Weber Gas Grills: Propane & Natural Gas Grills at Ace Hardware

One of the first things we noticed about the Smokey Joe is how well it heats with a minimal amount of fuel, which is a testament to the amount of air space its bulbous body creates. With just a small load of charcoal, we registered cooking surface temperatures well above 700 degrees, more than hot enough to reach sear-worthy temperatures. While all of these weber charcoal grill features make the Genesis a premium grill, they also extend its build time. It took us a solid 2 hours to put it together due mainly to the additional wiring required for the digital controls and side burner. The Spirit II is also more bare-bones when compared to the loaded Genesis. There are no sear burners, side burners, or options for smart controls.

But, given that the Spirit II is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Genesis, it’s a heck of a deal for a high-performing and durable gas grill. These grills, which are compact and light enough to load into the trunk of a car for transport to a campground, park, or tailgating event, offer between 200 and 320 square inches of cooking surface. weber charcoal grill Its line of charcoal grills ranges from its popular Smokey Joe 14-inch grill up to its 22-inch premium charcoal grill. Weber also makes a charcoal kamado grill, which has a ceramic body, and a charcoal smoker. This two-letter alphabetic code is used to represent the model year on some Weber gas grills, using the word “BLAQKSMIXH” as the key.

Easily the largest of Weber’s kettle-shaped grills, the Ranch is overkill for all but Weber brand loyalists that need to make more than 40 burgers at a time. It’s a great portable charcoal grill—or even an ideal at-home option for those with limited space for a grill. It’s usually difficult to control temperature with a small charcoal grill, but that’s not the case with the Smokey Joe.

If you have limited outdoor space or don’t want to commit to a larger grill, the Weber Spirit II E-210 is a smaller, two-burner version of our pick, and it’s a great choice. The Spirit II E-210’s smaller grate (measuring 360 square inches, compared with the Spirit II E-310’s 424 square inches) might make grilling for a crowd a challenging endeavor. However, this grill can still accommodate a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties at a time.

Consider getting an inexpensive infrared thermometer to gauge the temperature of the cooking grates. Of the many brands of grills on the market, Weber is one of the best thanks to its reputation for making reliable and durable high-performance gas and charcoal grills. While buying a Weber grill is a smart choice, there are many different models to choose from, ranging from Weber’s classic charcoal kettle grill to its high-performance gas grills and newer smokers.

You now get a combined 994 square inches of cooking area with 646 on the primary grill and an additional 348 via the top grate. The grill uses an open cart design with plenty of storage space beneath the main unit. The same two all-weather wheels are present to allow for easy movement and storage, and this Spirit grill also has six integrated hooks for easy organization.

It’s also one of the more expensive portable gas grills on the market. But, for those looking for a high-quality gas grill that’s easy to move over short distances, has a broad cooking surface, and has a durable build, then the Traveler is an excellent choice. Weber charcoal grills consist of a steel body coated with a porcelain enamel that’s baked on at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit to withstand high temperatures. The company’s gas grills are made from stainless steel, aluminized steel, or cast iron.

Only very old models of Weber grills would require seasoning, and because they are very old, that surely happened a long time ago. If you purchase a new Weber grill, you don’t need to worry about seasoning it. The grill was able to achieve high temperatures as well as larger models, and was even able to sear meat. When brought on the road for lunchtime cookout, it was incredibly easy to transport in the back of a truck.There are two side tables so you can prep on the go, and they fold up easily when it's time to pack up.

We tested popular models of pellet, gas, charcoal, and electric grills at our Lab where we thoroughly analyzed every feature and each grill's overall performance. The grills were rated on various attributes including heat control and retention, weber portable grill size, features, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value. We also sent popular Weber grills to our expert grillers and home product testers, who tested each out for weeks to determine which grills are truly the best.