Q", a small portable (if you can call 45lbs. portable) grill. It has a few drawbacks, namely the ridiculous requirement of smaller 14.1oz propane cylinders instead of the more standard 16.4oz kind, but so far, it's performing as I'd expect any product with the Weber name to perform.

I did have a little trouble getting a decent amount of heat out of the grill (I purchased an adapter hose to connect a 20lb. propane tank), but when I checked the manual, I couldn't find anything other than an 800 number which I doubted would be of any help at 4PM on a Sunday. Nevertheless, I called, and was speaking to a nice lady within a couple of minutes. She instructed me to turn off the gas, disconnect the tank, then reconnect the tank, then open the gas valve very slowly. What good could that do? The lady explained that there is a safety valve in the regulator, and if gas rushes into the regulator too fast, it could trip the safety and cause the grill to not start, or not put out enough flame. Sure enough, this was exactly what happened, and the grill fired up beatuifully.

The best part about the grill (and ironically, one of the irritants as well) is that the grill grate is cast iron. The grate heats up very evenly, very hot, and makes fabulous grill marks. Unfortunately, it's also a pain to clean, but every grill has to be just a little bit dirty.

If you're in the market for a smaller gas grill, give the Weber Q a look and see if it'll suit you. It's certainly not for everyone, but it's perfect for a couple with space at a premium. I can't wait until I get an excuse to take it on a picnic!

*Why gas instead of charcoal if I'm such a grill-nut? As much as I love to grill (and love the taste of charcoal-grilled food), I'm also a type-A personality, and like to micromanage my cooking, and I find I can time my cooking better (and spend less time tending the grill) if I use more predictable gas. It's more convenient, and I find the taste difference to be fairly negligible.