New grill needed - but which one to choose?

As already mentioned in the house pictures thread, we will probably need a new grill sooner or later (more likely sooner), because our no-name gas grill is unfortunately starting to give up (Proficook).
Our grill has three burners; shortly after purchasing it, we pimped it up with an enameled cast iron grill grate (and please never anything else again!) and it is used a lot by us and has served us really well so far. At the time, we decided on a rather inexpensive gas grill because, as convinced charcoal grillers, we were not quite sure if gas was really for us.

By now, our charcoal kettle grill is basically just sitting unused; we only use gas now. And that all year round.

The grill stays outside all year round, of course with a cover, but in the future it will probably still live its life outdoors, possibly under a roof, but otherwise exposed to the weather under the cover.
And that is probably the problem, at least with our Proficook, because it is already rusting massively now (after about 4 years).

From our experience in these 4 years, the following features are indispensable for us:

- enameled cast iron grate
- a grease drain, not a grease tray. Right now we have such a large-surface part under the entire burner area. Really stupid to clean and if you don’t do it consistently, the reason for suddenly occurring flare-ups. But we have seen with Weber and Napoleon grills that the fat drips into a conical shaft and flows into a small container. We want it like that too, please.
- a warming area would be great. Whether it’s a plate next to it or a zone above the grate doesn't matter. However, for us, the zone above the grate for warming didn’t quite work. First it was too narrow for, e.g., larger pieces of meat and besides that, everything kind of always slid down. What do the grill pros say here? What is the best solution?
- it should get really hot. Ours also has a double-walled lid, but it struggles to get above 200°C, or the temperature immediately drops as soon as you open it even briefly.
- I’m also eyeing a rotisserie, and since I don’t want to stand next to the grill for hours turning it, what makes sense here? Does that even make sense? (But when I think of crispy pork knuckle or suckling pig, yes, then it does make sense!)

Braising or low-temperature cooking on the grill doesn’t need to be possible. I have other options for that, including soon a bread oven outside.

Does it have to be a Weber grill? We looked at Napoleon grills once, I almost liked them better. What do you really have to pay attention to in terms of workmanship and what must a good grill be able to do? How do such high-end grills handle weather? We have really always kept ours covered, but still outside. And that won’t be different with a new grill. However, I would bite my adorable South Pole tongue off if such an expensive grill would also rust massively after 4 years. Then rather another low-budget part and replace it after 4-5 years.
What I also noticed: I hardly manage to get our grill properly clean anymore. The stainless steel hood somehow looks dull, the black parts have stains that can no longer be removed with anything. What are your experiences with good grills here? How do you clean them? I admit that would be a reason to really spend more money because it really annoys me. I don’t like a dirty grill, but cleaning our Proficook is really a challenge.
And what is a Sizzle Zone and what is it used for?
What other features are there that I may not even know about but could make sense?

Dear grill masters - please share your experiences with me and give me tips!

What I read from you is this:

Webergrill Genesis® II EP-335 GBS

It exactly matches your expectations. And as a rotisserie, I would choose one from the accessories, for example from Santos.

Keeping warm works best on the inner warming rack. Yes, it is narrow, but you can stack.

Cleaning? Yes, but don't overdo it like many do. Then you end up cleaning more than grilling.

Sizzle means SearStation at Webergrill and is an extra hot area for steaks.

With the Genesis II from Webergrill, you have a 10-year warranty on everything. Mine has been outside in wind and weather for 3 years now. So far, there is no sign of wear!

For the GBS at Webergrill, I would also recommend a wok or the pan (for seafood, eggs, bacon, etc.). And of course, a pizza stone.

I would stick to Weber grill or Broilking. You can't go wrong with that!

Broil King Sovereign 490 XL incl. rotisserie + motor
Available for RRP €1699.

Weber grill Genesis® II EP-335 GBS
Available for RRP €1399
Sometimes Weber grill has promotions where you get a rotisserie etc. included.

The Broilking tends to have a bit more power though.

Thank you. No, definitely not a pizza stone - as I said, a brick wood-fired oven will be next to it. Pizza sessions therefore not on the grill, but at the oven

I already have a cast iron pan that I also use on the grill.

Why does the Broiking have a bit more "power," or what do you mean by that?

Hey!

First of all: No, it doesn't have to be a Weber grill. There are so many manufacturers on the market – and quite a few of them offer a much better price/performance ratio.

After my entry-level gas grill (Barbecook) needed to be replaced, I jumped on a deal for a Rösle Videro G4S in November at short notice. The price was 480€ back then. I originally wanted a Napoleon, but the extra cost for the Rösle deal was just too high for me.
It has 4 burners, plus a side burner and an infrared burner for steaks. The latter is used rather rarely; all the more important I find it that it is installed outside the cooking chamber, because otherwise the whole marinade from the regular grill food drips onto the ceramic burner.
I wouldn’t want to miss the side burner anymore; just yesterday we used it for Saltimbocca, so you don’t get cooking smells in the house.

According to the lid thermometer, I get up to ~340° on full throttle. Completely sufficient, at least for me. A friend has since gotten the G3S and is just as satisfied.

For my parents, I recently got the BroilKing Royal 320; I was seriously impressed. It gets extremely hot and has a die-cast aluminum housing. That’s something my little grill lacks; with the next grill I’ll make sure to get that.

But that’s also the problem with the matter: such features only exist in the higher price range. However, if you want to move in that segment, I would recommend the Napoleon you already mentioned or BroilKing. My next grill will definitely come from one of these brands.

Maybe Vorlauf can give you more precise recommendations?
Budget? How many burners?
Since you mentioned a rotisserie, do you want a rear burner?
What about a ceramic burner (800° zone for steaks)?

Regarding the drip pan:
Our grill also has a large tray, which then slopes to a hole under which there is a small catch tray. From experience, however, I know that only very little fat actually ends up in the small tray, as at least we don’t grill so intensely with fat that much is produced. What drips down usually evaporates upon hitting the hot surface of the large tray.
I solved it by lining this tray with aluminum foil and filling it with sand. That way, the fat drips into the sand and is absorbed.
I regularly change the sand to avoid a fat fire.
On the internet, there is sometimes advice against this, precisely because of the danger that a massive fat fire could develop if the fat accumulates there. That’s why I change it regularly.

Just out of curiosity: Does it really have to be such an incredibly expensive gas grill?

I bought a Barbecook CEBU 3.1 in 2014 for 360 EUR. The model is no longer available, but you can probably find a successor model in that price range.

I don’t see any rust, even though I forgot to cover it a few times. Even in a rain shower with the lid open...
It has both a warming rack and a grease drip tray that can be removed very easily. You could also install a rotisserie if necessary. So I’m happy with it. Even though the Weber grill or Napoleon look nice, I somehow don’t quite see the value you get for the price.