I know many of us fans of the "classic" old Weber Genesis grills have been a little put-off by the appearance of this newest Genesis. I myself am slowly warming to it, although I will always primarily be a fan of the original Genesis 1-5, x000 grills.
As far as the "Crafted Outdoor Kitchen" goes, sure you can call it a gimmick. No question you can get similar results with other means. Still, if you don't mind spending the money the setup Paul has is certainly really slick and I am sure will produce some great cooks. Looks awesome, Paul!
If you splurge for one of these new Genesis grills, I think you just need to think hard about having sheltered storage when not in use and be vigilant to head off any signs of rust. There is no question these are not built like the old Genesis "tank" grills.
Like a lot of other things today, these new grills are more complicated and less robust. I see that in that I bought a new Maytag dryer and a new Whirlpool gas range 13 months ago. The dryer broke within 3 months and the range just now - in 13 months. Both failed due to electronics, not "regular" parts. Whirlpool was nice enough to slide me in after my 12-month warranty had expired, but now both of these appliances are under extended warranties. Kind of annoys me that you pretty much now have to factor in the cost of a multi-year warranty (not long enough, either) when you determine the acquisition cost of a new appliance.
Same with these "techy" grills. Be sure to register and keep your receipt!
www.weber.com
