For instance, you can sear steak or fish on one side of the grill and cook vegetables on lower heat on the other. If you own a grill, you’ll have to perform these tasks at least a few times a year, so a grill that makes them a little easier is a welcome thing. While the burgers cooked, we kept an eye out for flare-ups—which can char the meat and create acrid smoke—and looked at the evenness of cooking across the grates. After about 10 minutes of cooking, we compared how well each grill had seared the burgers, and we looked for excessive charring or patties that were still unacceptably raw. Before wrapping up, let’s take a look at how the Weber Spirit II E 310 gas grill holds up against other models.
Along with all its other upgrades, the Spirit II allows for a better warranty than the Spirit. While the Spirit series grills are backed by a 10-year warranty, the Spirit II covers its grills with a whopping 10-year comprehensive warranty and wins hands-down in this department. With it getting sunnier by the day, BBQ enthusiasts are firing up their Blackstone Adventure grills and setting up their grilling gear. If you’re familiar with the grilling game, the name ‘Weber’ rings a sound bell. For those of you who are relatively new, I would like to take some time to tell you how and why Weber produces some of the best grills out there. Improved durability will have you up and grilling in no time, every time.
The Spirit II comes in an improved design, with 2 wheels that are bigger and thicker. These wheels are specifically designed to make movement easier on rougher terrains. 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.
And though stainless steel grates are more rust-resistant than cast-iron ones, it’s still a good idea to follow this cleaning advice to keep them in tip-top shape. Weber added two new models to its Spirit line of gas grills in 2020, but we ultimately chose not to test them. One of them, the Spirit S-315, is similar to the Spirit II E-310 with regard to the specs, and with a few cosmetic differences—and higher price tag. 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. No matter the brand of grill, we don’t like to fully rely on built-in thermometers. They’re fine for getting a rough idea of how hot your grill is.
They are also fairly easy to clean up after, without causing any damage to the grates. In spring 2017, we kicked off this grill guide by putting six gas grills through a battery of tests. We cooked a full grate of burgers weber spirit 2 on high heat and chicken pieces at a low temperature. We also roasted whole chickens indirectly on both low and high heat to see whether the grills could create browned skin and perfectly cooked meat without charring.
Evenness performanceEvenness of heating over the grill’s surface at the highest and lowest setting using all main burners plus the evenness after a 10 minute preheat, using thermocouples. 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. The only quibble Lesley had with the E-210 was its small size. She recalls one particular instance when she grilled fajitas for 25 guests for her partner’s birthday.
In 2021, Weber introduced a line of smart grills that we chose not to test. The app also has recipes and a step-by-step feature that sends alerts to your phone when it’s time to tend to your food. All of these extra gadgets require power, and the Genesis Smart Grill takes 10 batteries.
The Spirit II models, for instance, come in a lighter design and use only 2 sturdy wheels, where their predecessors used to use 4. On top of this, these grills came with a few color options for the lid. An introductory line of offering, the Blackstone Adventure grills under this series comes with the iconic GS4 grilling, ignition, 10-year warranty, and flavorizer bars that prevent flare-ups. The characteristic feature of these grills is their affordability, intelligent design and size options.
However, this grill can still accommodate a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties at a time. And it performs on a par with the three-burner version, the Spirit II E-310. Like our top pick, the two-burner Spirit comes with a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, two side tables, and a 10-year warranty. 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.