That finish is porcelain enamel from the factory. Weber does not offer a touch up spray paint, but I would like to see them do so.
High heat engine enamel will work to repaint the whole lid if you find a color that you like.
I imagine the matte finish is designed to cover up a less finished lid. Matte finishes are great at hiding imperfections. It sounds to me like Weber has decided to skip a final step in the lid preparation before it is painted by not sanding the lid lightly to get rid of that rough finish after casting. The use the matte finish to hide that fact due to the fact that it will absorb much more light than a shiny finish that reflects it.
My question is, how durable is the newer matte finish? The old finish was relatively durable.
Do all the new Q's made after 2014, with the rounder dome lid, have a rough matte finish on the lid? The older models used to have a smoother semi-gloss finish.
The rough finish looks like it stains easily and is harder to clean.
I have two Q1200's. The first is a 2014 in Titanium and it's finish is the semi-gloss. The 2nd is a 2019 in black and it has the rough matte finish. I haven't had the black one very long as it was a clearance pick up from Target a month ago, so i can't speak to how easy it will clean up. The Titanium one is quite easy to wipe clean the exterior, but the color is also pretty boring in my opinion.
I suppose Weber is saving $5 per grill by skipping the final finishing step on the lids. If so, a bad move in my opinion. The good thing is that these older Q grills last forever if you just replace the grates and burners ever so often. And I am still waiting to hear from someone that purchased a set of the SS grates for them. The grates are easily the weak point of these grills and a stainless solution would be a big plus if they work out well.
Dont think they are doing that. I dont get the grate rust thing. I bought my q220 back in 2005 ? So my grate still looks basically new. I clean and oil it after each cook. Not the entire grate, just the top. Twice a year i give the whole grate a decent scrubbing. Then oil it up. I figure that this grate will last forever, at least my lifetime. Its cast iron, you have to take care of it minimally at least.
I have noticed the difference looking at the red ones at my Ace. I need to go and check the "titanium" ones they have for sale there. My first impression wasn't really negative about it, but the comments about the rougher texture being very hard to clean do give me pause. Not sure what Weber is thinking or if, in fact, there is actually a quality control issue. The latter seems unlikely to me since it is obviously being seen everywhere.
It's not a quality control issue. Weber chose to put the rough matte texture on the north american Q models while sticking with a smooth shinier finish on the same models sold in Australia.
I think it was a cost decision. The Q series in Australia are regarded has higher end models where in north america they're considered lower models in the Weber line. BTW, has anyone noticed in Australia they sell a Q3200 and Q3600 built-in models?