These fees do not add to the price of purchase but they do help keep this site alive. The FireBoard Spark is a hybrid combining instant-read capability, a cabled temperature probe, Blackstone Adventure Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Couple that with high standards of design and workmanship and it’s a “must own.” Click here to read our comprehensive Platinum Medal review.
Even if you lack much experience with this sort of work, you’re likely to assemble it easily. Since 2022 we’ve relied mainly on market research to update this guide, with visits to examine the main contenders at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Bering’s in Houston. At the 2017 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we interviewed senior product managers from almost every major grill maker in attendance.
That may not seem like much, but if you’re working in a small patio area, every inch counts. Like the E-310, the E-210 has an open-cart design and an easy-access side-mounted hook and gauge for weber spirit 2 the propane tank. The warranty covers the firebox and lid assembly for 12 years and covers the stainless steel burner tubes, cooking grates, and Flavorizer bars (burner hoods) for 10 years.
A red hot bed of fire on a charcoal grill creates a blend of radiant, convection and conduction heat that can out-sear most gas burners, particularly in this price range. Gas grill manufacturers often rely on cast iron conduction to amplify the gas burner heat and at least add some brown sear marks to food surfaces. Some grillers have discovered a cast iron pan or griddle on their gasser works even better and effectively sears the entire meat surface. Below is an older set of Weber cast iron grates. Note that the cast iron grates are not as wide as the opening between them.
Look for grills in the $400 to $900 range with a cast-aluminum firebox, which holds heat well and won’t rust. If you want your grill to last, don’t cheap out on a budget model. But also don’t overpay for extras you won’t use, char broil performance such as a rotisserie or a side burner. The Broil King Signet 320 offered the highest British thermal unit figure (40,000 Btu) of the grills we tested in the $400 to $900 category, but this didn’t prove to be an advantage.
The grill also would, of course, require its own gas line. It offers the same great quality as our top pick does. The Genesis E-325s is the only one of our picks that we haven’t physically tested, but we did test its predecessor, the Genesis II E-310. We also checked out the new Genesis model in person at a few different stores. Somewhat sheepishly, Mark called Weber and told the representative exactly what had happened.
The ultimate goal is an evenly dark brown crust across the entire surface of the meat, which transforms dull, tan meat to a delicious flavorful crust thanks to the magical Maillard reaction. Weber is one of the country’s biggest and most trusted names in gas grills, with their Genesis II models always reliable options on the market. This generally means that the grill comes with a dedicated rotisserie burner; the motor and spit are usually purchased separately. A dedicated rotisserie burner is usually located on the back of the firebox, slightly above the cooking grates; some models use the grill’s main burner(s).
In our burger test, the grill topped 700 °F after 15 minutes of heating, and as a result it blackened the patties. (“Tastes like a Marlboro,” said Sam Sifton.) It also ran too hot for our barbecue chicken, topping 450 °F on the lowest setting when our goal was a steady 375 °F. Weber’s other new addition to the Spirit line, the Spirit SP-335, is basically the S-315 with a built-in side burner and a dedicated high-heat searing area on the grill.