Cooking Article

The cast brass and cast stainless steel burners have the smallest burrs -- by far. This will mean less chaos in the gas flow
fewer trapped particulate matter in the burner and a cleaner burning grill. The following comparison shows how the ports are formed.

Why is port formation important? Several reasons. If the hole is punched into a sheet metal burner
it leaves a large tab inside the burner that will cause more chaos while burning. It is more apt to hold trapped food particles and grease
and is therefore more likely to burn through. (Note the Alfresco burner photo below.)

Molded ports in cast burners seem like they would be a good idea
but there is considerable difficulty in making them uniform. Thus
it is quicker and less expensive to drill.

Drilled ports are the most uniform and the most precisely placed. They tend to leave a burr on the inside of the burner
which is more noticeable (oddly enough) in a sheet metal burner. Cast burners tend to have smaller burrs.

Fire Magic grill burner has drilled orifices
Notice (from the photo on our site) the lack of extensive burring
allowing for a smooth flow of gas. Cast stainless leaves few
if any
burrs when drilled. This burner has a lifetime warranty
including against rust and burn-through.

Notice the placement of the ports: on the side
safely below the ridge. This placement will help prevent grease from dripping into the burner
minimizing the possibility of grease entering the burner.

Lynx grill burner is drilled
Notice (from the picture on our site) the lack of extensive burring
allowing for a smooth flow of gas. Cast brass is similar to cast stainless steel when drilled
leaving few
if any
burrs. This burner carries a lifetime warranty
including against rust and burn-through. It is also interesting to note that Lynx does not offer a replacement burner for any of their grills: simply
you'll never need one.

Orifice placement is not as good with this burner as with the Fire Magic
but when you consider that you'll never replace this burner
it probably doesn't matter all that much.

Alfresco grill burner has punched orifices
Punched ports like these create substantial ledges where carbon particles and moisture can collect and foster burn-through. This burner has a limited lifetime warranty that only covers manufacturer's defect. With this design
this burner *will* burn through
and faster than most other burners on the market.

Further
notice the placement of the ports: at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock; if any grease were to drip onto this burner
it is almost guaranteed to enter these ports
thereby compounding the rust and burn-through issue.

DCS grill burner has drilled orifices
At least DCS drills burner ports. The burrs
however
are substantial when compared to cast stainless steel
and these will also collect particulates and moisture
which will foster burn-through. This burner also has a limited lifetime warranty that covers manufacturer's defects only
not rust or burn-through.

This burner has a thicker steel than the Alfresco
but it also has a serious design flaw: the ports are drilled directly on top. If grease were to drip on this burner
it is guaranteed to enter the burner
compounding the rust and burn-through issue!