I recently tried out the Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill for one month. I did this so that I could write a detailed review to help anyone thinking about buying this Ducane gas grill. My husband and I both made a point to grill as often as possible during the review period so that we could get a clear idea of how this unit performs with regular usage. Here is my review.
It is important to consider the price when forming expectations for any product. The Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill will cost you about $550, including the shipping costs. That is on the high-end of mid-range, as far as gas grills of this size are concerned. $550 may seem like a lot of money, but it is only about 60% of the cost of a similarly sized Weber Genesis.
I received my new Ducane gas grill and could immediately tell by its 150 pound weight that this unit is constructed out of decent materials. My husband and I found assembly to be relatively easy; we were done in about 40 minutes. I am surprised by the choice of stainless steel cooking grates in this price range. My personal preference would be cast iron since it retains heat much better than stainless steel does, but I do understand that many people like steel for its low maintenance. One thing I do like is the way Ducane separated the grate into two pieces, making it easier to remove and clean. There is a thermometer built into the lid of the cook box. The metal that makes up the main body of this unit is pretty much what you ought to expect in this price range. It is thicker than the metal found on cheap grills from a big box store, but thinner than what you will find on a high-end Weber. The body and cook box is mainly black colored metal, a departure from the traditional stainless steel and plastic found today. I like the overall look of it quite a bit. It looks solid, strong and modern.
This Ducane gas grill gets very hot very quickly. It is quite well-powered at 48,000 BTUs. That was very evident when the cook box temperature got to 600 degrees F within 10 minutes. The heat also seem to be very evenly dispersed. I had no trouble cooking large items, such as a whole chicken, during the review period. The high heat capability lets you nicely sear a steak or burgers, however the stainless steel cooking grate does not give you the same nice grill marks you get from a cooking grate constructed of cast iron. Those grill marks are not just for looks either; they also add lots of great charred flavor. But overall, this Ducane Affinity 4100 gas grill does nicely brown foods.
The magnets that hold the doors closed are not very strong. The doors blew open on very windy days, which are common in the Midwest where I live. A child lock designed for kitchen cabinets remedied the problem for me. Most people will not likely have this problem, unless they also live in a very windy area.
Overall, both my husband and I feel this is a good gas grill. It has a very impressive look which makes it appear more expensive than it actually is. However, it is lacking some of the solid, heavy-duty materials I like in a gas grill. Unfortunately, those materials do come at a higher price. That is why I still think the Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill is a good value. Visit Gas Grill Reviews for more information on this model and many more. There are models to fit every budget and price range.
