Backyard Bbq With Weber Gas Grills
Turn out incredible meals on a large Weber natural gas grill or propane grill at your next backyard BBQ and have space on the grill for mouthwatering ribs, tender chicken, succulent sausages and a whole lot more.
Pay special attention to these features when shopping for a performance-minded Weber gas grill for backyard BBQs:
- Number of Burners:More burners equal more control over your heat. Models with three, four or six burners provide multiple heat zones, so you can have thick chops, thinly-sliced meats and an assortment of veggies going at the same time. Back burners provide even more heating options for cooking and keeping food warm.
- Cooking Area: The number of burners can also indicate the available cooking area. Although it depends on the grill model, two burner and three burner grills can easily serve a household, while grills with four or six burners are best for frequent grilling and large BBQ get-togethers.
- BTU Output: BTU rating indicates how much fuel a grill burns. Weber gas grills are designed for quality, performance and efficiency, meaning they will burn the right amount of fuel for consistent grilling results.
- Side Burners:Cook or heat side dishes while you attend to the grill with a Weber model that features one or two side burners.
Upgrade Pick: Weber Genesis E
If youre looking for a big grill that has a larger cooking area and more fire power, consider the Weber Genesis E-325s. Even though its billed as a three-burner grill, it actually has a fourth burner located between the middle and right-hand burners, creating what Weber calls the Sear Zone. The grill also comes with two big, asymmetrical side tables , a closed cabinet with double doors, and four lockable swiveling casters. Compared with our pick, the Spirit II E-310, the entire Genesis E-325s is almost a foot longer, and its cooking area is about 20% larger, easily accommodating 15 burger patties at a time. Instead of having porcelainized cast-iron grates , the grates on the Genesis E-325s are made from thick, stainless steel rods. The stainless steel grates could create slightly lighter sear marks on your food than cast iron would deliver, but the difference should hardly be noticeable. The Genesis E-325s also has a foldable upper rack that extends the length of the main cooking grate and expands to be 11 inches deep. The E-325s looks sturdy and well built, and it has some new practical features that further justify the higher price tag.
Webers warranty covers the firebox and lid assembly for 12 years it covers stainless steel burner tubes, cooking grates, and Flavorizer bars for 10 years.
Number Of Burners & Btus
BTU ratings, also known as British thermal units, vary greatly across the divide. BTU refers to the amount of thermal heat that a burner puts out. Its rating refers to the maximum heat produced by the burner. One BTU can be described as the amount of power needed to heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
Try to avoid grills that have very high BTUs. Gone are the days when this was the first thing to look for in a grill. In most cases, if a grill has a high BTU, then it is possible that it is just a front to keep you from noticing shoddy craftsmanship. Durability in construction is essential, from the grates to the lid.
Manufacturers will usually disclose how many BTUs the grill has, but these can be deceptive. So you must know how to check yourself. The heavier the grill, the longer it will take to preheat, and hence it may have low BTUs. Dont be quick to run for those with BTUs. It may simply mean they are made of cheap material that heats up quickly.
A gas grill with BTUs of between 80 and 100 per square inch should be sufficient for good grilling. Cooking at anything lower than 70 BTUs per square inch could result in slower cooking and more time.
When it comes to the number of burners needed, two burners are sufficient, but having three of four burners means that you can also have four heat levels and hence disperse the heat differently.
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How We Tested Gas Grills
In spring 2017, we kicked off this grill guide by putting six gas grills through a battery of tests. We cooked a full grate of burgers on high heat and chicken pieces at a low temperature. We also roasted whole chickens indirectly on both low and high heat to see whether the grills could create browned skin and perfectly cooked meat without charring. In 2018 we repeated these tests, with the then-new Weber Spirit II E-310 and our upgrade pick at the time, the Weber Genesis II E-310 .
For the high-heat, whole-grate burger testan indicator of the grills ability to pump out uniform, high heat without creating an infernowe heated the grills on high with their lids down for 15 minutes, and we distributed 12 to 15 6-ounce patties across the whole cooking surface. While the burgers cooked, we kept an eye out for flare-upswhich can char the meat and create acrid smokeand looked at the evenness of cooking across the grates. After about 10 minutes of cooking, we compared how well each grill had seared the burgers, and we looked for excessive charring or patties that were still unacceptably raw.
How Do You Clean A Natural Gas Grill
Begin by making sure your grill is off and cooled. Then remove the grilling grates and, underneath them, the metal plates that cover the burners. Use a rag to wipe away any debris sitting on the burners. Take the grates and metal pieces and soak them in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes, and then use a rag to wipe them down. Rinse them off. Use a grill brush for any stuck-on pieces on the grates, dry the grates and metal pieces, and place them back on the grill. To clean the outside of your grill, wipe it down with a rag and a cleaning product specifically made for your grills material.
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Budget Pick: Weber Spirit Ii E
*At the time of publishing, the price was $459.
If you have limited outdoor space or dont want to commit to a larger grill, the Weber Spirit II E-210 is a smaller, two-burner version of our pick, and its a great choice. The Spirit II E-210s smaller grate might make grilling for a crowd a challenging endeavor. However, this grill can still accommodate a whole cut-up chicken or six to eight burger patties at a time. And it performs on a par with the three-burner version, the Spirit II E-310. Like our top pick, the two-burner Spirit comes with a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, two side tables, and a 10-year warranty.
The upper warming rack adds 90 square inches of cooking surface to the E-210, making the total grate area 450 square inches. Overall, the two-burner Spirit II is the same depth and height as the three-burner model, but the E-210 is 4 inches smaller width-wise. That may not seem like much, but if youre working with a small patio area, every inch counts. Like the E-310, the E-210 has an open-cart design and an easy-access side-mounted hook and gauge for the propane tank.
Even though we didnt officially test the Spirit II E-210, we did test its predecessor, the Weber Spirit E-210 . And one of our guide writers, Lesley, owned the Spirit II E-210 for years before passing it off to a friend . She recounts that the Spirit II E-210 held consistent temperature across the cooking grate, and flare-ups were never an issue.
What About Propane Vs Natural Gas
All of our picks are propane-gas grills, since propane tanks are portable and can be purchased almost anywhere, and they dont require any special hookups in your backyard.
However, our picks are also sold in natural-gas versions, which are gaining in popularity. But they require that you have a natural-gas hookup on your deck or patio. If you have natural gas in your home but dont have an outdoor connection, youll need to hire a technician to install one, and this may involve cutting into walls. And if you want to easily move your natural-gas grill into and out of storage, youll also need to buy a quick-disconnect system, which can add another $150 or so. The benefits of natural gas include not having to wrestle propane tanks on and off your grill, always-available fuel , and lower fuel costs . This post provides a deeper rundown of the process.
Of course, you may also have concerns about how each of these fuel choices might impact the environment. Theres no easy answer, but we discuss some of the considerations in the sustainability section below.
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After weeks of research and two days of testing on burgers, barbecue, and whole chickens, the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22 is our pick as the best charcoal grill for most people.
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Stainless Steel Or Cast Iron Grill Grates
Cast iron is extremely durable, but this can also make it more brittle. It also retains heat well, transfers flavors, and soaks them in as the food cooks, and you are guaranteed that it will last a long time. On the downside, cast iron rusts quickly, and it is heavy to carry.
Stainless steel heats up very quickly, and unlike cast iron, it does not rust easily. You will find it much easier to clean up after use, unlike the cast iron grates, which will give you some homework. On the downside, stainless steel does not retain heat well. Its construction is not as sturdy as cast iron, and as such, you will find it may begin to warp or lose shape.
We recommend using cast-iron grates to retain heat well and disperse it evenly if you are looking for something that will retain heat. Even though it is slow to heat up, you will be a happy camper when it does.
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Best Gas Grills Under $500 For 2022
Propane gas grills are a great place to start for outdoor cooking newcomers who want the beauty of grilling without the difficult learning curve. If youre on a budget, this is the place to start your search for your next patio cooker.
Heres our list of the best gas and propane grills under $500 to prove that theres still plenty of power to be had when youre under a budget.
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Why Trust The Spruce Eats
This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, who has written nearly a dozen pieces on all styles of grills for The Spruce Eats.
Ariane Resnick, who updated this roundup, is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author. She has more than 20 years experience in the food and writing spaces and believes in a joy-filled approach to health and wellness.
Propane Or Natural Gas
Propane grills use a propane gas tank for the production of flames. The gas is usually housed in a tank and connected using a short pipeline. They are common in most households because refilling them is affordable and also readily available at most outlets and gas stations.
Natural gas, on the other hand, does not need you to have an external tank. They, however, do need a professional to install them. This is because natural gas grills are usually connected to the gas in your home, leading to the grill. While the initial setup may seem tedious, they are easy to use.
In comparison, propane has twice the amount of energy as natural gas. Also, natural gas grills tend to be pricier than propane gas grills. The other difference is that propane uses a shorter hose than what is required to connect natural gas.
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How We Picked The Best Gas Grill
There were three firm criteria that our main contenders had to meet:
Finally, we restricted our search to grills that burn propane from refillable tanks, the most common fuel by far. But you should note that there are versions of all of our picks that work with natural gas. Just keep in mind that if you dont already have the proper hookups, installing a natural-gas outlet isnt cheap or simple.
We didnt fret much over two other factors that grill-makers spend a lot of time talking about: the grates material and total Btu count .
First, the total Btu count on three-burner grills tends to vary between 30,000 and 40,000, and the industry is making a strong push toward more is better. But our research and reporting convinced us that the following was at least as important as the total output: whether those Btu were applied efficiently, steadily, and evenly across the grates.
Second, grates come in a range of materials: plain cast iron, porcelain-coated cast iron , and stainless steel rods . Salvaggio says porcelainized cast iron holds and delivers heat better than the even-heavier stainless rods on his top-end wares. We found that while porcelainized cast iron was predominant on grills ranging from $300 to over $1,000 in the past, stainless steel is gaining popularity. For instance, on its new Genesis models, Weber swapped the cast-iron grates for stainless steel ones.
Do You Need A Regulator For A Natural Gas Grill
Yes, a natural gas grill needs an appliance regulator. The regulator controls the amount of pressure going into the grill. Natural gas grills use about 110 PSI of gas. The regulator will ensure that an even flow of gas is moving to and through the grill, which will ensure that it works correctly and without surges or gaps in power.
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Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
We wish the bars of the Spirit II E-310s warming racks ran front to back, parallel to the main grates, like they do on our upgrade pick, the Genesis E-325s. That way, you could easily slide a spatula under stuff thats warming. As it is, the warming-rack bars run edge to edge, and you have to awkwardly jimmy a spatula in there sideways.
The Spirit II E-310 should come with a grill cover. This one doesnt, nor did any grill in our test group, so youll need to buy one separately. Webers dedicated Spirit II cover costs about $80, and a well-regarded generic cover costs about $30 .
Small Weber Propane Grills
The situation sometimes calls for a smaller Weber propane grill to meet your needs. But saving space doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor. When even two-burner gas grills from Weber are too much grill for your space, turn to top-tier portable Weber grills that come in compact sizes. Ideal for smaller backyards, patios or decks, as well as tailgating, camping or beach trips, small propane gas grills from Weber help you take the party anywhere.
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Whats The Environmental Impact Of Gas Grills
A grill that is both durable and easy to repair creates much less waste than a cheapo grill that ends up in the garbage. We chose grills with fireboxes made of cast aluminum because the firebox is a major part of the grill, its difficult to replace, and aluminum is resistant to rust and corrosion. Cheaper grills have thin enameled steel fireboxes that are prone to damage and holes from rust. Once your grill has a rusty hole in the firebox, its destined for the scrap heap.
Also, as mentioned in the above section on grill maintenance, things like burner hoods , grilling grates, and the ignition switch are consumable parts, meaning they eventually degrade or wear out over time and are meant to be replaced. Those are parts that should be easy to find and can be purchased for a reasonable pricepreferably from the company that made the grill. Any solid grill maker will have those available for purchase, even if your grill is 15-plus years old.
But what about fuel? This is a tough one because, well, theres no one clear answer. Gas grills run on either liquid propane or natural gasboth fossil fuels. Though both are relatively clean-burning fuels, propane emits fewer greenhouse pollutants than natural gasthough the difference is negligible. However, propane is more efficient because it burns hotter than natural gas. Additionally, propane tanks are inexpensive, reusable, and available at most hardware and big-box stores.
Legal Disclaimers And Warnings
Product packaging, ownersâ manuals, installation instructions, and/or operating instructions may include more information than what is shown on our website. The content on our site is intended to be used for reference purposes only. Please fully read all included manuals and documentation before installing or using this product. WARNING for California residents: this product may contain chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects, cancer, or other reproductive harm.
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Why You Should Trust Us
When we first started working on this guide, back in 2017, we spoke with more than a dozen experts before opening the valve on a single propane tank.
Among those experts, Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ spent two hours explaining the fundamentals of gas grill design, function, materials, and maintenance. Joe and his brother Tony have run Big Apple BBQ, one of the New York regions leading grill shops, for over 30 years. Because Salvaggio is an independent retailer who carries grills from many manufacturers, he was able to speak freely about what he saw as the relative strengths and weaknesses of various designs.
At the 2017 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we interviewed senior product managers from almost every major grill-maker in attendance, including several brands that wound up being featured in our test: Weber, Broil King, and Napoleon. We also spoke with multiple makers of high-end grills. Though we wouldnt be testing their grills, we found that understanding what goes into making a $4,000 grill helped us evaluate the less expensive grills in our test.
We backed this reporting with comprehensive researchthe in-depth, professional reviews at AmazingRibs.com being a standout sourceand with hands-on time with grills at the big hardware chains.
