This feature can be especially useful in colder conditions when you are finding against lower temperatures and wind in starting up your grill. As it is all battery operated, the effort is taken out of your hands. I know this is something that newer users are going to like about this grill. Sure, the price tag is a bit on the higher side, but the good news is that with Weber grills, you are getting that stamp of credibility.
As for maintenance, the Spirit E-310’s flat grates were easy to keep clean with a grill brush, and its grease trap was easy to access for dumping and washing. The other grills also have easy-access grease traps—not much to ask for, really. But we found the Napoleon model’s wavy grates hard to clean because we couldn’t run the grill brush in long strokes. In our tests, the Spirit E-310’s firebox cleaned up fine, with some Simple Green and hot water, and because it’s aluminum, there’s no concern about rust. The Spirit II E-310 also exhibited the most consistent heat across the entire cooking surface in the 2018 test, just as the original Spirit had done in 2017.
Among the competition in our 2017 test, the Napoleon model in particular had noticeable cool spots toward the front of its grates. To a degree, all grills suffer from this problem, because the burners don’t extend all the way to the front of the firebox. But the Spirit II E-310 offered the most consistent heating across the entire grate surface. After 10 minutes, Blackstone Adventure the burgers at the rear were medium-well, and those at the front were medium-rare to medium . On the Napoleon grill, meanwhile, some of the front burgers were nearly raw in the center, while the rear burgers were well-done. We grilled the chicken with the lid down for 45 minutes, occasionally checking for charring, and redistributing the pieces as necessary.
Compared with our pick, the Spirit II E-310, the entire Genesis E-325s is almost a foot longer, and its cooking area is about 20% larger, easily accommodating 15 burger patties at a time. Instead of having porcelainized cast-iron grates , the grates on the Genesis E-325s are made from thick, stainless steel rods. The stainless steel grates could create slightly lighter sear marks on your food than cast iron would deliver, but the difference should hardly be noticeable. The Genesis E-325s also has a foldable upper rack that extends the length of the main cooking grate and expands to be 11 inches deep.
Such a feature allows you to stick to your preferred timing. For instance, you can create a high sear zone on one end and a low temperature, finishing zone on the other. Or, you can create areas of direct and indirect heat with each side burner, which is gives you more cooking options such as when dealing with ribs and roasts. I have to say that the open cart design is a plus in this case. I don’t enjoy opening and closing doors while trying to keep an eye on the grill. The multiple tool hooks are certainly a great option and isn’t something that you always find with grills, even on high end ones.
Finally, we restricted our search to grills that burn propane from refillable tanks, the most common fuel by far. But you should note that there are versions of all of our picks that work with natural gas. Just keep in mind that if you don’t already have the proper hookups, installing a natural-gas outlet isn’t cheap or simple.
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.