Napoleon’s signature is its wavy grates, and they do look cool, but they’re harder to clean than straight grates. Extra burner aside, it performs the same as previous Genesis models.We grilled a grate full of burger patties on the Genesis E-325s over the three main burners—leaving the fourth searing burner turned off. The burgers came off the grill with slightly paler sear marks than the ones we cooked on the Spirit II E-310, just like with the previous Genesis models we tested.
If you do want something a bit cheaper or smaller, we’ve also tested and recommend the Q 1200. As you might know, starting a charcoal grill usually begins with simply getting the coals warmed up in a chimney starter. It comes with an auto-start gas ignition that consistently lit the coals for us. You can place the lid in different positions for the best top damper placement, with the bottom damper easy to adjust when your flame gets too hot. During our smoking test, we were able to keep the grill within a range of 10 degrees for several hours, making this a great option for cooking with indirect heat. The Sear Zone on the Genesis E-325s has an extra burner between the middle and right-side burners, which puts out the same 13,000 Btu as the others do.
In general, we don’t think side burners are worth the $100-plus premium. If you want to splurge on a grill with exceptional temperature control and a dedicated searing zone, go for our upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis E-325s, instead. With almost no fiddling on our part, the Spirit and Genesis grills we tested both produced perfect barbecue chicken, while other contenders produced either flabby barbecue or charred chicken and burnt sauce. weber genesis grill And in our indirect-cooking test, the Spirit II E-310 turned out a pair of flawless roasted birds that were deeply browned with skin so crisp, it puffed up like a balloon. The Weber Spirit II E-310 excelled at every test, producing the best hamburgers—deeply seared, evenly cooked—among all the grills we tested. And it outdid or equaled the competition in grilling barbecue chicken and whole roasted chickens with crispy golden skin.
Flames are directed above the raised gas ports, while food debris falls below, minimizing clogging and ensuring the grill lights every time. The Spirit II E-210 is good for grilling foods that are best suited to intense direct heat, such as steaks, chops, and burgers—we don’t recommend it for indirectly cooking bigger items like whole chickens. The E-210 is a great first gas grill purchase, and it’s a good option for folks who have limited outdoor space. With porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates, you’ll get excellent heat retention and easy cleanup, as we’ve seen during tests. The Weber Q 1400 is a great choice if you live in a condo or other small space where the use of gas and charcoal grills may be restricted or if you want an easy-to-use unit that only needs to be plugged in.
Models available in liquid propane or natural gas with some including smart grilling features. We’ve determined that a three-burner grill is large enough for most needs, with plenty of space to cook for a family dinner or a backyard barbecue. Grills with more burners are usually overkill, and two-burner grills can feel cramped. With only two burners on this model, cooking with indirect heat means the food gets heat from only one side while it sits over the other, inactive burner. So you have to maneuver and rotate your chicken or roast to make sure it cooks evenly throughout.
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 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.
The good news is that no matter what kind of grill you’re looking for, Weber has one, whether it’s a charcoal grill, an electric grill, or a gas grill. 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. 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.
A sturdy shelf under the grill and a side table, which folds down for storage, give you some outdoor “counter space” while you’re cooking. 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. We monitored the grills’ temperature for the hour-long cook, and we noted the depth and evenness of browning at the end.