Should I put a grill cover on my Weber grill?


 
I am on team cover.

20+ years on my silver b and zero rust. But…

I live in low humidity Colorado. Have an open cart. Use a larger cover size to provide lots of air circulation. I put a beer can chicken holder on the lid to keep the cover from being in direct contact with the flat top.

Cover is a must imo to keep the grill use-able in the winter and free of snow and ice. Keeps rain dirt leaves dust pollen off during the warmer months.

Best is a roof covered spot but that’s not always available.
 
All my grills whether parked in my shop(sawdust) until a roll out or permanently outside have a cover. Even the aluminum PKs. I just prefer to keep the crud off as much as possible. I very much enjoy tending to my grills. Grill trailer not covered in the shop and dusty but I try.
 
LMichaels said:
Just grab one off Amazon. You would be amazed at how high quality and cheap price you can get one for. I just bought one for like $11 and outstanding quality, heavy, vented, zipper plus velcro. I use them in the winter mostly just so ice and snow don't accumulate
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I got the zober brand. It was $15 and has vents on the side. It is big for my grill but I don’t expect it to be an issue. Just looks big lol
 
Jim C in Denver said:
I am on team cover.

20+ years on my silver b and zero rust. But…

I live in low humidity Colorado. Have an open cart. Use a larger cover size to provide lots of air circulation. I put a beer can chicken holder on the lid to keep the cover from being in direct contact with the flat top.

Cover is a must imo to keep the grill use-able in the winter and free of snow and ice. Keeps rain dirt leaves dust pollen off during the warmer months.

Best is a roof covered spot but that’s not always available.
Click to expand...
My zober cover I got in the mail is big for my grill and has vents. Maybe this is a good thing
 
I cover all of my grills, well I need to buy some for my newer arrivals still but….

I like to take care of what I spend money on.
 
I don’t like wrestling with the cover on the grill we use daily. I like the convenience of opening the lid and firing up. Plus we like the side burner

I do use covers on the grills in storage that are going to be fixed up. I like the solid non-venting covers
 
BPratt said:
I don’t like wrestling with the cover on the grill we use daily. I like the convenience of opening the lid and firing up. Plus we like the side burner

I do use covers on the grills in storage that are going to be fixed up. I like the solid non-venting covers
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I tend to agree with you. When it's 17 degrees and dark at 1815 hrs., there's a lot to be said for opening the lid, turning a knob or 4 and pressing the igniter button.
I do put a cover on our Broilmaster P3 starting late November as it sits on the deck at our beach house and rarely gets used when we go down to the beach in Winter.
 
I'm in the non cover camp. I don't like the covers in much the same way as I prefer a shower with a glass door. I don't like that wet plastic thing wrapping all over me when all I want to do is cook. So I pay for that convenience by repainting and refinishing the metal and wood on the grill every few years it seems. I don't mind though, and I do like the convenience of having it uncovered.
 
I keep a cover on most of the snow season and occasionally when extended heavy rain is in the forecast, keeping the bottom of the enclosed cabinet from holding much water. This kept my cheaper grill rust free for years so I think it will keep my Silver A intact. No vents, just a couple inches of space on the bottom. I use a cardboard egg carton on top to keep the bottom raised as the hood is fairly low.
 
In spring, summer and most of fall I don't bother. Except on the Wolf. Not because of corrosion but, because it's poorly designed at keeping water out of the grease collection pan. So if there is any grease down there, water gets in and floods it washing grease out and onto my deck (yuk). So it stays covered (which likely contributes to it's lack of use). Whereas the Genesis pretty much is always uncovered, no prep needed and I simply fire it up. Though since we've already had a little bit of snowfall, a few hard freezes as well, I bought the new cover and it's been on it since. So the pellet grill is now getting about 80% of my grill time, the Q320 another 15% and the Genesis the remainder
 
Okay, I cover my old Genny but, I don’t tend to use it a lot in the winter. The Overperformer is now, pretty much, the “go to” unit so the gallows I made up for it has relaxed in the garage for the last couple of years, I nip out the back door and tend the grill and get back in asap! The Genny has a piece of personal protection to reduce walnut damage, this is why…
I just did a quick and dirty “strengthening maneuver” which I will NOT share but, since I’m building a SS frame replacement it will get through the interim. It was getting pretty wobbly and I just didn’t want to go to the trouble of tearing the whole thing down, yep, I’m the lazy sod here! Sorry Bruce, you taught me better that to do what I did but, like I say, it’s temporary.
 

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I live in a marine environment so I use a cover.
I left my performer and blackstone out in the rain last night.
I couldn’t over a wet bbq so I hit them with my yard blower and let they air/dry sun/dry before I could cover them.
 
Weber black porcelain enamel- fades if exposed to direct sunlight?

I just bought a used summit charcoal grilling center that was in pristine condition. The previous owner bought it in 2016 and kept it outside with a Weber branded cover on it.

I figured I would continue using the cover.

Anyone with a black Weber grill experience fading of the black finish?

For reference, my 93 red head Genesis still looks good, the black control panel on the side is faded- no cover for most of its life.
 
John_NJ said:
Weber black porcelain enamel- fades if exposed to direct sunlight?

I just bought a used summit charcoal grilling center that was in pristine condition. The previous owner bought it in 2016 and kept it outside with a Weber branded cover on it.

I figured I would continue using the cover.

Anyone with a black Weber grill experience fading of the black finish?

For reference, my 93 red head Genesis still looks good, the black control panel on the side is faded- no cover for most of its life.
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My 1998 Genesis sat uncovered most of its life after the nice cover I had for it blew off and away somewhere into year two or three. The control panel became extremely faded over that time, the black lid very little. The frame had a couple of bad spots on it that I was able to fix but was otherwise pretty solid.
 
Steve Hoch said:
My 1998 Genesis sat uncovered most of its life after the nice cover I had for it blew off and away somewhere into year two or three. The control panel became extremely faded over that time, the black lid very little. The frame had a couple of bad spots on it that I was able to fix but was otherwise pretty solid.
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So probably a different porcelain enamel on the control panel, since it doesn’t need to be as heat resistant as the hood.

The frames are just powder coated steel, and repairable, thankfully.
 
When it's 17 degrees and dark at 1815 hrs., there's a lot to be said for opening the lid, turning a knob or 4 and pressing the igniter button.

When it is cold/dark outside, it is a bummer to have to shovel/scrape snow/ice off your grill just to make dinner. In those conditions, cover makes it easier.

I'm 100% team cover in the winter. About 65% in the summer.
 
Now I wonder if having no cover is what saved my grill.

I got the cover when we bought the grill. But I was too lazy to go out there later at night, after the grill had cooled down, and put the cover on. So mostly it never got used, and hung over a deck chair until it dry rotted and got tossed. So for years, my Weber hasn't been covered. It's under a massive black walnut tree that drops huge nuts at the approximate velocity of incoming artillery. I have one dent in one of the stainless shelves, and other than this, my grill has survived just fine (mine has no wooden parts) and I did a refurb with help from folks here this summer. Still have some more to do, but I have very little rust. all this time I've felt so guilty for letting my grill sit out. But maybe that was a blessing to the grill.
 
LMichaels said:
In spring, summer and most of fall I don't bother. Except on the Wolf. Not because of corrosion but, because it's poorly designed at keeping water out of the grease collection pan. So if there is any grease down there, water gets in and floods it washing grease out and onto my deck (yuk). So it stays covered (which likely contributes to it's lack of use). Whereas the Genesis pretty much is always uncovered, no prep needed and I simply fire it up. Though since we've already had a little bit of snowfall, a few hard freezes as well, I bought the new cover and it's been on it since. So the pellet grill is now getting about 80% of my grill time, the Q320 another 15% and the Genesis the remainder
Click to expand...
It is SO annoying when grease pans aren't properly sheltered. The Blackstone griddle I got summer 2021 has the grease cup just hanging out there behind it. Have to remember to dump it every time I use the thing after a rain. Pita.
 
I'm also in the no cover club. I have the official Weber cover but don't use it. The second Genesis Silver B I restored is in the garage.

I always have to remember to pop the grease pan out because otherwise my dog somehow licks it clean in place :)
 
Our spirit 700 had a cover for a few years after we bought it in 1994 but it was uncovered most of the time after that. Luckily it sat on the north side of the house with afternoon tree shade too. The control panel still has no fading and the black lid had very little.
The frame didn’t fare as well and rusted through at the bottom of one (uncastered) leg and, of course, the cross brace where the cook box is attached.
We are away from the sea shore with not a lot of salt air.
Since that cross brace is closed at both ends and heat cycles a lot it will pull air (and even worse) rain water in when it cools. Any water which gets in, including that which condenses, has a much harder time getting out and eventually causes the inside of the brace to fall from internal rusting.
I keep my outside grills under cover now and try to not cook in the rain.

The trapping of moisture inside a closed or even partly closed frame member has long plagued many automobile designs, from the 60s and 70s muscle cars to late model Mercedes rear sub frames. They are a lot thicker but also are subject to road salt
 
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