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.
You can see the readout at the grill itself on the display or check it via the app on your smartphone. Charcoal grills are much cheaper, however, and they can burn hotter than gas grills, for a better sear. Charcoal also imparts a pleasantly smoky flavor to your food, which is something you Blackstone Adventure can’t get from a gas flame. But charcoal takes time to light, and you have to be comfortable with moving around coals and fiddling with vents to control the grill’s heat. A grill that is both durable and easy to repair creates much less waste than a cheapo grill that ends up in the garbage.
For instance, you can sear steak or fish on one side of the grill and cook vegetables on lower heat on the other. If you own a grill, you’ll have to perform these tasks at least a few times a year, so a grill that makes them a little easier is a welcome thing. While the burgers cooked, we kept an eye out for flare-ups—which can char the meat and create acrid smoke—and looked at the evenness of cooking across the grates. After about 10 minutes of cooking, we compared how well each grill had seared the burgers, and we looked for excessive charring or patties that were still unacceptably raw. Before wrapping up, let’s take a look at how the Weber Spirit II E 310 gas grill holds up against other models.
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.
The double doors feel substantial, and they swivel smoothly in their hinges. However, we’re bummed that Weber decided to move the propane tank hook and gauge from the side to under the firebox inside the cart. We can only imagine the crawling and contorting one must do to hook a full tank of liquid propane in that small cabinet.
2 stainless steel burners are connected to the front panel and allow for temperature control even during indirect cooking and battery-powered ignition system. When choosing a gas grill, first decide what size you need. We think a three-burner grill is large enough for most needs, with plenty of space to cook for a family dinner or a backyard BBQ.
The weather outside is finally less frightful, and people are aching to get back to cooking outdoors after months of being trapped indoors. But after nearly a year of cold coals and rusting grates, some grills may no longer be up for the job. Fortunately, there’sthe Weber Spirit II E-310 grill, a.k.a. our pick asthe ace of outdoor grilling, that’s now on sale at Wayfair. With the E-310 models, however, the Spirit II has a lower BTU of 30,000 as against the 32,000 of the Spirit series.
They are also fairly easy to clean up after, without causing any damage to the grates. In spring 2017, we kicked off this grill guide by putting six gas grills through a battery of tests. We cooked a full grate of burgers on high heat and chicken pieces at a low temperature. We also roasted whole chickens indirectly on both low and high heat to see whether the grills could create browned skin and perfectly cooked meat without charring.
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. Blackstone Adventure 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.
On balance, propane or natural gas are probably better choices if you favor no-fuss cooking or you grill often . If you’re an occasional griller or you enjoy getting hands-on with your cooking, charcoal is an economical choice that, with a bit of practice, produces great results. Our tests were designed and run by Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton, who has a decade of experience in professional kitchens, much of it spent on the grill station. Senior staff writer Tim Heffernan, who wrote the original version of this guide, helped with testing, along with senior staff writer Michael Sullivan. Sam Sifton, then food editor of The New York Times, also joined in the testing and added his extensive knowledge.