With the changing of the seasons quickly approaching us, there is no better time to purchase a new grill.
Why, you ask?
Even though the weather is changing, the leaves are falling, and some of us are beginning to experience cooler temperatures, this is still a time of year that prominently features barbecue.
With the football season now in full swing, many of us spend our Saturdays and Sundays tailgating, or just hosting football parties. Couple that with the near 50% markdowns some retailers are advertising, there is no better time to pick up that shiny new grill you have wanted to get.
Now the question becomes which grill to get.
Well, there are a few options of grills, and depending on what exactly you want to be able to do on your grill determines which type of grill you should get.
Some brands make better smokers, other brands make better electric grills, while others still are targeted for the best all-around use possible, giving you several grilling options in one convenient grill.
Today we will focus on the latter. With that in mind, it is my opinion, which Weber grills are your best option.
The biggest issue with Weber Grills
Weber grills are easily among the most popular grills on the market, and they know they are too. Because of that knowledge they rarely have sales on their products (similar to Apple). Today we will look at some of the best retailers to go to when trying to find the best deal on your next Weber grill.
Pssst. Don’t feel like leaving the house? You can also pick up Weber grills at Amazon.
Some retailers will mark down the price of their grills a few bucks, while others still (like Ace Hardware), will offer gift certificates with the purchase of select Weber products. Some stores will even go as far as to carrying Weber grills that are exclusively sold through them, i.e., The Weber Jumbo Joe (which is a 22-inch kettle grill from…… you guessed it! Weber).
So let’s look at some of the retailers you should be considering if you are looking to land a good deal on a Weber product.
Walmart
We’ll start off with Walmart, the original everyday low price shopping center (I think). Walmart is a good place to get your grill from if you live in an apartment or a condo and have limited balcony space.
If you have ever lived in an apartment (especially in the city), then you understand that square footage on the balcony comes at a premium and thus, you cannot afford to have a giant grill out there.
BTW I also found this mini-Weber grill at Amazon.
Walmart is a great option in these moments, not only do they have several smaller grills for sale but as mentioned earlier, they also have exclusive rights to selling the Weber Jumbo Joe (the larger version of the infinitely popular Weber kettle grill lineup).
Walmart always has pretty good prices on their grills, but they also significantly mark them down once Labor Day hits, and it is time for them to get rid of their summer inventory. Also, now that they have started to compete with Amazon for some of the online shopping money, they will guarantee 2-day deliveries in most cases.
Home Depot
Home Depot is another good retailer to get your next Weber grill from (or any other home needs you have for that matter). While they don’t always advertise having big markdowns on their larger appliances, if you know how to shop there then you can end up walking out with a huge discount on your grill.
So what is the trick to getting a major markdown? I’m glad you asked.
When you are shopping at The Home Depot, you will often be dealing with somebody who works specifically in the section that you are shopping in. The employees can be authorized to give discounts on products that have been sitting on the floor for a long time.
Simply asking them if they can drop the price on a product will yield surprisingly good results, especially if you see any minor defect on the grill itself. Home Depot will also have a section (usually in the back of the store) that holds all the things customers have returned due to minor issues.
This grill at Amazon makes me want to invite all my friends over and make them burgers.
Look there first, these products are significantly cheaper than the new in box ones, and most of the time they have the most insignificant defects, things like dents, chips, or even a wobbly base. All of which you can easily overlook if you are paying 25 to 40 percent less for them.
After you get the grill… add some accessories from Amazon.
Ace Hardware
I live by an Ace Hardware now, and until I moved next to one, I never realized just how good of a store it is. The first time I walked in there, it was merely because of the convenience factor, but now that I understand how good a store it is, I’ll usually stop there before I make my way to Home Depot.
What do you think about this giant Weber grill? Will it make you use your backyard more?
(See it at Amazon)
One thing that I have learned is that Ace Hardware likes to offer incentives to purchase big ticket items, and grills are certainly in the category of “big ticket items.” At the beginning of autumn, they offer gift certificates as an incentive to purchase select Weber grills (usually around 75 to 100 dollars). This is perfect if you shop there often, but if you don’t, well then it won’t mean much to you.
Wrap – Up
Consumer experts tell us that this is easily the best time of the year to purchase a new grill, many barbecue enthusiasts tell us that Weber is the way to go. Even though finding great deals on Weber grills can be daunting, it is definitely possible.
My method of choice is going to The Home Depot and asking to have a grill marked-down because of the dent on the backside of it.
You may feel awkward about it at first, but trust me it’ll save you a lot of cash.
Ready for some good advice behind the grill? Dive through the Kitchen Professor Archives. Check out this post on the best way to Cook Lobster Tails on the Grill.
Additional Resources
- Serious Eats – My 19 Favorite Summer Grilling Recipes
- Huffington Post – 50 Greatest Grilling Recipes
Image credit via Flickr Creative Commons: Chris K. and Erik F.
Alexis DeAnda is a food fanatic, library card user, and cast iron hunter, in that order. She has been cooking for anyone that will taste it ever since her mom let her make doughnuts on Saturday mornings at the age of 7.