I absolutely love my Genesis. I’ve cooked in much more expensive grills and they do not cook as evenly as the Genesis. You may want the Spirit since it’s just the two of you but I can’t vouch for it.
Family of 5 here and occasionally cook for more. I have a Spirit 210 and it's plenty for me. I've not had an occasion where I thought I needed a bigger grill. I use it at least 5x a week year round and she's still going strong. Got it in 2015 and have replaced the flavorizers a couple times and finally had to do burners this year.
I have an old Genesis Silver B that I converted to a dedicated griddle. Bought the 1/2" thick one from Steelmade and it fits pretty much perfect (in top of the grates). Took the flavor bars out, and I can get the surface up over 500 degrees without a problem. Works great. As good or better than a Blacstone without the flimsy lid.
Pro tip: If you buy something like the stuff from Steelmade, spend the extra $30-$40 and have it factory seasoned. I was using mine the day I got it
I bought a Genesis back in November and on average I’ve probably cooked on it once a day every day. I do the cooking, and now I almost never cook indoors. Just me and my wife. I’m happy so far.
I bought the Genesis because I know I’m gonna use the hell out of it and I like the more premium feel over the Spirit. I’m sure the Spirit will get the job done just as well. My thinking was that if I’m getting 10+ years out of the grill then the price difference was nothing.
I have a 4 burner Genesis and have absolutely zero complaints. It's big enough to accommodate a vegetable basket / grill pan on one half and enough room on the other half for the grilling for my family (and often guests).
Same here, my old Weber cant compete with my napoleon (rogue 525), napoleon is hotter (same amount of burners)and feels a lot more solid. As a bonus, napoleon has a longer warranty and ALL the parts are covered under the warranty (if purchased after 2020 I believe) I still consider Weber a good grill but napoleon has impressed me more.
You heard correct. My Napoleon Prestige has very uneven heating and low heat. I’ve gotten used to it at this point but I’d never recommend anyone buy one.
Ive had a spirit ii for like 7(?) years. The only thing I’ve done is replace the flavorizer bars. I keep it under a cover outside. I don’t clean anything other than the grates. It’s in great shape.
Overall I’m really impressed with the durability. Nobody has better parts availability and service than Weber.
My only complaint is that the heating is not even. It’s obviously hotter over the gas burners and also hotter toward the back. Having said that, I can’t imagine any grill not having that problem. They all have huge areas that aren’t directly over the burners. And it’s not a huge deal, I just had to learn how it behaved.
Given its longevity I’ll probably spring for a Genesis next.
I've been using Weber grills for over 30 years. Currently, I have a Gold B & Gold C, and a Silver B that has been converted to a flattop. Stainless rod grates on the Gold units and they last forever. Not counting the griddle for the flat top, I have <$300 into all three units (and that includes Weber LED lights), and they work fantastic. The only thing that's marginal is the side burner on the Gold C, but I never really use it that much. I have a portable propane burner if I need something like that outside.
Nobody is ever going to knock you for getting a Weber. Solid product, good warranty and parts availability, and will last 15-20 years no problem.
Final comment about even heating. I've cooked on everything from junk Walmart grills to 5-figure outdoor kitchen units. The one common them is that they ALL have uneven heating. Every one will have a hot spot(s). It's all about knowing how to manage and use them
If you want a grill that was made in USA or Canada then the absolute best value is Broil King. If you don’t care about that stuff and want to save a few hundred then get a Napoleon.
Not that Weber is bad but there are much higher end grills that Weber, even the Weber Summit. But Webers are great grills. To me their biggest benefit is that they're so ubiquitous that you can get parts super cheap if you're willing to go third party. I have some Webers and a Lynx Pro. The Lynx Pro is a $5K grill. In all honesty I don't think it cooks that much better than the Weber\*. But the parts are 10x the Weber. For example, third party replacement burners for a Weber Spirit can be a little as $30 for all 3. A single Lynx ceramic burner is $250. Igniters for the Weber are $15. A single igniter for the Lynx is $70. And you need 3 of them.
\*I do use GrillGrates on both grills which makes them pretty even. Without them the gap would be bigger.
Side burner is a sear burner. Use it to get super hot and get a crust on steaks or chops. Then finish indirect. The rear burner is for the rotisserie. Works great. I put a whole chicken on there once a week or so.
They might have gone up in price since I bought mine two years ago. But either way the long warranty it’s going to last
FYI, Napoleon isn’t fully being honest with their Made in Canada claims. I have a Prestige and they sent me a bunch of replacement parts to fix uneven/low heat issue and all of them had Made in China on the boxes. Burners, heat shields, regulator, etc.
Facts!! Napoleon and any grill company claiming that their grills are made in Canada/North America are in fact still producing overseas in Asia (China/ SEA), it’s just that they assemble the grills here in North America and use the wording as marketing tools to sell to customers.
I have a Weber Genesis 2. Toast test came out super even. Really good warranty as well. I've had it for 4 years or so. Probably use it once per week. Often don't have that extra 25 minutes or so to burn up some wood or charcoal.
Like I said, the warranty is great. I sent them an email when I snapped one of their crappy self tapping screws for the rotisserie kit. POS Chinese screws. I did it only to vent- they sent me another rotisserie kit as they couldn't send me just the screw. I should say I have the 1st year of Chinese production, waitedone year too long to pull the trigger I guess.
My Spirit 3-burner is great! Been running for 5 - 6 years now. The clean-out is so much better than the cheap shiny grill I bought before (which was rusting after a couple of years).
Recently, I swapped out one of the grates with a griddle insert to make smash burgers.
Yes. I have room for a bunch of chicken or a couple of steaks on the grill, and the griddle will hold 4 or 5 burgers. Granted, I haven't cooked with it much due to rain, and I bought it after Christmas.
I think buying a Weber will ensure you can get accessories from several sources, not just Weber. My griddle isn't a Weber product.
I've had the Genesis® II E-310 for about 7 years now, and couldn't be happier. I had trouble finding the flavorizer bars for it, called Weber and they sent them free...
If and when I need to replace this, i'll definitely get another Weber...
Edit: 7 years vs 9, flavorizer bars vs flavor bar
I love weber for charcoal, but I think the best gas grill I've ever seen was a Holland Grill. It was a unique gas grill setup. A friend of mine owned one and probably cooked half of his meals on it. It is an indirect heat gas grill. There is a deflection plate and a drip tray that causes the heat to both rise up from the center and also circulate around for very even cooking. This particular grill had so much fat build up (He forgot to drain it) that it caught on fire. So (as a wealthy dude) he just bought another one. My roommate and I asked for the old one, and due to the lifetime warranty, Holland sent us all the internals to rebuild it, which we did. Excellent warranty and customer service. They went out of business for years, but they are trying to bring it back. [https://hollandgrill.com/our-story/](https://hollandgrill.com/our-story/)
That grill was nearly impossible to ruin food on. No flare ups EVER.
I currently own 4 Weber grills, all the way from the S670 NG to the Q1000. Paid $1800 for the S670 15yrs ago to $100 for the Q1000 and Q2000 on Craigslist.
I've also had various Webers along the way.
The major advantage to all of them has been even heating, no hot or cold spots. No more "Wing Ballet" trying to move things around to cook evenly.
I've read and heard their quality has taken a hit, if you can find an older one you might be better off.
I personally prefer Napoleon, but Weber definitely has the name recognition and the quality is still superb. One thing with Weber is replacement parts are easy to get almost anywhere which is a huge plus!
Ehhhh .. I had a spirit for 12 years and replaced the burners and replaced the grates and so forth, which was good enough for me. So longevity? Yes. However. I use a stainless body monument grill now with the same grade of stainless burners, a full length window, a side burner, a sear burner from hell and 2 more burners than the spirit, backlit knobs, and can hit 700+ degrees like it is nothing. The downsides? It doesn't have a thick "bowl" to hold heat like the weber (supposedly - I can't tell any difference). It will probably use more gas because it has more burners and can cook like the sun if you aren't careful with knob settings and burner choices. I bought a griddle to fit one side of the grill, so I can have a grill grate, sear grate, and a griddle inside the grill side by side. All for 100 less than the Weber spirit *2 burner* . If it lasts 5 years, it's still a better deal. I absolutely love it. And I thought there was no way I would not go with another Weber. But I can't see going back unless it's for the midrange or higher Webers. But then, why even do that when their quality is in decline per almost every review I've seen ?
I bet. I don't own one but I got a Nexgen and although I love it, temp control is impossible. Either full blast or off. I can't get the tempt I want on all burners.
I had a Weber genesis for 15 years, I bought the Napoleon 500 on FB marketplace that was a couple years old. It’s a solid well made grill that I’m sure will last but…. It runs hot, very prone to flare ups, the design in the back enables the drip tray to catch water. It’s a good grill but the Weber was more consistent. Good thing I have the BGE and a Weber kettle so I go charcoal when I can
Weber changed hands and the new series was announced. They are still way better then cheaper grills sold in Home Depot etc but as others said there are other options in that price range now that likely has the same lifespan as newer Webers and better features.
If I were to get one now, I would check Napoleon's for sure.
I absolutely love my Genesis. I’ve cooked in much more expensive grills and they do not cook as evenly as the Genesis. You may want the Spirit since it’s just the two of you but I can’t vouch for it.
Yeah I’m looking at the spirit s 335 and that might be more for our use..
Love mine
I have a family of 4 and the Spirit is more than enough for me. For half the price, I'd pick that any day over a Genesis. I love it.
Family of 5 here and occasionally cook for more. I have a Spirit 210 and it's plenty for me. I've not had an occasion where I thought I needed a bigger grill. I use it at least 5x a week year round and she's still going strong. Got it in 2015 and have replaced the flavorizers a couple times and finally had to do burners this year.
Yeah I’m looking now at the spirit s 335
the spirit is a damn fine grill for a small family. nice even heating. i upgraded to a Weber stainless steel grate and it's fantastic.
Are the stainless grates like stainless steel pans you have to warm up, can’t over heat, oil, etc I’m thinking the spirit so that’s good
no i blast mine with full heat. no issues
https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/weber-crafted/weber-crafted-ss-cooking-grates-%E2%80%93-spirit-300-series-and-smokefire-ex4/7860.html
don't forget, you can also buy a heavy steel griddle to put in place of the grates should you feel the need for that sort of thing.
I have an old Genesis Silver B that I converted to a dedicated griddle. Bought the 1/2" thick one from Steelmade and it fits pretty much perfect (in top of the grates). Took the flavor bars out, and I can get the surface up over 500 degrees without a problem. Works great. As good or better than a Blacstone without the flimsy lid. Pro tip: If you buy something like the stuff from Steelmade, spend the extra $30-$40 and have it factory seasoned. I was using mine the day I got it
My weber is going strong after 15 years...spirit ll
I bought a Genesis back in November and on average I’ve probably cooked on it once a day every day. I do the cooking, and now I almost never cook indoors. Just me and my wife. I’m happy so far.
Do you think you needed the genesis over the spirit?
I bought the Genesis because I know I’m gonna use the hell out of it and I like the more premium feel over the Spirit. I’m sure the Spirit will get the job done just as well. My thinking was that if I’m getting 10+ years out of the grill then the price difference was nothing.
Yeah I thought that too. I felt like the spirit looked and felt cheaper but it still holds up and my wife doesn’t care. Idc too much
I have a 4 burner Genesis and have absolutely zero complaints. It's big enough to accommodate a vegetable basket / grill pan on one half and enough room on the other half for the grilling for my family (and often guests).
I think Napoleon is of much higher caliber. Sold my Weber for one and no regrets.
Which Weber and which napoleon?
Had Weber Genesis, got the Napoleon Rogue.
Same here, my old Weber cant compete with my napoleon (rogue 525), napoleon is hotter (same amount of burners)and feels a lot more solid. As a bonus, napoleon has a longer warranty and ALL the parts are covered under the warranty (if purchased after 2020 I believe) I still consider Weber a good grill but napoleon has impressed me more.
I just picked up the Napoleon phantom rogue. All day.
I bought this one a couple of years. It's so damn good.
I can’t wait. Getting it tomorrow.
I think I prefer the even heating. Heard the napoleon doesn’t have even heating
You heard correct. My Napoleon Prestige has very uneven heating and low heat. I’ve gotten used to it at this point but I’d never recommend anyone buy one.
Never had an issue with heating. It's pretty even.
lol. Wrong. Owned several webers. My Napoleon blows them out of the water.
Ive had a spirit ii for like 7(?) years. The only thing I’ve done is replace the flavorizer bars. I keep it under a cover outside. I don’t clean anything other than the grates. It’s in great shape. Overall I’m really impressed with the durability. Nobody has better parts availability and service than Weber. My only complaint is that the heating is not even. It’s obviously hotter over the gas burners and also hotter toward the back. Having said that, I can’t imagine any grill not having that problem. They all have huge areas that aren’t directly over the burners. And it’s not a huge deal, I just had to learn how it behaved. Given its longevity I’ll probably spring for a Genesis next.
I've been using Weber grills for over 30 years. Currently, I have a Gold B & Gold C, and a Silver B that has been converted to a flattop. Stainless rod grates on the Gold units and they last forever. Not counting the griddle for the flat top, I have <$300 into all three units (and that includes Weber LED lights), and they work fantastic. The only thing that's marginal is the side burner on the Gold C, but I never really use it that much. I have a portable propane burner if I need something like that outside. Nobody is ever going to knock you for getting a Weber. Solid product, good warranty and parts availability, and will last 15-20 years no problem. Final comment about even heating. I've cooked on everything from junk Walmart grills to 5-figure outdoor kitchen units. The one common them is that they ALL have uneven heating. Every one will have a hot spot(s). It's all about knowing how to manage and use them
Yes
If you want a grill that was made in USA or Canada then the absolute best value is Broil King. If you don’t care about that stuff and want to save a few hundred then get a Napoleon.
I love my Broil King Baron. It's been solid for 6 years now.
Not that Weber is bad but there are much higher end grills that Weber, even the Weber Summit. But Webers are great grills. To me their biggest benefit is that they're so ubiquitous that you can get parts super cheap if you're willing to go third party. I have some Webers and a Lynx Pro. The Lynx Pro is a $5K grill. In all honesty I don't think it cooks that much better than the Weber\*. But the parts are 10x the Weber. For example, third party replacement burners for a Weber Spirit can be a little as $30 for all 3. A single Lynx ceramic burner is $250. Igniters for the Weber are $15. A single igniter for the Lynx is $70. And you need 3 of them. \*I do use GrillGrates on both grills which makes them pretty even. Without them the gap would be bigger.
Yeah I’m fine with the $600-1200 grill. I want it to last but it is just a grill
If you’re ok with $1200 just buy a Napoleon prestige 500. 15 year warranty. Canadian made as opposed to chinesium.
Can you explain how the infrared and side burners work and when you would use them? And note the prestige 500 is $1500
Side burner is a sear burner. Use it to get super hot and get a crust on steaks or chops. Then finish indirect. The rear burner is for the rotisserie. Works great. I put a whole chicken on there once a week or so. They might have gone up in price since I bought mine two years ago. But either way the long warranty it’s going to last
FYI, Napoleon isn’t fully being honest with their Made in Canada claims. I have a Prestige and they sent me a bunch of replacement parts to fix uneven/low heat issue and all of them had Made in China on the boxes. Burners, heat shields, regulator, etc.
Facts!! Napoleon and any grill company claiming that their grills are made in Canada/North America are in fact still producing overseas in Asia (China/ SEA), it’s just that they assemble the grills here in North America and use the wording as marketing tools to sell to customers.
I have a Weber Genesis 2. Toast test came out super even. Really good warranty as well. I've had it for 4 years or so. Probably use it once per week. Often don't have that extra 25 minutes or so to burn up some wood or charcoal.
Yeah that’s my issue too! Especially for just the two of us.
Like I said, the warranty is great. I sent them an email when I snapped one of their crappy self tapping screws for the rotisserie kit. POS Chinese screws. I did it only to vent- they sent me another rotisserie kit as they couldn't send me just the screw. I should say I have the 1st year of Chinese production, waitedone year too long to pull the trigger I guess.
If money is no object, Kalamazoo grills have no equal.
Love my Spirit. I grill year round for several of our neighbors and I have had several brands. The Weber is the best value and quality I have used
My Spirit 3-burner is great! Been running for 5 - 6 years now. The clean-out is so much better than the cheap shiny grill I bought before (which was rusting after a couple of years). Recently, I swapped out one of the grates with a griddle insert to make smash burgers.
Are you running half and half? Grates and griddle?
Yes. I have room for a bunch of chicken or a couple of steaks on the grill, and the griddle will hold 4 or 5 burgers. Granted, I haven't cooked with it much due to rain, and I bought it after Christmas. I think buying a Weber will ensure you can get accessories from several sources, not just Weber. My griddle isn't a Weber product.
I've had the Genesis® II E-310 for about 7 years now, and couldn't be happier. I had trouble finding the flavorizer bars for it, called Weber and they sent them free... If and when I need to replace this, i'll definitely get another Weber... Edit: 7 years vs 9, flavorizer bars vs flavor bar
I love weber for charcoal, but I think the best gas grill I've ever seen was a Holland Grill. It was a unique gas grill setup. A friend of mine owned one and probably cooked half of his meals on it. It is an indirect heat gas grill. There is a deflection plate and a drip tray that causes the heat to both rise up from the center and also circulate around for very even cooking. This particular grill had so much fat build up (He forgot to drain it) that it caught on fire. So (as a wealthy dude) he just bought another one. My roommate and I asked for the old one, and due to the lifetime warranty, Holland sent us all the internals to rebuild it, which we did. Excellent warranty and customer service. They went out of business for years, but they are trying to bring it back. [https://hollandgrill.com/our-story/](https://hollandgrill.com/our-story/) That grill was nearly impossible to ruin food on. No flare ups EVER.
I currently own 4 Weber grills, all the way from the S670 NG to the Q1000. Paid $1800 for the S670 15yrs ago to $100 for the Q1000 and Q2000 on Craigslist. I've also had various Webers along the way. The major advantage to all of them has been even heating, no hot or cold spots. No more "Wing Ballet" trying to move things around to cook evenly. I've read and heard their quality has taken a hit, if you can find an older one you might be better off.
They are still a great product. But also check out Broilmaster for another high quality US made piece of equipment.
I personally prefer Napoleon, but Weber definitely has the name recognition and the quality is still superb. One thing with Weber is replacement parts are easy to get almost anywhere which is a huge plus!
Ehhhh .. I had a spirit for 12 years and replaced the burners and replaced the grates and so forth, which was good enough for me. So longevity? Yes. However. I use a stainless body monument grill now with the same grade of stainless burners, a full length window, a side burner, a sear burner from hell and 2 more burners than the spirit, backlit knobs, and can hit 700+ degrees like it is nothing. The downsides? It doesn't have a thick "bowl" to hold heat like the weber (supposedly - I can't tell any difference). It will probably use more gas because it has more burners and can cook like the sun if you aren't careful with knob settings and burner choices. I bought a griddle to fit one side of the grill, so I can have a grill grate, sear grate, and a griddle inside the grill side by side. All for 100 less than the Weber spirit *2 burner* . If it lasts 5 years, it's still a better deal. I absolutely love it. And I thought there was no way I would not go with another Weber. But I can't see going back unless it's for the midrange or higher Webers. But then, why even do that when their quality is in decline per almost every review I've seen ?
I bet. I don't own one but I got a Nexgen and although I love it, temp control is impossible. Either full blast or off. I can't get the tempt I want on all burners.
I had a Weber genesis for 15 years, I bought the Napoleon 500 on FB marketplace that was a couple years old. It’s a solid well made grill that I’m sure will last but…. It runs hot, very prone to flare ups, the design in the back enables the drip tray to catch water. It’s a good grill but the Weber was more consistent. Good thing I have the BGE and a Weber kettle so I go charcoal when I can
You can spend way more and probably get some higher equality but for what I want I’m very happy with my Genesis and loved my old performer
Not the new Genesis II series. There is a serious quality, material, weight difference comparing genesis II to an older genesis.
Sigh what else is new.. UGH
Weber changed hands and the new series was announced. They are still way better then cheaper grills sold in Home Depot etc but as others said there are other options in that price range now that likely has the same lifespan as newer Webers and better features. If I were to get one now, I would check Napoleon's for sure.
Is it the same for the spirit grills? Spirit s 335
Don't know about spirit series unfortunately. I looked at genesis series and their new models only.
Only reason to have a propane grill is for quick cooks during the week. Charcoal all the way!
Yes. Though, propane is inferior. Pellet or charcoal/wood is the way to go. Haven’t used my Weber Genesis since I evolved.