I recently tested the Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill for a month. I did this so I could write a detailed review to help anyone thinking about buying this Ducane gas grill. My husband and I made it a point to grill as often as possible during the review period so we could get a fair idea of how this unit performs with regular use. Here is my review.
Price is important to consider when forming expectations for any product. The Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill will run you around $550, including shipping costs. That’s on the higher end of the mid-range, as far as gas grills this size go. $550 might sound like a lot of money, but it’s 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 built with decent materials. My husband and I found the 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 as it retains heat much better than stainless steel, but I understand that many people like steel for its low maintenance. One thing I like is the way Ducane separated the rack into two parts, which makes it easy to remove and clean. There is a thermometer built into the lid of the cookbox. The metal that makes up the main body of this unit is pretty much what you should expect in this price range. It’s thicker than the metal found in cheap big-box store grills, but thinner than what you’ll find on a higher-end Weber. The body and cookbox are primarily black-colored metal, a departure from the traditional stainless steel and plastic found today. I quite like the overall look. It looks solid, strong and modern.
This Ducane gas grill heats up very quickly. It has plenty of power at 48,000 BTUs. That was very evident when the cookbox temperature hit 600 degrees F in 10 minutes. The heat also appears to be very evenly dispersed. I had no problem cooking large items, like a whole chicken, during the review period. The high heat capacity allows you to sear a steak or burger very well, however, the stainless steel cooking grate does not give you the same nice marks that you get from a cast iron constructed cooking grate. Those grill marks aren’t just for looks, either; they also add a lot of great charred flavor. But overall, this Ducane Affinity 4100 gas grill browns food very well.
The magnets that keep the doors closed are not very strong. The doors were flung open on very windy days, which are common in the Midwest where I live. A child lock designed for kitchen cabinets fixed the problem for me. Most people probably won’t have this problem unless they also live in a very windy area.
Overall, both my husband and I feel like this is a good gas grill. It has a very impressive look that makes it look more expensive than it actually is. However, it lacks some of the solid, sturdy materials I like in a gas grill. Unfortunately, those materials come at a higher price. That’s why I still think the Ducane Affinity 4100 Propane Gas Grill is good value for money. Visit Gas Grill Reviews to learn more about this model and many more. There are models that suit all budgets and price ranges.