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Ducane Affinity Series 3400 Freestanding Gas Grill - Natural Gas
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Product Description
New for 2007, we are pleased to introduce the Ducane Affinity series, designed to satisfy the needs of avid grillers. There is an exciting lineup of 3-burner and 4-burner models with generous primary cooking surfaces and large side tables. Some models include side burners, and the top-of-the-line has it all featuring our patented Rotis-A-Grate rear rotisserie burner with rotisserie and smoker attachment. 475 sq. in. total cooking area (526 sq. in. primary cooking, 167 sq. in. warming rack area). 3 stainless steel burners rated at 36,000 BTU's. 12,000 BTU tubular blue flame rotisserie burner and Rotis-A-Grate cooking system with Smoke-It-Tray. Rotisserie attachment includes motor, shaft and 2 forks. 12,000 BTU input flush-mounted side burner with stainless steel lid. 1/4 in. diameter stainless steel wire cooking grates. Porcelain-enameled heat distribution plates. Electronic Ignition. Lid Thermometer.
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Average User Rating:
1.0
out of
5
Number of Ratings:
1
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User Reviews for
Ducane Affinity Series 3400 Freestanding Gas Grill - Natural Gas
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Weber owning Ducane is misleading
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Reviewed
July 21 2008 7:11:45 PM
0
out of
0
users found this recommendation helpful.
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Ratings:
1
out of 5
Pros:
Cover holds on with Velcro |
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Cons:
To many to list I purchased a Ducane Affinity 3400 May of 2007. Previously I had owned a Weber for the 13 years. I loved my Weber but after my divorce I could not justify purchasing the Weber Genesis as badly as I wanted it. My initial thought was that since Weber now owns Ducane it would have Weber like quality and features. The Affinity seemed to have options similar to the Genesis so I thought it might make a good purchase. I ordered it on-line before they became available locally to have it in time for the grilling season. Well after a year of using this grill I have determined that it cannot and should not be associated with the Weber name; this is nothing more than a fancy Char Broil.
What I found wrong with this grill:
1) Bad flare-ups. You cannot turn your back on your food. You have to constantly watch because the grill flares up badly and burns your food. Much like a Char Broil. This is because of the three large wide heat deflectors catch and hold food grease and debris causing uncontrolled fires. Weber grills have several heat deflectors that are steep and narrow not allowing the grease to collect. Cooking food on this grill has become a real chore.
2) Hard to clean. A Ducane rep will tell you to clean the heat deflectors regularly to prevent flare-ups. On most grills the cooking grates can easily be picked up and slid on top of the adjacent grate to access the heat deflectors on one side at a time. This can even be done carefully on a hot grill if you forget beforehand. No so on this Ducane. The front of the grates are in a U-channel and have to be lifted from the back of the grill and removed with both hands. This design makes the process of cleaning the heat deflectors more difficult than it needs to be and messy that can only be done on a cold grill.
3) The igniter takes a battery! This grill does not have the cross-over ignition like a Weber. So when you press the igniter button you are sending a spark to five igniters. To accomplish this you need to have a battery. If I would of known that the igniter took a battery I would of not purchased the grill!
4) In addition to the igniter taking a battery the igniter button itself does not work very well. You have to wiggle and wiggle it to get it to spark the igniters. A poor design!
5) It has only been one year and the Stenciling on the front of the grill is coming off. By next year there probably will not be hardly any wording left. It is going to be a pain when the burner knobs HI and LOW markings will be gone along with all the other descriptive/safety information. Replacing this front panel is going to be a real pain! Then it will probably need to be replaced on a regular basis.
6) The front of the unit has a double wall stainless steel door. This is a very nice door. But when you open the door you are looking out the back of the grill. This is because there is no back on the lower compartment of the grill. Why bother opening the real nice door or even having a door when you can just reach around the back of the grill into the compartment. Another very poor design!!
7) Assembly. If you ever assembled a Weber you were totally impressed by how easily it went together with only a few tools. The engineering of the Weber grill in this area is amazing. In fact, it probably only takes 15 minutes to assemble a Weber. I know this because I have convinced four friends to purchase a Weber and helped them assemble them. Well again, just because Weber has there name behind it donât be fooled. This is no Weber! You are going to get a good size bag of bolts and a booklet of instructions. Be prepared to spend an hour or two.
On the positive side:
The cover has Velcro straps to hold it on which is a nice design.
Personally, I regret purchasing this grill and canât wait to replace it. It is embarrassing to use when I have friends over. I wish I had it to do over again.
If I didnât previous
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