A Father's Day Great Escape: Behind the Grill

For lots of men out there, put them on a deck with a pair of tongs and maybe a “Kiss the Chef” apron, and they’ve found their Great Escape.

That’s why this week’s Great Escape column is devoted to grilling. This one is for the dads, and for those who are scrambling for a last minute Father’s Day gift, but don’t know where to begin in the vast world of grilling.

To find a grill master in College Park, look no further than the Cornerstone Grill, 7325 Baltimore Ave., where there’s a man who both grills for work and for fun. That man is kitchen manager chef, Russ Thuman, and he cooks 15-pound turkeys—whole—on his grill at home.

Thuman bought his Weber Kettle charcoal grill about six years ago for $79, he said. “It’s kind of falling apart. I got to get a new one,” he said.

But he’s sticking with Weber. “I’ve never had a problem with it,” though he might go bigger. (Bigger than a turkey?)

More on Weber

“Weber is known as being a very, very good quality grill,” said Joe Tyeryar, supervisor in the gardening department at Home Depot, 4700 Cherry Hill Road. He also owns a propane three-burner Weber and uses it a couple times a week to grill ribs, chicken, salmon, burgers and so on.

Tyeryar bought his grill about five years ago, “but it’s still working pretty well.”

Is there anything besides Weber? Glad you asked.

Brinkmann

This weekend, Tyeryar said Home Depot has a sale on a popular Brinkmann four-burner grill. It typically runs $199, but right now it’s $169.

“Most folks coming in ... use a four burner ... If you have an average [size] family, a two- or three-burner might be a little bit too small,” he said.

Char-Broil

Home Depot’s two-burner Char-Broil infrared grills are also on sale. “It cooks through the food more evenly than the regular convention type. It sears the flavor and juices in,” Tyeryar said.

“If you go to a very fine steakhouse, there’s a good chance they’re cooking with infrared,” he said.

A two-burner Char-Broil infrared grill is usually priced at $268, but right now it’s at $248, and the three-burner is marked at $399, Tyeryar said.

STOK

Versatility is the strength of this next grill. It’s a four-burner propane grill called a STOK Quatro, and it has interchangeable grades specific for grilling different types of food—pizza, vegetables, and so on, Tyeryar said.

This $349 grill is on sale right now for $299, Tyeryar said.

Charcoal or Propane?

It’s like asking, flavor or simplicity? Which is more important to you?

Though not listed above, Home Depot also carries charcoal grills, and that's what Thuman prefers. His Weber at home is a charcoal grill. “Better flavor,” he said.

Not everyone agrees.

“No charcoal,” said Rick Proctor of Lanham, who picked up a Stansport propane grill from REI, 9801 Rhode Island Ave. on Friday.

Proctor had started cooking with a charcoal grill he borrowed from his daughter. “It was a mess. There’s a lot going on with it," he said.

Stansport

For the dads out there who are looking to escape farther than the deck, REI is the place to go for compact, easily transportable grills for camping.

The Stansport stove that Proctor picked up was the only one available at REI in College Park, but they are available online for $54.53, and it’s free shipping to the College Park location, said Jesse Whitworth, the store supervisor.

“It’s great if you’re a fisherman ... because it’s got the grates. You can do a lot more delicate stuff,” he said.

Coleman

Whitworth uses a two-stove Coleman liquid Dual-Fuel stove when he camps, which runs for $109.95. But the Coleman PerfectFlow propane two-burner stove for $69.95 is more popular, Whitworth said.

“It’s easier to use,” he said, adding that the Dual-Fuel stove requires priming.

Probably the most popular stove at REI though—especially during the tailgate season—is the Coleman Fold 'N Go two-burner stove for $99.95, Whitworth said.

For the major tailgating parties, Whitworth guides his customers to the Coleman RoadTrip LXE Grill for $209. It’s compact and rolls on wheels.

“This is probably my biggest sale during the football season,” Whitworth said. “This is perfect for the person who wants to cook on the go.”