The portable models also come in a variety of colors, and they offer great optional accessories. The grates are made of cast iron, but they are coated in porcelain. The porcelain coating prevents food from sticking, so the grates don’t need seasoning. Only very old models of Weber grills would require seasoning, and because they are very old, that surely happened a long time ago.
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. We grilled a grate full of chicken pieces on a 90-degree afternoon in July, and the Genesis E-325s did an excellent job at maintaining a steady medium-low heat from beginning to end. To some extent, all grills run cooler toward the front of the grate, but in weber natural gas grill our tests the Spirit II E-310 offered the most consistent heating across the entire grate surface. After 10 minutes, the burgers at the rear, the hottest part of the grill, were medium-well, and those at the front were medium-rare to medium. (If your diners have various preferences, this difference might even come in handy.) In contrast, lesser grills produced nearly raw burgers in the front and well-done patties in the back.
We also tested whether each grill could act like an oven—a nice feature in the hot summer months, when you don’t want to warm up your kitchen, or during the holidays, when oven space is at a premium. They didn’t perform well, and we knew that they wouldn’t be durable. Ultimately, if you want to spend less, we recommend that you get a smaller, two-burner grill or consider a charcoal grill or portable grill instead. The Weber Genesis E-325s is a whole foot longer than the company’s Spirit II E-310, with 20% more cooking area. It also puts out more heat per square inch than our top pick, thanks to a fourth burner—placed between the middle and right-side burners—that creates what Weber dubs the Sear Zone. The Genesis E-325s also has roomier side tables, including one big enough to fit a half sheet pan.
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. 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. Charcoal, gas, and wood pellets all have their pros and cons. Charcoal is easy to pick up at just about every grocery store, home improvement store, or gas station, so you won’t need to make a special trip. But you’ll need to have a charcoal starter on hand, will have to wait for everything to cool down before you can dispose of it, and need to deal with the messy ash afterward.
This was much easier to connect than the original and now the grill works again. To top it off, this grill has two side tables—both 23 inches wide, and they don’t fold down. So triple-check your weber genesis grill space to make sure you have room for this 61-inch-long grill before you buy. In our test group, the Spirit II E-310 had the most well-thought-out instructions, with clearly labeled parts.