From the tough stainless-steel body to the sleek porcelain-enamelled surfaces, Weber bbqs are known for their exceptional build quality. Over 70 years of barbecuing experience flows through our barbecues, made with a depth of understanding unparalleled in the bbq market. For an electric grill that performs great wherever there is a power outlet, choose the Q 1400 from Weber. This compact but mighty electric grill delivers great flavor and doesn’t require propane or charcoal.
The grill has 529 square inches of cooking space across its enameled cast iron cooking grates, providing plenty of room for all your burgers, steaks, and veggies—we found it ample enough for a family of five. The Weber Spirit II E-310 provides the unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling weber gas grill 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.
If you would like to try out something new, how about a wood pellet barbecue that combines the ease of electric barbecuing with the rich and smoky taste of a variety of pellet options. Weber was founded in 1952, with the launch of the pioneering Kettle bbq, and we have continued to create successful inventions since then, such as the Flavorizer bars. All of our high-quality barbecues and barbecue accessories are the product of decades of refinement by Weber’s talented designers. You should avoid this if you’re using it, because water entering the cook box will make the fire go out. Weber grills are weatherproof, meaning they can be left out on your patio year-round when not turned on. However, they will last longer and hold up better if you put a cover on them.
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.
She grilled skirt steak for three hours straight because the small grate could accommodate only two-ish slabs at a time. She was never disappointed with the Spirit E-210’s performance—it’s a top-notch small grill. All of our barbecue models, from a neat portable camping bbq, to the latest smart grill, are created from premium materials, designed to serve you for many years to come. From the small Go-Anywhere portable bbq, to the large gourmet Master-Touch series, you’re buying a bbq that will last. Which bbq best meets your expectations highly depends your preferences, on the food that you would like to cook and where you plan to use your barbecue. For people who love the smoky taste of a delicious steak we recommend purchasing a charcoal barbecue.
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). She recounts that the Spirit II E-210 held consistent temperature across the cooking grate, and flare-ups were never an issue. Among those experts, Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ spent two hours explaining the fundamentals of gas grill design, function, materials, and maintenance. Joe and his brother Tony have run Big Apple BBQ, one of the New York region’s leading grill shops, for over 30 years. Because Salvaggio is an independent retailer who carries grills from many manufacturers, he was able to speak freely about what he saw as the relative strengths and weaknesses of various designs.
Once your grill has a rusty hole in the firebox, it’s destined for the scrap heap. That said, the Weber Spirit II E-210 excels at its primary function—straight-up grilling. This little two-burner grill puts a mean 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. For our 2022 update, we relied mainly on market research and meta-analysis. Most new grills worth considering are still produced by the same companies whose products we’ve tested in previous years. And with each new version of the models we’re familiar with, the most important characteristics—such as quality of materials and construction—are the same. We spoke again with Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ about the newest models, and we examined our main contenders in person at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Bering’s in Houston. If you want to use a wood pellet grill, you’ll definitely get great-tasting food, though you’ll have to plan in advance to have pellets on hand.