2016 Weber Genesis e 310 vs 2017 (II)


 

Tyler B

New member
I've been researching grills heavily and am very interested in the Weber Genesis e-310. Last years model looks better than this years model (series II). Can anyone compare/contrast? Why did they remove the doors/compartment under the grill this year?
 
The LX editions have the doors. I'm not sure why they went to this on the regular Genesis 2. I think it looks ok but it does have a shorter lid which may or may not matter to you. I was very close to pulling the trigger on a 2016 e310 and these guys talked me into restoring a Genesis 1000. Supposedly the burners are tapered towards the rear on the Genesis 2 for more even cooking and the burner ports are rounder and thus harder to clog. You can look up the new system. I doubt in terms of quality there is much difference between the 2, I'd probably opt for the newer one.
 
I finally got to check out the genesis II and I also have a 2006 e/w burners E320 which I really like. As far as quality goes they appear to be about the same. I just can't get over what there asking for them though. If you can get a deal on the e310 I would go that route as I can't imagine there is that much difference between them.
 
I'd take a long hard look at the broil king line of grills. www.broilking.com

They're at least equal to weber quality-wise, warranties are about the same, they're made in the USA and are MUCH cheaper than Weber.

For less than what you would pay for that Genesis you could get a very good broil king grill (at least a 3 burner model) with a roti burner as well.
 
If you go with the open bottom cart design I think the price is about the same between the new genesis and it's predecessor? I actually prefer the open non enclosed cart. But others prefer the enclosed type with the doors.

I've looked at the new genesis models pretty closely. They may be made in China but they look pretty well constructed to me. I have no plans to replace my genesis 1000. But if I did I wouldn't have a problem buying a new genesis at all.
 
I bought a 310 last year because Mama said I could and when mama gives you the go ahead you just do it! Main reason was she had just got me a new performer and they are both copper

Now I would much rather have the new one just on the pure looks. I dig the open cart design and I just like the lines. Plus regardless of where it or its components are made it sounds to me as though some real science went into this thing.

As to the Sams CLub grill. They definitely went after some of webers styling and I will put my hands on one but if it has those same generic tube burners guarantee or not those things are garbage I never could get a full season without burning up one or more tubes. Sure they'll take it back and I have played that game more than once but last time I did I used the return money to buy meat for my used genesis 1000
 
The burners are tube burners, however the mfgr indicates they are 304SS and in my impromptu inspection of the product they appear to be at least as substantial as the burners in any of my Weber grills (though not nearly as much as the ones in my Wolf which are also SS tubes). Frankly if I was in need of a grill and wanted brand new it's the way I would go. Hands down. My only misgiving about the Sam's product is the lack of the rotisserie burner and rotisserie setup. Otherwise I'd be all over it like white on rice.
 
All due respect LM. I know you feel you've been burned by Weber in the past and most likely rightfully so

Just because they are 304 ss doesn't speak to their durability let alone how thick they are

I've got some seriously seasoned Weber burners and they're all far superior to any house brand I've ever seen
 
IMO with a $499 price tag and a lifetime money back warranty I see no reason not to take a chance on it instead of dropping nearly 3X as much for a limited warranty and who knows something that may have come out of the same factory (or as my buddy describes them slave labor camps) BTW he fixes machines that they use in the factories there. He described to me how those workers live. So I am not far off on my description. In any case after viewing both I see no reason not to give one a go
 
I put my hands on the sams club grill today in store. To each their own but I wouldn't buy it. It has the same crap tube burners that every other cheap grill at Walmart or lowes or wherever

The grates were thick and heavy but I doubt they are solid stainless likely plated.

It was bright and shiny
 
I noted from looking at the specs the grates are solid 304 SS. The burners are also 304SS. I have looked at both the Chinese Weber stuff and this and frankly while the Weber does have what APPEARS to be slightly higher quality it does carry a 3x higher price tag and does not have a lifetime money back guarantee. So you have a unit that MAY go say 10 years without a part replacement in the Weber but may/may not be covered by warranty in that time frame and costs $1200 for a comparable unit. Or one that is $499 may go 6 years and worst case after that if it fails can be brought back and have every dime returned. But may just actually last far longer. Me? I'll spend less every day. I would NOT have said this with the old TRUE Weber grills which truly were worth the premium you paid. When a comparable foreign product would be maybe $400 and the Weber was $650 or so. At that time the Weber was the best use of one's $$$$$. Not so any more from my observations. They have sold their souls to the Chinese production and cheapened materials devils just like former great names like Charmglow, Charbroil, Thermos and more did. So imo I see no reason to support that with even MORE $$$. Had they done this and kept prices reasonable and priced their product accordingly (based on slave labor rates and cheap materials) I'd give the nod back to Weber. But that company is NOT the company it once was. I'll take $499 all day long and at 5 years if it fails get my $$$ back and do it again but that is IF not WHEN it might fail
 
I don't really see that much different in this makers mark grill from any of a number of store brand grills that have been produced over the years. It made from stainless, its got a nice look to it, it looks great on a spec sheet too. If you go by the specs and presentation, it is trying to compete with an S-620 or Genesis S-640.
Is it as good? Id venture a guess and say no. Will it be reliable in 3 years, who knows.

All grills that are in my budget have started using 430 stainless in place of 304 due to cost, maybe not everywhere on the grill but in a lot of spots. Not just grills, but a lot of production has moved overseas for a lot of components.

Realistically, I"m really not sure why you push so hard for a product like in the link. It seems to go against most your criticism of Weber. Its a Chinese made product that most likely won't deliver in the long term. Its a house brand that currently doesn't have a real reputation. Its a Kenmore grill but without the longstanding name and reputation, which didn't work in the grill space. The only wrinkle is the warranty, which is just a quirk of where it is sold.

Yes, I'd like the Weber to be cheaper than it is.

Has anyone actually done significant testing on the performance of these sorts of grills? Long term, 3 years or greater durability? actual taking apart a current Weber and comparing it to something like this part for part seeing what the difference look like? I don't have the know how to really judge the differences in construction outside of gut feelings. I feel that there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that these sorts of grills don't cook evenly, aren't reliable and fall apart in a few years.
I find most of the grill reviews on the web are fluff pieces that for the most part praise praise praise, maybe 1 small reservation, praise.

Di spite the criticism that the Weber grills are cheap Chinese crap, they seem to feel solid and have nice even heat, and most people are happy with them for a long time. I guess the redesigned Weber Genesis' are only 10 years old and then further redesigned sometime later. So the real long term durability of the N/S burner ones hasn't been proven.

Also, I tend to think some of us have a Weber defender bias as we've had ones that have delivered in the past, where you lean the other way. I do understand where you're coming from. Its hard to look at things completely objectively from either side.
 
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I spent 3-4 years chasing the sams club game. Yeah when it burns up or out you take it back and get your money back with no guff. And I can guarantee that those burners will not last a full season of grilling 3+ nights a week you will blow at least one.

The appeal is if you have problems then you return it next year or maybe you get 5. This is the game that turned me to Weber and when I bought my first used 1000. If the new burners are any where near the quality of the old ones you can't kill them.

Also you most likely will have to assemble the Sam's grill some say you know it's done right I say it's a pita

Like I said when I was young and broke I played the game and got tired of it now I am addicted to Weber.

Just sharing my opinion and respect and understand why someone would consider the same grill I just want to share why I wouldn't.
 
I've looked at both the new weber grill and the Sam's grill. No comparison. The weber is just much heavier and better built and more thoughtfully designed.

And I have a friend with a newer Sam's grill. It's no better than a char broil IMO. Very cheap flavorizer bars and flares up like crazy. It looks nice until you dig deeper or actually cook on it.

I'm frugal and very careful with my money. Just ask my wife. But I would gladly pay the extra $$ for a weber. Even if it's made in China.
 
I have been looking at the outgoing Genesis 310/330 series, Summit 420, and the new Genesis II E/Gen II LX for about a month so here are a few of my observations.

All Genesis models, new and old, have aluminum cookboxes which will not rust and, I hear, hold heat better than the metal cookboxes on the Summit series. However, when I was looking at the Gen IIs, the castings seemed thinner to me than on the older Genesis line. I could easily flex the aluminium on the sides of the cookbox, especially on the larger 4 and 6 burner models. That doesn't leave the best impression when the asking price is as high as it is.

I believe both the Gen II standard and LX models use the same basic frame but the LX seems sturdier due to the additional paneling on the sides, bottom and doors that tie it together. The slats on the bottom of the standard Genesis are a absolute joke. They are not even boxed and can be lifted right out of place. I was also disappointed that the frame cross members on both GenII models were not fully boxed steel but rather a c-channel type of stamped steel which I could flex pretty easily. I believe the old Genesis and Summit models used full boxed square steel frame which seems much stronger. The external tank shrouds are flimsy sheets of metal that are just asking to get bent. I'd probably just kick it old school and not even bother installing them to hid the tank.

I also like the slightly taller hoods on the older Genesis and Summit models. It seems the LX is a bit taller than the standard Gen II but they still seem too stubby. I'm sure they are fine unless you plan on doing some large rotisserie. Maybe their squatness is an optical illusion but I didn't care for the aesthetics.

In the end of my search I went for a Summit that was on clearance. It's built like a tank but I doubt preforms any better than the old Gen E-330 or the Gen IIs. The price was right and I like things overbuilt so I went Summit but I do wish it had an aluminum cookbox like my old Charbroil from the early 2000's. Overall the new Genesis has some intriguing features but if you can snag a clearance E310/E330, I don't think you would be missing out on much when you take into account the pros and cons and potential cost savings of the older model.
 
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