The Monument Grills Denali 605 is a 6-burner, 84,000 BTU smart gas grill, and quite frankly, this is a great grill - period, full stop. Monument Grills sent me one of their premium line of 6-burner behemoths a few months ago, and I didn't have a chance to fully test it until recently, but I'm glad I waited, because this is the gear that keeps the heat going into the colder months.
Monument Grills sells the Denali 605 directly for $799, and you can also buy it on Amazon.com. The rotisserie kit isn't part of that price. Monument sells it in a $977 bundle with a smoke box and cover, and a separate $899 bundle adds the natural gas conversion kit. If you're going to keep cooking outside after the first cold snap, a few habits matter more than they did in July. Some of you might think that just because the leaves are coming down up north and the weather is turning colder that it's time to clean up your grills, smokers, and flat tops. If that's you, don't get sad and relegate outdoor cooking to tailgate parties in the shadow of football stadiums. Ending your fall grilling season early might just be because you don't have the right gear to keep the heat going into the colder months. If I'd set the Denali 605 up in May instead of September, then I'd be singing its praises as the backyard monster perfect for large family gatherings and guys night in parties. But here we are, as my tomatoes are trying to ripen and my last batch of jalapeños have a backdrop of red and brown leaves behind their containers now. The Denali 605 runs on propane or natural gas, with six stainless steel main burners and a side burner sharing that 84,000 BTU total. The firebox is enameled, the grates are porcelain-coated cast iron, and the stainless cabinet underneath has room for your propane tank and your grilling tools. Promoted by FlowAds The cooking chamber on the Denali 605 is extremely well protected against breezes that, in my cheaper grills, can drop the cooking temp from 450 to 250 in seconds. This is true when I open the lid to check on it and it's especially frustrating since some of the grills I've reviewed "cheat" by having a wide open vent in the back. That's fine for cooking in July but far from ideal when cooking in December while snow is falling around you and you're holding the tongs with gloved hands! Not only does the Denali 605 have a well-built cooking cavity, but it also has a full window in the lid so you don't have to let the heat out every time you want to check on your food. Every time you lift a lid on a cold day, you're starting part of that preheat over again. I do have some concerns about how robust this is for crazy flare ups that occasionally can happen when cooking fatty burgers or chicken with skin on but this is honestly not a starter grill, so the guy using this baby should be a bit smarter than to let the grill build up too much grease or have the fire tuned improperly. The Denali 605's grill surface is more than big enough for home gate parties where you want to fire up burgers, dogs, and chicken without crowding them. Monument lists 640 square inches of primary cooking area and a 260-square-inch warming rack, 900 in all, and says that's enough for up to 35 burgers at once. The side burner can keep that pot of chili warm or maybe heat up some apple cider, and if the cider is headed somewhere stronger, we've got a list of apple and harvest cocktails to start from. It's rated at up to 12,000 BTUs, and the hooks along the shelf's edge keep your tongs and spatula within reach. What I didn't really expect from this one is that it's set up for rotisserie of larger birds, such as small turkeys as well as larger chickens and ducks, and big ole hunks of prime rib and other holiday items. A backyard grill usually gets put away right when those meals show up on the calendar. Monument sent me the rotisserie kit along with the grill, but it doesn't come with the base Denali 605, so don't assume there's one in the box. If a spit is part of your plan, order the bundle with the smoke box, cover, and rotisserie kit. Moving the big roast outside also frees up the kitchen oven for everything else a holiday meal needs. The Denali 605 has some great architectural features, like a smartphone connection built in so you can monitor it. The Monument app connects over Bluetooth at up to 65 feet and shows temperature and probe readings, so you can follow along from a warmer spot than the patio. The LED display on the side shelf shows the temperature in real time, connects to wired meat probes, and lets you set heat alerts. The knobs are lit too, in three colors that show power and heat level at a glance, which helps once the sun starts going down earlier. My one complaint is the assembly. While the Denali 605 is extremely well built, it was among the more complicated grills that I've built this year. The necessary tools weren't included and the documentation wasn't intuitive, so it took me much longer than I expected based on previous grills that I'd built this year. Ultimately, the results were worth it. Set aside more time than you think you need, lay out your tools before you open the boxes, and grab a buddy, because this thing weighs 117.5 pounds assembled. It also measures 65.5 x 24 x 46.5 inches, so check your patio before it shows up. If that doesn't sound like how you want to spend a Saturday, Monument offers a professional assembly add-on when you order. I really love this bad boy, and it's a phenomenal option for any man who's a bit afraid that grilling season might be wrapping up sooner than he wants. We'll be using this regularly this fall and again in the spring. At $729, you're getting six burners, 900 square inches of cooking space, and a smart display in one stainless package. Before you order, decide on your fuel. The Denali 605 needs Monument's conversion kit, model 97352, to run on natural gas, so if you've got a gas line at the patio, buying the two together saves you a second order. It also uses standard burners with no dedicated sear burner, and if that's the feature you're after, the Kenmore 4-burner grill I reviewed has a side searing burner. Monument backs the Denali 605 with an 8-year limited warranty, and for current pricing and availability, check Amazon.com.
The Denali 605 Keeps Outdoor Cooking Going After The Leaves Come Down
How The Denali 605 Stands Up To Breezes That Drop My Cheaper Grills From 450 To 250 Degrees When I Open The Lid
Room For Burgers, Dogs And Chicken At A Home Gate Party, Plus A Side Burner For Chili
The Rotisserie Kit Opens It Up To Turkeys, Ducks And Prime Rib For The Holidays
Checking The Cook From Your Phone Instead Of Standing Out In The Cold
The Denali 605 Took Me Much Longer To Assemble Than I Expected
This Is A Grill We'll Be Using Regularly This Fall And Again In The Spring