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The Complete Buying Guide to Weber Grills: Every Model Explained
The Complete Buying Guide to Weber Grills: Every Model Explained
There’s nothing inside the burners to break, so don’t feel like you have to be delicate. The Genesis E-325s has a bigger right-hand side table—23 inches wide by 17¾ inches long—than the previous version. Unlike on the Spirit II E-310, on the E-325s neither side table folds down. So triple-check your space weber portable grill to make sure you have room for this 61-inch-long grill before you buy! Continuing with the bigger-and-more-is-better theme, the Genesis has eight tool hooks—three on each of the side tables and two on the right side of the cart. The hinged rack measures 5½ inches deep when folded and expands to 11 inches.
Here’s an example from my 2002 Weber Summit 450 that I purchased new in August 2002. It’s got a 2002 DU serial number sticker, so I know it’s a 2002 model year grill. It’s my understanding that the eight dots around the perimeter represent August and the 1 in the center represents 2001. So while this cast aluminum lid part was manufactured in August 2001, the overall grill was assembled during the 2002 model year.
Pellet grill lovers will love the SmokeFire, which has a temperature range between 200 and 600 degrees. Its porcelain-enamel finish helps with heat retention, while also preventing future rust and cracks. The SmokeFire has flavorizer bars like the Spirit grills, and there's a SmokeBoost option to infuse an extra dose of smokey flavor at the beginning of a cook. The Smokey Joe, which is essentially a smaller 14-inch version of Weber’s full-size kettle grill, has been one of the most popular portable grills on the market since it debuted in 1955, and for good reason. Our tests reveal that the Smokey Joe is easy to light, burns hot, and has features that make it relatively easy to control the temperature. Although the design changes from the previous generation of the Spirit are mostly good, we did have a few gripes.
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.
I got a gentle lecture on cleaning and safety, but then he said they’d be sending me a whole-new cookbox (the main bottom half of the grill)—no charge, no shipping fees. Given the situation and the cost, I felt like this was one of the easiest product issues I’ve dealt with, and I’m thrilled I neither had to make a janky repair nor spend money on a new grill! ” We are definitely not saying that you should leave your grease trap full. But we are saying that if you do, the warranty and customer service are absolutely worth the small premium you pay for Weber grills over cheaper brands. Finally, after all the tests were done, we performed routine maintenance by removing and replacing the propane tanks, emptying the grease traps, washing the grates, and scrubbing out the fireboxes. If you own a grill, you’ll have to perform these tasks at least a few times a year, so a grill that makes them a little easier is a welcome thing.