Spirit E210 versus 220


 
T MacGreggor

T MacGreggor

TVWBB Pro
I'm looking to pick up my first propane grill this year. Always been a charcoal guy with traditional webers and now a WSM, but the ease of use in firing up & cleaning up after using a propane grill is starting to sway me. It would be a much simpler way to crank out some quick burgers or steaks and would make a good companion for the WSM on which to do quick, no hassle sides.

First off, does anyone have any experience with the durability of the Spirit series? From what I've read they're made and assembled in China.

I'm leaning towards a 220 with the side burner versatility, but I'd love to have the GBS opinion on the 220, which is currently available on the 210 at no extra cost compared to a non-GBS 210. So does anyone know if a GBS option is in the future for the 220?

And finally, I really don't need the extra cooking grate real estate of a Genny, so that's a $300+ difference I'd like to keep in my pocket, but I note that they're still made in the USA. So feel free to suggest a Genny model as well.

Durability, versatility and price are my purchase points in descending order. Whatever I end up will be kept in and cooked on in a screened patio, never getting rained on, though the environment is just a few miles from the ocean.

Thanks!
 
I've had a Spirit E320 for about a year and a half, maybe two years. I really like it. No real problems with durability, but I will say the side shelves and cover over the burners are VERY thin metal and can be easily dented or mangled. Also, this may be true of any grill I suppose, but if you don't clean up any drippings on the shelves or stainless looking pieces, they will rust VERY quickly. I got a couple of spots before I learned it's not a step to be skipped after cooking.

I've only used my side burner for cooking twice, but I use it all the time to start my chimney when using the WSM. It's pretty handy for that in my opinion.

I'm about 2.5 miles from the Gulf, so our environments are probably similar. No issues for me yet... Not sure what a GBS is.
 
Thanks for the reply, Chris. Forgot to mention using the propane grill's side burner to start the WSM's charcoal chimney is another reason I'm looking for a propane Weber grill with that option as a WSM companion. Glad to hear you find it so useful for that and haven't had any corrosion problems being close to salt water as well.

The GBS is Weber's "Gourmet BBQ System", basically a modified cooking grate with interchangeable inserts.
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There's more inserts available that those pictured here, but the sear grate and pizza stone are the ones I'm most interested in using.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with the Spirit E320!
 
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Ah, yes, I have seen the insert system at Home Depot. In fact, I think they (Home Depot) sell them now for the same price with the GBS. I was bummed when I walked through the grill isle and saw that on display - I bought mine a year too early... although I have cooked some tasty food on it!

Good luck with your decision process.
 
I've used a spirit series grill where I work quite a bit and am not a fan of it. We have an older genesis there as well and that grill has outlasted the many lower quality grills.
 
Thanks for the Spirit-Genesis comparison, Rob. What about the Spirit specifically turns you off?

And Chris is right, the two Spirit models that come with the GBS are Home Depot exclusives that sell for the same price as the standard Spirits. The downside, at least to me, is that they also both come with a "European" style door, as opposed to the clean look of the original design. Also looks to me like you could see the white propane tank through all the holes in that door's grid design, which defeats the purpose of having a door to hide the tank. See the first video on this page for a close up of both the GBS & door on the Home Depot exclusive Spirit models: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Sp...ing-the-Gourmet-BBQ-System-46113101/204692986
 
I apologize for taking so long to respond.

Well first, as with any low end grill the grates did not hold up for very long. Second, I never had a great experience with temp control on the thing. Any amount of wind seemed to really upset the thing. Touching back on the grates, I can't recall if the thing had those vapor bars or not, but that grill loved to flare up.

I guess I should definitely mention the thing was being used day in day out by several different guys at work. The thing is though, that the genesis that was being used by a different shop, basically as much, has really held up.

I'm just picky I guess, I've read posts of other guys/gals on this board that don't look forward (grilling is always fun, but it is just that much better on quality stuff) to using their friends and family's low end grill. They work, but just not as good as the nicer stuff.

Hek, buy a spirit and try it, they are cheap enough and maybe it will work for you. I'd just spend the extra money , I've been burned so many times trying to save a buck. Hope this helps and wish you the best.

Rob
 
Thanks for the breakdown, Rob. That was very helpful.

Before I read your post I went to Home Depot today to check out the Spirits in person. As soon as I opened the lid on one I thought this doesn't feel like the solid build & sturdiness I've come to expect from my Weber charcoal grills & WSM. I thought well, it's a floor model, so who knows what it's been through.

Then I walked over to a Genny, opened it up and immediately felt a world of difference in the quality. At that point it didn't take long poking around to come to the conclusion that it'd be wiser to wait and save up for the Genny.
 
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