"I hemmed and hawed about buying this grill for weeks, spent hours reading reviews online and spent so much time in the grill department at the local hardware stores, they probably thought I was a new employee. Being a new type of grill I was very hesitant to buy it and was going back & forth between this and a weber genesis. From the online feedback, I gathered that it was great to cook on but there were questions about its durability (I read numerous places the U plate cracks and rusts quickly and the exterior wears easily).
Ok, here's where I get excited. I have been dying to write this review. I picked this thing up the right before the 4th of July weekend and have probably NOT grilled on it 3 or 4 days since I have had it, somedays mulitple times. All the food turns out awesome. Seriously. I had a party the weekend I got it and not having much experience with the new grill I was a little nervous about how the food was going to turn out. (side note - I suck at grilling. Food I grilled on my old grill NEVER turned out, burned, dry, undercooked; you name it, I messed it up) Anyway, I had everyone bring something and I cooked BBQ ribs, hotdogs, hamburgers, shrimp skewers, brats, maranated chicken breast (in wishbone robusto italian overnight (spectacular)) and everything turned out perfect. Seriously. No I don't work for Char Broil or Home Depot. I am just so excited that I decided on this grill and hope if you are on the fence you take a leap of faith and try it.
As for the lasting power, I don't know. As for the exterior, I bought some good quality cleaner and a thick cover (don't bother with the charbroil $50 cover, I think I paid 20) and make sure I clean and cover it after every use. The U burner, I hear, has a 2 year warranty and then after that, it would be worth it to me just to replace it for how well this grill works.
My recommendation is don't go with the cheaper red model that is all stainless steel. It is noticably lighter and "cheaper feeling" when you handle it. The "professional" series infrared I heard is a nightmare to clean up, so I would stay away from that as well.
I truly hope this helps and you enjoy your grill as much as I do."