Great review! Thanks for taking the time to do this video and the one on cooking with the sear burner and rotisserie top burner to sear a steak. What are you thoughts on hestan vs alfresco vs twin eagles grills? Which ones have the thickest steel used in overall construction and especially the cermaic briquette trays? Any specifics on intricate details on them would be greatly appreciated! No worries if you don't have experience with twin eagles products.
How manageable are flare ups with the Hestan? I'm worried about the briquette system. Some reviews rate the Hestan pretty low when it comes to flare ups. What can you do to minimize flare ups?
What grills are you considering that you’ve read are better with flare ups? My view on flare ups really boils down to how clean people keep their grills and how messy of a cook someone is. If the grill is properly maintained and cleaned frequently, flare ups shouldn’t really be much of an issue to deal with. Some people cook with too many oils, sauces and fatty foods with the expectation that a grill shouldn’t have flare ups because it’s expensive. Just be mindful of cleaning and cooking habits and you’ll be in good shape. - Sam
Features will be the exact same. Only thing really to consider is if you’re planning on an infrared sear burner down low. If you’re doing that, the 36 might make sense so you aren’t rendering half of your grill space somewhat useless since a sear burner can only be used in a limited fashion on select foods. - Sam
@@ESW206 you can use the top rotisserie burner for searing but some prefer having a true infrared burner on the main cooking area. Lynx designed theirs to be variable. Hestan’s is not. However, you really don’t want to use one of these burners to cook at low temperatures with fatty foods. The burner holes will eventually clog/you’ll get spotty performance. So while it’s a marketable difference, I wouldn’t make my decision on a grill based on that. If you’re really just wanting a 30-inch, the Hestan makes sense cause you can get two traditional burners and use the rotisserie burner for searing. It’s angled down for that exact reason. And you can adjust the top rack in three levels based on how close you want the food to the burner.
I've heard that you have to worry about 2 things with this grill. 1. Wind can be a big issue with the burner flames damaging the grill. Is this grill more susceptible to wind vs something like a Fire Magic Grill? Also flare ups. I've read reviews of people complaining about flare ups with the grease not being able to escape the ceramic briquet trays. How would you rate the flare ups vs something more traditional like a Fire Magic? Last how does Hestan warranty compare to the other big luxury gill brands? Any reliability issues with Hestan?
Great questions. 1.) Wind is a factor with any grill. If you're in a windy area and don't have something to block the wind from the rear of the grill, you just need to purchase a wind guard to mitigate that. We're in a coastal area so a wind guard is pretty much an automatic add-on for many of our clients situated along the beaches in our region. Alfresco has the open-air system to help prevent the front control panel from heat blowback and they recommend a wind guard still. Manufacturers are getting stricter with their warranties so depending on the installation or setup, they might deny a claim stemming from what you're talking about because they would deem it improper installation if a wind guard wasn't used. That is if there's no wall behind the grill to break the wind. This isn't a metric we test so I can't really compare one brand to the other on this. If wind is an issue where you are, a wind guard/break is needed in some capacity probably regardless of brand. 2.) Flare up issues usually stem from poor cleaning. The trays are designed to be flipped over after every cook so you can "self clean" them by letting the dirtier side burn off when cooking the next time. If you do your basic care for the grill periodically, no reason that flare ups would be an issue. 3.) Hestan has a decent warranty. They add an extra year to it if you purchase a grill cover at the same time you buy the grill. Fire Magic's warranty is more robust and comprehensive. Hestan hasn't been around long enough for there to be a large enough network of existing grills to really get an understanding of maintenance on them. We haven't been notified of any issues with the grills we've sold and/or installed over the last three years. Alfresco Grills is another brand to consider in the luxury category. They're a top-tier brand and we get very low warranty claims on their grills. The reliability and performance is very good. We've repped them since 2004 so we have a long list of consumer feedback on their grills. - Sam
@@rickirizarry5079 the housings are, yes. Their appearance here in the video is a combination of a few things but mainly boils down to cleaning and heat. The trays are going to change to a bronze color relatively fast due to heat. That’s why high end grills double line/wall their hoods so no discoloration makes it to the outer appearance. The second major factor is grease. Grease eats away slowly at the metal which makes it seems rusty when it’s not really rust. This grill belonged to our distributor and has seen some strong years of subpar cleaning. That’s what I would attribute what you’re seeing to mainly. - Sam
Let me start by saying both are well-built products. That said, the features of the Hestan excite me more than those on the Fire Magic. I think the lighting system is better, I like the dual-function rotisserie/sear burner, the tuck-away rotisserie storage, the stay-in-place hood and I like the grates on the Hestan more. I don’t put much value in the built-in digital thermometer on the Echelon because I use external devices that I like more. Not sure if looking at the window model but I think it’s more gimmicky than useful. Both have the same type of ignition system. Burners on both are powerful but each offers their own advantage. For the price points, I think you get more with the Hestan. I’d recommend looking at one in person if possible. The biggest consumer feedback we hear is the grill seems large because of the hood shape so some base their choice off that solely. If you have other questions, just reply back. Thanks for asking. - Sam
@@toddbraden1752 our team can. You can call in to our showroom at 813-962-1700 or send an email to info@justgrillinflorida.com detailing what you’re interested in and your contact info.
Thanks, good review! But oh my gosh please make that one chord monotonous music stop! This would have been better without it. I felt like I was being tortured with that piano chord repeating and never stopping!
Thanks, I guess? My voice is pretty monotone so music generally helps me not put people to sleep. I think we usually pick fitting music but maybe not I suppose. - Sam
Great review! Thanks for taking the time to do this video and the one on cooking with the sear burner and rotisserie top burner to sear a steak.
What are you thoughts on hestan vs alfresco vs twin eagles grills? Which ones have the thickest steel used in overall construction and especially the cermaic briquette trays? Any specifics on intricate details on them would be greatly appreciated! No worries if you don't have experience with twin eagles products.
How manageable are flare ups with the Hestan? I'm worried about the briquette system. Some reviews rate the Hestan pretty low when it comes to flare ups. What can you do to minimize flare ups?
What grills are you considering that you’ve read are better with flare ups? My view on flare ups really boils down to how clean people keep their grills and how messy of a cook someone is.
If the grill is properly maintained and cleaned frequently, flare ups shouldn’t really be much of an issue to deal with. Some people cook with too many oils, sauces and fatty foods with the expectation that a grill shouldn’t have flare ups because it’s expensive.
Just be mindful of cleaning and cooking habits and you’ll be in good shape.
- Sam
Plannning on just the 30 since it’s just me and my wife. Any reason the 36 is better other than more space?
Features will be the exact same. Only thing really to consider is if you’re planning on an infrared sear burner down low. If you’re doing that, the 36 might make sense so you aren’t rendering half of your grill space somewhat useless since a sear burner can only be used in a limited fashion on select foods.
- Sam
@@justgrillin isn’t the IR burner variable like the Lynx though?
@@ESW206 you can use the top rotisserie burner for searing but some prefer having a true infrared burner on the main cooking area.
Lynx designed theirs to be variable. Hestan’s is not. However, you really don’t want to use one of these burners to cook at low temperatures with fatty foods. The burner holes will eventually clog/you’ll get spotty performance. So while it’s a marketable difference, I wouldn’t make my decision on a grill based on that.
If you’re really just wanting a 30-inch, the Hestan makes sense cause you can get two traditional burners and use the rotisserie burner for searing. It’s angled down for that exact reason. And you can adjust the top rack in three levels based on how close you want the food to the burner.
I've heard that you have to worry about 2 things with this grill. 1. Wind can be a big issue with the burner flames damaging the grill. Is this grill more susceptible to wind vs something like a Fire Magic Grill? Also flare ups. I've read reviews of people complaining about flare ups with the grease not being able to escape the ceramic briquet trays. How would you rate the flare ups vs something more traditional like a Fire Magic? Last how does Hestan warranty compare to the other big luxury gill brands? Any reliability issues with Hestan?
Great questions.
1.) Wind is a factor with any grill. If you're in a windy area and don't have something to block the wind from the rear of the grill, you just need to purchase a wind guard to mitigate that. We're in a coastal area so a wind guard is pretty much an automatic add-on for many of our clients situated along the beaches in our region. Alfresco has the open-air system to help prevent the front control panel from heat blowback and they recommend a wind guard still. Manufacturers are getting stricter with their warranties so depending on the installation or setup, they might deny a claim stemming from what you're talking about because they would deem it improper installation if a wind guard wasn't used. That is if there's no wall behind the grill to break the wind. This isn't a metric we test so I can't really compare one brand to the other on this. If wind is an issue where you are, a wind guard/break is needed in some capacity probably regardless of brand.
2.) Flare up issues usually stem from poor cleaning. The trays are designed to be flipped over after every cook so you can "self clean" them by letting the dirtier side burn off when cooking the next time. If you do your basic care for the grill periodically, no reason that flare ups would be an issue.
3.) Hestan has a decent warranty. They add an extra year to it if you purchase a grill cover at the same time you buy the grill. Fire Magic's warranty is more robust and comprehensive. Hestan hasn't been around long enough for there to be a large enough network of existing grills to really get an understanding of maintenance on them. We haven't been notified of any issues with the grills we've sold and/or installed over the last three years.
Alfresco Grills is another brand to consider in the luxury category. They're a top-tier brand and we get very low warranty claims on their grills. The reliability and performance is very good. We've repped them since 2004 so we have a long list of consumer feedback on their grills.
- Sam
@@justgrillin great appreciate your feedback!
You won't have to worry about the wind if it's a built in set up!
The brisket metal housings appear rusted. Aren't these stainless steel as well?
Brisket metal housings?
Sorry. Meant to say Briquettes. @@justgrillin
@@rickirizarry5079 the housings are, yes. Their appearance here in the video is a combination of a few things but mainly boils down to cleaning and heat. The trays are going to change to a bronze color relatively fast due to heat. That’s why high end grills double line/wall their hoods so no discoloration makes it to the outer appearance.
The second major factor is grease. Grease eats away slowly at the metal which makes it seems rusty when it’s not really rust. This grill belonged to our distributor and has seen some strong years of subpar cleaning. That’s what I would attribute what you’re seeing to mainly.
- Sam
Is that a 24” or 30”
30”. They don’t make a 24” grill. Only size options are: 30, 36 & 42.
- Sam
Echelon vs Hestan- what’s recommended?
Let me start by saying both are well-built products. That said, the features of the Hestan excite me more than those on the Fire Magic.
I think the lighting system is better, I like the dual-function rotisserie/sear burner, the tuck-away rotisserie storage, the stay-in-place hood and I like the grates on the Hestan more.
I don’t put much value in the built-in digital thermometer on the Echelon because I use external devices that I like more. Not sure if looking at the window model but I think it’s more gimmicky than useful.
Both have the same type of ignition system. Burners on both are powerful but each offers their own advantage.
For the price points, I think you get more with the Hestan. I’d recommend looking at one in person if possible. The biggest consumer feedback we hear is the grill seems large because of the hood shape so some base their choice off that solely.
If you have other questions, just reply back. Thanks for asking.
- Sam
@@justgrillin can you price a Hestan?
@@toddbraden1752 our team can. You can call in to our showroom at 813-962-1700 or send an email to info@justgrillinflorida.com detailing what you’re interested in and your contact info.
@@justgrillin Thanks
Very very helpful review! Thank you!
Thanks, good review! But oh my gosh please make that one chord monotonous music stop! This would have been better without it. I felt like I was being tortured with that piano chord repeating and never stopping!
Thanks, I guess? My voice is pretty monotone so music generally helps me not put people to sleep. I think we usually pick fitting music but maybe not I suppose.
- Sam