Weber Gas Summit - Major update?


 
A

Andrew Stephens

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Seems like the Weber Gas Summit has been without a significant update for a long time and is looking old and tired next to the Genesis. Does anyone have any news or even rumours on when it is going to be updated and what will be changed in the update ?
 
To the best of my knowledge, this is the Summit change history since 2008:

2008: Added a 10,600 BTU sear burner; added lighted control knobs; reduced cooking grate area from 693 to 624 sq in.
2009: Added the Tuck-Away rotisserie motor.
2010: Reduced the smoke burner from 8,000 to 6,800 BTU.
2011: Added the LCD tank scale on control panel; reduced the diameter of cooking grate rods from 9.5mm to 9mm.

I'm not aware of any news or rumors about when a new Summit will be available. There's a lot that Weber could do to update this grill, add competitive features, and improve durability of the design.
 
I just hope they do something about the cook box panels that keep rotting out rather than just keep lowering the warranty period. They have to be getting tired of all the warranty claims on them and dissatisfied customers. I would think they could replace those panels with some good stainless steel and solve that issue for less than a couple hundred bucks which isn't much on a $3k grill.
 
Except you know if they did that simple fix that MIGHT cost them an extra $10 per grill they'd have to double the price to like $6k
 
I would like to see Weber go for a simpler and more rugged Summit. Sure, put some digital whatever on it to please the millennial crowd. But, while you are at it, do like Bruce says and make that firebox solid and use REAL 304 stainless in the cabinetry. For my part, I would also like to see a little color brought back ala the 1st generation Summits.
 
Chris Allingham said:
To the best of my knowledge, this is the Summit change history since 2008:

2008: Added a 10,600 BTU sear burner; added lighted control knobs; reduced cooking grate area from 693 to 624 sq in.
2009: Added the Tuck-Away rotisserie motor.
2010: Reduced the smoke burner from 8,000 to 6,800 BTU.
2011: Added the LCD tank scale on control panel; reduced the diameter of cooking grate rods from 9.5mm to 9mm.

I'm not aware of any news or rumors about when a new Summit will be available. There's a lot that Weber could do to update this grill, add competitive features, and improve durability of the design.
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The sad thing I see here is that with the current 3rd generation Summit they went BIG but used less than adequate materials. Most things since then appear to be downgrades rather than improvements :unsure: .

The next Summit doesn't need more doodads. It needs to bring back the best of the earlier Summits in a leaner, way more solid grill (1st generation) and use real 304 stainless (2nd generation Platinum). THAT would pique my interest. I want nothing to do with this current bloated beast with its rusting cabinetry and burn-through prone firebox.
 
Yah, I forgot about the cabinetry as well. I guess what we are all describing is the Veiluxe though. If Weber put that much SS into a grill, it would likely have to sell for something in the $4K plus range. But, like Jon says, keep all the electronic junk and put the money into the grill itself. That would help keep the costs down some along with customer complaints.
Build a grill that buyers will know they can park on their back porch for the next 20 years and not have to worry about fire coming out from behind the valve control panel or the bottom pan of the cabinet looking like a 67 Mercury Montego sitting in a bone yard. Yah, maybe a new set of burners and flavorizer bars, but other than that, make it bullet proof. Otherwise, don't try to play with the big boys.
Most of us will just dream of owning one, but I am sure there is a market out there as long as Weber puts the materials and workmanship in it and then STANDS BEHIND IT.
 
What you're describing is a DCS or Lynx level grill. The ones with cabinets go for $6-10k and they don't have anywhere near the overhead in support and marketing that Weber has.

My wish list is a little more basic. I'd like the new Genesis 435 plus a rear rotisserie burner and infrared side burner. OK, I want Weber to build a Napoleon!
 
They don't have to do it all in stainless. Just areas (like the fire box) beyond the user's control or care level. Because no matter how well you take care of it that fire box will turn to a rust bucket
 
Good points. I don't want the Summit to be a 100% stainless grill either. Personally, I would rather have more porcelain covered steel with respect to the hood and control panel (instead of decals on stainless that rub off the first time you do serious cleaniing :rolleyes: ). On the firebox, that formula has been proven not to work. I don't see why a thick cast aluminum firebox can't be used, but if there has to be other metal than this needs to be real stainless or rust is inevitable. A stainless frame is really nice, but I have Larry's old 1st generation Summit that had a heavy duty regular steel frame. In spite of being outside for years, it shows little rust accumulation. But on that Summit the cabinet had a wire rack bottom that breathes and 304 stainless for the doors, back and sides.

A new Summit should be worthy of the Weber name. Seems to me that for $3K to $4K they could incorporate the improvements we have noted on a sharp-looking but less bulky and bloated grill and still make a profit.
 
Hell they could simply use aluminum castings for the front and rear panels only. The side panels take little to no beating but then it would mean assembling. I think one issue is that on a large fire box a casting might not be dimensionally stable enough. My guess is that may be the reason. Though Sam's Club's Pro Gas grill is just shy of the Summit in size and has a very heavy cast aluminum fire box.
 
BPratt said:
Weber made a 6 burner Genesis recently so they can make a big cast aluminum firebox.

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That's a great example. Actually, to me, that 6-burner Genesis II (which they soon abandoned) is a good template for where to go with the next Summit. I would bet they realized that this big Genesis II would hurt their Summit sales and squelched it. Something like it, though, but with maybe a higher hood and sound provision for rotisserie (rear burner or rear infrared), would be a better grill than the Summit they currently offer.
 
Jon Tofte said:
That's a great example. Actually, to me, that 6-burner Genesis II (which they soon abandoned) is a good template for where to go with the next Summit. I would bet they realized that this big Genesis II would hurt their Summit sales and squelched it. Something like it, though, but with maybe a higher hood and sound provision for rotisserie (rear burner or rear infrared), would be a better grill than the Summit they currently offer.
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The 6 burner genesis is a good collectors item…
 
BPratt said:
The 6 burner genesis is a good collectors item…
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There was recently one on Marketplace in my location.
I thought I was seeing double, but it really was 6 burners.
Copper color too.
They were asking like $600 which just seemed unreasonable to me.
 
John-NY said:
There was recently one on Marketplace in my location.
I thought I was seeing double, but it really was 6 burners.
Copper color too.
They were asking like $600 which just seemed unreasonable to me.
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. I like free better. All cleaned and ready to go for $600 retail is not unreasonable. It’s somewhat a limited market for giant grills.

Maybe the same folks that have a ranch kettle need a gasser around the same size to round out their arsenal
 
For the competitive price and higher quality materials, I’d buy a Blaze NG instead of the Summit. But I really think I’m out of the gasser game. I put my Summit S670 up for sale after not using it for more than a year now.
 
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John-NY said:
Actually, I found it. It's Stainless, not copper.

But it's NG, so R.I.P.

View attachment 58935View attachment 58934
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Too bad about the NG. That looks like a viable alternative to a current generation Summit. Still has rust issues, but at least only in the cabinetry and maybe the frame. The all cast aluminum firebox is definitely better than the complex setup in the Summit. I am not a rotisserie person, but I would assume that with front to back burners and no rear burner this would not be your choice for a big grill if that is important to you. But for regular grilling for a big crowd, this discontinued Genesis II offers a decent solution.
 
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