Brinkmann Commander 5-Burner Model #810-8502-S

This is a big gas grill. With the exception of the infrared searing side burner it is also a rather basic grill. The infrared sear burner is so you can quickly sear meats before putting them on this big grill. The irony is that while the grill could hold around 20 steaks, the sear burner can only hold one, so if you wanted to grill up a large number of steaks with a great sear on them, you would have to do it one at a time. So the bottom line is that this a really big grill with two side burners (one is a standard burner) for around $400USD.

This model has been discontinued. It is replaced by the Brinkmann Medallion 5-Burner Model# 810-4580-SB.

This is one of those grills designed to stand out on the showroom floor (this one at Home Depot) so you will buy it without doing any research and without doing a lot of comparison shopping. If size was all that mattered you would probably buy this grill. The 60,000 BTU output from the five main burners under 639 square inched of primary cooking space is good heating and relatively even. The question you need to ask yourself is, do you really need a grill this big. This is enough space for around 40 burgers or maybe four racks of ribs (if you choose to grill your ribs). Good for large parties, but not really appropriate for typical home use.

The one standout feature of this grill (though many have similar features these days) is the 11,000 BTU side mounted searing burner. This infrared burner is designed to pump out a lot of heat so you can create a good sear on the surface of meats. Some people think this is a must for a great steak, but the reality is, most good grills can do this without infrared. The question that jumps out at me about this feature runs a little like this. With this type of searing burner you place a cut of meat, say a nice juicy rib-eye on the infrared searing burner set to high. After a minute or maybe 90 seconds you flip it over, sear the other side and then throw it on the grill to finish off to your desired doneness. So with a grill that can handle 20 steaks at a time you are still grilling them, one by one. In my opinion the sear burner is cool, just not terribly practical.

As is typical with most Brinkmann grills the failing of this unit is the quality of the construction. Lightweight, thin, and low quality materials do not make this a grill that will last for more than a few years. Of course if the conditions are right you might get more out of it. The question is, why invest in a grill this size with features that you might not need when a smaller, more basic grill of better quality will last you longer.