This is a grill that will stand the test of time to give you enjoyable BBQs for years to come. Use the side tables to keep platters, seasonings, and tools within arm’s reach while the food is cooking. Hang your essential grilling tools on the hooks for easy access and organization of your backyard workspace. As mentioned, the grates have been designed to be easy to clean. As long as you use a cleaning brush to dust them off after every cooking session, they should remain as good as new. Remember to avoid using too much pressure or harsh tools or you may risk chipping the coating.
Sam Sifton, then food editor of The New York Times, also joined in the testing and added his extensive knowledge. In 2018, we tested Weber’s new Spirit II E-310—successor to our previous pick, the first-gen Spirit E-310—against our upgrade pick for the best gas grill. Open your door to the world of grilling with the sleek Spirit II E-210 gas grill.
This grill also features a porecelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates, fold down left side shelf, tool hooks and LP tank gauge. Weber is no longer producing our former upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis II E-310. But this model is still available for purchase at big-box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. For one thing, this grill has an externally mounted propane tank, which is easier to install and replace than traditional, under-grill tanks (like on our current upgrade pick). And this type of tank also frees up the area under the grill for storage of tools and other items. With the Genesis II E-310, we didn’t notice a significant upgrade in performance over that of the Spirit II E-310.
For our 2022 update, we relied mostly on research and reporting, as well as our rigorous testing from years prior. We combed big-box home-improvement stores—including Home Depot and Lowe’s—and Big Apple BBQ in New York to view anything new. And we again chatted with Joe Salvaggio at Big Apple BBQ to get his expert opinion of the gas grills available for 2022. Overall, we found that the core function and design of grills we’ve covered in the $400 to $900 price range hasn’t changed. More-recent models have the same bones as their predecessors, with minor tweaks like redesigned cabinets, handles, and control panels. Weber’s Smart Grill revolution may be mostly a Genesis-line upgrade, but they did spread the wealth to the Spirit series with the SX-315.
But we are saying that if you do, the warranty and customer service are absolutely worth the small premium you pay for Weber grills over cheaper brands. We wish the bars of the Spirit II E-310’s warming racks ran front to back, parallel to the main grates, like they do on our upgrade pick, the Genesis E-325s. That way, you could easily weber spirit 2 slide a spatula under stuff that’s warming. As it is, the warming-rack bars run edge to edge, and you have to awkwardly jimmy a spatula in there sideways. The gas tank mounts externally (see the top photo in this section), instead of in a cabinet underneath the grill, as is typical (such as on the previous-generation Spirit).