On both the CharBroil SmartChef and Weber Genesis II, the ribs were too thin to shield their probes from ambient hot air under the lid. As a result I fell back to cooking by time instead of hitting a target thermometer reading. Both grills turned in slightly underdone ribs after a 3-hour cook, so I bumped the time up another 30 minutes for round two. A high-performance 3-burner gas grill from the market leader, Weber. The Genesis II E-310 GBS is built to last, is iGrill 3 ready, has a GBS grate to accept many cooking accessories, and is a joy to use while producing quality food.
The burner ports have a rounded shape instead of narrow slits, and they’re also larger in size. This means that the ports are less likely to become clogged due to corrosion portable bbq or grease buildup, which cuts down on maintenance. While the numbers don’t point to any discernible difference, the burners on the updated model are more powerful overall.
All three burners are lit by the same ignition module and its corresponding igniter button. You have to supply it with AA disposable batteries, portable bbq as you do with most other propane grills. Each of the burners have their own weather-resistant electrodes, however, to improve reliability.
Weber has used high-quality materials throughout like porcelain-enameled cast iron, and stainless steel. With this grill, Weber has taken all the features people love about gas grills and ‘premiumized’ them. The grill is also “iGrill 3 Ready,” which is to say, you can buy an iGrill 3—a type of remote thermometer—and stick it in the spot where the LED gas gauge goes. That means if you’re standing in front of the grill, you’d have to open an app just to read the temperature on the thermometer directly under your nose. Apps and Bluetooth connections can be great additions to cooking hardware, but in cases like this, they also get in the way. The iGrill 2 has an easy-to-read LED on its base that displays temperature; having no readout on the iGrill 3 is straight-up dumb.
Grill companies are starting to get the hang of better searing capabilities, even adding little “sear burners” for the task. Weber’s leaning in that general direction with High+, but the burners are almost six inches from the top of the grill grate, which is simply too far away to get a hard sear. I could get a better, more even sear in my cast-iron pan sitting on the grill’s side burner. I found a sweet spot after a few minutes with half power on the left burner and a trickle in the center, which seemed acceptable considering the wind. I nudged up the heat, trying to get up to a steady 325 degrees on the indirect side, but it needed constant adjustment to get anywhere close to consistent temperature.
It’s a good size grill for big families or gatherings and for many people there won’t be a lot of motivation to spend $200 – $300 extra on the 4-burner or larger models. Personally I’m not sure if there was really a call for a 2-burner Genesis, but here it is and it is an excellent grill either way. It just happens to be surrounded by really good competition in the Spirit II models.
Because the original line has been discontinued by Weber, it’s difficult to tell whether this change is true of all the Genesis II models. However, based on what we’ve been able to find, it’s a good bet. The original Genesis grills have a straight-edged, block-like appearance with a small footprint. The legs end in four locking caster wheels, which improve their stability when they’re in position. However, the wheels aren’t the sturdiest aspect of the construction. On the whole, any Genesis grill can be considered a mid-priced option.