Blaze BLZ-4-LP 32″ Freestanding Propane Grill Review
A well-designed propane grill made from quality materials can become a backyard cooking companion that you come to cherish. Finding one that has the looks, price tag, and quality that meets your needs can be a bit of a challenge. Right now the market for this niche is nearly at maximum saturation. Finding the one that suits you best takes a keen eye.
Blaze is a relative newcomer in the world of outdoor cooking appliances. Most of their line is designed in the United States and then made in China. This allows them to pair quality American engineering with the kind of prices that are found from products that are produced abroad. The end result is a grill that sort of ticks all the boxes.
The Blaze BLZ4, 32-inch Propane Grill is largely made from commercial grade 304 stainless steel. It features four independently controlled stainless steel propane burners, as well as a fifth infrared burner, which is meant to work with an accessory rotisserie.
Each burner is lit by a special jet fire igniter for consistent ignition, without the fuss of using a lighter or matches. Each burner produces 14,000 BTUs for a grand total of 56,000 BTUs of combined heat. There is also a special heat zone separation feature, which allows you to create two distinctly different temperature zones.
This is similar to their drop in propane grill head. Except the BLZ4 comes with a freestanding cart. This allows it to live on your deck or patio, without having to integrate it into the expense of a traditional outdoor kitchen.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The BLZ4 is made largely from 304 stainless steel. This gauge has superior rust and corrosion properties, which often earns it the title of being “Commercial Grade Stainless Steel.” The grill grates are also made from the same high-quality stainless, which means they will have a long lifespan. You just have to accept that stainless steel is going to be a little bit sticky when you grill leaner cuts of meat.
Assembly is a little bit tricky. This is likely the result of the instructions first being written in English, then produced in China. Putting the grill head together isn’t all that bad. There’s a sense of intuition that can help you there. The instructions on how to assemble the cart is where you notice that this grill is the product of two different nations.
I would suggest recruiting a friend to help you with this somewhat large grill. With two heads being better than one, you should be able to get it fully assembled in a little over two, perhaps three hours.
Grilling Performance
Right off the bat, the four 14,000 BTU burners provide the heat you are looking for to handle any direct searing applications. The BLZ4 will sear a nice steak and grill up hamburgers with the ease of just about any other traditional gas grill
This grill was also engineered to create different heat zones. This allows you to have high heat on one side of the grate, and low heat on the other to do some hybrid grilling.
The different heat zones can also allow you to work with more bone-in cuts of meat like a leg of lamb. You simply grill it on low heat in zone one, while you prepare the sides on the high heat of zone two. When the meat nearest the bone is done, you can roll it over the high heat side to give it the attractive grill marks that everyone loves.
Once you get to know the ins-and-outs of the BLZ4, you could attempt to improvise it as a smoker. You simply set the meat on one side with a heavy duty aluminum foil pan under it to catch the drippings. Then you fire up the other side of the grill on medium-low heat and place a metal smoker box with wood chips over the flame.
The rear infrared burner produces 10,000 BTUs. It’s meant to work in tandem with an accessory rotisserie. You might be thinking that 10,000 BTUs sounds a little on the low side, but really it’s just about right. With infrared elements that have a higher BTU rating, you end up having to turn them off after half an hour to let the ambient heat of the rest of the grill cook it through. With those other IR burners, if you leave them on the outside of the bird is burned before the inside is cooked through.
A 10,000 BTU rotisserie is sort of the sweet spot that allows you to use it through the whole cooking session. Just remember to put something under the bird to catch the drippings!
Grilling Areas
The warming rack on the BLZ4 is a little on the small side. It can handle your standard bratwurst turned at an angle.
The primary stainless steel grill grates measure in at 552 square inches. This is more than enough real estate to grill up hamburgers for eight people.
Special Features
The jet fir ignition system is a nice touch. It spares you the hassle of having to light it yourself with a stick lighter on a windy day.
Ease to Clean
The grease tray on the BLZ4 is easy to pull out. This makes cleanup a breeze. Just make sure to take a little extra time scraping down the somewhat sticky stainless steel grates.
Warranty
The Blaze Grills BLZ4 comes with an impressive lifetime warranty. Just remember that you have to register it within 30 days of the original purchase.
This type of warranty is above what you find in the majority of competitors.
Conclusion
The Blaze Grills BLZ4 has a lot to like. If you are shopping for a quality gas grill that won’t break your wallet, then it should be near the top of your list. The superior warranty is certainly attractive, as is the gleaming commercial grade stainless steel look. It’s just a pity that the rotisserie doesn’t come with it.
