The gas tank mounts externally , instead of in a cabinet underneath the grill, as is typical (such as on the previous-generation Spirit). That makes it much easier to install a new tank and unhook an old one, because you’re not scrabbling around a small, dark enclosure to find the hoses and brackets. This design also allowed Weber to put a sturdy shelf under the grill—a handy place to store pans, bags of wood chips, a small cooler, and other stuff you may need while grilling. Plus, one of the side tables folds down, making the grill more compact for storage when it’s not in use (it’s 43 inches wide with the table down). All of our picks are propane-gas grills, since propane tanks are portable and can be purchased almost anywhere, and they don’t require any special hookups in your backyard.
That’s more than twice the price of a quality charcoal grill, but if you prioritize speed and convenience, the higher price is worth it. That said, the Weber Spirit II E-210 excels at its primary function—straight-up grilling. This little two-burner grill puts a mean char broil performance sear on steaks, chops, and burgers. It has good heat control and can maintain a steady medium to medium-low for grilling chicken pieces with rendered skin and sticky glaze. Weber covers all parts on the Spirit II E-210 for 10 years, excluding normal wear and tear.
It’s her first grill, and she’s loved using it in the summertime. “I mostly use it for pizza and brats, plus veggies in our grill basket pick. What’s really great, though, is the built in lid thermometer. The center mounted thermometer gives you an idea of what the internal temperature is for the cooking chamber and whether or not it is holding up as you need it to.
Some models have a conversion kit that requires some modification to a propane grill in order to use it with natural gas. If you’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with these modifications, you may need to hire a professional to do the job your retailer should be able to help with arrangements. From Bluetooth speakers to patio furniture to gas and charcoal grills, here’s what we think you need for backyard entertaining and cooking. The Weber Spirit SX-315 Smart Grill is the smart version of our pick, the Weber Spirit II E-310.
If it spills over, you’ll be cleaning grease out of the inside of your grill for an hour. Even though we didn’t officially test the Spirit II E-210, we did test its predecessor, the Weber weber spirit 2 Spirit E-210 . And one of our guide writers, Lesley, owned the Spirit II E-210 for years before passing it off to a friend (to make room for long-term testing the Genesis II E-310).
And all those elements are of the same great quality we’ve consistently seen on Weber grills. The Weber Spirit II E-310 provides the unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and a relatively affordable price. It excelled at every test, producing the best sear on our burgers of any grill, and equaling or outdoing the others in our tests involving barbecue chicken and whole roasted chickens.
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. Wheels in the Spirit series come in a set of 4 that allows the grills to move both back and front, and side to side. More importantly, these wheels can be locked to keep your grill in place.
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. And this model’s weber spirit 2 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. Have fun doing that if you plan to keep the grill next to a fence.