NexGrill Evolution 5


 

Jon Tofte

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Had to make a quick stop at Home Depot, so I toured the grill section, of course;). The NexGrill Evolution 5 discussed in an earlier thread (See a First Look at GrillGrates) was front and center on display. I couldn’t spend as long as I would have liked but took some pictures and have a few observations.

This grill is really sharp. One of the nicest looking “lower tier” brand grills I have seen. I think they are trying, within the price point they are working within, to make some headway toward a higher quality presentation. This grill has somewhat smaller grill space than the Weber Genesis II 4–burner that was standing nearby (at almost 4x the price:confused:), but this grill features 5 burners. On the surface that seems like a better sear potential.

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Of course, the big selling feature of this grill is the so-called infrared system that uses perforated trays below the stainless rod grates. Pretty much what Larry has been advocating. In the earlier thread we laughed at the way these were installed up side down, but it turns out that NexGrill advocates using them BOTH ways or not even at all for "traditional" grilling.

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This display model was just like the one Bruce saw, having all the grates underneath the perforated panels. I swapped one out with the grate on top to see how it would look the way I would expect to use it:

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Speaking of the grates, check out how thick the bars are. (I know, Larry, you could drop some smaller items in between), but I think these bars would make great sear marks and, for that purpose, I think I like them spaced out more like this:

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So, this IS an attractive grill. Does it appear to be somewhat lightweight and thinly made? Yes, at least the bottom cart pieces and the perforated panels seemed pretty lightweight. I doubt they are high quality stainless, although the bottom cart side and bottom may actually be aluminum which at least won't rust out. The grate and burners superficially at least compare much more favorably.

After seeing in person, I will stick with my observation that this could be a very nice grill that may, in fact, cook excellently. What it would take, however, is a high degree of attention to cleaning and maintenance and a thorough coating of the metal parts with something like Everbrite. If you did that, and maybe recoated it every year or so, you might actually have a cool grill.

Certainly, the $379 price for a five burner grill with flashy style and eclectic features stood in sharp contrast to the Spirit II 2-burner for a higher price stationed just in front of it. You can easily see the challenge Weber faces in the marketplace today:

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If I had an extra $379 laying around and room for it, I would really like to try one of these, giving it special care and see how it worked and held up over time.
 
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LOOK AT ALL THAT SHINY, FLASHY METAL...ALL THAT BLING!!! :cool:

Yeah, it definitely has that!

I would just qualify my positive remarks by saying that in the hands of a typical user situation (little or no maintenance, stored exposed to the elements) this grill probably wouldn't make it past one full season of grilling. The perforated panels would take continual effort to keep clear. And, all that bling is mostly cheap "stainless".

That is not to say that it couldn't be kept up or that it doesn't have some classy features. The knobs felt higher quality, the grates seem really good, and when working I think the "infrared" would be an effective cooker. A whole different animal than the tried and true classic Genesis with its rugged simplicity and much more forgiving maintenance requirements.

Whether bling looks better than the charm of real wood and a color lid is, of course, highly subjective and what makes the world go around.
 
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Man, look at the price of that Weber 2 burner vs. the Nexgril 5 burner...still costs more and less features but I believe it'll still sell well because of the Weber name.
 
I ddin't know about using the plates on top. That's kinda weird. But, yeah my very (and I mean VERY) quick observation of the product did not allow for any "judgements" of overall quality. I was simply intrigued by the IR idea as I actually had been conjuring this up for a very long time based on a BroiMaster I used to have with ceramic plates that acted very much like the IR emitters on say a TEC product and I had been thinking about the "plate" idea for a few years now. Just had not gotten around to it
 
I ddin't know about using the plates on top. That's kinda weird. But, yeah my very (and I mean VERY) quick observation of the product did not allow for any "judgements" of overall quality. I was simply intrigued by the IR idea as I actually had been conjuring this up for a very long time based on a BroiMaster I used to have with ceramic plates that acted very much like the IR emitters on say a TEC product and I had been thinking about the "plate" idea for a few years now. Just had not gotten around to it

Well, Larry, hopefully next month or May I will do my big play-off test! I just received the piece of aluminum that will have to be cut to individual pieces.
 
I came within a cat's whisker of buying one (though most likely a different model) in 2016 but ultimately went with the E-330 as it was being discounted in preparation for the next generation. I was at that time an infant Weber enthusiast and assumed I had bought a gasser that would last 20 years. Later, I learned through reading that what I bought in 2016 was not equal to what others bought in earlier years. Having said that, I am pleased with it and compared to the disposable units I owned in earlier years it appears to be of reasonable quality.
 
BFletcher: that is a perfect analysis of the state of weber grills. They built a great reputation up until about ten years ago but then got away from their roots. Still good grills, but not the quality and simplicity of ten years. They are still living off that reputation to a degree and as people trade their 15-25 year old Silver B's and Genesis 1000's for the newer E310's, they are going to come to the same conclusion that have. And, when major parts of that E310 fail after just 4-5 years, they are going to look back at the Genesis 1000 that lasted 15 years before anything other than burners, igniters, grates or flavorizer bars needed replacement. Then, they will wonder, "What the he11 happened to their $699 E310". And in their mind, Weber will have become just another grill manufacturer.
 
BFletcher: that is a perfect analysis of the state of weber grills. They built a great reputation up until about ten years ago but then got away from their roots. Still good grills, but not the quality and simplicity of ten years. They are still living off that reputation to a degree and as people trade their 15-25 year old Silver B's and Genesis 1000's for the newer E310's, they are going to come to the same conclusion that have. And, when major parts of that E310 fail after just 4-5 years, they are going to look back at the Genesis 1000 that lasted 15 years before anything other than burners, igniters, grates or flavorizer bars needed replacement. Then, they will wonder, "What the he11 happened to their $699 E310". And in their mind, Weber will have become just another grill manufacturer.

I agree with you for the most part. Yet I have a neighbor with an e 310 that is I believe 5 years old. Despite heavy use and being mostly "made in China " it is holding up great. Do I think it's as well made as my old genny 1000? No I don't. But it's still light years ahead of the standard big box disposable grills.
 
My E320 is a 2009 model and it being 8 years old and used a lot it is in excellent condition original throughout. I do keep it covered and it's on a covered patio so the elements don't get to it. Comparing it to my genesis 2000 I would say the quality is about the same. Although I will admit I hate the SS on the E320 I much prefer wood shelves or like my 2000 which has the durawood which I like for ease of maintenance.
 
I think a lot of the problems with durability on the newer genesis models centers around the enclosed cart. Something that you can avoid with the genesis II if you so choose.
 
I would say that was a wise move by Weber to offer the new grills without the enclosed cabinet.
 
I came within a cat's whisker of buying one (though most likely a different model) in 2016 but ultimately went with the E-330 as it was being discounted in preparation for the next generation. I was at that time an infant Weber enthusiast and assumed I had bought a gasser that would last 20 years. Later, I learned through reading that what I bought in 2016 was not equal to what others bought in earlier years. Having said that, I am pleased with it and compared to the disposable units I owned in earlier years it appears to be of reasonable quality.

I think if you put the effort into caring for your Weber e-330 grill and staying on the lookout for the beginnings of rust, you will get many years of good service. Are they as simple and rugged as the old "Gennys"? Definitely not, but they ARE very good grills, and you don't need to feel bad about buying or owning one.

When the time eventually comes, an upgrade to Dave Santana (rcplanebuyer) flavorizer bars and heat deflectors (and if needed, grates) will give your grill a big boost and more years of life. I would suggest this spring you put some extra time into rustproof treatment for the inside of the legs and the connectors that hold the bottom cabinet tray to the side and back pieces. Maybe also put a really good coat of wax on any painted metal. There is a product called Everbrite that you can paint over all the stainless parts giving them much higher durability and resistance to pitting and corrosion. It is food safe once it has cured. That may seem like a lot of extra work, but if you are willing to do it, I think you will have many, many years of excellent service and you can tell people a decade from now how you wished Weber made grills like they used to back in 2016;)!
 
I haven't used it long enough to give a full opinion, but it seems to work so far. Sure beats pitted, corroded cheap stainless. Seems like a way to stretch the life of most of the mid-price grills available today that otherwise probably will corrode. They also have products for restoring stainless. They have been a good company to work with as far as shipping promptly.
 

 

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