Should I put a grill cover on my Weber grill?


 
No, Webers porcelain does not fade.

My ‘97 Genesis has sat outside uncovered it’s entire life, since my dad got it. Side panel is perfect.

My stepdad had a black kettle from….who knows when (it ended up missing and I’m not sure where it went to date it) but I first met him when I was about 4 or 5, so ‘87/‘88 timeframe. It sat out uncovered as well.

Sometimes they get chalky but the porcelain almost never fades. I can think of a handful of examples that did, or maybe had something applied to them, that I’d cause fading.
 
TimA said:
No, Webers porcelain does not fade.

My ‘97 Genesis has sat outside uncovered it’s entire life, since my dad got it. Side panel is perfect.

My stepdad had a black kettle from….who knows when (it ended up missing and I’m not sure where it went to date it) but I first met him when I was about 4 or 5, so ‘87/‘88 timeframe. It sat out uncovered as well.

Sometimes they get chalky but the porcelain almost never fades. I can think of a handful of examples that did, or maybe had something applied to them, that I’d cause fading.
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It might not technically be fade, but it's something. What it looks like once it gets really bad is a a million tiny little white specks in the finish of the porcelain and there isn't anything you can do to get rid of it. Here's what a control panel looks like after sitting outside for twenty years in the sun vs. a brand new one, big difference. The same thing happens to the lids.Screenshot_20221026-004938_Yahoo Mail.jpgScreenshot_20221026-004955_Yahoo Mail.jpgScreenshot_20221026-005104_Photos.jpg
 
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Yes, the porcelain pigment does fade. I have had over 100 Weber Genesis grills from 1985 to 2006 pass through my hands and a large portion of the black lids and side control panels had fade in them. I do not know if it is totally sun exposure related or not. I have seen them with fade that owners claimed were always covered. Some times the fading is splotchy or only in one area on the lid. Other times it is more uniform. But it is real and does happen. I don't see this in the other colors such as blue, red, green, etc... Only black. I know of no way to permanently fix this problem. Sure, you can spread oil on the lid or wet it and it will look great until the water dries or the oil burns off at the next cook. I have heard that you can also polish it with car polish or similar and it will look great, but, again, it is just temporary.
 
Were we live in Arizona the sun is brutal, so all my grills are covered. Also, it's very dry here so moisture is not a problem.
Like Larry said you can get some great deals on Amazon if you shop around.
 
Covering your grill may not completely solve the problem (as noted above by Bob Erdman), but I know I have a Jr. black hood that had painter's tape on it for a long, long time. The exposed area is much more faded than what was under the tape. Still, other things are probably at work including heat and also just how the manufacturing process went that day. I see some old black hoods and kettles that hold their solid black just fine.

For a Skyline hood, I would still use it even with fade. (I did on my last one.) They are worth preserving in my view.
 
My spring, summer and fall wardrobe is four beach towels from Costco. They were about $11 each. I toss them over the grills to keep them clean as there are some trees and occasional bird droppings and it keeps the sun off the lids. They go in the laundry every couple of months. It literally takes two seconds to take off or put on.

The genesis 1000 has a bikini cover which is great as I use the lower rack to store stuff. The bikini is too snug for the E330 or I'd get another.

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Bruce said:
Yes, the porcelain pigment does fade. I have had over 100 Weber Genesis grills from 1985 to 2006 pass through my hands and a large portion of the black lids and side control panels had fade in them. I do not know if it is totally sun exposure related or not. I have seen them with fade that owners claimed were always covered. Some times the fading is splotchy or only in one area on the lid. Other times it is more uniform. But it is real and does happen. I don't see this in the other colors such as blue, red, green, etc... Only black. I know of no way to permanently fix this problem. Sure, you can spread oil on the lid or wet it and it will look great until the water dries or the oil burns off at the next cook. I have heard that you can also polish it with car polish or similar and it will look great, but, again, it is just temporary.
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Bruce- you are confirming what I have read relating to Weber black porcelain enamel fading.

I care less about appearance and more about structural integrity- in your opinion, if a black porcelain enamel finish fades, is it also porous and more likely to let moisture in/ rust the steel?
 
John_NJ said:
Bruce- you are confirming what I have read relating to Weber black porcelain enamel fading.

I care less about appearance and more about structural integrity- in your opinion, if a black porcelain enamel finish fades, is it also porous and more likely to let moisture in/ rust the steel?
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I will, of course, let Bruce weigh in. For my own part, I don't see any structural issue due to fading on a hood, control panel or a charcoal kettle. If any of these has porcelain chips, that is another story since, in time, the metal will rust and/or even burn through depending on the location.

I have just learned to live with some "Weber fade" on black parts. Still, part of the fun of hunting for bargains is to find better grade parts to replace what you have. This would be no exception, even if just for appearances.
 
Jon Tofte said:
I will, of course, let Bruce weigh in. For my own part, I don't see any structural issue due to fading on a hood, control panel or a charcoal kettle. If any of these has porcelain chips, that is another story since, in time, the metal will rust and/or even burn through depending on the location.

I have just learned to live with some "Weber fade" on black parts. Still, part of the fun of hunting for bargains is to find better grade parts to replace what you have. This would be no exception, even if just for appearances.
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I have a little “Weber fade” growing out of the top of my head…so if my black grill matches me someday, it’s ok by me, lol.43558B9A-A245-46A4-80C1-44CC61204C4B.jpeg
 
Above I posted using beach towels as a quick and cheap cover to keep the sun off the grill when the weather is warm and dry, and of course they are on sale now that it started raining.

Four pack of 30x60 cotton beach in a bunch of different colors. Some colors are $17 for a 4 pack, some a little more and some colors are a lot more.

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DanHoo said:
Above I posted using beach towels as a quick and cheap cover to keep the sun off the grill when the weather is warm and dry, and of course they are on sale now that it started raining.

Four pack of 30x60 cotton beach in a bunch of different colors. Some colors are $17 for a 4 pack, some a little more and some colors are a lot more.

View attachment 62047


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Not a bad way to go where you live but do you have to weigh them down to keep them from just blowing off from the wind?
 
Steve Hoch said:
Not a bad way to go where you live but do you have to weigh them down to keep them from just blowing off from the wind?
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Not really. Occasionally the wind blows them off but the grills have enough edges that catch the towels, so they usually stay on.
 
I am the type of guy that if I have a cover I may leave it off for months at time. Knowing this about myself I am done buying them, I will report back in a few years to see how not covering my WSK goes.
 
ChrisArgentino said:
I have a 90s Weber spirit 900 I believe and I love in Connecticut. It gets quite cold with snow in the winter and hot in the summer. I’ve heard of people that don’t put covers on their grills. I have a tight budget of $20 for a cover. Any recommendations? Thanks
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I own a 2008 Summit LP grill that I completely rebuilt in 2017. Keep it covered with a canopy and it performs like a champ. 2 WSM’s both with double covers. Was having mold issues in both, the 2 covers with a couple of vents partially open, no issues whatsoever. Definitely a fan of covers.
 

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