Of course the big news for Lowe's Grills this year is the Char-Broil/TEC Series grills. Coming in a 3-Burner and a 4-Burner units (there is a four burner insert unit too) these are going to be the grills that will get all the attention on the Lowe's showroom floor. The TEC infrared burner is a glass topped 99% efficient infrared burner that was invented a couple years back and is patented by TEC. Char-Broil licensed the technology and Lowe's got the exclusive distribution deal. There will be other Char-Broil grills on the floor but they lack anywhere near the quality of the TEC Series unit (though it's still a hit and miss grill).
Weber will be virtually invisible at Lowe's stores this year with only the Spirit E-210 actually on display. Of course if you sell one Weber you sell them all and any model can be ordered through Lowe's. It's a shame that they don't put out a Genesis E-320 because the bright colors would certainly be a contrast to all that low grade stainless steel.
Of course we all know that stores like Lowe's would much rather sell you one of their own brands instead of a national brand. This year Jenn-Air and Perfect Flame will be the big lines on the floor. Lowe's owns the name Perfect Flame and rents the name Jenn-Air (from Whirlpool). Jenn-Air has evolved to the high end line for Lowe's and Perfect Flame has taken over as the middle price range grills.
This year you will find three Jenn-Air grills starting out on the top with the $1,700USD Jenn-Air 4-Burner Island Unit. This monster is a decent grill, even for the price and is loaded with features. There will also be the 4-Burner and 3-Burner standard units. All Jenn-Air grills this year are equiped with infrared burners (the old type). There have been lots of reports about these burners shipping cracked, but Nexgrill (the manufacturer) is actually improving its customer support and getting the units fixed.
Nexgrill is also making the Perfect Flame Dual-Head grill, though this one is no where near the quality of the Jenn-Air grills (and no where near the price). The rest of the Perfect Flame line continue to be made by BBQTek (formerly Pyromagic). This will include a 5-Burner and a 4-Burner gas grills. These units rely heavily on inferior stainless steel and are simply not built to last.
As for charcoal grills, Lowe's will have a drum style charcoal grill under the BBQ Grillware name for more than $200, a Brinkmann large box charcoal grill for $199, a Char-Griller charcoal grill/smoker (smoker box is optional) for $199 (plus $55 for the smoker box), and of course a selection of Weber Kettle Grills.
As for smokers you will find a BBQ Grillware big box smoker similar to the Great Outdoors Smoke that has been pretty popular with the barbecue crowd. Beyond that they will only carry a typical set of Brinkmann trash can smokers (electric, charcoal or gas).
