Help - new Genesis or previous model?


 
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PaulSomm

New member
I’m pretty new to Weber grills and am hoping to get some advice. I’m looking to buy a new grill (thinking about a S335 or S435, but still going back and forth) and I’ve seen the lack of enthusiasm about the new 2022 Genesis line of grills here. It looks like there are still some of the previous (pre-2022) Genesis grills floating around. Which of the two do you think is the better product? Should I get the brand new 2022 Genesis or one of the previous generation ones? Thanks for any help.
 
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I believe the OP is looking for advice on which new Weber grill he should buy. I’m not in a position to give him correct information on new Weber grills.
 
Paul, you are going to find that a lot of the members here much prefer the older Weber grills dating back 15+ years. But there are still a lot newer Weber owners as well. If you have a little time and a few tools, I suggest you consider rehabbing a old Genesis Silver B or Genesis 1000. But, if you just want the newer offerings, that is cool. If you pick up one of the 2022 models, let us know how you like it and take some photos and post a review of it.
 
Having not seen the new one in person, I can’t say anything about perceived build quality or anything like that.

I have looked at the previous gen numerous times, almost convinced myself into a Deep Ocean Blue one, but got to thinking it would sit largely unused like my other two gassers.

If I were in the market for a gasser, the previous gen would 100% buy and not even worry about it. It’s built fairly solid (nothing new is built as well as older ones, it is what it is) and is a fine cooler I’m sure. The new one I would suspect is similar with a couple extra doodads.

The Weber Connect is actually not too bad, assuming it’s very similar to the version on my Smokefire. I’ve used it to monitor internal temps during longer cooks and it was just as accurate as my external monitor. I haven’t tried any of the apparent tutorials they offer but that’s aimed at newer users and I’ve been grilling for two decades +/-

I will say, if those are the ones with the side burner, word of caution: I have the side burner on my 2017 Spirit and it burns way too hot. I was highly disappointed; I had envisioned slowly warming up some beans or such while burgers and brats were on, and nope it’s not slow at all.

Basically, get one and don’t worry. The inserts and accessories they are coming out with for the new Genesis are cool and I’ll pick some up for my Smokefire. The storage cabinet on the side is awesome because grilling items can be hard to store as they are greasy. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy either one if I were in the market. It will last a long time, either one.

Let us know your choice.
 
Paul, I couldn’t say it any better than TimA laid it out. I am one of those fans of older, “Classic” Webers. Still, there is room for the new ones if you accept them for what they are. Some tests I have seen show they cook more evenly than the old ones. They are just built with thinner materials and won’t be the kind you pass down to another generation.

My Ace has both a new “Indigo” (Ace special color) Genesis and two leftover Indigo Genesis II models. The style is very different. The big plus I see in the new one is the taller hood.
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Also, the new one my Ace has features 9mm stainless grates. That’s pretty nice, but I don’t think they all do.
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The previous model looks more like a “Weber” to me, but style is totally subjective. Go with what you like!
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We will enjoy hearing your choice and how you like it. Please post pictures if you can.
 
I have a 2020 S-435 and have checked out the new 435 looking for upgrade possibilities. Here are my thoughts.

2021
+ 10 year warranty on ALL parts
+ Bigger wheels (only important if you need to roll over grass, gravel)
- Weaker sear burner (easily fixed by drilling orifice)

2022
+ Taller cookbox for vertical birds or 2 level cooking
+ Upper rack expands to double depth
+ Higher rotisserie spit location for burner clearance
+ Larger side table
+ Side storage
- Cheap plastic knobs, harder to see at a glance that all burners are off
- Reduced warranty on the parts that actually fail

I have only ogled the new one at Lowe's, so I can't say how/if the taller box would affect cooking.

I didn't list the new accessories because they also fit the older grills if you add the rack.

Edited to add:
If I were in the market, I'd seriously consider Napoleon over Weber. For the same price, one can get a better warranty and more features.
 
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I'm still deciding as well. I was all set to order the new S-435 but Weber says you can't get 9 mm grates for it. I want some of the features like the lights as my deck light is behind where my grill sits and I think they could be helpful especially in the winter. I really want the cooking area of the 435 but the SP-E-335 has the 9 mm grates and comes in NG. The 335 is 7 square inches smaller than my current Genesis LP grill and when I cook for the family I could use more space. Has anyone here found good 9 mm grates that would fit the 435? The primary cooking area of the 435 is 646 square inches. One more thing, I cannot find a place close to me that has one to put my eyes on. I don't like to buy expensive things sight unseen.
 
One thing I will caution everyone is that it is always risky to buy a first year or even first few years of any new item or redesigned. That goes with most appliances and vehicles. You essentially become a test group for the product line. Smokefire owners know all about that.
The update is not all that extensive, but don't be surprised if consistent issues pop up during the first year or so of owning the grill.
 
True of so many products. Made the mistake of buying a newly designed wood stove some years back. It leaked wood smoke in my home. The manufacturer tried everything to fix it. Finally they gave up. I found a chimney sweep who managed to augment the door seal, which stopped the leak. Years later, when it began leaking again, the chimney sweep was long retired. Called the manufacturer and they had designed a fix. Never bothered to tell me they found the defect but they sent the parts to repair it. Thing is, another problem had cropped up because their installer made some mistakes so I got them to refund the purchase price. It's actually in process; they're supposed to pull it out in the next couple of weeks and give me a check for a bit over $4,000. But then I need to find a new stove. Prices have gone up so I'll be out of pocket a couple of thousand by the time this is done. This time, I'm going with something tried and true.
 
Thanks so much so far everybody - incredibly helpful! I'm not really up for doing a rehab due to other life constraints right now (young kids and job, mostly) so I'm going to buy a new grill. And based on all the feedback here, it sounds like a no brainer to buy the outgoing Genesis model (and save a few hundred dollars in the process) instead of a new 2022 model.

So my next question is actually what Carolyn touched on - I think I'm down to deciding between an S-435 and an SP-E-335. I'd really like the extra grilling space on the S-435 for the occasional big backyard party, but I see the that SP-E-335 comes with the 9mm stainless grates (as opposed to the 7mm stainless grates on the S-435).

Any thoughts on how much advantage there is to the 9mm grates? Is it worth getting the 3-burner instead in order to get the 9mm grates? Or is there anywhere I can by the 9mm grates for the 435? I've looked a bit and haven't found anything yet.

I suppose the SP-E-335 will have a good amount of cooking space (my current grill, an old Summit Gold 4-burner from the early 2000s, measures out at 18"x28" on the primary cooking surface, so about 504 square inches, so I think even the SP-E-335 has about the cooking space, but it would be nice to get a little more).

Thanks again for all the help!
 
I would lean towards the 335 for a couple of reasons. The 9mm grates are worth it IMO. The other item is down the road availability of parts for a more common grill will mean less costly repairs and upgrades.

None of my grills have 9mm main grates. I have a 13 inch diameter 9mm sear grate that I will put on my kettle directly over coals and its a gem.
 
Joe Anshien said:
I do a lot of rotisserie and I would go for the 2022 model just for the extra clearance for the rotisserie as you will not have to take off the grates. Then again if I were to spend that kind of $$ on a grill it would be the Napoleon Prestige 500RSIB.
Click to expand...

I was at my local dealer yesterday and saw the Napoleon line and they looked pretty nice. They did not have current '22 model genesis in stock yet to compare side by side.
 
I'm new to this whole Weber scene but I've got 7 mm grates and 9 mm grates and I much prefer the 9s. They sear better in a significant way.

There was a recent thread comparing the new Weber to the Napoleon and most everyone seemed to put the Napoleon on top. It had 9mm's from what I could tell.
 
Are you a Costco member? They have a S-345 model that usually sells for $999 or less in store if available. I had a Silver A for years and like cooking on the new grill better myself. However, I don’t rotisserie on gas and I sear a lot on the Genesis after smoking on the pellet grill, so I love how much hotter it gets compared to the old and the easier 2 zone setup with the N/S burner configuration. Looking at the 2022 models, it seems the changes are really just appearance, less warranty, and higher prices.
 
I have my old Gold B and a newer E330 version. I like them both a lot. I enjoy using both of them.
Both are built well enough to outlive me......
 
DanHoo said:
I was at my local dealer yesterday and saw the Napoleon line and they looked pretty nice. They did not have current '22 model genesis in stock yet to compare side by side.
Click to expand...
I have looked a Napoleon's and they look very nice. Reviews were mixed though, including burners blowing out with wind, and variable quality of customer service. Decided to stick with Weber.
 
I changed from a 3 to 4 burner grill and very much prefer the bigger one. I use the air fry trays from our Breville toaster oven for fries or veggies and they cover over 1/3. I sometimes leave the griddle over the hot side, slow cook steaks on the cool side for reverse sear on the griddle or skillet. Or, run only burners 1 and 4 and cook pork low and slow at 250F with a smoke tube in the middle. While you can do all this with a 3 burner, the larger grill allows more options with a wider range of temperatures.

I have searched a lot for 9-10mm grates for the 400 series. As far as I can tell, no one has made them. Best solution I found is to buy two sets of 300 series grates and chop one grate in half. 3 quick cuts through soft 304 and voila! I haven't actually done this because my skinny 435 grates don't bother me enough to justify the money to replace perfectly good grates.

For example:
QuliMetal 66095 9 MM 304 Stainless Steel Cooking Grates (18.75" x 13.25") for Weber Genesis II and Genesis II LX 300 Series Gas Grills, Pack of 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NMCDM82/?tag=tvwb-20

Another note regarding the griddles I mentioned above: don't buy the Weber griddles. I bought 2 and regret both. Spend the money on a big Lodge cast iron skillet and you'll have far more options. 17in fits perfectly and I can sear steaks, fry big fish, chicken and schnitzel, etc.
 
Honestly, I expect either one would meet your needs, so it comes down to the deal you can get. Even if reading the forums answers your questions, you still need to decide how much those nuggets of information are worth to you in dollars.
 
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