Genesis E 330 vs Silver B

I bought a 2015 Copper E 330 last year off CL for $250. Has a sear burner, cast iron grates and a side burner. It's in beautiful condition. Not a speck of rust on it. The fire box is a bit dirty, but not too bad. The flavorizers are good for several more years, at least.

Last week I picked up a 2003 Green Silver B off CL for $60. It's in great condition. Again, no rust. However, the inside of the lid and firebox are filthy. Stainless steel grates. The flavorizer bars are pretty bad, but will last a year or so.

I really don't want two gassers, so one of them has to go. The question is: which one? Since I don't know that much about them, I'm asking for the collective knowledge and wisdom on this board to help me make a decision. What is the better grill and why?

I might add that I have a rotisserie chili roaster that I use to well... roast chilis, bell peppers & etc. I do this occasionally and the E 330 does a good job. Gets real hot if the roaster is over the left 3 burners.

Hard to answer, since I only have a 2000. I do like the old, retro grills better than the new ones though, and for some reason feel like they will last longer.

Good luck, tough choice!

It depends, do you like using the sear station and extra side burner? If so then keep the E330. If you don't mind not having those then keep the Silver B. Like THyde, I do like the looks of the old skool grills. As a matter of fact a buddy of mine just picked up a Genny 1000 redhead this past week to rehab and asked his dad to help him and when his dad saw the grill he said that that's the "cadillac of grills" because he knew what it was like having one of those back in the day. LOL, his dad was more excited than my buddy.

Personally, I would go with the Silver B. Much easier to take care of and in the end, it will probably outlast the E330. But that is my preference. If you figure you will use all the extras on the 330, then go that route, but I don't know that you could cook any better on that than the Silver B.

You can certainly clean the Silver B up to almost like new, but just a simple scraping with a putty knife is all you need to do. It is "seasoned" not dirty. But if you want to take an angle grinder to the cook box and steel wool and Simple green to the inside of the lid, then have at it. It can be done. This is my personal grill before and after.

I bought my first Weber in 2016, the E-330 when it was discounted before the next generation. A couple months ago I bought a Silver A for $10. What could I lose over $10, right? Well, right now I'm talking with a guy about buying his Silver B, lol. If that deal works out I'll get rid of the A. I don't need both but--unlike your position--I sure do want both. $310 seems like a terrific investment for an E-330 and Silver B.

Nothing short of a dedicated rear burner will do a better job of rotisserie than the old style Weber. IMO Weber should be tried for fraud saying the new design works well ;D because they just don't. Bottom line is once you try that old skool Weber for spinning some food you'll make your argument for keeping both

I think it just depends on what you want.

The copper lid e series grills are just beautiful. And I think they are well made and can be durable although the enclosed carts do tend to rust.

If it's simplicity and long term durability you are after then the silver B is the better choice. Those old silver A and B grills along with the 1000 series are just tanks. They truly are made to last for decades. Maybe even a lifetime.

Here's a few more cents worth, although what has already been said is spot on...

The 330 gives you a little more real estate to grill with and a higher hood. As Larry Michaels points out, though, the higher hood unfortunately doesn't play out for a better rotisserie grill. (The previous Genesis 300 series with the burners going the long ways would probably be much better.) I have had a 330 for about 5 years. I do like the sear burner, even if some feel it is just a gimmick. These grills are harder to maintain because they are more complicated (electric start on each burner, many more parts, etc.) Two big drawbacks: (1) The enclosed carts made of painted steel. In our salt air climate these quickly become rust traps. (2) All 4 wheels have casters which don't last and worse can lead to trapped water and rusted out legs. This is what does these grills in, at least in my locale. You can overcome these problems by employing a rigorous maintenance routine and doing some rustproofing and even waxing (of the painted steel). It just requires diligence and a time commitment.

The Silver B/C and the older 1000/2000/3000 series have a little less space to grill on. The lower hood doesn't prevent these from being great rotisserie machines from what I have seen and heard. I just swapped with someone yesterday and got my first rotisserie, so hopefully I will speaking from experience soon. These grills are simple and rugged. That doesn't mean they don't also require care and replacement of parts from time to time. But, they are much more forgiving and a lot easier to disassemble/reassemble. One annoying aspect of these older grills with porcelain hoods is that, at least in my experience, they are highly prone to carbon buildup on the inside of the hoods. This does require effort to keep under control or else in time you will have sheets of shiny carbon (that many think is pealing paint) start to shed on your food. The newer 300 series grills have an inner heat shield which does not seem to do this. (Instead, it corrodes and eventually fails. Then you need a new hood because they don't sell just the shield and it is not replaceable anyway.)

I am actually in your position, because I keep picking up bargains (mostly I hope for flipping for profit). I got a really nice Silver C and it has replaced my 330 as my regular grill (along with a Q3200 - I can't seem to settle on just ONE grill). I am planning on rehabbing and selling my 330. Using a Silver after 5 years was like coming home!

So, I guess that is my conclusion at this point!

Thanks everyone for your great comments. Lots of food for thought here and many things I hadn't considered.
Haven't made a decision yet.

Let us know what you decide.

One more question: how well does a silver b sear steak? Compared to the E 330 with sear station?

This should answer your question

I agree with LMichaels. I have a 1000 and a silver A. Both sear steak very well. I've always thought the sear station was completely unnecessary.

Can someone explain to me exactly what is entailed in a "Sear Station" on these newer grills?

Bruce said:

Can someone explain to me exactly what is entailed in a "Sear Station" on these newer grills?

Click to expand...

The sear station is an extra burner between the middle and left burner. If you count from left to right it would be burner #2 of 4 burners.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks LMichaels & Greg M for your replies.

And you can review the descriptions and specs here to get a sense of its additional output of 10,000 BTU. Some of the Q&A's may also prove helpful. As for my personal experience, I cannot remark as this model is my first and only usage of a Genesis/sear station. But it would seem logical that an additional burner would result in higher heat, in my feeble mind. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Genesis-E-330-3-Burner-Propane-Gas-Grill-in-Copper-6532001/202830410

BFletcher said:

And you can review the descriptions and specs here to get a sense of its additional output of 10,000 BTU. Some of the Q&A's may also prove helpful. As for my personal experience, I cannot remark as this model is my first and only usage of a Genesis/sear station. But it would seem logical that an additional burner would result in higher heat, in my feeble mind. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Genesis-E-330-3-Burner-Propane-Gas-Grill-in-Copper-6532001/202830410

Click to expand...

I have used a 330 pretty extensively. The extra burner is identical to the the other three, but the close placement does make for extra heat on that side of the grill. In a way it helps make up for some of the short-comings of the front to back (N-S) placement of the burners. Oddly enough, I have always had the best results by starting steaks on the regular side and when I was ready to turn diagonally to get a crosshatch pattern moving to the “sear” side of the grill.

I think it is a good feature but agree that the older Genesis grills will sear just as well as long as you have good grates and allow time for them to get hot. And that is true of the 330 as well.

Yah, I just cannot fathom the benefit of the "Sear" burner. My genesis 1000 gets up to 500 pretty quick and if I drop a ribeye on that sucker, it certainly will Sear the steak. Then, after a couple minutes, I can drop it to another spot on the grates in a 90 degree position and I will get great tic tac toe marks all across my steaks. I suppose a dedicated sear burner is designed to get the heat up quick to that area, but to me, it is just an expensive option that I would have little use for. In fact, I bet 90% of people that have one of those grills, use the grill just like they would a Silver B. Turn on the burners, let it heat up and throw some meat on. Flip a few times, dinner time. But, it sounds good.

After much deliberation and obsessing... I sold the silver b for what I paid for it and kept the full tank of propane that came with it. Restoring the grill was a road I didn't want to take.

Robert, you seem to be much more into charcoal anyway!