Is someone actually grilling on a Genesis II?


 
D

Davide M

New member
It's a week or so that I'm reading around for buying a new gas grill. I never owned one, so this would be the first. I have some experience with grilling with charcoal. I will put it on my terrace, I live in an apartment building but the terrace is quite big (about 30 square meters) so I don't have big problems with space. I plan to use once or twice a week for my family (we have two babies 1 and 3 years old but they will grow and their hunger will also grow!) and sometimes we have friends or relatives, usually no more then 6-8 people. I'm leaning towards the 3 burner model, that from what I see should serve well for direct and inderect cooking.

In the last few days reading this great forum I've discovered that:
1) Genesis line is very well regarded and with a premium finish. Lots of threads of happy owners
2) Spirit original is cheaper but works well
3) now there is this new Genesis II line that looks great to me, but is made in China and for some this could bring down quality and expected life. I have no problem with this as long as it is well built.

But I still cannot find comments on how this new Genesis II are working, apart from some hypothesis based on photos or a quick look in a store.

So: someone has bought one of this new babies? Comments? I'm particularly interested in these topics:

- building quality/features: is it worth 200€ more then the spirit equivalent? Will last more? Where this money is actually going? What about the new bells&whistles? (GS4, new grease management, etc...)

- grilling quality: works good? Does it get hot? How good is at searing? The basic Genesis II line doesn't have a sear station option, and the LX is out of budget for me. The basic 3 burners are enough? Again, how does it compare to the Spirit?

- open stand design: personally I like it, but there are some concerns that I should be aware of? I have no experience with gas grillers so maybe there is some obvious reason to prefer a closed design.

- are you satisfied? Would you buy it again? There were some other buying option you were evaluating before buying the Genesis II?

Thank to anyone will be sharing his experience
 
I own the SE-410 in Smoke and love it. You can see more details, including a heat distribution test at:

https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?68896-Genesis-II-SE-410-Even-heat-distribution-AKA-Toast-Test&p=760177#post760177

To answer some of your questions:

Yes - the materials are a tad thinner, but I keep all of my grills in my garage, and don't expect any issues there. I can sear a steak with all 4 burners on high, with the cover open mind you. The new burners are really great, and won't go out even on low settings, like some of my other, older Genesis models did. The price may indeed turn off some buyers, I think it should be a bit lower.

Grease management hasn't changed much throughout the generations of Genesis models, and you still need to clean that drip pan out or you might encounter a blazing inferno (I know a few of us have experienced this, with the old models at least). I've learned my lesson with this.

You'll definitely pay a premium for the LX models, but it will give you lit knobs, a side burner, optional stainless, and enclosed cart - none of which I care to use, although the side burner did get some use on my older Genesis Gold C. I use a cast iron pan instead now, and can heat it up on the grates, or one of my other grills.

I prefer the open cart design, as it will keep moisture out, preventing possible rust, etc. Again, I always keep mine in the garage. I'm satisfied with my purchase, and have no regrets, and plan on purchasing the iGrill 3, although I already own a Maverick 732. Also bought the rotisserie for it, and it works great. Some have mentioned that the north/south positioning of the burners don't lend themselves to good rotisserie cooking, but I have had great results with chickens and pork loins.

I hope this helps.

Thanks.

Martin
 
Thanks Martin for your comments.

I will keep my Genesis outdoor, my terrace doesn't have any kind of roof and I was thinking to cover it at least in winter. I have no experience with that, should I expect some issues? Rust or what? What about rain?

The Genesis isn't cheap, but this new model is cheaper then the old one. The standard 3 burner cost €1000 in Italy but you can find it for €870. The old one was €1300 and I've found one for €1000, but I like more the new design and it is also cheaper. I wouldn't have considered the old one at that price.

Being the first gas grill for me I don't want to spent too much, so I'm not considering the LX. The price gap is huge, not just a premium. I don't really know how much it will be used. So for now this is really the highest budget I want to invest. Maybe the only feature I would be interested in is the more powerful burners that should act as a sear station. But based on your experience the standard burners should be enough to sear a steak. it would be really disappointing that a 1000€ grill isn't able to properly cook a steak... isn't it?
 
I have a SE-410 as well and I keep it outside on my deck and use the weber cover for it. I live in Baltimore, MD if that helps with getting an idea of our typical weather conditions. I haven't checked for corrosion yet as I've only had it since January, but I'll take a look when I get home tonight.
 
Thanks Caesar. What do you think about the Weber cover? is it a good option?

I've make some comparison with the old one and seems that the new one is slightly less powerful then the old one (37,500 BTU vs 38,000 BTU), for a slightly larger cooking area (513 square inches vs 507). I'm talking about the standard genesis II e-310 vs. the genesis e-310.

I don't know if this really matters or they are just numbers...

Martin and Caesar, what kind of temperature are you getting from your Genesis II after some preheating at max?
 
I've been eying the 410 myself. I know the price is steep, but if you justify (spread) the cost out over the years, the 10 year warranty is still better than buying 3-4 $200. models that fall apart in their 2nd year (and are limping or trashed in the 3rd).
 
Unless you buy from a place (like Sam's) that offer full lifetime refund or exchange if you're ever dissatisfied. They and Costco do actually stand behind the product(s) they sell. While the Weber may be (marginally) better from my observations it's not markedly better and being made of ever lighter and thinner Chinese materials IMO it does not justify $1000+ for that "10 year" warranty when in all likelihood they may end up forgetting to make replacement parts to honor said warranty and leave you high and dry anyway. And, yes while it may be somewhat inconvenient to cart the thing back to Sam's or Costco you can at least come back every few years with a whole new grill for free rather than trying to rebuild. Food for thought
 
LMichaels said:
Unless you buy from a place (like Sam's) that offer full lifetime refund or exchange if you're ever dissatisfied. They and Costco do actually stand behind the product(s) they sell. While the Weber may be (marginally) better from my observations it's not markedly better and being made of ever lighter and thinner Chinese materials IMO it does not justify $1000+ for that "10 year" warranty when in all likelihood they may end up forgetting to make replacement parts to honor said warranty and leave you high and dry anyway. And, yes while it may be somewhat inconvenient to cart the thing back to Sam's or Costco you can at least come back every few years with a whole new grill for free rather than trying to rebuild. Food for thought
Click to expand...

That just about sums up my thoughts...damned if you do, damned if you don't. (For me, getting to any large store is a 60+mile round trip...and no truck).
 
China made or not I think Weber still makes a quality product that is far superior to most of their competition. I've got a friend with a newer member's mark. What a piece of garbage. If I were buying new I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Weber.
 
There are so many items with the "Member's Mark" logo the statement is not really relevant. It would be like someone dissing a Weber because they happened to have been unlucky enough to have owned a Weber gas kettle (which was about the most awful thing I have ever used). Every company and every brand has "stinkers" and gems in their lineup. Plus my statement has more to do with "value". I'm sorry I honestly do not see the value of the new lineup. Are they decent products? Of course. I never said otherwise. But are they worth the money being Weber has sold their souls to China? Not IMO. If they had CUT the costs and made the prices similar to other offerings from China (IOW instead of $1000+ for say a Genesis II E410 maybe $500 or so) Hey I'd be all over that. And, if you take an HONEST look at the specific model I mentioned from Sam's and did a VERY hard consideration (again with VALUE being the driver) it's kind of a no brainer especially when you throw in a life time guarantee. Now I will admit I am not rushing out any time soon to buy one but that is because I don't need to. I am quite content with my Wolf and my Summit 450 being my daily "drivers". Gave Genesis III to son in law and daughter for their new house so it's no longer living with me. Bottom line as much as I love(d) my current Weber grills I don't look at the company with "blind faith" ESPECIALLY now when $$$$s count more than ever (read retired fixed income). If needed I'd buy that $499 Sam's keep my receipt and get a new one as often as I needed to. Laughing all the way to the bank
 
You are entitled to your opinion. Me I'll believe what I've seen with my own eyes and actually seen in action. Give me a weber any day over a member's mark. Char broil, etc.
 
Same here (but make mine an old one). I refuse to pay that much for Chinese (unless of course they help out on the North Korean issue LOL)
 
Weber has a long way to go before I would call them same as charboil garbage.

They're Msrp prices are definitely inflated by name brand recognition more than ever. I have agree that "blind Faith" should not be given. Prices are moving closer to high end custom grills.

Still better than 99% of grills in hardware stores.
 
Garth C said:
Weber has a long way to go before I would call them same as charboil garbage.
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Honestly you're putting words in my mouth. My statement was I was disappointed that they sold their souls just like Charbroil and many other formerly quality American companies did. Not that they were "garbage"
 
LMichaels said:
Honestly you're putting words in my mouth. My statement was I was disappointed that they sold their souls just like Charbroil and many other formerly quality American companies did. Not that they were "garbage"
Click to expand...

Not a direct reply to you. Actually just agreeing that quality is down, just has a long way before it's in same level as other manufacturers. You would hope so at 5 times the price!

The china discussion can get politically charged so I stay away from that.
 
Martin Chicago said:
You'll definitely pay a premium for the LX models, but it will give you lit knobs, a side burner, optional stainless, and enclosed cart.
Click to expand...

I agree, there is quite a price jump for the LX models. Our local Lowes still has original Genesis Stainless Steel S-330's for sale for $849. Basically the same as the new Genesis II LX S-340 that sells for hundreds of $$ more. The two grills are sitting side by side.

The high price of the LX models makes me wonder whether I should consider a Napoleon Prestige 500 for about the same price as a Weber LX.
 
Kim H. said:
I agree, there is quite a price jump for the LX models. Our local Lowes still has original Genesis Stainless Steel S-330's for sale for $849. Basically the same as the new Genesis II LX S-340 that sells for hundreds of $$ more. The two grills are sitting side by side.

The high price of the LX models makes me wonder whether I should consider a Napoleon Prestige 500 for about the same price as a Weber LX.
Click to expand...

A few comments to what you posted
S330 at $849 is a good value. I can see it as a decent option at that price, which is about $100 cheaper than what normal pricing was before the closeout. Not everyone has that option, they're not available in my area. You get a few more features in the S340, but that is a substantial price difference.

As for the Napoleon, its a nice looking grill with a bunch of features. Worth taking a look at to see if it meets your needs. It also is a little bit more than the 340. I was comparing the Napoleon to the S440 at about the same pricing and I liked the S440 due to the size over the features.
 
Weber it's an American brand and probably sells a lot in USA. But it's not the only market. And pricing can vary a lot across country, and also alternative choices.

For example here in Italy you can find broil king but it's priced similar to weber, maybe 10% less but not big difference. At this price point I think the Genesis II still offer better value for a slightly higher price. Napoleon is not an option, haven't find it anywhere. There is Outdoor Chef that is a nice brand but they mainly sell gas kettles, well built but not as all around as a traditional gas grill. So weber become the obvious choice.

Comparing the old genesis with the new one is also different in Italy then in the USA.

The genesis e-330 costs 1600€, I have fund one for 1300€. Still lots of money. Lots of people in Italy earn this amount in one month of work, just to give you some context.

The genesis 2 lx e-340 cost 1800€ but you can find for 1600, so nearly the same as the old one, for similar specs and built quality

I've bought the genesis 2 e-310 for €790. It was on offer for a "Weber day" at a local store. I thought about buying the old e-330 for 1300 but was 500€ more. Too much for my first gasser!

Personally I'm happy for this cheaper version of the genesis. You can buy a really good grill for less then 1000€. With the old model this was simply not possible. There is the Spirit and also the Q3200 for less but they are not totally comparable.

This to say that in different countries options and pricing could vary and take to different comparison results
 
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