The secret to a good grill is the burner. That’s usually all that goes wrong with them. I’ve been using the same grill for over 5 years, and I bought it used at an estate sale for forty bucks. Of course it was in sad shape as these cheap ones usually are when they get a few years old. So I purchased a cast iron burner and redid it…. A good cast burner weighs nearly as much as the rest of the grill, but it could last fifteen or twenty years.
And now here is my cheap setup…

Side burner?.. I’m not that fancy, I prefer an old Coleman camp stove. And an antique cast iron chicken skillet is the preferred cooking utensil. Tonight it’s “Taters & Onions” fried in pure bacon fat.

The main course, a nice slab of Salmon. Marinated in a mixture of bourbon, brown sugar, soy, garlic & ginger.


Add some cheap beer, and enjoy!
So, if you are asking for my advice, all I will tell you is the burner is likely to be the first part to wear out. Make sure your new grill has a good one.