The 513 square inches of cooking space was consistently even in heat, with some slightly hotter temperatures observed directly over the burners. The sear zone produced delicious steak, though you might want an additional burner like we did. It’s even great for beginners since the app includes everything you need to know for grilling and maintaining a gas grill. There’s a reason Weber is nearly synonymous with classic, quality grills. The brand has been around since the ’50s when the founder first invented the kettle grill.
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.
For that reason, Weber offers generous warranties; years for the cookbox on almost all their full-sized models. Other grill parts, like the knobs, grates, and burner tubes have slightly shorter warranties, ranging from three to 10 years. Charcoal grills are much cheaper, however, and they can burn hotter than gas grills, creating a better sear. But charcoal takes time to light, and you have to be comfortable with moving around coals and fiddling with vents to control the grill’s heat. It offers the same quality as our top pick, but it’s more compact. The E-210 has a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, and two side tables.
Case in point, I cooked a cowboy (rib) steak, a thick ribeye with a bit of actual rib, that puttered along in the indirect zone at 225 degrees until the internal temperature came up to 110 degrees. At that point, I cranked up the left burner and sear burner on the direct side and put the steak over the hot spot to give it a dark crust. If you grill regularly or you enjoy grilling on weeknights, when time is at a premium, you should invest in a gas grill. A good one costs $400 to $900, but it will serve you well for years. That’s more than twice the price of a quality charcoal grill, but if you prioritize speed and convenience, the higher price is worth paying.
Burgers and chickens were too charred on the outside, thanks to the hot cast-iron cooking grate. If you do purchase this model, keep that in mind and start out with less heat. Ribs were better, perhaps owing to the two smokestacks designed for even low and slow cooking. Char-Broil’s three-burner stainless steel model comes in at almost half the price of the Weber model above.
As for maintenance, the Spirit II E-310’s flat grates were easy for us to keep clean with a grill brush, and its grease trap was easy for us to access for dumping and washing. To keep your grill in tip-top shape—quite possibly for years after its decade-long warranty expires—be sure to clean it regularly and thoroughly. The Weber Spirit II E-310 provides an unrivaled combination weber gas grill of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and a relatively affordable price. During the first 45 minutes, with each grill’s lid down, we occasionally checked for charring and redistributed pieces as needed. Then we flipped the chicken parts, slathered on a coating of barbecue sauce, and closed the lid for another 15 minutes.
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 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.
You should avoid this if you’re using it, because water entering the cook box will make the fire go out. Weber grills are weatherproof, meaning they can be left out on your patio year-round when not turned on. However, they will last longer and hold up better if you put a cover on them. A cover will protect your grill from getting stained weber charcoal grill by rain and rusting. The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill is a classic option for anyone who loves grilling with charcoal, and you can’t beat the reasonable price for such a well-made product. Discovering which Weber Kettle grill is right for you will depend on your cooking style, budget, features and several other factors.
Also participating in our testing was Sam Sifton, then the food editor of The New York Times. This grill’s overall compact size suits almost any patio or deck, yet its three-burner grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. Yes, you can smoke meat on a Weber charcoal grill, also known as a kettle grill. The simplest way to use your kettle grill as a smoker is to place all of your charcoal briquettes on one side of the grill and your meat on the other.