4 stars because I can not get the temp higher than 550. And the grill grates don’t clean up as well as advertised. Love our new Weber Genesis Grill – heats up fast and even, perfect for searing steaks, as well as burgers weber charcoal grill and other goodies. We also like good cooking tips found on Weber Grill websites. Weber has a deservedly good reputation for backing up their products (10-year warranty — hello!) and offering support to their customers.
Yet its three-burner grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. With its thick, rust-proof cast-aluminum firebox, this grill will last for years. The Spirit II is also a particularly simple grill to assemble, maintain, and use.
It’s a classic backyard staple, and it can fit up to 12 burger patties to feed a crowd—the same as the Spirit II E-310, but for less than half the price. Even though we didn’t officially test the Spirit II E-210, we did test its predecessor, the Weber Spirit E-210 . And one of our guide writers, Lesley, owned the Spirit II E-210 for years before passing it off to a friend (to make room for long-term testing the Genesis II E-310). She recounts that the Spirit II E-210 held consistent temperature across the cooking grate, and flare-ups were never an issue. As a company, Weber constantly refines its designs, even on its classic charcoal kettle grill, which has been around for well over 60 years. And, again, Weber’s warranty covers all parts of the Spirit II E-310 for a full 10 years.
I appreciate how sturdy and solid the Genesis II feels. Its lid and pair of side tables are built from heavy steel. Both the grill’s cast iron grates and lid are enameled in porcelain too. My only complaint, a minor one, is Weber’s choice to use some plastic in the E-310’s construction. The ends of the grill’s side tables are wrapped in gray plastic bumpers that cheapens its appearance. Still, the lid does have a large built-in thermometer, a Weber standard feature the Char-Broil SmartChef Tru-Infrared lacks.
And it performs on a par with the three-burner version, the Spirit II E-310. Like our top pick, the two-burner Spirit comes with a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, two side tables, and a 10-year warranty. At 513 square inches , the cooking portable bbq grate on the Genesis E-325s is big enough to grill an entire meal for a family. With previous Genesis models, we found that because the burners were spaced out over a larger cooking area, they didn’t sear food as darkly as those on the Spirit II E-310.
The heavy and solid cast aluminum body will last for decades and if cared for, this could be the last gas grill you buy. The Weber Genesis II E-310 has three stainless steel primary burners that cook evenly and efficiently with a total of 37,500 Btu of heat. The grill takes around eight minutes to reach a preheat temperature of 500 degrees, but because of its construction, it maintains a high temperature using less fuel than other grills.
There is an internal sear station that puts out 9,000 BTU of heat and is perfect if you are looking to create a hard sear with prominent grill marks. The 12,000 BTU side weber q burner can be used as a cooking station for sides and sauces or as an additional warming area. The fuel tank is mounted to the side and the unit comes with a fuel gauge.
We can only imagine the crawling and contorting one must do to hook a full tank of liquid propane in that small cabinet. The entire Spirit II line interfaces with Weber’s iGrill 3 smart thermometer ; this can alert you, through an app downloaded to your phone, when your food has reached certain temperatures. For now, we think a simple probe thermometer, like the ThermoWorks weber charcoal grill Dot, could alert you in a similar way for less cost. The gas tank mounts externally , instead of in a cabinet underneath the grill, as is typical (such as on the previous-generation Spirit). That makes it much easier to install a new tank and unhook an old one, because you’re not scrabbling around a small, dark enclosure to find the hoses and brackets.
With more time and family personnel available they gradually began increasing the length of their season and daily hours. At Green Acres we realize how important it is to have a one-stop grilling retailer with knowledgeable staff. As a result we carry a full line of grilling accessories, from grill covers to pizza stones (and everything in between!). Finally, although we looked at grills from high-end makers such as Hestan, Lynx/Sedona, and MHP for comparison (and a sense of what’s possible in a grill, for a price), we did not test them. Most of them cost four or five figures, well above our established price range of $400 to $900. If you’re buying a grill, your first decision is which type of fuel works best.