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Re: Re: Wake up folks! (Reply to this comment)
by todaline
Sadly there are number of comments here that don't match reality. The Jenn Air JA series were made by Vermont Castings and sold at Lowes. Then they turned to Nexgrill (China made grills), which are vastly inferior in quality to the Vermont Castings grills. Jenn Air is now out of Lowes and sold at BJ's and Costco, Sam's Club, etc, made by some manufacturer in China. In fact, Charbroil, Brinkmann and Nexgrill supply virtually ALL brands found at the big stores whether it be Kenmore (and no, Kenmores don't differ at all from Charbroil and the others), Jenn Air or others. BTW, the new Vermont Castings are owned by Monnessen out of Kentucky and made in China (just like the Weber Spirit line).
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Oct 17 '10
8:37 am PDT
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Re: Wake up folks! (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Somehow I think I missed your comment a few months ago. Your comment is very true, but the difference (at least in a great number of cases) is that companies give specifications of how they want they products made, and then their built by another company. Sears is a perfect example. They contract out any number of companies to produce their large appliances, but they provide the specs or at least some input in how the product is made.
That's the difference I see in this. And let me be clear about something else. Despite my complaints and despite buying a Weber and now also a CharBroil, that "Jenn-Air" still cooked the best. It was just very cheaply made.
Dave
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Sep 08 '09
4:44 am PDT
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Wake up folks! (Reply to this comment)
by bstnh1
This should not be a surprise to anyone. Lowe's and Home Deppot carry many big brand name items that are either made by another company who has license the name, or worse yet, a cheapened down version of what you see elsewhere. The John Deere tractors at Home Depot are not the same as what you find at the dealers despite the same model, name etc. The bathroom faucets at Home Depot have internal plastic parts where the ones sold at plumbing and bath showrooms have brass parts. Check the appliances in Wal-Mart. They may say GE, but GE no longer manufactures coffee pots, etc. Electrolux vacumns are made by several different companies, none of which are Electrolux.
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May 10 '09
8:54 am PDT
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Re: Jenn-Air lost a customer (Reply to this comment)
by starknakd1
I too made that same purchase. Thought I was purchasing a "Jenn Air". Not so! All I need is one valve and have not been able to find it any where. I made the mistake of ordering from CFM only to have the wrong parts show up with a no return no refund policy. Kiss that money goodbye. I'm going to Lowes to see what they have to say.
Big party on the 4th and only 80% of my grille works.
If anybody knows where I can get the valve or the complete assembly please respond.
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Jun 26 '08
8:19 pm PDT
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Jenn-Air lost a customer (Reply to this comment)
by lazerp13
These folks are clueless. I called their customer service number this past week and was told they didn't make the grill (strike #1) and that I would have to call CFM. They provided me CFM Harris 800 number, which I called to find out they were in Chapter 11. Their recording simly cuts you off. I called Jenn Air back and the customer service agent rudly told, when I asked to speak with a manager that I couldn't speak to a manager because and agent already told me that I had to call CFM (strike #2). I informed the agent Jenn-Air's name is on the product and that I was (underscore) was looking to incorporate their products into my kitchen remodeling project. She finally transferred me after 10 minutes and the manager said that he called the number and they were indeed in chapter 11. They had no idea (strike #3). He said he would notify Sr. Mgmt and would get back to me. No word yet, but I am not holding my breath just as they shouldn't be for me to spend a couple grand on Jenn-Air kitchen appliance. Too bad their customer services is so disastrous. The grill made wonderful steaks when it worked. Mine must have been a lemon, because it had many problem starting and leaking propane ( a real safety issue in my mind). Based on previous comments the gas distribution system was poorly engineer. What a shame for such a well built product.
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Jun 07 '08
8:11 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by summer23439
Our starter quit too. I thought I was in luck because it was still under the 5 year warranty. BUT CFM has filed chapter 11 and no longer honors warranties ! The starter was only $18.25 BUT shipping and handling was $15.00 but I figured I better get it while the part was available.
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May 22 '08
11:49 am PDT
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Re: Jenn Air Grill (Reply to this comment)
by woody152
I purchased a Jennair JA580 from Lowe's a few years back. I was also not wise to know it was not manufactured by Jennair. I thought I was purchasing a high quality product with a great warranty. Little did I know that the only warranteed part(s) were the stainless steel exterior. It's expensive to replace parts. Over $125 to replace the 5 burner tubes only to find out that the real problem appears to be in the end units where the gas feeds those burners. The screws and many parts that connect to the burner units are neither galvenized nor stainless and have rusted beyond recognition along with creating labor intensive work to remove parts where screws are so rusted the heads fell off. At the time, the JA580 sold for over $900. Right now it appears the unit is only good to be converted to a charcoal/wood burner grill.
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May 19 '08
4:31 pm PDT
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Jenn Air Grill (Reply to this comment)
by pinehurst2181
I disagree with this review. I looked a dozens of grills and none looked as nice or were made as well as the 730-0165 model that I bought. It is an exceptionally high quality product, regardless of whether it is a "real" Jenn Air or not. Webers are great too, I have had several. But they don't look as good as the JA.
I think the reviwer just feels bad that he didn't find out who really made the unit. So he has decided to get even.
Good luck finding any grill that looks and performs as well as the Lowe's Jenn Air grill.
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May 04 '08
8:38 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by terryab
Our starter has quit working too and it isn't the battery. We were hoping someone else knew what was wrong. We have also had trouble with the propane tank holder rusting so bad that you can't slide out the tank. When it rains, the tray that collects the grease fills with water and lets water run below where the propane tank sits. As far as cooking goes, we like the grill but it isn't wearing well.
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Aug 02 '07
2:40 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by terryab
Our starter has quit working too and it isn't the battery. We were hoping someone else knew what was wrong. We have also had trouble with the propane tank holder rusting so bad that you can't slide out the tank. When it rains, the tray that collects the grease fills with water and lets water run below where the propane tank sits. As far as cooking goes, we like the grill but it isn't wearing well.
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Aug 02 '07
2:40 pm PDT
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Re: Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by tjchoma
Anyone had problem with the starter? I have had the grill 10 months. Love cooking with it for the reasons already discussed. However, the starter stopped working and its not the battery. Seems way too soon to have to replace the entire starter assembly.
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Jul 16 '07
4:54 pm PDT
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Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Thanks for the comment. Very interesting. I had no idea CFM was part of VC. I had never followed it that far.
What grill do you recommend (that's fairly reasonably priced)?
People love the Weber but I happen to LIKE flareup and the more grilled taste it imparts on the food. The "flavor bars" hold down the flareup. Perhaps it wasn't put together well by Lowes but the grill just never got that hot for me. I've checked all the settings made sure there were no obstructions and that the gas line from the tank was straight (not kinked).
Dave
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Mar 28 '07
6:14 am PDT
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Re: Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by the_gas_man
Hi,
Just so you know, you weren't the only person taken in by this marketing ploy. Hundreds, if not thousands of units were returned over the years by unsatisfied consumers. CFM Corporation is also the parent of Vermont Castings and although they use the VC name on their barbecue line, Vermont Castings doesn't even see them during production. In fact a number of Vermont Castings grills are being made in China. Talk about abusing the good name of a company to make a sale? Just as they did when they sold you a "Jenn Air".
Regards,
Gasman
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Mar 27 '07
7:26 am PDT
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Re: The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Hi,
Weber has a terrific reputation, is always at or near top of the ratings in Consumer's Reports, comes with a propane tank, a cookbook and is about $400 less than the Jenn Air. A grill doesn't HAVE to be stainless for the outside to last. Does that answer your question? ;-)
Dave
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Jun 06 '06
3:36 am PDT
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The Perfect Grill (Reply to this comment)
by oostexan
Krus54, can you please tell us the grill that you purchased that came with a propane tank, cookbook, was solid from top to bottom, and had a brand name that you felt warranted the reputation that you are seeking?
I would also like to understand what grill your referenced friend in the "restaurant business" bought that had more features and was more solidly built than this grill. If he felt this grill should be 200 dollars, I would like to know what he uses (and paid). Just out of curiosity.
Honestly, I am trying to understand what product you have found the best results with, specifically in this price range.
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Jun 05 '06
8:09 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Re: Jenn Air Top Rated (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Hi,
Somehow I missed the notification of your comment and only saw this when I got notification of the comment someone left yesterday.
As I've mentioned to others, I had no complaints on how this grill cooked. It did a terrific job cooking steaks and they tasted more charcoal grilled than any other that I've had off a gas grill.
Now I can't say why your gill made it through a tornado with only a thermometer being damaged. Considering the strength of a tornado I would guess and say that the grill was somehow shielded because considering that a tornado can lift a car or boat and toss it like a toy, it's unlikely that the Jenn Air made it through the storm without somehow being covered or being away from the hit of the wind. :-) Just a guess, as I said.
I feel the majority of the weight of that grill was on the cover and grates. When we took the cover and grates off the rest of the grill it lifted pretty easily. The cover alone must have weighed a good 50 pounds. The grates felt like they were another 10 pounds. The rest of the grill just didn't seem like it was very sturdy.
I'm glad you're enjoying the grill. Hope CFM Harris got that thermometer to you without too much of a wait!
Dave
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Jun 05 '06
3:17 am PDT
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Re: Grill Works Great for Me (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Hi, Glad you're enjoying the grill and thanks for the comment.
I felt the grill did a great job cooking as I indicated in the review. We also recently met some people that have the same model grill and have had it for a few years and have not had any problems at all with it.
My biggest issues were I thought they put all the weight in the cover and grates and the rest of the body was kind of flimsy stainless. The doors to cover the propane area didn't stay closed, the side burner was broken and CFM Harris Systems sent me a rotisserie burner instead of a new side burner as requested. I felt for $800 the grill was WAY overpriced and was one of the reasons I rated this grill lower.
I also felt slighted and taken advantage of, as a consumer, that Jenn-Air only licensed their name to the product and had virtually nothing at all to do with the design or manufacture of the product. I know that they definitely not alone and that now MANY companies do this. As I said in the review I believe that's misrepresentation because people are buying on the reputation of the name and if the company whose name is on the product has had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the design/specifications/building of the item, it's misleading the public. Even Kenmore is made by different companies such as Whirlpool, but Sears at least gives those companies design specifications on how the products are to be made.
Now I will say that if that same model grill was $300 cheaper I would have rated higher.
Thanks again for the comment.
Dave
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Jun 05 '06
3:08 am PDT
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Grill Works Great for Me (Reply to this comment)
by oostexan
I am pretty picky as I grill a lot and really enjoy cooking. I have the version of this grill that is 600 to 650 dollars at Lowe's. It has a single burner on the side and three large burners with three heat shields inside the grill. I have had it for two years and use it at least twice a week year round. I have never even looked at the owner's manual, because...well, it's just a gas grill. Turn a knob an you are in business.
At first, I was not thrilled with the grill because it did not get hot enough, but I realized the problem. The rubber tube that you attach to the propane tank can get wound too tight and that can constrict the flow of propane to the grill. You just need to be careful to make sure you position the tank correctly and keep that rubber tube from getting too tight when you close the doors. Pretty easy.
Anyway, when I turn all the burners up and let the grill warm up for 10 to 15 minutes, it gets into the 550 to 600 degrees range. I have pulled many great tasting steaks off of this grill after cooking them at this temperature.
I think it is well made, relatively easy to clean, and it has operated very well for me. After owning it for a year, I had to get in there and clean it real well. I pulled out the burners and cleaned those as well. After the cleaning, it operated perfectly again.
I have cooked everything from meat, to chicken, to vegetables and fish on this grill. All with good results. I am not pleased to hear this is not a Jenn-Air, because I certainly bought it on the reputation of the brand name. However, I have no complaints with this grill at all. It works great and appears to be holding up perfectly.
When I clean it up, it still looks and operates as if it is brand new.
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Jun 04 '06
9:21 pm PDT
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Re: Re: Jenn Air Top Rated (Reply to this comment)
by ereeseas
I looked in Consumer Reports and shopped several different brands before buying my JA580 four years ago.
It has worked flawlessly since then and contrary to your findings of being cheaply made it just survived a tornado and hailstorm outside my house against the windward wall that tore off half the roof above it. The only damage sustained was the glass in the thermometer was broken. There was no damage to the case or cover of the grill.
I am contacting CFM Harris Systems to get a new thermometer as I discovered they are not normally stocked at Lowe's.
This is the best grill I have ever owned and the quality is ten times better than my Weber at my other house. It easily and quickly heats to 600 degrees to sear steaks and I am constantly complemented on the results at the table by my guests. I consider myself an average cook at best and believe the grill has much to do with the sucess.
I appreciated the fact that there was no propane bottle with the purchase of the system as we exchange tanks in a service agreement in this part of the country. The supplier has all his own bottles and does use ours.
Just to be clear I am an airplane pilot and computer analyst and have no connection with Jenn-Air, CFM Harris Systems or Lowe's.
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Apr 30 '06
2:44 pm PDT
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Sad purchase (Reply to this comment)
by damnnickname
purchased the Ja580 grill for 1000.00$ now waitng on a part for the past 3 month, all they do is blow you off. When you contact jenn air they dont want nothing to do with you. I have been put on hold for the past 40 minutes as I sit and type this. DO NOT RECOMMEND Jenn Air products!!
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Jan 05 '06
9:43 am PST
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Re: Re: Hi There! (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Hi,
Thanks for your comment. Congrats on getting the grill. I really do believe the grill cooks great. Much better, in fact, than the Weber I ended up buying. My big complaint was that the model we bought (at the time) was $800 and the side burner didn't work, the cover to the propane tank wouldn't stay shut, the body was fairly cheap stainless, and it appeared that the company put on heavy grates and a heavy top to make the grill seem a lot more sturdy than it really was. But again, that's my opinion.
I really did like the way the grill cooked and my rating would have been higher if the grill was a couple of hundred dollars less.
Also, I know it's common business nowadays, but I was very disturbed that the Jenn Air name was on a product that Jenn Air had nothing to do with. I still believe that's misrepresentation and gets people to buy a product because of the name.
I wish you many years of good cooking with the grill and thanks again for the comment!
Dave
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Jun 10 '05
7:43 am PDT
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Re: Hi There! (Reply to this comment)
by karl46
Just purchased a Jenn Air and I love it. Stainless Steel, Insulated lid, Cast Brass Burners. May not be made be Jenn Air but it cooks like a champ. I looked at a lot of grills before I purchased this one and have no regrets. Paid $649.00 at Lowes.
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Jun 09 '05
5:56 pm PDT
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Help needed on Jenn Air (Reply to this comment)
by maxie7787
Nexgrill should be indicted for fraud, they were no help to me at all on installing a main valve. I am trying to find a way to remove the control panel so I can install a new main valve(left burner position). I was told to remove the two screws around each control knob and this would allow the control panel to be removed but doing this did not allow removal of the control panel.
I did not want to begin guessing which other screws to remove and I need instructions to remove the control panel.
Nex grill technicians do not understand their products and were of no help and in fact actually gave me the wrong instructions three different times, each set of instructions over the phone being totally different and wrong.
I am really in need of expert opinion.
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Nov 21 '04
6:07 am PST
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Almost bought a Jennair Grill (Reply to this comment)
by nancyg01
Thanks for the info about the grill. We are in the market for a nice stainless grill and thought that the Jennair looked like the perfect choice. We have looked at Lynx Grills. Does anyone have any suggestions about any high quality fairly priced natural gas grills? I appreciate the input.
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Nov 18 '04
4:34 pm PST
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Conversion Kit to Natural Gas? (Reply to this comment)
by stevegor
Bought the stove and would like to convert it to natural gas....does anyone know if there is a conversion kit made? If so, any details? Thanks and great comments on all sides!
Steve
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Dec 31 '03
10:18 pm PST
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Re: When good grills go bad... (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Thanks for the comments. Your reviews are looking really good, too!
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Sep 10 '03
5:58 am PDT
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Re: just bought one (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Well, maybe I got a lemon or maybe you got lucky! You had to put together your grill? I thought that was what Lowes does as part of the purchase. I thought the grates were pretty heavy duty, as well as the cover. I thought the rest of the grill was inferior quality.
Again, as I said in my review, I thought the grill did a great job in cooking.
A friend that's in the restaurant business saw this grill and when I told him how much I paid for it, he couldn't believe it. He said that (granted it was wholesale) but for $200 more he could get a professional quality grill that (and I quote) 'you could jump on without denting.'
He also thought that CFM Harris put on heavy grates and a heavy top to make the grill appear much sturdier than it actually is.
All the models of that Jenn Air grill at the Lowes store I visited had some sort of problem or were returned for some reason. So for all I know they just sold my wife one that had been returned or that they knew wasn't working correctly.
I can review only on the particular one I got and what I experienced. And as you said, the grill was purchased (by my wife)strictly on the Jenn-Air reputation. When I found out about who made the grill (while I was tracking down who to talk to about the problems I was having) I was furious.
I still feel it is a form of legal product misrepresentation. We had a repair guy for our Kenmore washing machine yesterday. I asked him who made the Kenmore washer. He said Fridgidaire (sp?) but he also told me that Sears has all the input to the features and design and either will OK it or make changes. Jenn Air (from what the customer service person told me) had NO input on this grill...only licensed their name to be stamped on it. ARGH!!!! :-)
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Sep 10 '03
5:57 am PDT
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When good grills go bad... (Reply to this comment)
by caterguru
Sorry to hear about the grill, I can relate to the feeling of standing over a hopeless grill... I had to return a grill over the summer past as well..
Great review
Caterguru
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Sep 09 '03
1:29 pm PDT
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just bought one (Reply to this comment)
by hkydad
I just bought the JA460 grill.
I was looking for a cover for it on the internet when I stumbled across this review.
I am disturbed that this grill isn't made by Jenn-air.
I bought it because of the Consumer Reports article on gas grills.
I've used it once so far.
I haven't found the problems with it that the reviewer pointed out.
The grill was easy to assemble.
The grill is well constructed.
The door of mine stays closed.
The grilling grates are porcelain covered cast iron.
The shelves are made of porcelain covered steel
with stainless steel inserts.
It did a fantastic job grilling chicken.
I used to own a small Ducane grill.
I had it for 10 years, but I wanted a larger grill.
I like this Jenn-air grill better than the Ducane.
I plan on keeping the Jenn-air grill.
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Sep 01 '03
8:51 am PDT
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Re: Jenn Air Top Rated (Reply to this comment)
by krus54
Thanks for your comment. I know this was a top rated grill. I agree with your comment about Consumer Reports. Although I was a member/subscriber to Consumer Reports for many many years there have been a number of their highly rated items we purchased that we ended up being disappointed with.
As I said in the review, the grill did a great job cooking the burgers, hot dogs and steaks. But it is cheaply made, the side burner didn't work, and I think for $800, someone could do MUCH better for the money.
Also, a side note. When I called the company that actually makes the grill, CFM Harris Systems, and told them about the side burner they agreed to send me a new igniter. Although I stated very clearly what burner it was that was broken, they sent me a burner and igniter for the rotisserie in error.
I also sent an email asking them if it was true that Jenn-Air really doesn't have anything to do with this grill, I complained about the manual being mixed up and that the grill was cheaply made. Here's the reply:
Dave,
Thanks for the email.
Yes, everything stated in your first paragraph is true. To this point I've never heard of the Spanish/ English mix up you had in your manual. I can send you a correct one if you send me your address. I know there is information on how to cook certain items on the grate and they are working on one for the rotisserie for the future. These specific grill have only
been out for two years so we appreciate your comments so we can continue to
make it better for the future.
Have a great day.
CFM Harris Systems
Customer Service Department
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Jun 16 '03
7:59 am PDT
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