In some ways I'm suprised the Alfresco didn't rank higher. It has the built in smoker box with burner, titanium infused SR-18 burners, heat protected wiring, the heaviest duty rotisserie motor (hestan is very close though), one of the more sturdy hoods and grill, lots of vertical height, etc. Does it not cook as well? Does the design of the ceramic briquette trays knock it down substantially in your opinion? Does the Lynx all trident really get down low enough to cook more delicate things? Lets say if one only sears steaks on it 4 times a year. Would you still consider it? The main draw back to me with the Lynx is the fact that they use a lot of 201 stainless steel on the inside of the grill which is definitely inferior to 304 used by the others in this top 5. I can't afford the Hestan, although it looks like an amazing grill!
Trevor, regarding the alfresco, do you think you could hit the briquette trays with a pressure washer to get them clean or soak them in something? I just bought one, really wanted a Hestan but they aren't available . I do think it's gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with messing around flipping them over when they are hot and dirty, etc. Just thinking I'd buy a 2nd set of briquette trays so I could take them out and pressure wash/clean at my convenience and keep swapping them
@@aaronolsen8787 I like it a lot. There is absolutely a learning curve coming from say a weber gas grill. I find I really need to let it preheat to get the briquette trays hot and have even heat but you also have to be careful because you can get it really freaking hot. This grill can get so hot you can burn yourself trying to flip a steak over if you arent wearing an oven mitt. The smoker tray is an awesome feature, I throw pellets in it and use it al.ost Everytime I cook on it. Gotta be careful with that too because you can end up lighting all the pellets on fire and making it super hot as well, once you get the pellets smoldering you can usually shut that burner off and the pellets will just keep smoldering making smoke without a ton of extra heat. Many times I cook with center and one side burner on with pellets going and I place steaks on the other side so they are getting indirect heat and some smoke flavor then I finish with reverse sear. The burners get so hot if you sear a thick steak you will never get the .middle remotely cooked. I really haven't used the rotisserie much and i need to start using it. It's really awesome how it's hidden and you don't know that it's there. The interior lighting is an awesome feature as well. Lastly, it's absolutely a standout piece,.when people come.over and we are just sitting at my outdoor kitchen having drinks people comment on the grill when I'm not even using it. The quality is top notch and the grill will last a lifetime for sure.
Regarding your statement "Lynx is the only grill that's all infrared and you can turn down the burner to grill at 300F and everyone else would incinerate". What about TEC Grills - all infrared - and you can grill at 200F to 1000F.
@@embersliving I would protect my off burners by covering them with disposable aluminum pans. Offset indirect cooking is my only concern for a Lynx with all radiant burners.
Sorry to elaborate, I've got the smoker box /charcoal for the S7 36" with side burner. Awesome grill. The charcoal/smoker box can go over any U-burner. If you own two it can be awesome to use in conjunction with the rotisserie. Light those bad boys up and cook over it with the rotisserie
Trevor, any thoughts on which burner configuration is best for the Hestan? Can the infrared burners on the Hestan be used at low temp? I think in a prior video of the Lynx you said it’s a no brainer to order with all infrared. Do you recommend that here?
Trevor - do you know if the burners can be changed after the fact? For example is it possible to order this with all conventional burners and then order just the sear burner from Hestan and change it later yourself?
@@danprecourt5677 yes definitely. I ordered one infrared burner but it actually came with the regular burner installed and I had to put in the infrared burner myself from the shipment.
I am looking for multi-fuel and see the Hestan is highest rated and has a charcoal tray. How does the Hestan multifuel stack up against the AMG? I have the invoice for the Kalamazoo but cant see spending double the money...
You've watched all our AMG and Hestan videos right? I would say from a personal stand point Hestan is the go to. AMG is new to us, but they offer the true hybrid option.
@@embersliving Yes, I watched all the videos including the Kalamazoo (buy the hybrid so we all know if its the real deal!)...The more I look at the Hestan the more I am starting to like it over K and A models. I guess the big question is I was looking forward to cooking over hard wood (cherry and apple), is that possible in the charcoal tray on the Hestan?
Thanks for showing this years top grills. Love my Lynx grill that I have had almost 15 years.
Great choice! Thanks for watching!
I’ve had my Hestan for about 2 months now and what an amazing grill! I’m really enjoying all of the features that you point out in reviews.
Great to hear!
The problem with the AMG grill is that I'd end up having to buy a Mercedes AMG to match and that would get real expensive!
yeah the AMG is bad
Great review, you guys certainly know your grills and golf, keep up the great work.
I’d use the Heston rotisserie burner for garlic bread and toasting buns! And as a rotisserie duh
dang that sounds good actually
In some ways I'm suprised the Alfresco didn't rank higher. It has the built in smoker box with burner, titanium infused SR-18 burners, heat protected wiring, the heaviest duty rotisserie motor (hestan is very close though), one of the more sturdy hoods and grill, lots of vertical height, etc. Does it not cook as well? Does the design of the ceramic briquette trays knock it down substantially in your opinion?
Does the Lynx all trident really get down low enough to cook more delicate things? Lets say if one only sears steaks on it 4 times a year. Would you still consider it? The main draw back to me with the Lynx is the fact that they use a lot of 201 stainless steel on the inside of the grill which is definitely inferior to 304 used by the others in this top 5. I can't afford the Hestan, although it looks like an amazing grill!
I think the other models are just more solid and I like the way the others look. Yeah you can cook at low temp on the lynx.
is the rotisserie bar really close to the burner on the hestan or is it just the angle of the video?
Just the angle that is more for sotrage so you dont lose it
Thank you gear job I had been looking, and now You just made it easy, I am getting that bad baby Hestan 💪 watched numbers videos on it
Hit us up! We have them in stock ready to ship!
I really like your reviews, is there a difference between the 2022 Napoleon 500 grill and the 2023 model, thank you in advance.
Which Hestan model is this? I followed the link but it shows me all of the Hestan products you carry?
blazingembers.com/hestan-42-built-in-gas-grill-with-rotisserie-burner/
Trevor, regarding the alfresco, do you think you could hit the briquette trays with a pressure washer to get them clean or soak them in something? I just bought one, really wanted a Hestan but they aren't available . I do think it's gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with messing around flipping them over when they are hot and dirty, etc. Just thinking I'd buy a 2nd set of briquette trays so I could take them out and pressure wash/clean at my convenience and keep swapping them
How do you like your Alfresco grill? Any major cons that you've found?
@@aaronolsen8787 I like it a lot. There is absolutely a learning curve coming from say a weber gas grill. I find I really need to let it preheat to get the briquette trays hot and have even heat but you also have to be careful because you can get it really freaking hot. This grill can get so hot you can burn yourself trying to flip a steak over if you arent wearing an oven mitt. The smoker tray is an awesome feature, I throw pellets in it and use it al.ost Everytime I cook on it. Gotta be careful with that too because you can end up lighting all the pellets on fire and making it super hot as well, once you get the pellets smoldering you can usually shut that burner off and the pellets will just keep smoldering making smoke without a ton of extra heat. Many times I cook with center and one side burner on with pellets going and I place steaks on the other side so they are getting indirect heat and some smoke flavor then I finish with reverse sear. The burners get so hot if you sear a thick steak you will never get the .middle remotely cooked. I really haven't used the rotisserie much and i need to start using it. It's really awesome how it's hidden and you don't know that it's there. The interior lighting is an awesome feature as well. Lastly, it's absolutely a standout piece,.when people come.over and we are just sitting at my outdoor kitchen having drinks people comment on the grill when I'm not even using it. The quality is top notch and the grill will last a lifetime for sure.
Btw, cook on that dcs and get back to me on how easy you can spin those ceramic rods around. Doesn't work too well
good to know
Great informative video - you didn't mention a pullout smoker box on any grill except the Alfresco. No smoker box on the Heston?
not built in no
Of these 5, which offers the best bang for the buck? Pretty big price difference between Alfresca and Hestan...
I wouldn't say any for bang for your buck haha, but I would say the hestan,
what about the caliber grill?
Regarding your statement "Lynx is the only grill that's all infrared and you can turn down the burner to grill at 300F and everyone else would incinerate". What about TEC Grills - all infrared - and you can grill at 200F to 1000F.
they are good too, but I like the lynx better
Lynx indirect cooking, does it foul the infrared burner? Since the infrared burner is off, it seems like it should be vulnerable to port fouling.
it works great
@@embersliving I would protect my off burners by covering them with disposable aluminum pans. Offset indirect cooking is my only concern for a Lynx with all radiant burners.
can the charcoal tray from the DCS 9 series fit inside the DCS 7 series?
Yes it can! 😊
Sorry to elaborate, I've got the smoker box /charcoal for the S7 36" with side burner. Awesome grill. The charcoal/smoker box can go over any U-burner. If you own two it can be awesome to use in conjunction with the rotisserie. Light those bad boys up and cook over it with the rotisserie
Trevor, any thoughts on which burner configuration is best for the Hestan? Can the infrared burners on the Hestan be used at low temp? I think in a prior video of the Lynx you said it’s a no brainer to order with all infrared. Do you recommend that here?
I like 1 sear and 3 regular
They turn down to 400 so still pretty warm for all infra red
Trevor - do you know if the burners can be changed after the fact? For example is it possible to order this with all conventional burners and then order just the sear burner from Hestan and change it later yourself?
@@danprecourt5677 I would think so - firebox casing should be standard to house both types of burners
@@danprecourt5677 yes definitely. I ordered one infrared burner but it actually came with the regular burner installed and I had to put in the infrared burner myself from the shipment.
I am looking for multi-fuel and see the Hestan is highest rated and has a charcoal tray. How does the Hestan multifuel stack up against the AMG? I have the invoice for the Kalamazoo but cant see spending double the money...
You've watched all our AMG and Hestan videos right? I would say from a personal stand point Hestan is the go to. AMG is new to us, but they offer the true hybrid option.
@@embersliving Yes, I watched all the videos including the Kalamazoo (buy the hybrid so we all know if its the real deal!)...The more I look at the Hestan the more I am starting to like it over K and A models. I guess the big question is I was looking forward to cooking over hard wood (cherry and apple), is that possible in the charcoal tray on the Hestan?
You need to compare them to a Kalamazoo
How come Kalamazoo Grills are not on this list?
We can't get ahold of one
And what about Kalamazoo grills?
they are cool ,we have a video on those
Dont you have a firemagic yourself? Thought it should make top 5 for that reason alone
I used to, not anymore
How do these compare to the Traeger timberline?
Well these are gas grills
Any thoughts on how Hestan has a 1 year warranty vs everyone else?
We dont have many Hestan issues, but if you do file a warranty claim they handle all of it on their own .
Hestan makes a hell of a grill but nothing cooks like a TEC
I disagree, the TECS are nice though
So, are we gonna pretend that KALAMAZOO grills don't exist?
14’12”