Closing in on new Grill. questions?


 
T

Tommy Scarano

TVWBB Member
Genesis EP-310 Premium 749.00

Three stainless steel burners
38,000 BTU main burners
Total cooking area = 637 sq. in.
Long lasting, easy to maintain stainless steel rod cooking grates
Long lasting, easy to maintain stainless steel flavorizer bars
flavorizer bars
Center mounted burner controls
Porcelain enameled lid
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Weber® Genesis E-310 699.00

Three stainless steel burners
38,000 BTU main burners
Total cooking area = 637 sq. in.
Porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grate
Porcelain enameled flavorizer bars
Center mounted burner controls
Porcelain enameled lid
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Genesis® EP-330 849.00

Three stainless steel burners
38,000 BTU main burners
12,000 BTU flush mounted side burner
Additional 10,000 BTU sear burner
Total cooking area = 637 sq. in.
Stainless steel rod cooking grates
Stainless steel flavorizer bars
Center mounted burner controls
Porcelain enameled lid
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Genesis® E-330 799.00

Three stainless steel burners
38,000 BTU main burners
12,000 BTU flush mounted side burner
Additional 10,000 BTU sear burner
Total cooking area = 637 sq. in.
Porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grate
Porcelain enameled flavorizer bars
Center mounted burner controls
Porcelain enameled lid
 
and now for my questions.

are SS Grates and Bars worth the 50.00 in price over Porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grate ??

also any thoughts on the Additional 10,000 BTU sear burner on the 330.???


Iv never really used the side mounted burner on my Silver so Im not sure if its needed on my new grill. that said if the sear burner is worth getting then ill have to get the side burner...

do any of you grillers use your side burner?? sear burner ?? and if so for what")

thanks much .
 
i dont think extra btus matter. on the grates the ss will last most likely a life time. The porcelin cover will wear out after 5 or 6 years if used a lot . the cast iron will also give you a better sear.
 
Porcelain flaverizer bars will eventually fail, the porcelain grates even if develop cracks just season like cast iron grates. For the little difference in cost get the SS
 
I was in the same situation not too long ago, and I ended up going with the E-310. I will list the reasons why I made my pick and I hope it helps you.
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1. Other grills I have owned in the past had a side burner, but I almost never used it. It was just easier using the stove in the house. Even if you are chilling outside everything you need to cook with a side burner is inside anyway-might as well use the one on your stove.

2. The only sear burner I have ever used was on a Char-broil and it was just awful. However I can imagine a sear burner on a weber being a lot better than others on cheaper grills. But if you want to sear, the secret is cast iron, not a sear burner, see below.

3. The Porcelain enameled cast iron grates are incredible. If steak will be on your menu often and you want grill marks like these then you will need cast iron. I have only had my grill for a short time so I can't speak to how long they last but let's assume they only last 5 years....that is FANTASTIC, then I will buy another set because they perform so well. Since they are porcelain enameled they are basically maintenance free. I was so shocked by this I called weber to confirm and it's true- don't use a grill brush while they are hot, rather burn the food off on high after each use for a few minutes, and then scrap clean before the next cook while they are cool. No seasoning is required, mine work great and nothing sticks to them.

What ever grill you buy will be great- its a weber after all! However, for me the SS rods are a downgrade, not an upgrade. Its all subjective and depends greatly on what you are wanting to do with the grill. Hope this helped and good luck!
 
Mike- Don't post photographic evidence that doesn't support my argument! You're killing me man! haha Seriously though, great looking pic and VERY nice grill marks sir.
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Yeah I think we can all agree that it's a matter of opinion, and like I said before, whatever grill Tommy gets will make him happy because it's a Weber and they make the best grills for the money. I just wouldn't want someone to think the cast iron grates call for a lot of care and seasoning because they don't and maintience is simple and straight forward. As for searing, the cast iron makes it very easy, but as you showed it can be done on SS.
 
Agreed, all mentioned are great options. The only thing that I feel is a waste of money is a side burner. Most people I know who have them have either never used it or rarely use it. I have also heard that side burners use up a lot of propane.
 
Before I got my Genesis without the side burner,I had a couple ECB's with side burners. I think I used the burners 3 times over 10 years. Some people use 'em,some don't. The question is,will you?
 
It was so nice to see so many responses
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Ive pretty much concluded i will not get the side burner. on my silver i hardly used it due in part im sure of useing to myuch gas.


so now ill research the sear on the E-330. but am pretty sure ill end up getting the E-310.

as far as grates I am leaning Porcelain enameled cast iron grates. i have tried just cast iron in the past but i think i remember to much up-keep.

ill research SS grates though-

thanks for your help.
 
Tommy,

Remember, ss flavorbars and grates.

Fifty dolllars now, Two hundred dollars later.

Worth every penny.

Enjoy the quest,

elliot
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">elliot </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

elliot how bout food sticking?
 
Not to concerned about life span when that span should be 4+ years... correct?

more concerned about which ones better for grilling- are there issues with sticking on SS.(fish-chicken). how bout heat retention.
 
Tommy,
4 years is about right. At least that's how far I got on mine, but if I had it to do over again, I would have gotten stainless steel from the start and not had to mess with it again.

I've got the SS rod style grates from the ebay guy. Heat retention is awesome. I've posted this picture before but I'll do it again.

steaksonnewssgrates013.jpg

By hogsfan at 2010-04-02

I've got a lot of different types of grills with a lot of different types of grates and these are by far my favorite. I even perfer it to cast iron. The heat retention on these big rod styles is great but none of the maintenance of cast iron. Since I prefer to use charcoal when I can, it was more important than I realized that I have grates in my gasser that can stand up to not just to the burdens of use but also the "time off" between cooks. I think I've had these a year and they are as good as new.

Sticking can occasionally be an issue but not terribly worse than the pc grates. Pam works great.

The only real downsides are the price and they are big heavy pieces of metal so it takes a few more minutes for them to fully heat up. However, considering they will probably be the last grates I buy, the price isn't really an issues and I can live with the longer heat up time because of all the benefits that come with them.

Hope this helps.
 
I have the CEP-310 Genesis, Canadian Exclusive. This model comes with 9mm SS grates, regular Weber SS grates are 7mm. Once these get heated up they produce fantastic grill marks. And like others have mentioned, easy to clean.
 
Just throwing this out there...for all the guys that never use the side burner, I use mine quite a bit to keep sauces warm. However, the most useful part to me is using it as a chimney starter for the WSM. Won't matter if you don't use charcoal for anything though. Just my $0.02.
 
Does anyone know if the new 2011 Genesis 310 burners in fact run North to South? Also, what about Porcelain VS SS grates for grilling in the dead of winter..anyone have a preference or know which is better for retaining heat?

Thanks!
 
Yes, the new Genesis models do have the north to south burner set-up. As for the grates, I've only used SS and they retain heat really good in the winter. Highly recommended for winter grilling.
 
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