Viking

The Best Grills for Outdoor Barbecues

There's nothing better during the summer months than firing up the grill and barbecuing for family and friends. Today, more than 85 million American households own an outdoor grill.

There's an enormous variety of charcoal and gas grills, which come in hundreds of sizes, shapes, colors and prices. Consumers are demanding more features on their gas grills---from side burners and rotisseries, to sear stations and infrared burners. According to a survey conducted by Weber, 61% of consumers now own a side burner, while 32% own a rotisserie and 17% have a gas grill with an infrared burner. The survey also revealed that 89% of America grill owners are using full-size grills, rather than portables.

"As dedicated grillers continue to become more experienced in cooking a wider variety of foods, the barbecue is increasingly being viewed as an outdoor appliance," says Sherry Bale, public relations director for Weber Grills. "As consumers want good value for their money during these tough economic times, they're seeing the advantages of paying for a durable grill that will stand up to punishing weather and give them years of dependable service."

To figure out the best of breed, we asked our Luxist readers to nominate their favorite manufacturers of outdoor grills. The top five nominees are:

Jenn-Air
Kenmore
Lynx
Viking
Weber

Jenn-Air is known for its precision craftsmanship and distinctive styling while Kenmore, which has a line of grills, is also well-known for its broad range of home appliances it manufactures. Lynx was founded by a group of individuals who started out by manufacturing restaurant ranges while Viking makes grills that one might expect to find in a restaurant setting. Finally, there's Weber, which is a household name that is credited with revolutionizing the backyard barbecue.

Interested in finding out what the best online meat companies are? Check out the Luxist Award's Readers' Choice Nominees for Best in Online Meats.

Tags: awards-main, barbecue, barbecue-and-grilling, barbecuing, barbeque, grill, grilling, grills, Jenn-Air, Kenmore, luxist-awards, Lynx, outdoor grills, Viking, Weber

Viking: Restaurant-Quality Grills in Your Own Backyard

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Gadgets

Some of the best products are born of sheer need. That was certainly the case when Fred Carl, Jr. created the precursor to today's Viking simply because he wanted a restaurant-quality stove in his own home. The result: a flourishing company and a Luxist award nomination in the best grills category.

Carl first dreamed up the idea of building ranges when he and his wife were designing and building a new home in 1980. A fourth-generation contractor by trade, Carl wanted to include an industrial-grade stove in his kitchen, but he soon found himself lacking options. Stoves made for restaurants were accompanied by extremely high surface temperatures and few safety features, and residential ranges just didn't pack the same punch.

Gallery: Viking

Tags: awards-main, grill, grilling, grills, luxist-awards, Viking

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Princess Yachts to Sail Under its Own Flag to North America

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

What's in a name? Well, everything, if you listen to the branding and marketing gurus. Case in point: Princess Yachts. When the British shipyard came to the North American market several years ago, it was arrived at port under the Viking Sport Cruisers name, partnering with Viking Yachts to permeate the local market. However Princess has since been acquired by luxury giant LVMH, and is preparing to sail under its own power to this side of the Atlantic for the first time.

While the fleet will be largely the same and Viking will continue to manage sales and service for North American customers, the yachts will now be branded under the Princess name as they are overseas, where the brand has acquired considerable recognition.

[Source: Megayacht News]

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Tags: princess, princess yachts, viking, viking sport cruisers, viking yachts, yacht, yachts

Viking Induction Burner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Gadgets

The hot plate you cooked your mac and cheese on in college was nothing like this. Check out the Viking Portable Induction burner. It delivers a fast cooking surface that uses a magnetic coil to produce a high-frequency electromagnetic field with any ferrous pan to set up a current that creates serious heat: 1800 watts (equivalent to 15,000 BTUs). Once the vessel is removed from the element or it is turned off, the heat generation stops. The burner sells for $499.95 and makes a great addition to your summer cooking arsenal because you can use it outside.

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Tags: burner, cooking, grill, induction, viking