Best Grill Ever?

[Roy-Parallax]

The later Genesis (Silver, Gold, Platinum) models don't offer as much clearance for large proteins on a rotisserie as do the early Genesis. Also, RH tables are available on some C models to replace the external burner. A later Platinum with the SS frame is highly desirable in wet locations where rust is an issue, but the enclosed carts on these (other than the doors) and the liner on the SS lid are plain steel and prone to rust.

Doesn't do a lot of good to make a grill part stainless. I suppose one can run it without the cart floor and side panels. As for the liner on the lid, one would hope keeping it closed offers adequate protection from the elements. But maybe not. Rust is incidious and not easy to stop once it starts.

 

[JohnTak]

E6 but I would like 2. On Thanksgiving I had a broken oven. My E6, 26" and Traeger did all of the heavy work. Hopefully my oven will be repaired before Christmas. Happy Holidays to everyone!

 

[LMichaels]

Do you think the build quality of a new Weber is still significantly better than its competitors?

Nope. In short simple answer. They've gone the way of Charbroil, and many of the other gas grill pioneers. No innovation, Chinese manufacture and flash over substance.

 

[Jon Tofte]

Front control to me is useless. Much harder to do fun things like smoke a slab of ribs, a side of salmon or do effective rotisserie. Weber ruined the Genesis and made it just like any other run of the mill grill. Now if they had done it the SMART way and added a burner in back for rotisserie I would be more forgiving of them. But they didn't so only an older Genesis will be what carries the Weber name on my deck. Otherwise they might as well be a Charbroil

Larry, I am a fan of E-W, too. But don’t forget the front controls started with the 1st generation Summit, which in spite of its dumb firebox is a great cooker as you know and have said. Rotisserie? No. But for regular grilling I think you said it is “Da bomb!” It has to help for regular grilling to have four burners in the same space the Genesis has three. I love the 1st generation Summit but wouldn’t want it to be my “only” grill.

 

[Shane - glitchy]

Do you think the build quality of a new Weber is still significantly better than its competitors?

I think they’re trying to balance quality, service, and efficiency. If you look at the Kamado updates and the SmokeFire, they’ve made some mistakes, but they have also made fixes and updates. I don’t remember who posted it, maybe Bruno, but the deteriorating interior SmokeFire parts have been beefed up. They were all over the E6 cart as soon as there realized is wasn’t satisfactory to buyers. I bought a Genesis S-345 last summer and it’s still a pretty solid grill. Not near as thick of metal in the cart as older Webers, but once assembled feels solid. The plastic washers and fasteners in a few spots seem cheap, but I haven’t seen pics of grills that have collapsed from fastener failures.

 

[Jon Tofte]

I do think Weber's engineers have tried to do some innovation. Unfortunately, in the gas grill arena that seems to be mostly in the area of incorporating electronics. On the other hand, look at the SmokeFire. They could easily have just copied everyone else's pellet grill and slapped a Weber logo on it. Instead, they tried some daring new approaches. Maybe a reach too far in some places, but commendable for trying.

The SmokeFire's difficulties, though, underscore what is hurting Weber the most. Seems like a constant effort by the bean counters to squeeze out a few more bucks by using thinner and thinner (and cheaper) materials. They are learning a hard lesson on that with the SmokeFire (and for not adequately testing so many untried innovations). I do hope the replacement parts being mentioned will turn out to be much better grade and that, in time, Weber can become a major player - like they need to be - in the pellet grill arena.

As far as gas grills, I personally like the style (flash?) of the Genesis II line. I don't like the bent metal substituting for a real frame, and the apparent use of very thin aluminum and some other weaknesses members here have reported. The liberal use of painted steel will inevitably give these grills a shorter life. Maybe, though, Weber's average consumers are just a notch above Charbroil/Nexgrill/Etc. and just want a bit nicer grill that will last a few years only to be set out on the curb. Members here are more into long-term quality, but I am afraid most consumers don't care that much anymore.

 

[Roy-Parallax]

Quality has really gone out of style. People aren't willing to pay for it. For many years I drove Volvo 240s because they were, compared to other vehicles of their time, far safer and seemingly indestructible. With cars there's so much competition that we've seen quality improve over the years and, while Volvo was selling itself to Ford and transforming itself into garbage, the Japanese and Koreans were pushing the quality envelope. Today, the best cars routinely go 200,000 to 300,000 miles with few problems and are engineered to be as safe or safer than those 240.

The same cannot be said of other products. Refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers have become disposable. I collect old razors because they were works of industrial art and design. There are old Pioneer televisions that one can find today for nothing that were 7 to 12 thousand in their day because they were so well made. I have three of them. One hangs in my garage because it's too good to go to the dump and few people know what it is or appreciate that it still surpasses the picture on most brand new televisions. I gave one to a friend who appreciates such things and helped him acquire another. That said, the one in our master bedroom was displaced by an OLED because time and technology do move on.

Grilling, however, unlike televisions and cell phones, is not inherently high tech. I'm new to all this so forgive me if I speak out of turn but it strikes me that there's nothing more primal than exposing a hunk of animal flesh to fire. For now, I'm thrilled to have discovered the 1000 and to have a chance to restore one. Perhaps in time I'll find other as yet unexplored avenues to explore culinary curiosities.

 

[Joe Anshien]

I'm wondering which grills people think are the best ever made. Another way to frame the question is if you could have any grill, today, brand new in its box, free of charge, which one would you want? Not to sell but for personal use so let's add that you can't sell it. It has to replace your current grill to become your one-and-only and you'll need to keep it for at least 10 years.

These are definitely 2 different questions. The best grill ever made would be something like a $10K Wolf or other even higher end grills. The one grill I would keep if I had to get rid of my others would be my Napoleon Prestige 500 RSIB. It has a IR side sear burner, aluminum fire box, a nice high rotisserie with dedicated rotisserie burner with no need to take the grates off when using, a charcoal tray that is lit by the gas burners like a performer. Basically it is a swiss army knife of grills.

 

[Roy-Parallax]

These are definitely 2 different questions. The best grill ever made would be something like a $10K Wolf or other even higher end grills. The one grill I would keep if I had to get rid of my others would be my Napoleon Prestige 500 RSIB. It has a IR side sear burner, aluminum fire box, a nice high rotisserie with dedicated rotisserie burner with no need to take the grates off when using, a charcoal tray that is lit by the gas burners like a performer. Basically it is a swiss army knife of grills.

So you'd want that over the $10k Wolf, assuming you could have either at no cost? If so, I'm curious at to what's behind that. I'm new to all of this and am trying to gain insights from those with more knowledge.

 

[Joe Anshien]

So you'd want that over the $10k Wolf, assuming you could have either at no cost? If so, I'm curious at to what's behind that. I'm new to all of this and am trying to gain insights from those with more knowledge.

No - I am rather "thrifty" and very happy with my $350 used Napoleon. I also take very good care of my stuff so they tend to last a good long while. You can cook something on a $20 grill and it can taste as good as a $10k grill. It comes down to longevity (materials) and options (rotisserie, sear burner, parts availability, etc)

 

[Steve Hoch]

Schwinn bicycles was another family owned company here in Chicago. I had four bikes as a kid, all Schwinn. Their bikes were more expensive than pretty much anything else on the market but they lasted forever, and nobody ever threw one away. If you wanted one you just cruised the garage sales in your neighborhood until you found one the neighbor's kid outgrew. Huffy bikes you could just garbage pick. By the time I had my own kids Schwinn had become just another Walmart brand of bikes. I can't even remember the name brands of any of the bikes I bought them over the years. Had Schwinn still made the quality of my youth I would have bought all my kid's bikes from them and happily paid more money for them. Even as a kid I knew my bike was better than my neighbor's Huffy.

 

[JSaus]

Practicality plays a big part. I can not afford that Wolf and more than I could a Sub Zero freezer or a Bentley.

When we talk quality, there is build quality and performance quality. I will not argue that my old Weber had a heavier construction than my new one. My old one was all stainless, but the burners, favorizers , grates and grease tray all burned or rusted out and had to be replaced within the first 12 years. My new grill uses thinner materials, but is still substantial and hopefully I get 10-12 years before it needs replacement parts. As far as performance quality, the new one is superior in evenness across the surface and better for indirect cooking. The ignition system is better. The grease system is better. Just like appliances, new models generally perform better but are not as well built.

I agree that that Napoleon is a great all purpose grill, but I do not rotisserie and it was a little more than I wanted to spend.

 

[Jim C in Denver]

For those who are fans of the Silver, would you go with an A, B or C? Better still, a Gold or Platinum? If my research is accurate, the Silver A has two burners while the B and C have three and the C has a side burner. Since I have no need for a side burner, a Silver B would seem to be the right model for me at that tier.

My 2000 Silver B special edition is still going strong. Came with SS flav bars (still in use), stamped SS grates (swapped for PCCI grates and then later for GrillGrates), green enamel lid, and two flip up tables. A really nice grilling center in a small footprint. Open cart and thermoset work surfaces are very durable.

Silver Bs are pretty plentiful for cheap on CL and FBMP, as are spare parts (new or from donor grills). Not quite the cool factor of the older deep box woodies, but a lot more practical to clean up and maintain.

Only issue I had with the shallow box/one layer of flav bars is a tendency to have flare-ups. The GGs are a nice solution to that issue.

 

[DanHoo]

I've had a Silver B for 20 years. This spring I picked up the E330 (north south plus sear) and a 13 bar 1000.

The 330 out performs the Silver B and the 1000 in all areas except rotisserie.

Better direct heat, better sear, better indirect, higher peak temp, larger cooking area.

The 13 bar 1000 cooks more evenly than the silver B and the deeper cook box on the 1000 works better for rotisserie.

If cost is a factor, silver B wins tied with 22 inch kettles. Both can be found very cheap and are plentiful.

 

[JSaus]

My 2000 Silver B special edition is still going strong. Came with SS flav bars (still in use), stamped SS grates (swapped for PCCI grates and then later for GrillGrates), green enamel lid, and two flip up tables. A really nice grilling center in a small footprint. Open cart and thermoset work surfaces are very durable.

That was the exact same year and model I owned. My stainless flavorizer bars burned through in a few years, but the replacements held up as long as I kept it. Did not care for the stamped SS grates plus, they too burned up. I loved the green lid and really miss the two flip-up tables.

 

[JSaus]

I've had a Silver B for 20 years. This spring I picked up the E330 (north south plus sear) and a 13 bar 1000.

The 330 out performs the Silver B and the 1000 in all areas except rotisserie.

My exact same experience. My Silver B was always hotter to the right side of the grill, closest to the controls. I think the long E-W burners were the reason it lost heat at the far end. No contest for indirect cooking. Had a rotisserie at one time on a grill with the rear infrared burner, but almost never used it. Weber needs to add one of those as an option to the lower lines if they want to be serious.

 

[Brian B Atlanta]

My exact same experience. My Silver B was always hotter to the right side of the grill, closest to the controls. I think the long E-W burners were the reason it lost heat at the far end. No contest for indirect cooking. Had a rotisserie at one time on a grill with the rear infrared burner, but almost never used it. Weber needs to add one of those as an option to the lower lines if they want to be serious.

Funny mine the C does not seem to get hotter on the right side but I don't hug the sides with food if you know what I mean. I am usually staying at least 2-3 inches from either side when I cook. To be fair I am only cooking for 2-4 most of the time talking steaks or burgers only use the front and middle burner leave the back burner off heat my buns there.

If my C bit the dust for some reason I would like Dan get a 330 or whatever don't care about E-W nor rotis as I will let Costco or Kroger spin the chicken if I am in a hurry. Fed my kids those on the way home from work when the wife called said she would cook some sides but please pick up a rotis.

I recently started in the last 3 mos doing spatchcock chickens on the performer to be honest to my family it flat out beats rotis but everyone has a way they like it.

 

[JSaus]

Funny mine the C does not seem to get hotter on the right side but I don't hug the sides with food if you know what I mean. I am usually staying at least 2-3 inches from either side when I cook. To be fair I am only cooking for 2-4 most of the time talking steaks or burgers only use the front and middle burner leave the back burner off heat my buns there.

In reality, was only an issue when doing a bunch of burgers for a group. The ones on the right got done faster, so I just rotated as I flipped. I still enjoyed that grill for 20 years.

 

[Brian B Atlanta]

In reality, was only an issue when doing a bunch of burgers for a group. The ones on the right got done faster, so I just rotated as I flipped. I still enjoyed that grill for 20 years.

I get that for sure but when your not cooking a lot of stuff I got a trick from Weber always use it for steaks especially burgers not that picky but I do it as most of the time I got plenty of space. When you flip your steaks or burgers move them to a clean part of the grates which will be hotter don't flip them over in the same spot really works good with steaks gives you a nice sear on both sides.

 

[THyde]

Schwinn bicycles was another family owned company here in Chicago. I had four bikes as a kid, all Schwinn. Their bikes were more expensive than pretty much anything else on the market but they lasted forever, and nobody ever threw one away.

I have a buffet table in my dining room that is made partly of a Schwinn tandem bike from the 1970s I think. It's a really cool piece, my friend makes these "bike tables". I'll take a picture.