Weber Spirit vs Genesis: Entry Level VS Mid-Range Gas Grills Gas Grill Throwdown

We preheat each grill on high for 10 minutes before turning it down to low, indirect heat. Depending on the grill size, that means turning one or two burners off completely. Thanks to on-board Weber Connect support, this grill has smart abilities too. Linked to your home's Wi-Fi network you can use the Weber Connect app to monitor grill status from your phone.

This grill's open cart design provides additional storage space for your favorite tools, and it has integrated hooks on the side tables, as well. The grill is available in several colors, and it has an easy-to-read fuel gauge next to the propane tank to let you know how much fuel you have remaining. If you grill regularly or you enjoy grilling on weeknights, when time is at a premium, you should invest in a gas grill.

And, of course, if you're looking for a portable gas grill or an indoor grill, these won't be right for you. Grilled chicken should have a crispy skin and meat that is cooked through fully but not dry. We perform this test in three rounds, giving us a solid average cooking time for each grill.

Maybe in 5 years you want to upgrade to a larger model or Weber has something brand new. You’ll have a much easier time selling your used Weber grill vs Nexgrill. Its premium quality products produce consistent weber charcoal grill results and can stick around for years with just a little upkeep. Founded in 1893, this brand is an American manufacturer of top-class grill accessories, electric outdoor, gas and charcoal grills.

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. All of our picks are propane-gas grills, since propane tanks are portable and can be purchased almost anywhere, and they don’t require any special hookups in your backyard. Cook up sizzling steaks, juicy burgers and more mouthwatering meals with a Weber gas grill from Ace.

Things got a bit more complicated in 2013 when Weber started laser-etching a nine-character alphanumeric code onto the lid damper alongside the two-letter alphabetic code. The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker was first introduced for the 1981 model year, so most of the oldest cookers have a C code. A few have a B code, indicating they were manufactured in 1980 in the run-up to the 1981 introduction.

The S-315 has a slightly higher Btu output than our pick (32,000 Btu versus 30,000 Btu, respectively). But other than those minor variations, it looks like the S-315 would perform about the same as our pick—and weber portable grill wouldn’t be worth the higher price. Weber is no longer producing our former upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis II E-310. But this model is still available for purchase at big-box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s.