This model’s core design components—firebox, burners, control panel—are all the same as those of the Genesis II E-310, which we tested in 2017 and 2018. Knowing this, we’re confident that the new Genesis will perform at least as well as its predecessors. weber gas grill “I emailed the photos on Thursday, and on Saturday an incident rep called me. 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.
A good gas grill should last a decade or more, provided you clean it after every use and protect it from the elements. Weber, which makes all three of the grills we recommend, guarantees all parts on its Spirit II series for 10 years. So we expect our top and budget picks to hold up for at least that long.
The grill has 529 square inches of cooking space across its enameled cast iron cooking grates, providing plenty of room for all your burgers, steaks, and veggies—we found it ample enough for a family of five. The Weber Spirit II E-310 provides the unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and a relatively affordable price. It excelled at every test, producing the best sear on our burgers of any grill, and equaling or outdoing the others in our tests involving barbecue chicken and whole roasted chickens.
The Nexgrill was fairly average in terms of its performance — it didn’t get quite as hot as some of the more expensive grills and had a few hot spots, but it still got the job done. It performs best on basics like hamburgers and hot dogs, and the grill responded quickly to any temperature weber charcoal grill changes during testing, making it easy to control. However, if you do opt for this budget-friendly grill, be warned that assembly is time-consuming and a bit complicated — of all the grills we tested, it took us the longest to put together due to its unclear instructions.
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. Finally, we restricted our search to grills that burn propane from refillable tanks, the most common fuel by far. But you should note that there are versions of all of our picks that work with natural gas. Just keep in mind that if you don’t already have the proper hookups, installing a natural-gas outlet isn’t cheap or simple.
This design also allowed Weber to put a sturdy shelf under the grill—a handy place to store pans, bags of wood chips, a small cooler, and other stuff you may need while grilling. Plus, one of the side tables folds down, making the grill more compact for storage when it’s not in use (it’s 43 inches wide with the table down). On balance, propane or natural gas are probably better choices if you favor no-fuss cooking or you grill often (and especially if you grill on weeknights, when time is at a premium). If you’re an occasional griller or you enjoy getting hands-on with your cooking, charcoal is an economical choice that, with a bit of practice, produces great results.