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, 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.
It puts out the same 13,000 Btu as the others, for a combined total 52,000 Btu across the four burners. By contrast, the Spirit II E-310 puts out 30,000 Btu and the E-210, 26,500 Btu. 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 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.
Then, completely open the propane tank’s valve slowly and pause to allow time for the gas to travel through the gas line. Charcoal is easy to pick up at just about every grocery store, home improvement store, or gas station, so you won’t need to make a special trip. But you’ll need to have a charcoal starter on hand, will have to wait for everything to cool down before you can dispose of it, and need to deal with the messy ash afterward. For a gas-powered grill, the Weber Spirit II E-310 is our top choice thanks to its three burners, compact design, and useful features. If you’re looking for the classic Weber black charcoal grill, you can’t go wrong with the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill. At our Lab, we found the SmokeFire EX4 was the fastest to reach 500 degrees, achieving it in just under 10 minutes, and eventually maintained an internal temperature of 600+ degrees during testing.
Overall, the two-burner Spirit II is the same depth and height as the three-burner model, but the E-210 is 4 inches smaller width-wise. That may not seem like much, but if you’re working with a small patio area, every inch counts. Like the E-310, the E-210 has an open-cart design and an easy-access side-mounted hook and gauge for the propane tank. During testing, we found that weber portable grill the Napoleon Prestige 500 didn’t respond as well as other grills to temperature changes, and it didn’t deliver good searing on the main grill, either. All the food was cooked, but it didn’t blow us away, especially given its high price tag. Further, we struggled when it came time to clean the grill, as it’s very hard to remove debris and grease from underneath the burners.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). Of all the fuels mentioned here, charcoal emits the most carbon into the atmosphere. Though there’s no debating that, some experts argue that lump charcoal (not briquettes, which can have added chemicals) is potentially carbon neutral. If you want to read more about comparing grilling fuels, we found helpful articles from The Atlantic, Slate, and NPR.
If a random person walked into our offices off the street and demanded the best grill they could get, I’d point them to this. Beginners will be able to turn out great food without needing to master anything new, and serious grillmasters will find that the Spirit II E-310 is great for acing the basics.
Whether you’re in the market for a spacious stationary grill to cook for a crowd or a lightweight, portable, option for camping or tailgating, here are the best Weber grills. We found that a propane tank 30lb or larger won’t fit, so will have to sit out on the patio. We followed the instructions, cleaning the grill plates and triangular elements, scraping everything down before removing the disposable drip tray. This meal took under 15 minutes from igniting the grill to plating up. If you’re hosting at short notice or want to get back to the party ASAP, this grill is your new best friend.
And we had no problems with flare-ups, the grease fires that produce charring and acrid smoke. When comparing the two materials—without taking anything else into consideration—cast iron holds more heat, so it will leave darker sear marks on your food than stainless steel. But the difference is minimal, especially if you’re not doing a side-by-side comparison of the two. Some folks think cast-iron grates distribute heat better across the grilling surface than stainless steel.
The intuitive nature of the heat and use of the burners leaves this grill more consistent in temperature. The Weber Spirit SX-315 Smart Grill is the smart version of our pick, the Weber Spirit II E-310. And just like the Genesis models, both Spirit models have the same bones—burners, side tables, and overall dimensions.