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.
Please remove this item or select a different store for pick up. Temperature rangeReflects how wide a temperature span the grill offers by comparing temperatures at the high setting and lowest setting possible. Reflects how wide a temperature span the grill offers by comparing temperatures at the high setting and lowest setting possible. Take the battery out of the igniter before you store the grill long-term. Of course, you may also have concerns about how each of these fuel choices might impact the environment.
The Genesis E-325s has a bigger right-hand side table—23 inches wide by 17¾ inches long—than the previous version. That’s enough space to hold a half baking sheet, with room to spare. The left-hand table is slightly smaller, at 23 by 14 inches. Unlike on the Spirit II E-310, on the E-325s neither side table folds down.
To this grill’s credit, it made a nice indirect-roasted chicken—but then again, every tested grill did. Assembly was a pain, with unclear instructions and multiple fasteners of different sizes and types. And this model’s bizarre design, with a fixed panel running across the front of the grill, means you have to sneak around the back of the thing to replace the tank. Have fun doing that if you plan to keep the grill next to a fence.
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, Blackstone Adventure 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.
Along with all its other upgrades, the Spirit II allows for a better warranty than the Spirit. While the Spirit series grills are backed by a 10-year warranty, the Spirit II covers its grills with a whopping 10-year comprehensive warranty and wins hands-down in this department. With it getting sunnier by the day, BBQ enthusiasts are firing up their grills and setting up their grilling gear. If you’re familiar with the grilling game, the name ‘Weber’ rings a sound bell. For those of you who are relatively new, I would like to take some time to tell you how and why Weber produces some of the best grills out there. Improved durability will have you up and grilling in no time, every time.
If it spills over, you’ll be cleaning grease out of the inside of your grill for an hour. 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).
This gives you a reading of how much fuel is in propane tank. First off, it means that you never waste any propane – the fuel gauge tells you whether or char broil performance not your tank is empty before you take it in for a new one. Of course, a pretty important aspect of any grill is temperature control and maintenance.
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. This design also allowed Weber to put a sturdy shelf under the grill—a handy place to store pans, bags of wood chips, a small cooler, and other stuff you may need while grilling. Plus, one of the side tables folds down, making the grill more compact for storage when it’s not in use (it’s 43 inches wide with the table down). All of our picks are propane-gas grills, since propane tanks are portable and can be purchased almost anywhere, and they don’t require any special hookups in your backyard.