But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us. The easy-to-read fuel gauge located next to the gas tank lets you see how much fuel is left in the tank. The Spirit II grills have the same GS4 system and 10 year warranty of the more expensive Weber Genesis grills. It only takes two minutes to watch and gives you a close up look at all of the features. I find it much easier to roll the Spirit II grills around, especially over a surface like a back deck where there are lots of uneven surfaces from the spaces between boards. The original Spirit grills are mounted on four small caster wheels, two of which are locking.
Considering that most people do not leave reviews for purchases, Weber must of sold hundreds of thousands of these grills to have received that many reviews. With a data set of that size I have plenty of confidence that the story they tell can be trusted. The reason that the right side table on the Spirit II is not designed weber spirit 2 to collapse is that it is built with a slot for holding the digital iGrill3 temperature sensor (sold separately). I am not a fan of the iGrill3 system but, if you are into gadgets, this is a feature you should be aware of. One reason that some people buy a two burner grill is because they do not have much space.
Cooking temp on the Spirit II is pretty even, with the back of the grill running slightly hotter than the front. On a cold day with ambient temperatures in the upper 30°F range and all three burners on the low setting, Spirit II registered temps of about 410°F in front and 440°F in back. With all burners on High, temps were about 600°F front and 680°F back. For 2018, Weber sticks to the basics with a revamped version of their popular, full-size, entry-level Spirit gas grill line.
We cooked a full grate of burgers 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. In 2018 we repeated these tests, with the then-new Blackstone Adventure Weber Spirit II E-310 and our upgrade pick at the time, the Weber Genesis II E-310 (predecessor to our current upgrade pick). Aside from its superior cooking power, this grill has some wonderful features, which include a Bluetooth-enabled thermometer that will send alerts directly to your smartphone.
Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices on Spirit II 3-burner and 2-burner grills are $599 and $499 respectively, but the street price is about a hundred bucks less. Those who take the long view on purchasing decisions could consider Spirit’s $500 (3-burner) and $400 (2-burner) street prices a bargain. Most gas grills use metal heat tents under the cooking grate to disperse heat, protect the burners, and to sizzle drippings that impart flavor to foods. Better quality grills, like Spirit II, blanket the entire cook box for more even heat and more delicious sizzle (see below).
To answer the question quite clearly, I believe the Spirit II would be the better grill to buy. The warranty speaks for itself and the look is slightly more modern. They both contain the GS4 grilling system which is a game changer for Weber. The only areas where you might prefer the Spirit over the Spirit II is the cabinet door for storage and the larger Spirit E-330 which includes a side burner.
To a degree, all grills suffer from this problem, because the burners don’t extend all the way to the front of the firebox. But the Spirit II E-310 offered the most consistent char broil performance heating across the entire grate surface. On the Napoleon grill, meanwhile, some of the front burgers were nearly raw in the center, while the rear burgers were well-done.
It’s doable, but it requires more attention from the griller to make sure the chicken (or roast, or what have you) is evenly cooked. Cooking with indirect heat on a three-burner grill is more hands-off because the food sits over the middle burner, which you leave turned off. The right and left burners surround the food with heat—basically creating an outdoor oven. But with a two-burner grill, cooking with indirect heat means the food gets heat from only one side, while it sits over the other, inactive burner.
And just like the Genesis models, both Spirit models have the same bones—burners, side tables, and overall dimensions. The Spirit Smart Grill connects to Wi-Fi, and it lets you monitor the meat probe through the app. But unlike the Genesis Smart Grill, the Spirit Smart Grill doesn’t monitor the fuel level. That said, the Weber Spirit II E-210 excels at its primary function—straight-up grilling.