They had grills that were really cheap, some that were really expensive, and lots in between. The price differential seemed to be based mostly upon the size of the grill (how many burgers do *you* want?) and features (can you say "rotisserie"?).
As I was inspecting them, I noticed something rather strange. There was a set of very nice ones that were basically the same, except that they ranged from smaller to larger (both in price and in size). It was one of those "series" things, where the manufacturer tries to hit several different price points. Nothing surprising or wrong about that. However, I noticed on the smaller/cheaper models that they used the standard "can" approach to catching the grease at the bottom of the grill. This was strange, since I don't think the approach is a very good one, especially when there are other alternatives that work as well or better (in fact, the top-of-the-line grill just had a slide-out tray). These grills with the "can" also had a slide out tray (out the back, instead of the front), but my concern was that they wouldn't catch all of the grease (grease sometimes goes out at an angle; wind blows the can around, etc.).
The strange part about it was that I'd found a cheaper model from another manufacturer that used a slide-in box (angle won't matter, and it doesn't get blown around), which I thought was pretty clever. I figured that if I spent so much more on the better model, it wouldn't have settled on a "can" approach. But, it did. (I should note, here, that there is a downside to the slide-in box: it'll be hot during and right after cooking, while the can won't.)
Looking back on that experience, I realized that it mattered to me which method was used because the maintenance of the grill mattered to me. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that that's one of the most important (if not *the* most important) features of a grill (to me). Why? Because I hate cleaning grills. So, the less work I have to do to keep a grill clean, the happier I am (and the more grilling I do).
It's all about what's important to you. Is it the number of burgers, etc. that you can cook at a time? Is it the amount and exactness of the heat? Is it the features, like having a rotisserie, a side cooker, and a built-in cabinet? Is it looks, mobility, or what? To me, it's the maintenance.
Programmers have the same question to ask: what's most important? Is it the speed of the code, the speed of the development process, the maintenance, the elegance, the framework used, or what? There may not necessarily be a right or wrong answer to that question (at least, not in a general sense). However, it's an important question to ask, and should be asked separately for each project. Different design or architectural decisions may be made because of it. For example, if it's speed of execution, you may lose some on the maintenance. The other aspect is that understanding your priorities allows you to counter-balance the decision with other processes. For example, if speed of execution is the priority, you may take extra care to ensure that the code is maintainable because you know that it tends to be forgotten. You may adjust your schedule to provide fewer features because you know it'll take you longer, etc. Understanding motivations allows you to adjust for them.
Certain types of grill surfaces require different kinds of cleaning materials or approaches. If you just don't pay attention, you'll be buying a new grill too often. You may buy the wrong grill. You may find that that cool-looking cedar-enhanced grill fades very quickly because you didn't keep it covered. If you don't care, then you don't care. Buf it you do and understand your motivations and priorities, you can adjust your behavior to suite the problem at hand.
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