Weber Grill History/Family Tree


 
R

RobW-ToolmakerRob

TVWBB Member
Hi Everyone,

Fairly new to this forum but have done many bbq repairs over the years, mostly on Vermont Castings units as I find it relaxing working on things such as this and seeing them come back to life. Recently I happened to pick up a Genesis EP310 for free. It had a rusted out bottom plate where the tank would sit but two hours in the machine shop where I work and I had a new one made out of stainless angle iron and 14 gage stainless plate and made myself some new flavoriser bars out of 16 gage stainless as well. After a good cleaning it looks like new!! I may buy a new set of burners too. Only wish it had a side burner as I use one quite often when cooking. Was totally impressed with the build quality of this unit. I also was just given a Q1000 with a stand so I guess I am officially hooked!!!

Is there somewhere on these forums that explains the history of the different models and when they were introduced and what options were available? I seem to get confused with hearing about different models such as Genesis/1000/Silver/Platinum etc. Just looking for some insight.

Thanks in advance,

Rob
 

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Cool! With your access to metal work you are able to tackle the one big flaw on these otherwise very nice grills. I am not going to try to take on the full breadth of your question, but here is a brief history.

After flopping with a gas kettle, Weber came out with the first Genesis gas grill in late 1985. Those first grills were the Genesis 1,2,3,4 &5 models. Sometime in the early 90's I believe, they did a mild update and changed the model names to stuff like 1000, 2000 and even ones in-between such as 1100. We tend to call all these the x000 grills. All these early Genesis grills had the original firebox with two rows of flavorizer bars (13 total). All the main parts are interchangeable.

Around 2000, give or take, Weber started "modernizing" the design by redesigning the firebox to just one row (5 bars). They also started introducing solid plastic tray tables in place of the old wood and later "durawood" slats. These grills were marketed as Silver/Gold and Platinum (although the Platinum name was perhaps used even earlier). In the last years of the Silver & Gold more "modern" hoods were used including a growing use of stainless. I believe Weber was starting to feel the pressure from larger, cheap import grills. The grates and the hoods from the earlier Genesis grills will interchange with these Silver/Gold/Platinum grills, but the burners, manifold and control panels will not.

In 2007, Weber rolled out the first 300 series grill, the model you picked up. Some here rightly lament the somewhat thinner aluminum and highly rust-prone cabinetry and frame legs (as your pick-up also shows). However, many here also like your model in that it was the last new Weber with side controls and the burners running the long way (East-West "E-W" we say). Many prefer that, especially for rotisserie. We have nicknamed grills like yours "SIdewinders." Around 2012, Weber kept the basic look and size of the 300 series but ditched the E-W burner configuration in favor of front to back "N-S" burners. On some of the higher end models and "extra" 4th sear burner was added. All these grills are completely different from the earlier Genesis with very few parts interchanging.

A couple years ago, Weber rolled out the new Genesis II line. These are slightly larger than the 300 series and featured new designed burners and for a time options for size as big as 6 burners! They have tinkered with minor details since then, with different hood heights and bringing back the "sear" burner that was briefly discontinued when the Genesis II came out. One thing I like is that they also went back to offering a grill with two large wheels instead of 4 casters like yours and all the other 300 series grills have. And they brought back as an option an open bottom cart, a little bit of a tribute to the first Genesis. I have looked at these in stores and think they look nice, but a couple members here have worked on them and don't give them great marks for durability of construction. The Genesis II has little or nothing in common with the 300 series as far as parts interchanging.

Well, that may seem like a LOT of breadth, but we haven't even touched on the Spirit, Genesis Jr. and three generations of Summit grills! :coolkettle:
 
RobW-ToolmakerRob said:
Thanks Guys.

This really helps when I am on the hunt for "rescue Webers".
Click to expand...
Just don't bother trying to rescue Summit models unless you're prepared for having to make pretty much everything for the older Generation 1 and 2 types. They're rust magnets and you cannot get the parts to repair them
 
Shoot, with your metal shop skills I wonder if you could make the sliding drip tray for the Genesis 1000 out of SS and sell them? That item is hard to come by nowadays and will only get harder. Here is a link to it if you're up for it...

Weber Grill Replacement Parts - Weber Parts & Accessories - BBQ Depot

BBQ Depot offers all of the Weber grill replacement parts you need to maintain your grill, as well as the accessories for the optimal cooking experience.
www.thebbqdepot.com www.thebbqdepot.com
 
As I am new to this forum and not familiar with the drip tray shortcomings, can you guys fill me in? Are these drip trays on most of the Webers? How big are they? What thickness is the material.
The picture shows a lot of angles. Not saying no but I need to look at this some more.

Rob
 
Sorry guys but I didn't look at the drip tray link close enough as it shows all of the models it fits. It also has the outside dimensions.

How tall is the drip tray?
 
The drip trays are maybe 3-4" tall. They are different sizes between the Silver B's and Genesis 1000's. Also, two burner versions are smaller than three burner versions.
Then you have the newer Genesis E3xx grills, E4xx grills and so on. They changed burner orientation in about 2012 and probably changed cook box design and thus drip pan design then as well. I am not as familiar with the newer E3xx grills.

The short comings on the drip trays have mostly to do with rust and corrosion after 15 to 20 years on the older grills and no one is really making them any longer. Even the aftermarket supply has dried up. The drip trays are porcelain coated steel and hold up pretty well, but after 15 years of holding sloppy grease, the acids in the grease along with heat tend to eat away at any cracks in the porcelain and get to the steel underneath. That leads to holes after a while. The edges of the drip trays are another area of concern as they lack full covering from the porcelain and sometimes get damaged when people slide them in and out on the metal rails, which leads to more areas for the rust and corrosion to attack. They hold up well for a good decade or so and some much longer, but generally, they are looking pretty bad after 15 or 20 years.
 
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RobW-ToolmakerRob said:
What are the big differences on the Basic(?), Silver, Gold and Platinum models?
Click to expand...

Hi Rob, and welcome!

We have an extensive collection of Weber product catalogs, brochures, and advertisements organized by year that you can browse to see what models and features were available. Often times, people post photos of a grill they've purchased and want to know what year and model it is. By using these documents, I can often tell people exactly what they've got because you can see the progression of grill models, features, colors, and even small details like wheel style and thermometer location to pinpoint an exact model.

Also, the product catalogs usually include a table showing the difference in features between models.

tvwbb.com

Old Weber Catalogs, Brochures, Ads, Videos, Etc

Research Weber's past using these Weber product catalogs, newsletters, recipe booklets, and other marketing collateral in PDF format.
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com

Silver/Gold/Platinum denote different levels of materials inside and out (enamel vs stainless) and different features. A/B/C denote two burners (A), three burners (B), and three burners with side burner (C).

For example:

The 2006 Genesis Silver A is a two-burner, 26,000 BTU, 350 sq. in. grill with smaller overall dimensions. Silver B is a three-burner, 36,000 BTU, 424 sq.in. grill with larger overall dimensions. Silver C adds a 12,000 BTU side burner to the B model. Silver grills have a porcelain enamel lid, porcelain enamel coated cooking grates and Flavorizer bars, and enclosed storage area with stainless steel doors.

The 2006 Genesis Gold B is a three-burner, 36,000 BTU, 424 sq. in. grill. Gold C adds a 12,000 BTU side burner to the B model. Gold grills have a stainless steel lid, stainless steel cooking grates and Flavorizer bars, and enclosed storage area with stainless steel doors. There is no two-burner Gold A model.

The 2006 Genesis Platinum B is a three-burner, 36,000 BTU, 424 sq. in. grill. Platinum C adds a 12,000 BTU side burner to the B model. Platinum grills have a stainless steel frame, stainless steel lid, stainless steel cooking grates and Flavorizer bars, and enclosed storage area with stainless steel doors. An accent color is used on the control panel, burner knobs, igniter button, wheel inserts, around the Thermoset work surfaces, and on the side and back panels of the storage area. There is no two-burner Platinum A model.

As you can see, there are lots of little differences between models that can only be determined by looking at the catalog. And some of these details change from year to year as Weber adds and subtracts features.
 
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This was a great question and answered so well. I found this to be very helpful in the Weber gas grill timeline. Looking forward to a great grilling weekend here in Nor Cal. Thanks to those that shared their knowledge.
 
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