Meat is good. This simple truth has been one of my primary guiding principles throughout life.
It may seem crude, but I stand by it. Beef, chicken, pork, fish, if it grills, I’ll thank you, eat it and ask for more. Has this set my health goals back a few years? Sure. Has it been worth it? Aside from one very painful night at a Brazilian BBQ, yes.
While I’m happy to sit down and order food, I like to fire up the old grill and bring out my inner cave man from time to time. It’s important for every proper meat-lover to know how to grill. Hamburgers, brats, steak, ribs, it all tastes so much better on the grill! This year, once the cold took a break for spring, I went out to clean my old gas grill and get it ready for its first fire but this time around, the burners just wouldn’t start. I know I could probably have repaired whatever was wrong with it, after all, the old Weber and I had years of history. Unfortunately for my sentimentality and my pocket book, I am a well established sucker for “new and exciting,” so my old friend was destined to become the backup grill and take up residence in my garage. Well, if you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know what’s next…
The Research Phase
I knew I wanted a little upgrade from my old grill in terms of what it could do and how much it could handle. The Weber was a 2-burner grill. It was actually my starter grill from just after college, so it’s lasted me a seriously long time. This time around I wanted a side burner and storage for a starter, so that’s where I started my search. The models that caught my eye were:
- Monument Grills 24367 (Because when I typed in “what’s a really good grill?” this bad boy turned up almost immediately)
- Weber Spirit E-325 (Because I had to at least consider a Weber)
- Char-Broil Performance Series 4-Burner (Because I had heard some good things about Char-Broil)
- And the Nexgrill 4-Burner Deluxe (because my buddy has one and it looks real shiny and nice)
So, for the side burner prerequisite, the Nexigrill fails. They have some models with side burners but the reviews on those models are really rough, so I went with a more simple model that has more good marks and a reputation for lasting. The Weber has something called a “Sear Zone” which I think is on the grill face, so not quite the same. The side burner models I looked at for that brand got pretty pricey. 3 out of the 4 had the four burners, the Weber has 3 but according to reviews they are really good and even. The Monument has the largest cooking area at 723 sq. inches with the Char Broil coming in second at 650. As far as storage, the Monument was the only one I could find for a realistic price that had a whole lot of space. It’s just a bigger grill in general so that makes sense.
There is a lot to be said for a brand with recognition and history. The Char Broil and Weber both had stellar marks in the area of reliability. They are classic brands. The Nexgrill is, apparently, not a big winner in that category which knocked it out of the running. I want something that’s going to last as long as my old grill did, so on to the other three. The Weber is just missing too many of the options I really want, so I’m sad to say that’s gotta go. Between the Char Broil and the Monument, I really think it comes down to the look and “feel” of the thing, so I decided to take a chance on the lesser-known brand and I got the Monument. It’s a very attractive grill and a lot of people seem to think the brand is going to be the next big one, up there with the OGs.
A Monumental Step Up
The grill arrived and boy oh boy was I not ready for the assembly. It arrived in so many parts I thought, ever so briefly, of just taping it up and sending it back. After taking a step away from the massive pile of bits and pieces, I went inside, grabbed a drink, and came back out to put it all together. Thankfully, the instructions are really well done, so even if it took me 2 and a half hours to assemble, it all fit together perfectly in the end. Just don’t make the mistake I made and choose the hottest day of the month to build it. I am fairly sure I nearly died, and the shiny stainless steel hood and other similar parts will absolutely blind you in the sun.
Once I had it together and cleaned up, it was time to christen it with one of the absolute classics, ribeye steak. Because the act of cooking on this ended up being so satisfying, I’m going to let you in on my recipe for this one. It uses the whole grill so make sure you follow it to the T.
You’ll need-
- 2 thick-cut ribeye steaks
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh rosemary or thyme
Step 1- Preheat only two of the main burners to medium.
Step 2- Season steaks generously with salt and pepper.
Step 3- Cook indirectly (on the side opposite the two active burners) for 15–20 minutes until the steaks reach about 115°F.
Step 4- Meanwhile, melt butter, garlic, and herbs in a small saucepan using the side burner.
Step 5- Turn on the sear burner to high.
Step 6- Sear each steak for about 60–90 seconds per side until a crust develops.
Step 7- Brush with garlic butter.
Step 8- Rest under tented foil for 5 minutes and serve.
The sear burner really put a great char on the steaks. I cooked them straight on the grill, no foil, and the cleanup ended up being really easy. Their grill plates take a wire brush nicely, so all I did to clean up was run the grill on high for a minute to torch the oils, let it cool and after a good hard scrub they looked like new again!
I also used the side burner to cook some baked beans. Doing it all on the grill and not needing to go inside to do the sides was a serious blessing. Once I was done, all the grill accessories went into the nice big cabinet! Out of sight/out of mind.
The steak turned out really nice. I was able to manage the heat in the grill really well, and the burners were very accurate, no flashing to the other side of the grill, no uneven scorching on the steaks as I cooked them off the main heat. The searing burner was amazing. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but now I’ll never buy another grill without it. Having a separate high-heat burner for searing and sealing is a genius idea that I just didn’t realize had become fairly common since last I went grill shopping!
TL;DR Specs
For those of you who don’t want the whole song and dance, here’s the specs, plain and simple!
- Main Burners: 4 stainless steel burners
- Side Burners: 2 total, 1 standard side burner , 1 infrared ceramic sear burner
- Total Heat Output: 72,000 BTUs, Main burners: 48,000 BTUs, Side burner: 12,000 BTUs, Infrared sear burner: 12,000 BTUs
- Primary Cooking Area: 510 square inches
- Warming Rack Area: 190 square inches
- Total Cooking Area: 700 square inches
- Cooking Grates: Porcelain-coated cast iron
- Flame Tamers: Stainless steel
- Ignition System: Electronic push-button ignition
- Temperature Gauge: Built-in hood thermometer
- Control Knobs: Blue LED backlit knobs
- Side Shelves: 2 fixed stainless steel shelves
- Tool Storage: Integrated tool hooks
- Cabinet Style: Enclosed cart with concealed propane tank storage
- Grease Management: Rear-access grease tray with removable catch pan
- Casters: 4 heavy-duty swivel casters
- Width: 54.5 inches
- Depth: 24 inches
- Height: 46.5 inches
- Weight: 104.5 pounds
The Final Verdict
This ended up being an amazing grill. I’ve done everything from steaks to burgers to cedar plank salmon on this bad boy and I’ve yet to find something I don’t like about it! The heat is consistent, the cleanup is easy and the whole thing just looks lovely in my backyard. If you’ve got $519.00 to spare, but want a grill that feels like it cost you a cool 1k, this is certainly the right grill.
About the Author:
Ever since a young George was disappointed with a toy that did match up to the advertising, he became a tireless advocate for consumers. He’ll review anything that folks have to spend their hard-earned dollars on. George is grateful that he gets to use his skills as a writer and an artist to help connect with consumers and help them make the best decisions possible.
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects the author’s independent opinion. Readers should verify details directly with the manufacturer or retailer before making a purchase decision.
