Thanks to the GS4 grilling system, which provides high-performance burners and upgraded ignitors, it’s a plenty powerful model with impressive heating elements, too. For those looking to watch it work, it’s even compatible with a Bluetooth-enabled iGrill 3 thermometer that can send grilling updates from the Spirit II to your phone. This three-burner propane grill is usually listed at $479, but shoppers can pick up this wheeled cooker for $30 off at $449. This price cut is more rare than a $2 steak, with true discounts on grillsbeing extra hard to find so far this year. The storage space has enough space for the tank and your grilling accessories too.
The weather outside is finally less frightful, and people are aching to get back to cooking outdoors after months of being trapped indoors. But after nearly a year of cold coals and rusting grates, some grills may no longer be up for the job. Fortunately, Blackstone Adventure there’sthe Weber Spirit II E-310 grill, a.k.a. our pick asthe ace of outdoor grilling, that’s now on sale at Wayfair. With the E-310 models, however, the Spirit II has a lower BTU of 30,000 as against the 32,000 of the Spirit series.
Backed by a 10-year guarantee, and porcelain enamelled cast iron cooking grates this grill comes with an improved infinity ignition that gives you ultimate control over your food temperature. 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. We still think it’s a great grill with clever design features. For one thing, this grill has an externally mounted propane tank, which is easier to install and replace than traditional, under-grill tanks .
And you can cut the middle burner but still get even, radiant heat from the sides, for indirect cooking. I especially like the fact that the grill starts up with minimal fuss thanks to the GS4 grilling system. And, since char broil performance you don’t have to stay on top of the temperatur or worry too much about maintaining the temp, you have a more relaxed time ahead of you. That being said, the feature that I am most fond of here is the propane scale.
However, this grill can still accommodate a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties at a time. And it performs on a par with the three-burner version, the Spirit II E-310. Like our top pick, the two-burner Spirit comes with a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, two side tables, and a 10-year warranty. Next time you cook, brush the cold, soot-covered grills clean, wipe them with a wet paper towel or rag, and then proceed. That goes against the common advice to clean the grates while they’re hot. Salvaggio has found that cleaning hot grates more easily damages the porcelain coating on cast iron, allowing rust to form.
And though stainless steel grates are more rust-resistant than cast-iron ones, it’s still a good idea to follow this cleaning advice to keep them in tip-top shape. Weber added two new models to its Spirit line of gas grills in 2020, but we ultimately chose not to test them. One of them, the Spirit S-315, is similar to the Spirit II E-310 with regard to the specs, and with a few cosmetic differences—and higher price tag. But other than those minor variations, it looks like the S-315 would perform about the same as our pick—and wouldn’t be worth the higher price. No matter the brand of grill, we don’t like to fully rely on built-in thermometers. They’re fine for getting a rough idea of how hot your grill is.
High-performance burners have a unique tapered shape to ensure consistent and constant gas flow from front to back, providing even heat distribution across the entire cooking surface. Look for grills in the $400 to $900 range with a cast-aluminum firebox (which holds heat well and won’t rust). If you want your grill to last, don’t cheap out on a budget model. But also don’t overpay for extras you won’t use, such as a rotisserie or a side burner. If you grill regularly or you enjoy grilling on weeknights, when time is at a premium, you should invest in a gas grill. A good one costs $400 to $900, but it will serve you well for years.