OCI Gas Grills Elite 36 Inch Built-In Natural Gas Grill With Sear Zone Burner And Rotisserie

I've had this grill for about a year now. It replaced a BBQ Galore grill that I really liked. But the BBQ Galore grill was not a built it, and it was not stainless steel. I built an outdoor kitchen island with this grill, an EVO grill, a Big Green Egg, a Danby refrigerator, and used the BBQ Guys doors and drawers. Back to the grill. I thought the prior grill I had was hot with its big cast iron burners. That was one of the concerns I had when going with a grill like the OCI with stainless steel tube burners. I was also concerned about how well the heat would distribute with the stainless steel tubes instead of rock or ceramic bricks. (I had considered the Tec all infra red grill as well as the DCS grill which is almost the same as this one, but uses ceramic tubes instead of stainless to distribute the heat. In doing some research it looked like the ceramic tubes would not last much longer than the ceramic bricks normally do and I wanted a low maintenance grill.) So far I have not been disappointed. This grill gets hot! And it is not because my gas pressure is too high. In fact, the grill comes with a regulator to make sure the supply pressure is correct. But it can generate some serious heat. So much so, that if you weren't sure about the infra-red burner, you could probably get by just fine without it. Since I was building an outdoor kithchen I opted for the infra red burner so I could have another "tool" in the tool box. And now that I have adjusted my technique, I can make pefect steaks that are uniform temperature all the way through. (Plan on overcooking your first few steaks if you are not used to a hot grill like this one. I almost never use High on the regular burners any more. Somewhere between medium and high works best for me.) The other thing I REALLY like about this grill is the separate smoke box and burner. With my BBQ Galores grill, I needed to run the burner pretty high to get the chips to smoke in an accesory smoke box I had. With the separate smoke burner, I can run it at medium or so, and generate alot of smoke when using the rotisserie or slow cooking. Which is nice if I don't want to use the Big Green Egg. (When using the rotisserie and the smoke burner, have you meat as far away from the smoke burner as you can get it and still be in front of the rear infrared burner to avoid the extra heat cooking your meat unevenly. Or, just put the thicker side facing the smoke.) It's been 20 years since I had a rotisserie, so I've played around with it and done Tri-Tip and chicken. It comes out amazing. Even the picky kids love it. The infrared burner has a "restaurant style" elvated V-grill on it. I suppose the vees are to capture grease and keep it off the burner, and also to allow it to vaporize and flavor the meat. Wasn't quite what I wanted. But you can contact the manufacturer and buy a regular grill if you want. I did, and I like how the sear marks look better, and it gets the meat a little closer to the heat for a quicker sear. As far as the quality and other opinions. I wasn't sure I needed the light on the rotisserie, seemed like a toy to me, but I have used it. The motor is beefy and I don't hear it straining to turn the meat. The rotesserie rod is also real beefy, not a thin skewer. It's thick and massive. The only complaint I have is that the skewer doesn't sit in the roller wheels on the motor side when in use. Either the motor is a little too high, or the roller wheels are installed too low. Not a biggie as the motor is overkill and can support the rod. But for a grill this expensive, I would have liked it to be right. I could probably come up with a way to adjust it. It's really not an issue and I haven't pursued it. Like most grills, it seems to be a little hotter in the back where the heat is trapped, and a little cooler in the front. The BBQ Galore grill was the same way. (This is why I was looking at the TEC grill for its uniformity. But I didn't want an all infra red grill as it seemed like a one trick pony as it didn't do well on low temps.) But we have people who like their meats at different temperatures, so having the front of the grill a few degrees cooler is actually a good thing (for me.) Also, if you are going to spend money on a grill like this, then spend the money to get a good thermometer like the Thermoworks Thermapen. I just bought two of them and wish I had done so sooner. When cooking meat on high heat, you need a fast reading and accurate thermometer. Don't ruin a good cut of meat because you cheaped out on a thermometer!!! Where we live it gets about mid 20's in winter (no snow) and a third of the days are over 86 degrees. We had more this past year that were over 100. Its also dusty here. So, I opted for a cover, and do cover the grill (most of the time.) The stainless inside does blue a bit where it gets hot. Just like the pipes on the Harley do. I think all stainless does that. But mostly it looks just like a well enjoyed grill. The outside is holding up nicely. It would probably look better if I cleaned it with the cleaner that I think came with it. But I haven't, and it looks fine to me. It doesn't look like it has aged or deteriorated, just dirty. I like to eat, not clean :) As an aside, I did research my purchase rather extensively. I even called BBQ Guys three times with questions and asking their opinions on things, how many returns and complaints, etc. I don't think they get a commmission, so they seemed like straight shooters. I even had questions about how close to the plastic Danby refrigerator I could install this grill. (Since I was running out of space, it is just one metal stud away, with 1/2 inch cement board on both sides, and works great. Although this grill gets scary hot at times, the heat radiates up and has not been an issue for the refrigerator or the cabinet below.) One last thing, I had not heard of OCI and was concerned about buying a brand I was not familiar with. Especially with a built in grill (as all grills are not the same size.) If this one didn't work out, It could be hard to retrofit in a replacement. I think OCI is a spin off of DCS (or vice versa) which is why the two grills I was looking at were so similiar in appearance and design. I really can't compare the two as I have never seen a DCS grill. But after a year of using this grill, I have no regrets. Right now I am saving my money to buy a couple of the OCI patio heaters. So, I am happy enough to buy more products from them. I tend to be a pack rat and keep things for ever. Which is why I remember a sign from a Sony display when I was a kid. "The sweetness of the low price is soon forgotten, but the bitterness of poor quality lingers on forever." So, do your research and ask around. Like carpenters say, "Measure Twice, Cut Once.