Here at Pro Tool Reviews, we love any excuse to have a cookout here at our office. However, on this go around, our shop was was in full swing testing the Best Reciprocating Saws on the market. So, being the nice guy that I am, I took one for the team and tested the Monument Grills Denali 605Pro propane grill at my home. We have some experience with Monument Grills, having used and reviewed several of their products over the years, so I’m excited to see how the 605Pro compares and what it has to offer!
Notable Features of The Monument Grills Denali 605Pro Grill
From top to bottom, there is a lot to talk about on the Monument Denali 605Pro. It’s one of the largest models in Monument’s lineup and has many features that you probably won’t find on a typical grill at your local big box store. I’ll work through some of the key features that elevate this grill to the next level.
Cooking Areas, Burners, and BTUs
The Monument Denali 605Pro sports six main burners that pump out up to 78,000 BTUs. This gives you a ton of versatility and allows you to reach temperatures of 700 degrees in 10 minutes flat!
Above these burners, you have 640 square inches of cooking space across the main heavy-duty porcelain-enameled cast iron grates. You also get another 260 square inches of secondary cooking space across the upper stainless steel cooking grate. This gives you plenty of room to prepare multiple dishes simultaneously and gives you a total of 900 square inches of total cooking space, excluding the side burner.
Like the Eminence 605, this model features an infrared side burner for pre- or post-searing, sautéing veggies, or even keeping sauces warm.
Another aspect I love about this grill is the upgraded clear window lid. This allows you to monitor your cook without lifting the lid and losing valuable heat. As they say, if you’re lookin’, you ain’t cookin’. But that’s not the case when you can look without raising the lid.
LCD Display Panel and Probes
Monument is really stepping up the game when it comes to implementing smart tech into their grills. The display shows the real-time temperature at grate level, battery level, a USB-C power input, and supports two wired meat probes. Monument includes two stainless steel probes for added convenience.
This intelligent display is also Bluetooth enabled, allowing it to connect to your phone and provide real-time data (more on this later). The whole system is powered by four D-cell batteries and is also responsible for powering the LEDs inside the knobs.
I like this system more than traditional grill thermometers for a few reasons. First, traditional hood-mounted thermometers are notoriously inaccurate due to their placement. As we all know (or as you’re about to learn), heat rises. So, as it rises, it interacts with the thermometer and often misrepresents the actual temperature inside the cooking chamber.
Monument’s decision to place the thermometer at grate level provides a much more accurate reading, allowing you to cook with more confidence.
Second, the real-time data from the meat probes helps ensure that you maintain proper internal temperatures during your cook. On top of that, the Bluetooth connection means that you no longer need to babysit your grill during those longer cooks.
Last, the LED display is bright enough to be seen in the daytime. Admittedly, direct sunlight does affect visibility somewhat, but overall I’m pretty happy with my experience.
Accessories
The Denali 605Pro comes with a few added perks that we don’t see with the other models in this class. It comes with a weatherproof cover and a rotisserie attachment. They even throw in two pairs of meat forks so you can cook two things on the same spit.
The grill grates are also unique. Monument designed these grates with a removable round insert. You can easily swap out the standard grate for a Cordierite pizza stone, cast iron griddle, or a diamond grid grate to achieve those perfect steakhouse grill marks.
Monument Grills Denali 605Pro Grilling Performance
To get a feel for this grill, I wanted to cook a few different meals. To kick it off, I started with a rotisserie chicken. This was a first for me, but Monument’s system is very easy to use. I positioned the LED knobs to medium heat until the LED thermometer held a constant 350°, about 10 minutes, and aligned the chicken over the right hand burners. The whole cook took around 1-1/2 hours, but the results were incredible.
Pro Tip: Take the time, make the brine. You won’t regret it!
Next, I prepared a family favorite—Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken. This gave me a chance to utilize all six burners, and let me tell you, this thing heats up fast! The flame tamers did well for the most part, but as the chicken fat started to render, I did experience a few flare-ups.
Flames definitely licked up through the burner covers, but that wasn’t surprising, and it was easily controlled. Everything seemed to heat quite evenly—which I appreciated very much, and I was able to easily stagger the chicken thighs to get them cooked sequentially over a period of time.
Lastly, I picked up a couple USDA Prime Ribeyes from my local supermarket for a date night in with my wife. This gave me an opportunity to use the reverse sear method by placing the steaks on the upper rack with the meat probes inserted to monitor the internal temperature.
The probes performed as expected, allowing me to bring them up to 115° internal. Then, to finish them off, I fired up the infrared side burner and put a beautiful crust, finishing with a perfect medium-rare steak.
These three cooks allowed me to get a complete picture of this grill’s capabilities. And I have to admit, the premium feature set on this grill made the whole process smooth and easy to navigate.
Denali 605Pro VS 405 VS 425 VS Eminence 605
| Feature | Denali 605Pro | Denali 405 | Denali 425 | Eminence 605 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Burners | 5 main burners 1 main infrared burner 1 side infrared burner | 4 main burners 1 side burner | 4 main burners 1 side burner | 6 main burners 1 rear infrared burner 1 side searing station |
| Total BTUs | 78,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 89,000 |
| Primary Cooking Area | 640 sq. in. | 450 sq. in. | 510 sq. in. | 640 sq. in. |
| Secondary Cooking Area | 260 sq. in. | 200 sq. in. | 200 sq. in. | 220 sq. in. |
| Total Cooking Space | 900 sq. in. | 710 sq. in. | 710 sq. in. | 860 sq. in. |
| Number of Side Burners | 1 (infrared) | 1 (standard) | 1 (standard) | 1 (infrared) |
| Searing Burner | Yes | No | No | Yes (rear + side) |
| Grill Finish | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Matte black | Stainless steel |
| Ignition Type | Electric ignition | LED touch panel with electronic ignition | Electronic ignition | LED touch panel with electronic ignition |
| Cooking Grate Material | Heavy-duty porcelain-enameled cast iron | Heavy-duty porcelain-enameled cast iron | Porcelain-enameled cast iron | 7mm SUS304 stainless steel |
| Natural Gas Convertible | No | No | No | Yes |
| Price | $999 | $649 | $599 | $1,349 |
Monument Grills Denali 605Pro Price
The Monument Grills Denali 605Pro retails for $999 and comes with a 8-year limited warranty.
If you prefer to cook with natural gas but don’t want to sacrifice cooking space, the Denali 605 is available for $799 and also comes with an 8-year limited warranty.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the Monument Denali 605Pro delivered top-tier results across a variety of cooking methods. The LED display made it easy to monitor temperatures throughout my cooks and the addition of an electronic rotisserie and cover are excellent value adds for Monument.
The feature set and build quality definitely position this grill in the premium category, and with that, you will pay a little more than you would for an entry level model. However, if we take a step back and look at similar model on the premium propane grill market (i.e. Weber, Napoleon), Monument’s price is actually quite reasonable for what you get.
Bottom line, if you’re looking to step up your grilling game and upgrade from your entry-level grill, the Monument Denali 605Pro is here to help!
