If you’re looking for a big grill that has a larger cooking area and more fire power, consider the Weber Genesis E-325s. Compared with our pick, the Spirit II E-310, the entire Genesis E-325s is almost a foot longer, and its cooking area is about 20% larger, easily accommodating 15 burger patties at a time. Instead of having porcelainized cast-iron grates , the grates on the Genesis E-325s are made from thick, stainless steel char broil performance rods. The stainless steel grates could create slightly lighter sear marks on your food than cast iron would deliver, but the difference should hardly be noticeable. The Genesis E-325s also has a foldable upper rack that extends the length of the main cooking grate and expands to be 11 inches deep. The E-325s looks sturdy and well built, and it has some new practical features that further justify the higher price tag.
While maintaining a few of the better features like an expansive grilling area, the Spirit II came out with an upgrade in a few features. The Spirit II models, for instance, weber spirit 2 come in a lighter design and use only 2 sturdy wheels, where their predecessors used to use 4. On top of this, these grills came with a few color options for the lid.
Gas grills run on either liquid propane or natural gas—both fossil fuels. Though both are relatively clean-burning fuels, propane emits fewer greenhouse pollutants than natural gas—though the difference is negligible. However, propane is more efficient because it burns hotter than natural gas. Additionally, propane tanks are inexpensive, reusable, and available at most hardware and big-box stores. Those are parts that should be easy to find and can be purchased for a reasonable price—preferably from the company that made the grill. Any solid grill maker will have those available for purchase, even if your grill is 15-plus years old.
Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates make cleaning and maintenance easy while the Flavorizer bars help promote more flavor from the food’s drippings. Spirit II continues to be a solid, dependable tool for aspiring backyard pitmasters and pitmistresses. With the multitude of $300 gas grills invading the BBQ market every year, a big challenge Weber always faces is price. 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.
This fire box design holds and radiates heat evenly, perhaps making up for a lid that seems slightly light weight. The small grease tray slides out from the front and disposable foil liners are available. Simply scrape any accumulated grease and gunk from the funnel walls into the tray now and then. I speculated it may be a cost cutting measure, but Weber responded, “the tank was moved to the side of the grill for easy access.