So you have to maneuver and rotate your chicken or roast to make sure it cooks evenly throughout. This is not impossible, but it definitely takes some attention and finesse. 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.
More often than not, the grill sprung to life without any issue at all. 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 Blackstone Adventure a dry area and keep it covered at all times, you should be able to avoid this. Sure, the price tag is a bit on the higher side, but the good news is that with Weber grills, you are getting that stamp of credibility.
So the company has a financial incentive to build it to last for years. We backed this reporting with comprehensive research—the in-depth, professional reviews at AmazingRibs.com being a standout source—and with hands-on time with grills at the big hardware chains. 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.
The hinged rack measures 5½ inches deep when folded and expands to 11 inches. Weber also switched the direction of the rods on the upper rack so that they now run back to front, instead of side to side. For now, we think a simple probe thermometer, like the ThermoWorks Dot, could alert you in a similar way for less cost. The cooking space in both grill series measure up to be the same- what you notice, however, is that Spirit II comes in a bulkier design. The durability of these grills is also standard, as they are made using good quality materials that last for years.
Well, you get a bit more fire power per burner, but apart from that there isn’t too much difference here. It is up to you to decide whether this is worth the higher price tag. After using the Weber Spirit II E 310, I didn’t really notice any additional flavor. Also, while they can mitigate flare ups, there is still the possibility of these occuring.
However, our picks are also sold in natural-gas versions, which are gaining in popularity. But they require that you have a natural-gas hookup on your deck or patio. If you have natural gas in your home but don’t have an outdoor connection, you’ll need to hire a technician to install one, and this may involve cutting into walls. And if you want to easily move your natural-gas grill into and out of storage, you’ll also need to buy a quick-disconnect system, which can add another $150 or so. More than 30 years later, the Genesis line of gas grills was built based on Spirit grills.
The iGrill is nice but there are better options on the street that we have reviewed. The cooking performance of a gas grill is measure by the BTU rating per hour and is a core element to cooking on a grill. 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. Weber claims their new Infinity Ignition is significantly enhanced, more robust and consistent.
Note the notches on the sides of each bar which provide a visual confirmation that the burners beneath them are indeed lit. Porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates retain even heat for the best tasting food. The porcelain-enamel coating is easy to clean and built to last.
With the Weber Spirit II E 310, though, you should be able to figure this out after a relatively short period of time. The only real gripe that I have with the Spirit II E 310 gas grill is that there are just three burners. When compared to other grills of a similar or even lower price, this Weber grill falls short. This is especially true since it isn’t equipped with even one side burner.
On top of all that, this grill is particularly easy to assemble, maintain, and use, and its finish comes in four colors (black, white, red, and blue). No matter the brand of grill, we don’t like to fully rely on built-in thermometers. But thermometers in the lid are several inches above the cooking grate and don’t accurately report the temperature on the surface where you’re actually cooking your food. Consider getting an inexpensive infrared thermometer to gauge the temperature of the cooking grates. Weber added two new models to its Spirit line of gas grills in 2020, but we ultimately chose not to test them.