BeefEater 12840S Signature Premium 32″ Stainless Steel 4 Burner Built-in Gas Grill Review
The BeefEater 12840S Signature is the professional-grade drop-in grill head from their very popular cart-based propane & natural gas grill. It’s meant to appeal to households that are ready to step up to an outdoor kitchen with a grill that could just as easily be at home in a professional restaurant kitchen.
With one look at the BeefEater 12840S Signature and you’ll see why it’s touted as being commercial grade. This starts with the copious use of 304 stainless steel construction, all the way down to the 10-millimeter stainless steel grill rods.
The burning heart of the BeefEater 12840S Signature is four independently controlled stainless steel propane burners. They are linked to a quarts ignition system that does need electricity. Each propane burner is rated to produce a whopping 18,000 BTUs of heat per hour for a total of 72,000 BTUs. This is a very high rating and a temperature range you are rarely going to use at full-on high. Still, it’s nice to know you can utilize such impressive heat for doing things like putting the perfect sear on a high-end steak.
There are special heat tents known as “Vaporizers” over the burner elements. When drippings land on them they are turned into smoke for added aroma and flavor. It also helps prevent problems like clogged flame ports, while reducing the drippings that fall through to the grease management system.
The grill grates are made from 304 stainless steel and each rod is 10-millimeters thick. This makes for superior heat absorption. They measure in at a robust 620 square inches, which means you have more than enough grilling real estate to host a massive cookout at your new outdoor kitchen. If you like, you can also remove a section and replace it with a griddle for times when you want to saute vegetables or fry bacon right at the grill side.
The lid was engineered to be removable for times when you want to direct flame grill. Though it’s perfectly comfortable being left in place. It even has a glass window which lets you monitor what’s going on inside without necessarily having to lift the lid and letting the heat escape. BeefEater also angled the shape of the lid to replicate a convection effect.
The BeefEater 12840S Signature can also accommodate a rotisserie. Unfortunately, it’s not included in this particular model.
The BeefEater 12840S Signature’s dimensions are 21 x 32 x 23-inches. The 32-inch cut out also needs an additional half-inch to accommodate the mounting flange.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Everything about the BeefEater 12840S Signature speaks to its professional quality and engineering. You see this in the 304 stainless steel construction and the way the removable lid is angled to replicate a convection effect. There’s even a glass window to let you keep the heat dynamics consistent, yet still, be able to see what’s going on under the lid.
As you can imagine, with any drop-in grill head the installation is going to be far more work than the actual act of assembly. To that end, BeefEater did their best to make the 12840S Signature easy to install. It needs an additional half inch for the flange mounting hardware but otherwise measures in at 21 x 32 x 23-inches. If you’re not 100% confident in your ability to self-install it, a local contractor should be able to do it relatively cheaply.
It’s also worth noting that the BeefEater 12840S Signature can be converted over to natural gas. This is a great option if you happen to have a natural gas line already plumbed to your outdoor kitchen area.
Grilling Performance
The 72,000 BTU rating is impressively high. In some gas grills, this is a sign of thermal inefficiency. With the BeefEater 12840S Signature, it’s there to make sure you have all the heat you need to still sear meats and do direct flame grilling even when the lid has been removed.
Most of the time you will use the BeefEater 12840S Signature with the burners set to medium or low. Just make sure you are getting proper oxidation of the propane, which comes in the telltale blue flame instead of yellow. Of course, you don’t have these oxidation problems if you opt for the natural gas conversion.
The “Vaporizers” on the BeefEater 12840S Signature are a nice touch. Any rendered fat or excess marinade that drips down on them turns into smoke which perfumes the meat.
The ability to swap out a section of the grill grates for a griddle is a nice touch. It practically invites you to make fajitas and bacon cheeseburgers.
Grilling Areas
The primary grill grate on the BeefEater 12840S Signature measures in at an impressive 620 square inches. Each of the grill rods measures in at 10-millimeters thick, which makes for superior heat absorption.
Special Features
The removable grill lid on the BeefEater 12840S Signature has a glass window to let you watch the cooking action, without disturbing the heat. It’s especially handy if you opt for the rotisserie accessory. The angle of the lid also encourages air circulation to mimic a convection effect.
Ease to Clean
The BeefEater 12840S Signature is relatively easy to clean. Just make a point to use a nylon bristle grill brush on the 10-millimeter stainless steel rods. Steel wool or a wire brush can scrape them, which will make them sticky over time, and may cause surface corrosion issues in the long-term.
The great pan in the BeefEater 12840S Signature is a little bit small for the enormous size of the grill grates. If you are going to grill up a lot of greasy foods or things with sloppy marinades, you might want to keep a close eye on the grease cup.
Warranty
The BeefEater 12840S Signature comes with a 5-year warranty on the frame and burner components, all other parts carry 2 years of warranty coverage.
Conclusion
Whether you are building the outdoor kitchen of your dreams, or simply replacing an older grill head, the BeefEater 12840S Signature deserves a good hard look. You can convert it over to natural gas without a lot of headaches. The lid is innovative, and you’ve certainly got all the heat control you could ever want right at your fingertips.
