What Grills Compare To Weber

What Is The Best Grill To Buy For The Money

The best grills you can buy today

Why Trust The Spruce Eats

Erica Puisis is a writer and interior design expert who has been writing about all things home and lifestyle for The Spruce since 2017.

This article was updated by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats. She’s written close to a dozen pieces on all styles of grills and done firsthand testing of smokers and grills featured in her articles.

Weber Smokefire Ex6 Wi

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While pellet grills may be new to some people, fans of smoked meats know them well. That said, the Weber SmokeFire EX6 Wi-Fi Enabled Wood Fired Pellet Grill is a high-tech, Wi-Fi-connected model that lets you control every aspect of grilling from your smartphone. First of all, this grill provides a massive 1,008 square inches of cooking area thanks to a dual-level plated steel grates. And, it has a big temperature range: 200 degrees Fahrenheit ideal for smoking. all the way up to 600 degrees for searing. The generously sized pellet hopper holds 22 pounds and a variable speed auger feeds is set at an incline to eliminate pellet jams.

Perhaps best of all, the SmokeFire EX6 eliminates the need to constantly run to the grill to check your food. It comes with the ;Weber Connect display built in, and by using the smartphone app via Wi-Fi or when its time to flip the food and when its ready. The smart system even lets you know when its time to refill the pellet hopper.;The SmokeFire EX6 also features an easy-clean system that channels ash into a drawer that comes out so theres no messing with any grease buckets. the grill also features a large stainless steel side table with handy tool hooks.

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Best Weber Smokefire Gen 1 Reviews

Back at the start of 2020 when the Weber SmokeFire pellet grills were first released I like many other people was excited to see what they could really do, and how it would compete against the Traeger range in particular. After all, while Traeger may currently be the biggest name in pellet grills/smokers, Weber is the biggest name in BBQ, period. Furthermore, Weber is a made in the USA brand , and I know many of my readers when possible wish to purchase a made in the USA product.

There are three reviews of the Gen 1 Weber SmokeFire pellet grills that I think you should be aware of which cover the good things about these pellet grills , but also, yes, the potential grease fire risk. The first review below is from Mike of Everyday BBQ & Cooking who I think did the best overall job of explaining the potential/good points of the SmokeFire pellet grills along with their design limitations which can lead to a grease fire.

A thorough 28-minute review by Mike of Everyday BBQ on his experience with a Gen 1 Weber SmokeFire

To further illustrate that this grease/ash mixing issue was not an isolated issue I wanted to include a second video below from Justin, aka the Baby Back Maniac. Before the SmokeFire grills were released Justin actually got to visit Weber in Chicago at their development centre to discuss their new SmokeFire pellet grills. Hence, Justin like Mike above are not Weber haters or Traeger shills, Im confident these are their honest experiences.

Best Pellet Grill And Smoker: Weber Smokefire Ex4

After giving up a big marketshare to Traeger Grills, Weber introduced the new pellet smokers and grills under the marketing name SmokeFire. The Weber pellet grill comes in two sizes the SmokeFire EX4 a.k.a. 22510201 the 24-inch pellet grill and smoker and the SmokeFire EX6 a.k.a. 23510201 which is 36-inches .

Please keep in mind that the current product line up is the 2nd generation release. The company ironed out many of the shortcomings of the initial launch of the product from two year ago. In fact, Weber had to go initiate a recall even to collect unsold 1st generation product and replace them with the up-to-date versions.

The most striking feature of the Weber SmokeFire EX4 is its ability to reach high temperatures with relative ease. This makes the pellet grill very effective in searing. The Weber SmokeFire operates in 200 to 600 F range to both smoke and grill. The porcelain enamel finish on this Weber smoker is durable and maintains its shine over years to come with or without a cover.

Weber uses its typical firebox design with the SmokeFire. Stainless steel flavorizer bars are seated under high quality grates. The usual Weber grease management system is flanked by the the ash collection bin. In the past few months Weber caught some bad press on grease management from early users specifically complaining about grease flare ups. Although we think the grease collection holes can be larger, clogging will happen without basic upkeep.

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Broil King Build Quality

When you fire up your first steak, burger, or sausage using a Broil King, youll notice that the build is solid and sturdy.

Thats because all Broil King gas barbeque grills are manufactured in their North American locations by North American workers. Broil King has manufacturing locations in Dickson Tennessee, Huntington Indiana, and Waterloo Ontario.

Most of the components that make up a Broil King gas grill are fabricated by North American craftspeople using North American steel. Broil King proudly states that their grill cook box, shelves, and steel carts are 100% North American made.

Broil King gas grills arent made entirely in the US, though. If you;read between the lines, it seems that some of Broil Kings grill components are sourced globally.

F Nice But Not Necessary

• Smokebox If you choose a gas grill but still want the option of adding some smoky flavor to your meats, you can opt for a smoke box. As a built-in option, it is usually a little drawer or box. It can also be purchased separately. In either case, it holds damp wood chips that smoke during cooking and give food that characteristic essence.
• Rotisserie If youre experienced with these, it can be a fun option. For everyone else, it might be more bother than its worth.
• Smart Grill Even if you cant afford the luxury grills that come fully set up for smart technology, there are smart connectors that can be added to any grill. With these, you can connect to wifi with an app, choose your desired doneness and get alerts when its time to flip the food or when its ready.

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Setting Up The Grills

;With large grills like these two we chose for the comparison, you will need to set them up properly and assemble some parts.

That is especially if you order them and they are shipped.

Storing some things in smaller spaces;is better while transporting it.

That is why these large grills can disassemble to ship them in a more compact package.

The monument grill is a pretty easy grill to assemble. It did not take too much time to assemble the parts due to the labeling, and the instructions were really clear and easy to follow.;

After properly;tightening the screws;and the other parts, the outcome was a sturdy grill with durable parts.

Within an hour, the grill was ready to be fired up for the seasoning process.

The Weber grill was also an easy grill to assemble with clear instructions and simple parts.

However, I did need more help in assembling this grill because of the many details in it.

There are two sets of different wheels on this grill that were pretty easy to assemble but are hard to install.

You do need to assemble;the shelf;at the bottom of the cooking chamber as well.

I needed help carrying the other parts while I assembled the smaller details such as the door of the shelf and the wheels.

Other than that, it was pretty easy to assemble the Weber grill.

I do recommend that you season the grills first after assembling them and before cooking in them.

Make sure to burn off any contaminant that the grills gathered during their transport.

What To Take Into Consideration

Gas grills come in all shapes and sizes , which means that picking one out can get overwhelming very quickly. Something that is vital to remember when shopping for one: Just because its the most, doesnt mean its the best . In other words, if you have a tiny backyard and prefer the concept of minimalism, the super expensive, gigantic, five-burner grill isnt really going to fit your vibe. It might be for someone else, but were shopping for you, remember?

Now that we got that lesson out of the way, there are two major points youll want to get figured out before purchasing your very own gas grill:

Get those priorities in check, and youve already done most of the work.

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Best Smoker Alternative: Eastygoproducts Big Bad Barrel Charcoal Smoker / Bbq

This unit was meant to be an alternative for the iconic Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker. The Weber version has a legendary reputation among BBQ enthusiasts and has stood the test of time for reliability. I knew that when I chose a good alternative, it needed to be good.

Im happy to report that this EasyGoProducts Smoker fits the bill . Although new on the scene, this product has already developed a reputation for quality and effectiveness. The two-layer design is similar to the Smokey Mountain Cooker and it shares roughly the same amount of available cooking area.

The only thing lacking is a fuel door to add more charcoal in order to add more, you have to completely disassemble the top two portions. Luckily, it makes up for this shortfall by being roughly half the price of the Smokey Mountain Cooker.

Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill

Electric grills are the come at the top of the list for convenience while grilling. The Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill is one of the best compact electric grills and is undoubtedly the best Weber electric grill. Although it is small, there is plenty of room for cooking any type of meat, and the construction of the grill is sound enough to withstand harsh weather conditions.

• 1560-Watt electric heating element
• 189 sq. in. total cooking area
• Porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates
• Cast aluminum lid and grill body
• No assembly required

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Weber 62006001 Genesis Ii S

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The Genesis IIis a high-performance grill that is one of the iconic brands most popular. The grilling system has a continuous-spark infinity ignition, four stainless steel high-performance burners, the Weber-created stainless steel flavorizer bars with a flame view window and a grease management system. Inside, the cooking grates are made from 7mm stainless steel rods and a side burner, and a sear station burner put out a total of 69,000 BTUs of heat. It also features a Tuck-Away warming rack that adds 198 square inches to the cooking area for a total of 844 square inches. The housing of the grill features a durable stainless steel lid and a closed cart design with painted steel doors.

This grill is super handy thanks to its side shelves, one of which folds down when not needed or to save space. Two cart shelves are inside the lower cabinet for storing barbecue essentials while six side shelf tool hooks offer easy hanging storage. Best of all, the Weber 62006001 Genesis II S-435 is compatible with the iGrill 3, which turns it into a Smart grill. The meat problem monitoring system is purchased separately and run through an app on your phone, allowing you to monitor the temperature and doneness of your meat without physically going to the grill. Fabulous for parties!

Burners And Heat Retention

For the most part, the burners on a Char-Broil model will offer 12,000 BTUs apiece, an impressive number. Ive found that the grills heat quickly and evenly, and are able to hold their heat over a long period of timea major plus if youre planning on grilling multiple courses. If anything, they can get a little too hotgrillers should keep a close eye on their ingredients during cooking, and keep small children and pets away from the cooking surface.

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Grilling In Style: Color Options

While Weber seems to be a fan of the sleek, stainless steel silver and black look, they do offer color options for our more vibrant-minded grilling fans. The Q 1200 portable grill, for example, comes in seven different, vivid colors to suit your unique personality.

The best thing about Weber grills is just how many varieties they offer, so youre guaranteed to find a grill that perfectly fits both your grilling style and needs and your aesthetic preferences all in one awesome package.

PRO TIP – Make sure to contact our staff at 714-4938 to inquire about unpublished savings on Weber Grills.

Weber Vs Momument Grills

For the most part, I would recommend getting the Monument grill as it is large enough for parties and is powerful enough to cook the food properly and perfectly with its cast-iron grate.

However, there are many advantages to the Weber grill, such as a larger size and a sturdy build.

It can also cook a lot of food so if you need more space, this is the grill for you.

Both have easy controls that you can even use in the dark.

So it comes down to your personal preference on which grill will fit your lifestyle better, either way, they are both reliable grills!

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Best Overall Electric: Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill

• Durable and easy to transport

• Quick assembly

• Cast iron cooking grates help retain heat

For an electric grill that performs great wherever there is a power outlet, choose the Q1400 from Weber. This compact but mighty electric grill delivers great flavor and doesnt require propane or charcoal.

Instead, plug the unit into an electrical outlet, adjust the temperature setting, and then get ready to grill. The key to using the Q1400 successfully is to wait a sufficient amount of time for the grill to come to temperature. Once you do, people find that the 189 square inches of cooking space can handle the grilling needs of anywhere from one person to four or moredepending on what youre cooking up. This is the smaller of Webers two electric grill models, but if you dont absolutely need the extra space, the smaller Q1400 has been found to have faster heat recovery.

With porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates, youll get excellent heat retention and easy cleanup. The Weber Q1400 is a great choice if you live in a condo or other small space where the use of gas and charcoal grills may be restricted or if you want an easy-to-use unit that only needs to be plugged in.

Dimensions: 14.5 x 27 x 16.5 inches | TotalCooking Area: 189square inches | Type: electric

“We were super pleased with these grates, as they gave us drool-worthy sear marks during different grill sessions.” Michelle Piccolo, Product Tester

Gas Grill Vs Charcoal Grill

If youre buying a grill, your first decision is which type of fuel: charcoal or gas.

Gas grills offer three big benefits:

• Control: Adjusting the heat is a simple matter of turning the burner knobs, so you can easily prevent burning or undercooking, as well as create different heat zones by shutting down one or more burner . You can do the same with charcoal, too, but it takes workyou need to move the coals around and adjust the vents.
• Convenience: Gas grills turn on with the press of a button and heat up fast. Charcoal grills require 20 minutes or so to light the coals and another 10 minutes or so for the grates to heat up.
• Cleanliness: Gas grills dont generate much smoke and dont produce ash or embers the way charcoal grills do, so cleanup is simpleyou just have to brush and wipe the grates and empty the grease trap after youre done cooking.

That said, charcoal grills have several upsides of their own. Charcoal burns hotter than gas, so you can get a superior sear on burgers and steaks. You can buy an exceptional, do-everything charcoal grill for $150; gas grills start at around $200, and youll spend at least twice that on a really good one. Lastly, theres the romance factor: For some people, its more fun to play with fire than to twiddle a few knobs.

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