The iGrill is nice but there are better options on the street that we have reviewed. The cooking performance of a gas grill is measure by the BTU rating per hour and is a core element to cooking on a grill. This indicates grill temperature when only one or two of the burners are on, to represent a cooking task where the food is placed between or alongside the direct flame. Weber claims their new Infinity Ignition is significantly enhanced, more robust and consistent.
On top of all that, this grill is particularly easy to assemble, maintain, and use, and its finish comes in four colors (black, white, red, and blue). No matter the brand of grill, we don’t like to fully rely on built-in thermometers. But thermometers in the lid are several inches above the cooking grate and weber spirit 2 don’t accurately report the temperature on the surface where you’re actually cooking your food. Consider getting an inexpensive infrared thermometer to gauge the temperature of the cooking grates. Weber added two new models to its Spirit line of gas grills in 2020, but we ultimately chose not to test them.
Side tables are quite an underrated feature when it comes to grills. Those who have worked without them would truly appreciate the importance of a little extra space in cooking. Side tables help in holding spices and prep material, keeping everything you need ready at our fingertips. A feature that is absent in the Spirit weber spirit 2 Series, is the iGrill option available in Spirit II. This is sold separately but uses technology to make your grilling more efficient. The iGrill feature is generally paired with your smartphone and gives you the real-time temperature inside the grill, making it easier to monitor your meat from start to finish.
She grilled skirt steak for three hours straight because the small grate could accommodate only two-ish slabs at a time. However, the fajitas were beautifully seared and perfectly cooked. She was never disappointed with the Spirit E-210’s performance—it’s a top-notch small grill.
If a burner seems to be running cool or creates patchy flames, use a thin piece of wire (many grills come with one attached to a chain) to clean out the gas ports (the little holes in the burner). There’s nothing inside the burners to break, so don’t feel like you have to be delicate. Wirecutter editor Signe Brewster bought the Weber Spirit II E-310 in 2019. It’s her first grill, and she’s loved using it in the summertime. “I mostly use it for pizza (on a pizza stone) and brats, plus veggies in our grill basket pick. Among those experts, Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ spent two hours explaining the fundamentals of gas grill design, function, materials, and maintenance.
One of them, the Spirit S-315, is similar to the Spirit II E-310 (our pick) with regard to the specs, and with a few cosmetic differences—and higher price tag. The S-315 has a slightly higher Btu output than our pick (32,000 Btu versus 30,000 Btu, respectively). But other than those minor variations, it looks like the S-315 would perform about the same as our pick—and wouldn’t be worth the higher price. Next time you cook, brush the cold, soot-covered grills clean, wipe them with a wet paper towel or rag, and then proceed. That goes against the common advice to clean the grates while they’re hot. Salvaggio has found that cleaning hot grates more easily damages the porcelain coating on cast iron, allowing rust to form.
The now-discontinued Char-Broil Advantage 3-Burner Gas Grill from Lowe’s met the low expectations we set upon seeing its sub-$200 price. It cooked burgers acceptably, but to get an even cook we had to shuffle the patties around from hot spots to cool spots. Unable to keep a steady low temperature, it burned the barbecue chicken. To this grill’s credit, char broil performance it made a nice indirect-roasted chicken—but then again, every tested grill did. Assembly was a pain, with unclear instructions and multiple fasteners of different sizes and types. And this model’s bizarre design, with a fixed panel running across the front of the grill, means you have to sneak around the back of the thing to replace the tank.
The hinged rack measures 5½ inches deep when folded and expands to 11 inches. Weber also switched the direction of the rods on the upper rack so that they now run back to front, instead of side to side. For now, we think a simple probe thermometer, like the ThermoWorks Dot, could alert you in a similar way for less cost. The cooking space in both grill series measure up to be the same- what you notice, however, is that Spirit II comes in a bulkier design. The durability of these grills is also standard, as they are made using good quality materials that last for years.