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.
Then, completely open the propane tank’s valve slowly and pause to allow time for the gas to travel through the gas line. You should hear and see each burner ignite after you’ve done that. 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.
Our reader survey revealed high satisfaction with Weber grills’ performance and reliability. Of the 1,000-plus Wirecutter readers we surveyed, over 60% said they owned Weber grills. And of those Weber grill owners, 69% reported that they were extremely satisfied, and another weber traveler 29% reported that they were moderately satisfied. At the 2017 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we interviewed senior product managers from almost every major grill maker in attendance. And in 2022 we surveyed over a thousand Wirecutter readers about their grill use.
We also sent popular Weber grills to our expert grillers and home product testers, who tested each out for weeks to determine which grills are truly the best. Weber’s Genesis line offers high-quality grills without super-premium prices, and its EX-325S is designed for easy grilling weber natural gas grill so you can enjoy each and every party. 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. Weber’s Spirit series gas grills are designed to step up your grilling game.
On the other hand, gas is more convenient once you have it—you simply turn a knob to start the fire, and there’s no need to wait for coals to burn down before you begin cooking. But you’ll need a special hook-up for natural gas, or to run to the store for liquid propane. Gas-cooked foods also can lack a certain charred grilling taste preferred by some. If you know that you’ll be cooking multiple different types of food or meats, you might also need to consider multiple burners on a larger grill.
We’re impressed with how well this concentrated heat zone created a dark and flavorful crust on ribeyes and burgers—possibly better than our top pick can. It’s probably the most important upgrade from previous weber traveler Genesis models. Two-burner grills like our budget pick can save you a little space and a little money—as long as you are prepared to cook your food in smaller batches and don’t plan on much indirect cooking.
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 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.