It was getting near the end of the summer, and a large Labor Day cookout was ahead. From watching half a dozen grilling programs on TFC I knew that it was time to upgrade from my OK, but not great H-burner gas grill with lava rocks (be sure to read about Weber's flavorizer bars). The fortuitous death of some of my old grills parts couldn't have been timed better; it was time to go shopping.

The first thing that grabbed me about the C4 was its great, slightly oversized, cooking area. You can find even bigger, but this is plenty big to handle a set of six slabs of ribs, or nearly two dozen burgers, or any combination that we would need if we had the office gang of 10 couples and kids to dinner. I also didn't want to go any larger, since our usual cooking is just for the four of us. In short, this was a great find; big enough for the occasional bash, but not restaurant size (though the cooking channel might subliminally suggest we all need that size.)

The second thing that grabbed me was two great features that became "must have" for us: the dedicated smoker box and side burner. For years I made due with an iron burner box, and the flavor was good. But it was always under the grill surface, so it couldn't be replenished easily during a long, slow cook....as with ribs. The C4 solves this with a stainless steel easy open box that has its own burner. This is perfect for times when your cooking requires a lower heat (so your food stays on one of the other four burners) while you need high heat to get the wood smoldering (I soak mine in water first.) Meanwhile, the side burner is also a huge convenience. First, it lets us keep an eye on all the cooking at once - less running back into the kitchen to stir a sauce or side dish. Second, aren't there hot summer nights when you hate to cook in the kitchen because of the extra heat? Being able to boil water for corn outside while cooking steaks or burgers solves this problem perfectly.

Four burners side by side is also great. It either gives you one huge surface to cook on, or by adjusting each, you can have different cooking zones. Some might even be left off so that food can sit away from the direct heat.

This brings me to a final point; the support from Weber is legendary. If you get their grill, you also get a GREAT cookbook, access to GREAT websites with great tips for everything from burgers to baking on the grill. They have been tested in their test kitchens on these very grills, so if you follow their advice, food comes out delicious. Even something as universal as hamburgers can be improved by reading, not to mention more involved and adventuresome entrees.

All these great features with a really sturdy assembly, long warranties, and easy set-up make us thrilled we have this grill.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1300