The Weber Grill Center: Operation

Part 2: Operation (Part 1, The Weber Grill Center: The Assembly)

With the Summit Grill Center assembled, it was time to finally fire it up.  Throughout the assembly I kept staring at the knobs, trying to imagine their feel as the grill took flame, but I resisted.  Now, however, with everything shiny and ready, it was time.  It was first light.

After a few years, a new car moves from "new" to "comfortable".  It's still nice, it's still yours, you still like it, but it's no longer new.  It's comfortable.  The same can be said for a new grill.  The 650 was comfortable.  It was also resilient.  The knobs clicked, the burners roared, and it endured hours, days, and years of heavy use.   It was, most notably however, no longer new.  Even on it's first birthday.

The Grill Center was new and boy, did the first click of the ignitor remind me.  The burner knobs were tight, yet loose.  Responsive, yet firm.  I forgot how good new felt.  I like it.  I missed it.

Although I've not compared them side by side, the Grill Center's knobs have more range of control.  I know this by feel.  After years of spinning the knobs blindly, I suddenly found myself missing my marks.  I wasn't stopping on off, or light, but somewhere in the middle.  Cool.  I like added control.

To start, I set all six burners, and the sear burner, to high.  In 15 minutes, I was hitting over 700 degrees on the hood temp.

Nice. 

It's no secret, but my favorite piece of meat to grill is a ribeye.  It's also my "first light" food of choice, so without any further ado...

Can you hear it?

The steak cooked hot and it cooked fast.  It is most certainly the first of many.

Now, for the side burner.  

The Grill Center comes with a wok ring, which to me is killer.  I love to use the wok and have always been stymied by the lack of heat output I've had in the kitchen and on the 650's side burner.  For awhile I thought about buying a dedicated outdoor wok burner.  However, the Grill Center and its 27,000 BTU-per-hour burner has eliminated the need.

The wok ring works great with the Weber BBQ System's Wok, or any other round bottom wok you happen to have on hand.  I'll spend more time on the BBQ System later.

The burner's ignitors fired up immediately.  Although I was looking for heat, I'm excited about the smaller inner burner.  I could barely tell it was on.  Simmering…here I come.

Outside of the aforementioned heat output issues in the kitchen, there is one more negative to inside "woking": the smells.  Outside is the place to be and whether you are inside, or out, wok cooking requires mise en place.

Even though the ingredients for curry shrimp with pineapple are few, the cook goes fast and preparation is key.  There is no time to run back inside for an ingredient.  Everything must be at hand.  Everything must be "in place".

The extra space next to the burner is nice, as it easily handles my favorite spoon rest: the empty can.

The cook was fast and easy.  Although the sear burner was nice, I'm completely in love with the side burner.

I've just brushed the surface.  I will bring forward more observations, as I put in more time.  Needless to say, I'm in love.  I even had the chance to grab a paper towel from the paper towel holder.  Saved a shirt and made dinner.  I see the beginning of a beautiful stomach filling relationship.