PART 3
OKAY. On to, maybe something he might know (fingers crossed). Now this change may have been done years before this kid had begun working for the company. For a little background, my current Silver Genesis was made in 2001 and purchased in May of 2002. It is a natural gas model that still works like a champ. Over the years, I have casually looked at the models at HD and Lowes, without really looking too deeply at them, because mine works so weil. My only cause for considering a change is that, while the cookbox and burners are in EXCELLENT condition, the frame of its support structure is rusting out, in spite my good for it. I have looked for a new structure with no luck. I am willing to do a rebuild in order to preserve the grill, but it’s been difficult to find the frame.
- As a general practice, we try to keep replacement parts for a model available for 10 years after it's been discontinued. If another, newer model uses many of the same parts (in this case frame components) then you could expect the part to hang around a bit longer. When I started at Weber in 2010 frame components for 2000-2001 model year Genesis were starting to diminish inventory wise as we were ramping down the stock as we were hitting the 10 year mark of discontinuation of that model design. For some background, Genesis Silver's lived from 2000 to 2005, so by 2015 you could expect parts for the last model year design (2005) to start to become hard to find. We're 24 years out from when the 2001 model was discontinued, and at this point there's a few parts available, but none of them are frame components. Unfortunately, we simply can't hold inventory of every component of our thousands of models forever. The warehouse would need to be gargantuan in size, and the cost would be astronomical. Disappointing to be sure, but it's uncommon for most consumer goods to have replacement parts available for even a few years after a product is discontinued, let alone 10 years.
I asked about the change from cast aluminum cookboxes to the current stainless steel. Again, crickets. This guy seemed to not even know that the cookbox was, virtually forever, constructed in that manner and that a change HAD occurred.
- We don't make stainless steel cookboxes. They are all made of cast aluminum. With the exception of the 2000-2005 Summits, which had some porcelain enamel incorporated into the design, the mention of which will make Larry twitch. 
There are many other things, things that I believe we are all aware of, things that stem from smaller decisions to “cheapen” the product, from their being made overseas, to the simple inferior quality components now being used. Guess it’s simply a sign of the times and an old fart like me who remembers the “good old days” is aging out of the market. Those consumers now coming in to that market have no idea of what “ was” and now simply accepts what “is” because there’s nothing to which they can compare it.
- While we do try to be mindful of the material costs of each of our new products, our Quality team is more robust than ever. I say that all the time, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to convince anyone that doesn't work at Weber that it's true, but there are so many QA testing guidelines involving thousands of hours of componentry testing in laboratory-controlled environments to make sure we're getting scientifically accurate readings. Spot checking and testing of components and grills running in current production happen all day long. So it's a constant balancing act to make sure we're putting out products we can be proud of, that last for years while still being able to make a profit on them. The warranty on most of our products is years longer than most competitors, and we wouldn't cover them for so long if we were not confident in their ability to last. In fact, our current warranties are often longer than the warranties on our products from decades ago, so we believe in them more now than ever. All that said, material costs have risen (dramatically so in some cases), so our design teams always have their work cut out for them finding the most cost-effective means of creating new product that maintains the quality expected of a Weber.
I am at the point at which I’m about to give in and give up and go to another manufacturer. It seems that the others also orient their burners in the same manner, and I am totally reluctant to move from the brand I have trusted for over 40 years, owning concurrently, both gas models and charcoal kettles and replacing various parts when they have outlived their usefulness.
The ONLY things I have had to replace on either models (save for two of the four kettles I have owned that just plum wore out; one of the kettle grills, my first, was replaced when I “graduated” from the 18” to the 22.5” model. I gifted the smaller one to my brother, who continued using it for about another 12 years.) were “flavorizer” bars and the grates). I received my first gas-burning Weber Genesis in 1987 as a gift from my father-in-law and replaced it in 2002.
I have “coached” others on THEIR purchase decisions over the years, always singing the praise of Webers, but I am quite sadly “done”, I am disappointed to say.
I simply cannot buy from someone who has abandoned its principles AND its loyal followers.
- I'm very sorry that you feel that we've abandoned our principles and loyal followers. I can only speak for what I myself observe here at Weber, and that I work with a great team of very passionate people who love our products and work tirelessly to build upon the legacy that George Stephen created when he invented the first Weber kettle. We try to make great products that people will love cooking on, that will last for years, and will help them make memories with their families around them. I can totally appreciate that not every design change will resonate well with every consumer. I loved my 2000 Genesis Silver B, and when it finally bit the dust I was very sad to see it go. It took me a while to warm to my current Spirit E-310, but I've found that I can make everything I used to just as well on it as I used to on my Genesis. I do confess that I don't use it to rotisserie my ducks, but that's only because I now use one of my kettles to rotisserie. As a charcoal Product Manager, most of my cooking happens on my Summit Kamado these days, unless time is a factor and then I fire up the Spirit.
I hope some of this helps, and I really hope you don't feel like Weber has abandoned you. Feel free to let me know if you've got more questions!
Best regards,
John Burns from Weber HQ in Palatine
. These are meant for someone with a lot of patience to ferret out and get ahead of the issues. The reward is, hopefully, some impressive results. For all of its shortcomings, the SmokeFire's innovative design does seem to bring way above average bark and overall results - when it is working!