The Bottom Line
Pros
- This grill has the stainless steel where it's important, inside
- Backed by Weber with full 24/7 support
- Superior heat output uses less fuel but still gets great heat
- Built for strong cooking abilities
Cons
- Primative grill design will go unnoticed next to flashy grills
- Low total BTUs means longer preheat times
- This isn't a big grill, so if you need more, move up a size
Description
- 383 square inches of primary cooking area for a total of 688 square inches
- Two stainless steel 16,000 BTU burners giving a total output of 32,000 BTUs
- Stainless Steel Cooking Grates
- Ceramic Briquette and stainless steel vaporization barrier system
- Pizo electric rotary igniter with view ports that let you see the flame without opening the grill
- Built in smoke tray
- Full 24/7 support from Weber (who owns Ducane)
- 2 polyethylene side tables
Guide Review - Ducane 688 Inch Gas Grill
This unit has been discontinued. It is replaced by Ducane Affinity 3100 Gas Grill.Even Weber didn't want to change the how these Ducane grills work. Something no one has done in decades. This is the smallest of the Ducane line. Last year it would have set you back over $700. Now, because of Weber's new pricing structure you can get this unit for under $450. And that's without changing how the components are made, or how the grill works. This is also one of the last grills out there that uses ceramic briquettes for the vaporization barrier. This adds to the heat capabilities of the grill.
What makes this, Ducane grills really work is its efficient design that needs fewer BTUs to generate the same heat of other grills. For this reason you can actually sear a steak on this two burner, 32,000 BTU grill with a primary cooking area of 383 square inches.
For upgrades you can get a side burner on this unit and a stainless steel pedestal. Normally the whole body of this grill is Cast Aluminum. In fact Weber now advertises it as a cast aluminum grill. This separates it from all those flashy gas grills that get all the attention. If you want a grill that will cook and not a grill that will look cool, this is one you should look at. Considering how much better it is than most the other aluminum grills out there this is a good deal too.
Because this is the base unit of this line of grills it doesn't come with a lot of features. This unit has two side tables and plenty of warming rack space but beyond that this Ducane was built to grill.
