| All stainless steel burners are not created equal. | | | | under $800. A tube burner is better than sheet |
| When comparing burner systems, there are a | | | | metal, but is still very thin compared to cast. The |
| few key points to look for. Most manufacturers | | | | tube burner is a great place for high end grill |
| use stainless steel sheet metal to make their | | | | manufactures to cut costs. They are not even as |
| burner systems. The downside of sheet metal | | | | thick as a quarter. As far as I know, all tube |
| burners is that they are prone to a process called | | | | burners do not cover burn through. |
| burn-through. The manufacturer's warranty | | | | Cast Stainless Steel is the best. Look at the |
| covers sheet metal burners against rust-through, | | | | burner pictures and you will see that the cast is 1 |
| but does not cover against burn-through. To | | | | 4 inch thick. |
| combat burn-through, select manufacturers use | | | | Warranty covers burn through! |
| CAST stainless steel burners. The warranty on | | | | * Cast Iron: Cast-iron conducts heat better which |
| these burners does cover burn-through as well as | | | | makes it the preferred cooking surface for many |
| rust-through, twisting, warping and any other | | | | cooks. To protect against the natural rusting |
| problems. | | | | process, cast-iron cooking grids have a porcelain |
| Compared side by side it is plain to see by our | | | | finish which requires special maintenance. |
| photos at that where a sheet metal burner is not | | | | * Porcelain: Porcelain enamel is essentially a highly |
| as thick as a U.S. quarter, a cast stainless steel | | | | durable glass which, with coloring oxides and other |
| burner is a full ¼ INCH thick. Along with | | | | inorganic materials, is fused to metal at extremely |
| being thicker, note the placement of the burner | | | | high temperatures. Most grids are made of steel |
| ports on the side of the burner. On the sheet | | | | rods; some are coated with porcelain to make |
| metal burners, the ports are exposed to grease | | | | them rust resistant and easier to clean. |
| drippings, and food particles, which can clog the | | | | * Chrome: Chromium is a silver-gray, lustrous, |
| ports and speed up the burn-through process. The | | | | brittle, hard metal that can be highly polished. It |
| cast burner is designed with a protective ridge, so | | | | does Not tarnish in air, but burns when heated, |
| that drippings cannot contact the ports. | | | | forming the green chromic oxide. It is used in |
| There are several choices offered to the | | | | plating other metals because of its hardness and |
| consumer: Cast stainless steel, Tube stainless | | | | non-tarnishing properties. In alloys with other |
| steel, Sheet stainless steel, porcelain, cast iron and | | | | metals it contributes hardness, strength, and heat |
| chrome burners. | | | | resistance. This is quicker to burn through. It |
| * Stainless Steel: Sheet Metal burners are the | | | | takes about 1 to 2 years. |
| least expensive. They are mainly used on grills | | | | |