A review of the Broil King 986784 Signet 90 Gas Grill with Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie
My family and I recently used the Broil King 986784 Signet 90 Gas Grill with Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie for a month. We did this so that we could write a detailed review for consumers who are considering purchasing this gas grill. We made it a point to grill more frequently during this review period, to get a fair idea of how this unit performs with regular use. Here is my review.
This Broil King gas grill will set you back about $550 including shipping. That puts it in the higher end category and expectations for this gas grill should be pretty high. I realized that this unit was made of solid materials as soon as the package arrived; has a shipping weight of 138 pounds! My husband helped me carry the box out to our backyard so we could unpack it and go through it. The cookbox is solid cast aluminum. The cooking grates are made of heavy-duty cast iron. There is a rotisserie with this model and it feels sturdy and well built. There is quite a bit of assembly to do for this gas grill; my husband and I addressed that right away so we could start grilling that first night.
I was a bit surprised that the instructions don’t include written words. They are all images. Maybe that will make things easier for some people, and I’m sure it certainly makes it easier for Broil King to sell these gas grills in different countries without having to translate instructions. However, my husband and I would have appreciated some written instructions. It took the two of us almost two hours to set it up, partly because we were being too cautious due to the high price of this model. Once it’s all set up, this grill is a beauty. It looks like it could have easily cost closer to $1000. It’s solid, sturdy, and obviously well built.
Our first grilled dinner consisted of bison steaks, asparagus, and ears of corn. I lit the grill, center burner on high. I was a bit surprised when the internal temperature quickly rose to 700 degrees F. This gas grill has a little more firepower than I am accused of. Most gas grills require a burner on full power to achieve proper browning on meat; that is not the case with this Broil King. I adjusted the burners accordingly and cooked my first meal. It turned out beautiful. The steaks were cooked in the center of the grill where I set it to medium heat. They were perfectly golden on the outside and wonderfully rare in the center. Cast iron cooking grates left perfect grill marks. I lightly coated the asparagus and corn with olive oil and cooked them on both sides of the steaks. There was enough heat left over from the burner under the bison steaks to cook the vegetables. I am very satisfied with this grill after the first day.
The second day I decided to give the rotisserie a spin and cook a leg of lamb. The Broil King gas grill did not fail to impress. However, I have two minor complaints regarding the steakhouse. First, you need to light the grill burner with a match or lighter. I am stumped as to why Broil King did not include an electric ignition like they have installed on the other burners. Second, I wish the rotisserie was adjustable to accommodate larger things like a whole turkey. I was hoping to cook my Thanksgiving turkey outdoors on the rotisserie this year, but any bird over 6 pounds gets too close to the rotisserie burner. Overall though, I’m pretty pleased with the steakhouse. It is solid and spins evenly. The rotisserie burner has good power and is capable of proper browning.
I wasn’t sure how useful a side burner would be, but it ended up being one of my favorite features on this Broil King gas grill. I love having it to sauté onions while the burgers are on the grill. I also used twice to heat a pot of oil and fry outside. The splatters and mess associated with frying are not as big of a problem in the backyard as they are in the kitchen. I was also pleased to see that the side burner does not blow out easily in the wind.
I noticed during the review period that the cookbox does a fantastic job of keeping the heat in. It makes this gas grill like an outdoor oven when I need it.
My husband and I loved cast iron grates, but we’re big fans of cast iron cookware. You should be aware that there is a level of maintenance required with cast iron. The grates will rust if they are not oiled regularly. I think the superior cooking ability of cast iron makes it worth the effort, however not everyone feels that way.
Overall this Broil King gas grill performs very well and feels incredibly solid and high-end. My whole family enjoyed both the Broil King and the food prepared by it. We think this Broil King is a great choice, if you can afford to own one.
One minor complaint I have has to do with the door that allows access to the propane tank. It doesn’t open and close as well as I would like. However, that won’t stop you from enjoying this gas grill. This Broil King gas grill is a level of quality well above the gas grills normally found at your local big box store in this price range. Visit Gas Grill Reviews to learn more about this model and many more. You will also find more information on the differences between cast iron, stainless steel and porcelain cooking grates.