Ducane Affinity 3100 Gas Grill

Comments about Ducane Affinity 3100 Gas Grill:

I was looking for a grill for my wife and I. I didn't want anything too big, but it seemed hard to find a good quality smaller 3 burner grill at a reasonable price. So I ended up with the older model Ducane affinity 3100 (older ones have the stainless hood and lower door with the black painted prep areas on the sides. The new model only has the "stainless look" on the side prep areas. The older model had some features the the new one did not that swayed my purchase. It has 1/4" stainless wire grill surfaces and is a more sturdy build compared to the new one. The burner covers are not stainless on new or old model to my knowledge and seem to be some type of ceramic coated steel, but they have been very easy to clean. Flame control is great and the smaller grill size heats up quickly. Rarely will the size of this grill be a limitation for entertaining 6-8 people. I will be converting the unit to natural gas after the first LP tank runs out (NG models were no longer available when I purchased the grill in may 2010). Do a little internet reading if you are interested in converting a grill... Replace the pressure regulator and drill out a couple of orifices in the valves and it is done. Make sure you drill out the low valve orifice as well as the main high orifice or the flame might go out on the low setting. Also, don't pay any attention to reviews that say this grill is difficult to assemble, its simple and takes about 30 minutes to put together at a relaxed pace and only requires a couple of sockets and a philips screw driver. The quality of the fit and finish on this grill is so much better then the box store models. It even comes with rubber covered washers to prevent damage to the painted surfaces! Overall I couldn't be happier with this grill for the money.[...]One note of caution... It doesn't have a back panel to the lower tank storage area (maybe this is only so on the LP models for gas venting concerns). So if you will have it in a location where you can see the back of the grill you will want to add your own sheet metal back to give it a more finished look.Last thing... Get the Ducane brand cover made for the 3100 model! It is nice quality and is tall enough to cover the grill all the way to the ground. It is a heavier weight material and has perfectly positioned velcro straps to ensure it doesn't get blown off. The tailored fit of the ducane cover is worth it even if you have to purchase it form a separate website as I did.

Comments about Ducane Affinity 3100 Gas Grill:

Assembly was easy, about 1/2 hour. I liked that the burner system came installed on the unit, 3 wire plugs and you are done. It lights quickly with no flame up and reached 500 degree within 10 minutes. If Webber changed the design of this unit they made a big mistake. For the money it is the best unit on the market ... I kicked my old Webber to the curb. Be carefull...the black units are diffent but have the same model number.

Comments about Ducane Affinity 3100 Gas Grill:

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