outdoor living products

I am a Weberholic. I think that the Weber folks make the best grills on the planet, and I have cooked on many varied grills, so am confident of this opinion. If grilling means just burning meat to you, then read no further; but if it means the preparation of truly exciting food combinations, read on.

I selected this grill to suppliment the Weber charcoal kettle and Genesis gas grill already on the deck. I cook a lot and needed more grilling space. The Summit proved ideal; it is the Humvee of grills, big and massive.

It will take two people to dolly this grill from the truck to your work area. It is a big and heavy box, but the components are separately and well packaged, so there was no shipping damage.

It also takes two people to assemble this grill. The assembly is easy and the directions are crystal clear. The problem is the size and weight of the cooking box and top. Two people make this assembly a snap. I did the work in the garage and was able to wheel it up onto my deck with no problem.

It performs splendidly. I have done a turkey as a break in meal and it was as good as any I have ever prepared. There was plenty of space for it and the six burners make indirect cooking of large pieces of meat much easier than the smaller Genesis. Two fold up shelves on either side of the box give plenty of space for spices, rubs, sauces and other things used in the cooking.

There is one other aspect that I like: it makes a statement to the neighbors that there is a serious cook in residence.

If you are really serious about outdoor cooking, this is a hard grill to beat. Other models offer side burners and rotisseries, but since I prefer to cook sauces, etc. on the stove, I opted out of the former, and I prefer charcoal for doing rotisserie foods.

In sum, the is a typical Weber product: well engineered, easy to assemble and a formidable cooking tool. I love it!!

SUPPLEMENT: The day after I typed this, some friends called and invited themselves and another couple to lunch. The Summit was called into action to do burgers and fixings for six. There was so much space to grill the onions and the burgers and to toast the rolls, it was great!

The male guest of the couple our friends invited had never grilled before ... EVER! When he tasted the food, and saw how easy this grill is to cook on, well, my money is on another Weber purchase within 2 weeks.

Weber has a great support team online at www.weber.com, and one service that cannot be passed up is their "recipe of the week", which comes to your e mail like clockwork. Finally, Weber's "Big Book of Grilling" is a must have. It can take a novice and transform him/her into a fantastic griller in no time.

Cookin' out does not get any better than this!!