Weber Natural Gas Grills Review

2010-08-29T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Weber Grill arrived quicky and although took a couple of hours to put together, the directions were easy to follow. The grill looks great and works beautifully. I highly recommend the Weber Genesis.

Like the previous Weber grill I owned this grill was relatively easy to assemble. Have had the grill less than a month but have cooked a big variety of meals on it already. Heating seems very even with lots of control and a good range of temperature. Ignitor works very well and seems like it might actually last (unlike just about every other grill I've owned).

This review is for the Weber S-310, the stainless steel version of the E-310, with SS grates and flavor bars like the EP-310. (I got the natural gas version. It comes with the hose already attached, plus the brass coupler.) The front, shelves, and hood are SS. The sides of the hood and shelves are gray aluminum, and the sides and back are gray painted steel. All the parts are of a high quality. Note: The newest S model has a frame around the front doors, not the solid front as shown in the Amazon picture. I prefer the cleaner looking solid front, but this version makes it have the same look and production across the Genesis line.

Everything comes very safely and securely packaged in a large box with lots of cardboard and plastic bags. The various nuts and bolts are in several separate packages. Most of the stainless steel is covered with a rubbery coating that is fairly easily removed. I suggest using a cloth to hold the part being stripped since the SS is a fingerprint magnet. The instructions are mostly pictures, often small. It is easy to make a mistake that can cause a problem further down the assembly. For instance, the clips that have a nut attached should always face the inside of whatever they are being attached to. The four wheels have two that lock. Those two should be placed in the front so they can be reached.

The instructions show two people lifting the top unit out of the box. One can do it if you remove the hood first. Simply remove the retaining bolts and put the hood aside. Next, remove all the parts packed inside the top unit. What is left is easy to lift. You can also slice down the edges of the box with a shop knife and lay the sides flat for easier access. Make sure you have lots of clean flat space in which to work, such as your driveway. Carefully lay all the parts out for easy access and identification.

Use a 7/16" socket wrench for most bolts. One bolt is 11mm, though. The included wrench is very impractical, and is only needed to adjust the front doors to square. You will need a #1 and a #2 Phillips screwdriver for the screws. A power drill will work, but carefully set the torque. Putting it together took me over 2 hours. The excellent design virtually assures proper assembly. After hooking up to the natural gas line, I turned the unit on high. The first burner has the electric spark so it should be opened first. The knobs may feel a bit loose, but that is because they are attached to springy gas regulators. The push-button spark generator is quite effective. To test, and to clean the interior, I let it heat up to 650 degrees - much hotter than my previous grill could ever go. It did so rather quickly, and could have kept going! (The thermometer goes up to 700 degrees.) At that high temperature, the hood handle remained relatively cool, except at the very sides, where it was a little warm. Opening the hood sends out a blast of hot air. You can then appreciate having the control knobs placed well to the side instead of on the front.

The warranty is the best in the business. The parts quality assures full utilization of that warranty, justifying the higher initial cost. It reminds me of another industry leader, Anderson Windows and Doors. There is simply no substitute for the best of something.