The temperature gauge is easy to use and is great for ensuring that you choose as precise of a setting as you desire. What I am impressed about here is the GS4 grilling system, of which, the infinity ignition system is a major function. Essentially, it ensures that the grill lights up faster and I have to say, this feature works like a charm. More often than not, the grill sprung to life without any issue at all.
However, this grill can still accommodate a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties at a time. 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. Next time you cook, brush the cold, soot-covered grills clean, wipe them with a wet paper towel or rag, and then proceed. That goes against the common advice to clean the grates while they’re hot. Salvaggio has found that cleaning hot grates more easily damages the porcelain coating on cast iron, allowing rust to form.
And though stainless steel grates are more rust-resistant than cast-iron ones, it’s still a good idea to follow this cleaning advice to keep them in tip-top shape. Weber added two new models to its Spirit line of gas grills in 2020, but we ultimately chose not to test them. One of them, the Spirit S-315, is similar to the Spirit II E-310 with regard to the specs, and with a few cosmetic differences—and higher price tag. But other than those minor variations, it looks like the S-315 would perform about the same as our pick—and wouldn’t be worth the higher price. No matter the brand of grill, we don’t like to fully rely on built-in thermometers. They’re fine for getting a rough idea of how hot your grill is.
Backed by a 10-year guarantee, and porcelain enamelled cast iron cooking grates this grill comes with an improved infinity ignition that gives you ultimate control over your food temperature. Weber is no longer producing our former upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis II E-310. But this model is still available for purchase at big-box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. We still think it’s a great grill with clever design features. For one thing, this grill has an externally mounted propane tank, which is easier to install and replace than traditional, under-grill tanks .
In 2021, Weber introduced a line of smart grills that we chose not to test. The app also has recipes and a step-by-step feature that sends alerts to your phone when it’s time to tend to your food. All of these extra gadgets require power, and the Genesis Smart Grill takes 10 batteries.
And just like the Genesis models, both Spirit models have the same bones—burners, side tables, and overall dimensions. The Spirit Smart Grill connects to Wi-Fi, and it lets you monitor the char broil performance meat probe through the app. But unlike the Genesis Smart Grill, the Spirit Smart Grill doesn’t monitor the fuel level. The grates also take a beating, and eventually most start to rust.
Thanks to the GS4 grilling system, which provides high-performance burners and upgraded ignitors, it’s a plenty powerful model with impressive heating elements, too. For those looking to watch it work, it’s even compatible with a Bluetooth-enabled iGrill 3 thermometer that can send grilling updates from the Spirit II to your phone. This three-burner propane grill is usually listed at $479, but shoppers can pick up this wheeled cooker for $30 off at $449. This price cut is more rare than a $2 steak, with true discounts on grillsbeing extra hard to find so far this year. The storage space has enough space for the tank and your grilling accessories too.
Evenness performanceEvenness 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. This indicates grill temperature when only one or two of the burners are on, to represent a cooking task where the food is placed between or alongside the direct flame. The only quibble Lesley had with the E-210 was its small size. She recalls one particular instance when she grilled fajitas for 25 guests for her partner’s birthday.