Cooking with charcoal is not as convenient as turning a dial and walking away, but we love a Weber kettle for its simplicity and durability. 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. At the same time, as you grow as a barbecue enthusiast, this grill accommodates this.
I can also do so quickly to ensure that all the food starts cooking at the same time. An enclosed cabinet keeps the tank safe from external elements and provides storage space for grilling accessories. Flavorizer bars, an effective grease management system and the entire unit resting on 4 casters are some other features of this grill. The Spirit series just seems to be an entry point into the realm of technology-driven grills. The latest offering of internet-connected grills, complete with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity helps in tracking the temperature of your food. To answer the question quite clearly, I believe the Spirit II would be the better grill to buy.
The Spirit II E-310’s overall compact size (helped by a fold-down side table) suits almost any patio or deck. And yet its grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. With a thick cast-aluminum firebox, this model will last for years. (Weber’s warranty covers all parts for a full decade—among the best coverage in the industry.) For decades, the company has refined the Spirit’s design, too.
Factors include grate material, wheels or casters for moving the grill, and useful features such as electronic ignitor. Evenness of heating over the grill’s surface at the highest and lowest setting using all main burners plus the evenness after a 10 minute preheat, using thermocouples. After years of testing grills, we can’t think of a better deal for a great grill than the Original Weber Kettle, which has been our favorite charcoal grill for almost 10 years.
With painted grills like this, chipping and scratches is always a concern so you should watch out for this. However, as long as you store it in a dry area and keep it covered at all times, you should be able to avoid this. You can rest easy knowing that your cookbox, lid, and burner tubes are protected by a 10-year warranty.
Among the competition in our 2017 test, the Napoleon model in particular had noticeable cool spots toward the front of its grates. To a degree, all grills suffer from this problem, because the burners don’t extend all the way to the front of the firebox. But the Spirit II E-310 offered the most consistent heating across the entire grate surface. After 10 minutes, Blackstone Adventure the burgers at the rear were medium-well, and those at the front were medium-rare to medium . On the Napoleon grill, meanwhile, some of the front burgers were nearly raw in the center, while the rear burgers were well-done. We grilled the chicken with the lid down for 45 minutes, occasionally checking for charring, and redistributing the pieces as necessary.
Plastic and stainless steel may prove more durable than paint coatings. 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. char broil performance Most of them cost four or five figures, well above our established price range of $400 to $900. After testing more than 90 tools from spatulas to tongs to grill gloves and more, we have recommendations for everything you need to have an amazing barbecue.
The Spirit E-310 comes with 3 stainless steel burners and heat output of 32,000 BTUs. While most models of the Spirit II series are designed to be an upgrade of the Spirit, some common features define the Spirit line up of Weber grills. These grills are backed by a longer warranty than the Spirit grills but have fewer models available. Another limitation with the Spirit II is models in this series do not come with side burners. Started in 1893, with over 60 years in the field of barbeque design and innovation, Weber grills are known for their convenient features, versatile design and consistent performance. With its roots in George Stephen’s famous “Barbeque kettle” designed in 1952, Weber grills have evolved in leaps.
So triple-check your space to make sure you have room for this 61-inch-long grill before you buy! Continuing with the bigger-and-more-is-better theme, the Genesis has eight tool hooks—three on each char broil performance of the side tables and two on the right side of the cart. The upper rack under the lid is also enlarged and upgraded. The hinged rack measures 5½ inches deep when folded and expands to 11 inches.
As for maintenance, the Spirit E-310’s flat grates were easy to keep clean with a grill brush, and its grease trap was easy to access for dumping and washing. The other grills also have easy-access grease traps—not much to ask for, really. But we found the Napoleon model’s wavy grates hard to clean because we couldn’t run the grill brush in long strokes. In our tests, the Spirit E-310’s firebox cleaned up fine, with some Simple Green and hot water, and because it’s aluminum, there’s no concern about rust. The Spirit II E-310 also exhibited the most consistent heat across the entire cooking surface in the 2018 test, just as the original Spirit had done in 2017.