It comes disassembled for easy shipping, but putting it together was tedious, with a lot of guesswork when the instructions weren’t clear. Once it was built, it worked great, but it was a pain to get it together. Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter and a former writer-editor for The Atlantic, Esquire, and others. He has anchored our unequaled coverage of air purifiers and water filters since 2015. In 2018, he established Wirecutter’s ongoing collaboration with The New York Times’s Smarter Living. Our reader survey revealed high satisfaction with Weber grills’ performance and reliability.
Adding a few small chips of wood to the charcoal will give your meat a more traditionally smoked flavor. Placing a pan of water underneath the grates where you will be putting your meat will help to catch drippings, keep the meat more moist, and enable the smoke to adhere better to the meat. The SmokeFire EX4 has a 20-pound pellet hopper, as well as a DC-powered engine designed to prevent auger jams. It can even walk you through the grilling process, letting you know when it’s time to flip food—a handy option for novice grillers.
Beginners will quickly be able to learn the correct damper positions in order to achieve a consistent temperature, as we did. One thing to note is the inaccurate temperature on the built-in dial. We observed off readings and ended up relying on a secondary thermometer.
If other parts of the grill, like the knobs or ash catch, break, they can be replaced. Even if those parts are no longer under warranty, it’s more affordable to replace them than to buy a whole new grill. You can increase the longevity of your grill by keeping it covered when not in use, and storing it inside during harsh weather. A good gas grill should last a decade or more, provided that you clean it after every use and protect it from the elements. Weber, which makes all three of the grills we currently recommend, guarantees all major parts on our picks for at least 10 years. We can only imagine the crawling and contorting one must do to hook a full tank of liquid propane in that small cabinet.
To help you keep the good vibes (and good food) going, we cooked burgers, barbecue, and chicken on seven top-rated grills—and researched dozens more—to find the best. No grill matches its combination of exceptional performance, durability, and value. If you want to use a wood pellet grill, you’ll definitely get great-tasting food, though you’ll have to plan in advance to have pellets on hand.
If time allows we continue cooking until the ribs are completely done and make note of the total cook time. Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.
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. Somewhat sheepishly, Mark called Weber and told the representative exactly what had happened. We are definitely not saying that you should leave your grease trap full. But weber portable grill if you do, the warranty and customer service are absolutely worth the small premium you pay for Weber grills over cheaper models from other brands. We brought the grills to temperature with their two outer burners lit and the middle burner unlit. Then we placed a chicken weighing 3 to 4 pounds in the center of the grate and closed the lid.
Through Bread Pay™, we offer easy and affordable financing options so you can pay for your purchase over time. A full line of flavors to fire up the best tasting grilled meals. Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since weber charcoal grill 2016. Previously, he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in various facets of the food and restaurant industry for over a decade. With its thick, rustproof cast-aluminum firebox, this grill will last for years.
We tested the smart and more basic model, and while both gave us an impressive performance, the addition of the app gave us a more modern experience. If you’re looking for a well-built gas grill to sizzle your steaks, the Weber Spirit II E-310 is our top pick for a gas grill. There’s also an improved ignition that we thoroughly enjoyed. Once you’ve picked out the best gas grill for you, don’t forget accessories.