Popular Mechanics - USA (2018-07 & 2018-08)

DISASSEMBLY REPORT

A

PHOTOGRAPH

BY

TODD

McLELLAN

HEAT

The irst thing you do is check

that you’ve got enough propane.

Inside the grill’s cabinet (6), the

propane tank hangs on a spring

scale (8). The scale is connected

to a gauge (7) on the front of the

barbecue; pressing the gauge’s

button lights up LEDs to indi-

cate how much fuel is left. (The

gauge shows the tank’s weight

as a fraction of the 20-pound

weight of a full tank.) Assuming

you’ve got enough, you open the

valve and the propane, which

is liquid under pressure inside

the tank, enters the grill’s hose

(4) through the regulator (5),

depressurizes, and becomes a

gas. It lows through the mani-

fold (13), whose four valves (12)

direct the gas to the igniters

(14) for each burner. Depress-

ing and turning a burner’s knob

(2) activates the igniter, whose

spark-plug action ignites the

propane, so jets of blue lame

emerge from the holes of the

burner tube (18).

MEAT

Close the lid (1) so that the

grilling cavity can heat up. (A

thermometer [19] on the lid

ofers a temperature readout,

so you’ll know how hot it’s get-

ting without having to open it

up, which would sacriice heat.)

Once the temperature is where

you want it, open the lid. Maybe

adjust the burners to create zones

of direct heat and indirect heat.

When you’re ready, you throw

down some burgers, or some

chicken, or a big slab of mari-

nated tri tip. As the meat cooks,

hot grease drips through the

cooking grate (3), where it hits

the Flavorizer bars (16). Aside

from protecting the burners

from drips and helping to keep

the temperature in the cookbox

(15) even, the bars are engi-

neered with a surface area and

slope to vaporize just enough of

the grease to add lavor to the

food, while funneling the rest to

the grease-trap system.

GREASE

Below the burners are the heat

delectors (17), V-shaped sheets

of metal with ports in them.

The heat delectors radiate heat

upward, complementing the

efect of the Flavorizer bars,

evening out the temperature

distribution. But the delectors

also help keep the area below

them cool. This is important,

because as the grease drips past

them, it enters the grease tray

(10), a porcelain enamel funnel,

and seeps into a disposable drip

pan (9), which sits in the catch

pan (11). If the heat delectors

fail to keep the grease trap cool

and it manages to reach the

lash point of the grease pool,

it could end even the most laid-

back of summer barbecues.

—Kevin Dupzyk

NOTES: No one knows the appeal of a charcoal grill more

than a Weber aicionado, but there’s a reason the sto-

ried grill-maker also sells gas grills. After a set-up

process that amounts to “pick up propane tank from

gas station,” on a grill like this one you get more than

ten hours of grilling time. No chimney, no charcoals,

no debate about the merits of lighter luid. Sure, you

don’t get the smoky charcoal taste. But you still get grill

lines, and the Maillard reaction, and standing outside

and making conversation with tongs in one hand and

a beer in the other. Plus: Have you heard of Flavorizer

bars? (See Meat, at right.)

STEP 2

Remove the meat from

the fridge before iring up

the grill. Turn all burners

to high, close the lid,

and let the thing get

screaming hot.

S T E P 1

The night before you

want to eat, stab the tri

tip all over with a fork.

Put it in a Ziploc. Pour

in a 15-ounce bottle

of Italian dressing and

refrigerate overnight.

STEP 3

TIME TO

DISASSEMBLE:

3 HOURS,

52 MINUTES

NUMBER

OF PARTS:

415

PRODUCED:

PALATINE,

ILLINOIS

MODEL:

WEBER GENESIS

II LX E-440

GAS

GRILL

36 JULY/AUGUST _ 201