I visited my local OSH for their tax-free sale this past weekend (yes, even Webers were tax-free), and noticed some interesting differences among the Weber gas grills:
1. The Summit's stainless steel grates are larger than the Genesis's, but the individual rods are also much further apart from each other. I noticed that a grilled mushroom would slide right through the opening, thus necessitating the need for a separate vegetable tray accessory when grilling smaller items. The SS/cast iron grates on the Genesis and Spirit both have narrower grill grate openings that I'm more accustomed to.
2. The lids of both the Genesis and Spirit open straight up at a right angle like a clamshell, thus creating a wide open area to move your food around. The Summit, however, has 1/2 of the lid fixed on the back, with the front 1/2 of the lid sliding back over it. This has some advantages, namely that the heat is more insulated, and wind is blocked from entering the oven box. Also, the Summit's lid positioning actually allows it to have its built-in light shine directly over the middle of the grill. However, the lid's open position does seem to limit the area in which to work with your food; it's not as wide open as the other two gas grills. It may be more difficult, for example, to flip chicken pieces or burgers in the back of the Summit as opposed to the Genesis/Spirit.
3. The Spirit's main oven box is impressively deep, especially for an entry-level model. It's so dark down there! It even appears deeper than the Genesis, which actually has another grease shield sitting above the bottom grease tray. But I'm sure they are both comparable in size.
4. The Summit's high end models (470 and 670) just seem like overkill. Who in this tvwbb forum really needs a smoker box, or even a rotisserie? I mean, we would just slow roast everything over charcoal in our WSMs, right?
Summit, Genesis, or Spirit--any which way you go, you'd be a happy owner. One of these days, I'd like to invest in one of these for myself! Call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...
1. The Summit's stainless steel grates are larger than the Genesis's, but the individual rods are also much further apart from each other. I noticed that a grilled mushroom would slide right through the opening, thus necessitating the need for a separate vegetable tray accessory when grilling smaller items. The SS/cast iron grates on the Genesis and Spirit both have narrower grill grate openings that I'm more accustomed to.
2. The lids of both the Genesis and Spirit open straight up at a right angle like a clamshell, thus creating a wide open area to move your food around. The Summit, however, has 1/2 of the lid fixed on the back, with the front 1/2 of the lid sliding back over it. This has some advantages, namely that the heat is more insulated, and wind is blocked from entering the oven box. Also, the Summit's lid positioning actually allows it to have its built-in light shine directly over the middle of the grill. However, the lid's open position does seem to limit the area in which to work with your food; it's not as wide open as the other two gas grills. It may be more difficult, for example, to flip chicken pieces or burgers in the back of the Summit as opposed to the Genesis/Spirit.
3. The Spirit's main oven box is impressively deep, especially for an entry-level model. It's so dark down there! It even appears deeper than the Genesis, which actually has another grease shield sitting above the bottom grease tray. But I'm sure they are both comparable in size.
4. The Summit's high end models (470 and 670) just seem like overkill. Who in this tvwbb forum really needs a smoker box, or even a rotisserie? I mean, we would just slow roast everything over charcoal in our WSMs, right?
Summit, Genesis, or Spirit--any which way you go, you'd be a happy owner. One of these days, I'd like to invest in one of these for myself! Call me a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...
Last edited:
