Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill


 

Lance L

TVWBB Fan
Thinking about parking the kettle and giving gas a try. Would the Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill be a good starting point for jumping into the gasser world?
 
I am sure it would be fine.

Most of us in this section, though, would strongly steer you to a classic Genesis, either a 1000 series or maybe a Silver. You can have fun doing your own restore or even make arrangements to buy an already restored one for less than what you would pay for a new E-210. To buy an already restored one, you would probably have to make a road trip, but you would have a great grill that will last way longer and cook better than a new Spirit II.
 
Independent of new or old I would recommend a 3 burner gas grill which gives you better options for indirect grilling. You are limited with 2 burners. Plus I would not park the kettle. I have and use both. The kettle is great for high heat searing or kettle "frying". Especially when using a vortex. You will not get the temperatures that high on a gasser. I think the kettle is also a better option for pizza. The gas grill is great for quick grills plus it is a lot more convenient and does require less work. Both have their advantages.
And yes I am classic grill fan too and prefer the older ones over the new ones. But I also love to tinker and restoring an old one is fun for me.
 
I wish I had the time to restore or shop used but it’s tough in my area. I could easily jump up to the 3 burner if it’s more beneficial. I thought the 50/50 of the two burner would be ideal but I guess three burners would also have advantages.
 
If money is not a primary concern, then I would go with the three burner for sure. For the reasons Stefan suggests. But, money is an issue for some people and if you have to go down to a two burner, then I am sure you will be fine there as well.
It's like driving a Chevy Cruze vs a Suburban. They will both get you there, but if you have too many passengers, it might take two trips or an uncomfortable ride.
 
I had a 2013 Spirit 2 burner that was fine out in the dry SW, but started to quickly rust in the bottom when returned to the NE. I restored a 2002 Silver A, added Dave Santana grates and bars, then sold the Spirit to in essence pay for the ss bars and new tubes. Infinitely happier with the older A than the Spirit, cooks better etc. For us, the 2 burner has been fine for just the two of us. When I want something more than burgers or chicken breast, I resort to my prized 1998 blue top ss Performer! For me its the best of both. 2 burner is extremely frugal on propane too. There's something for everyone.
 
Great advice/info!

I’ll add what I plan to use this grill for on a regular basis. I’m looking to get away from lightning charcoal for small cooks on weeknights. Each line is what I’ll possibly cook on any given night.

2) Steaks
4) Burgers
4) Leg quarters
4) Boneless breast
1) Basket of vegetables
 
Lance, that spells a two burner. However, what happens when the wife invites a couple friends and spouses? Maybe hang onto the coal burner to handle the overflow?
Or, do what I do and use a Q200 for quick small cooks and the Genesis 1000 three burner for bigger or more intricate cooks like turkeys, ribs with smoke, rotisserie, etc...
 
Lance my best friend has a spirit 2 burner. He loves his. It's 3 years old and holding up well. I've never heard him say he wished he had the larger 3 burner.

But I have both a 2 and a 3 burner weber on my deck. I use and like both. But if I could only have one it would be the 3 burner. It's just more versatile with more ability to do indirect heat.
 
Lance my best friend has a spirit 2 burner. He loves his. It's 3 years old and holding up well. I've never heard him say he wished he had the larger 3 burner.

But I have both a 2 and a 3 burner weber on my deck. I use and like both. But if I could only have one it would be the 3 burner. It's just more versatile with more ability to do indirect heat.

Thanks for the info. At first I was gonna buy a 2 burner and add a 4 burner later if we start entertaining more but I'm starting to feel the 3 burner may be the best all around.

In theory the 2 burner would be 50/50 but I’m sure some of the direct heat would carry over to the indirect side. Now thinking about it having the center burner off on the 3 burner may add a bit of a buffer between the direct and indirect sides.

Weighing out pros and cons I think I’ll shop for a 3 burner. Thanks for all the advice I’ll update y’all with what I end up getting.
 
Do yourself a favor, skip the Spirit and get a Q3xxx. Far better made and performing than the other
 
I think you will be happy with that. Let us know how you like it when you throw some cow flesh at it. Photos are mandatory.
 
I will also be interested in how you like your new Genesis II. You will get some flack here because so many of us are hard core classic Genesis fans (for some very good reasons), but I have looked at the Genesis II and found it to have some definite positives of its own. Hope you can post pictures!
 
Well we ended up returning the genesis because of so many damaged parts in the box (last one in stock). The store said Weber would probably send me replacement parts but I opted to just return it. We ended up getting a Weber Spirit E-310 (not the series 2) we shall see how it holds up. Meanwhile I’m gonna keep an eye out for a restoration project.
 
Sorry to hear that. I am not sure why Weber is still selling the old style E3xx grills along side the new Genesis and Spirit II lines.

Anyway, you probably saved enough money to fund a rehab grill and everything you need to put it back into service with some fine flavorizer bars and cooking grates.

Pictures of the Spirit E310 and future rehab are mandatory.
 
We ended up getting a Weber Spirit E-310 (not the series 2)

Good choice. I plan to use one of these for a month or two the next time I pick one up
and possibly consider using it as a daily cooker. I have had 5 or 6 of these this summer
and I have never heard a negative word about any of them.
 
I picked up and rehabbed a one year old Spirit II E310 this summer and actually cooked on it, just to see how it did. I thought it did a very good job, but the construction of the grill overall is clearly not what the older generation grills were. The cook box alone is clearly thinner and less weight. Not to mention the shelves and the lid and just about every other aspect.
 

 

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