You no longer have digital access to ratings and reviews. Most grills have a mechanical igniter of either the push-button or rotary design. More convenient is a battery-operated electronic igniter, which usually ignites the gas on the first try. Some grills also have lighting holes, on the side of or beneath the grill, that can be used with a match should the igniter fail. Located on the propane tank or the grill itself, this reveals at a glance how much propane remains in the tank. While burners remain the grill’s most-replaced part, most are warranted for only 3 to 5 years.
If you notice on all those photos above, Weber has put a warning label right next to the ignition button stating not to touch the polycarbonate plastic shell when hot. The propane tank installation however was a bit confusing . But I’m not an expert in gas grills so this may be standard. You should also clean your grates after each cooking session to keep them from deteriorating. For the Flavorizer Bars, take a gentler approach; remove stuck-on debris with a plastic scraper and only use a stainless steel brush if absolutely necessary. Likewise, use a plastic scraper on the heat deflector and the interior of the cook box.
The twin probes monitor the internal temperature of two cuts of meat, with the option to add two more probes. With no charcoal or wood to worry about, even first-timers will soon get the hang of cooking on this grill. This could mean searing on one very hot section of the grill and then finishing on another, cooler section. Or, you can use convection to roast or slow cook meat for many hours over indirect heat.
One of the major drawbacks of grilling with propane is the risk of running out of fuel in mid-cook. Weber has you covered; the Spirit II E-310 includes a built-in scale that lets you know how full your tank is. A visual indicator on the scale tells you if it’s time to switch out your tank.
Although Spirit II is Weber’s entry level full-sized gas grill line, it is still more expensive than many popular low cost brands. However, most Spirit owners feel that Weber’s quality, durability, performance and customer service are worth it. Many cheapo gassers only last three to four years while Spirits can keep grilling for decades. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices on Spirit II 3-burner and 2-burner grills are $599 and $499 respectively, but the street price is about a hundred bucks less. Those who take the long view on purchasing decisions could consider Spirit’s $500 (3-burner) and $400 (2-burner) street prices a bargain. Primary cooking grates made of porcelain-coated steel will resist rust as long as their porcelain coating isn’t chipped.
After taking everything out of the box it’s time to put up some of those nice stainless steel legs (yay!). The front part of these legs has a cool weber logo laser etched into char broil performance them- very classy! Bolting them to the bottom side of the cart was easy though it would have been easier if they had just come with flat head bolts instead of nuts & bolts.