When fresh air and the sear on a juicy grilled burger combine, it’s pure warm-weather delight. But a subpar grill can kill that buzz real fast. To help you keep the good vibes (and food) going, we’ve hunted for gas grills that are durable, easy to clean, and simple to control. After cooking burgers, barbecue, and chicken on seven top-rated grills—and researching dozens more—we recommend the Weber Spirit II E-310. No grill matches its combination of exceptional performance, usability, durability, and value.
Our pick
Weber Spirit II E-310
The best gas grill
This three-burner grill offers an unrivaled combination of performance, usability, versatility, durability, and value.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 excelled at every test we put it through, producing the best hamburgers—deeply seared, evenly cooked—of any grill we tested, and outdoing or equaling the others on barbecue chicken and whole roasted chickens. This grill’s overall compact size suits almost any patio or deck. Yet its three-burner grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal (meat or fish and a couple of veggies) for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. With its thick, rust-proof cast-aluminum firebox, this grill will last for years. (Weber guarantees all parts for a full decade.) And Weber has incorporated some nice features on its pricier Genesis E-325s (our upgrade pick) into this model, including an under-grill storage shelf and an external mount (which makes it easy to change out the propane tank). The Spirit II is also a particularly simple grill to assemble, maintain, and use. Finally, at under $700, it’s a terrific value.
Upgrade pick
Weber Genesis E-325s
Bigger, sleeker, and more expensive
With more heat per square inch and a larger grilling area than the Spirit E-310, the Genesis E-325s is our top choice for dedicated grillers.
The Weber Genesis E-325s puts out more heat per square inch than our pick, and the main grate has a 20% larger cooking area. The Genesis E-325s has an extra burner—placed between the middle and right-hand burners—that makes that end of the grill hotter, creating what Weber dubs the “Sear Zone.” The Genesis has roomier side tables than the Spirit models—one of them is big enough to fit a half sheet pan. Weber also redesigned its expandable upper warming rack, with bars that run front to back (rather than side to side), so it’s easier to slide a spatula under the food. Instead of porcelainized cast-iron cooking grates, the Genesis E-325s has a grilling surface made of thick stainless steel rods (these won’t make a huge difference in your grilling results). Like our top pick, the Genesis E-325s has a cast-aluminum firebox and an enameled steel lid and frame. But unlike the Spirit II E-310, the Genesis sits on a closed cart (equipped with double doors) that glides on four casters for easier mobility.
Budget pick
Weber Spirit II E-210
A smaller grill
This two-burner grill is great for grilling novices or folks with limited space. However, it lacks some of the versatility—and heat output—of our other picks.
The Weber Spirit II E-210 is a smaller, two-burner version of our pick, the Spirit II E-310. The materials and build are identical: cast-aluminum firebox, enameled steel throughout, porcelainized cast-iron grates, and an open-cart design with a side mount for the propane tank. The E-210 is overall 4 inches smaller widthwise, and its cooking area is 15% smaller than that of the E-310 (360 square inches versus 424, respectively). This is enough space to snugly fit a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties. The Spirit II E-210 is good for grilling foods that are best suited to intense direct heat, such as steaks, chops, hot dogs, burgers, and veggie skewers. We don’t recommend this grill if you want to cook with indirect heat—a three-burner grill is better for that method, since it cooks the food from two sides instead of one. But we still think the E-210 makes a great first gas grill purchase, and it’s a good option for folks with limited outdoor space.
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