Which Weber Grills Have Sear Station

Best Propane Grills To Taste The Meat Not The Heat

Weber Sear Station vs Pro Style BBQ Grills

by Justin Justus

Looking for the perfect marriage of flavor, convenience, and reliability? Consider a propane grill. Below, we review the top-rated propane grills to kick off your Summer cookouts.

Compared to traditional charcoal grills, propane grills are way less smoky, easier to use, and fuel-efficient. Nonetheless, buying a propane grill is not as simple as just picking the first one you see on display at the local hardware store they differ considerably in quality.

The best propane grills offer easier cleanups, easy turn-on switches, and are easy to control. And if youve used charcoal grills, you know that heat management can be a painmaking propane an attractive alternative.

Also Check: How To Grill Burgers Propane

Whats A Sear Station & How Do I Use It

For several years, many models of Weber grills have come with a Sear Station ® , but it remains one of the less well understood features of our grills. Were aiming to clear up any confusion surrounding how to best use the Sear Station, and what advantages there are to owning a Weber grill with one.

What Is Weber Grill

Grill With Weber Grills and Lowes. It all started with a drive to cook a better steak and continues today with a grill coveted by barbecue enthusiasts all over the country. The Weber gas grill is a classic that has evolved to include the Weber Genesis grill, a series including the Weber Genesis Silver with three burners and built-in thermometer.

Recommended Reading: Where Is Serial Number On Weber Grill

Pros And Cons Of Cooking With A Weber Smart Grill

Pros

You can monitor your food as it cooks as well as the grill temperature. The step-by-step guide is helpful if you’ve ever been intimidated by cooking different cuts of meat on the grill.

Monitoring Temperature With Weber Smart Grill Probe

The probe will allow you to check on the proteins as they are cooking and give you a countdown of when your food might be done.

Cons

I don’t see too many cons about having a device like this on your grill. You will have some trial and error like anything new.

I would still monitor the grill as you normally would until you are comfortable with the technology.

You may also not want to buy a grill just for the Smart feature.

If that is the case, an external accessory called the iGrill can be purchased along with a regular grill for the same functionality.

I also recommend investing in a couple of extra probes, just if it gets damaged during the grilling process.

Is Napoleon Better Than Weber

Weber Genesis II SE

In general, both are great when it comes to providing quality machines for a reliable BBQ experience. With multiple sizes and different cooking capacities available, there are many options to choose from.

Weber slightly outperforms Napoleon in terms of minimizing flare-ups and build quality. In addition, the temperature control and fuel efficiency of Webers grill are also slightly better than the Napoleon. As a result, the Weber machines usually last a year or two longer than those from Napoleon.

However, Napoleon seems to be an excellent choice if you are looking for extensive cooking capacities. This is because their machines typically have large cooking areas compared to Webers.

Also Check: What Model Is My Weber Grill

First Off What Is A Sear Station

The Sear Station is basically three burners that are closer together than the other burners on the grill. What this does is create a zone on the grill that can get hotter much faster than other areas, which is great for speeding up the time it takes to get the grates hot enough for searing. You can sear on a grill without a Sear Station, but youll have to wait a bit longer.

So, now that we know what a Sear Station is, how do we use it?Using the Sear Station is very simple, but there are a few simple things to keep in mind. Lets walk through the process of using one.

Weber Spirit Grill Series

The Weber Spirit grill series is perfect for the small family or novice griller.

Its considered an entry-level model equipped with either a two-burner or three-burner configuration, available in black for natural gas.

The Spirit II has the GS4 improvements and is the least expensive. Its available in two or three burners at 26,000 and 32,000 BTU at up to 424 square inches of cooking area.

The regular Spirit doesnt have the GS4 but will have better features like a stainless body and a more durable stainless grate.

You also have a 12,000 BTU side burner and a 7,500 BTU sear station located between the two burners in the middle for added heat.

Their SP-335 includes every Weber option, including the Sear Station, side burners, and a storage cabinet.

The regular Spirit series even has a smart grill.

Overall, a Weber Spirit series grill is a good value. Its solid and will last far longer than the cheaper competitive grills.

Lets take a look at their most popular models.

  • Enameled lid and grates, three burners, open cart
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    Your Call Your Choice

    The best grill depends on what you consider the most important in your choice of the grill. Considering the main factors of an efficient grill like price, heating output, durability, and searing performance, Weber emerges as a clear winner of the two of them.

    Webers long experience in the grilling game has led to insight-driven, thoughtful products that might be priced higher than their peers in the market, but is the best value for your money. Keep in mind resale values of these grills. Maybe in 5 years you want to upgrade to a larger model or Weber has something brand new. Youll have a much easier time selling your used Weber grill vs Nexgrill. Its premium quality products produce consistent results and can stick around for years with just a little upkeep. Speaking of upkeep, checkout our article on how to clean a gas grill.

    Webers quality is a testament to the majority of positive reviews we hear around its products, and customers willingly switch to, or loyally staying with the brand over years.

    Hope we helped you decide between these two grills. We have more Weber comparisons here.

    Nexgrill Fortress Portable Review

    WEBER SEAR STATION

    A pioneer of the tabletop trend, the portable Nexgrill Fortress is designed in a heavy cast aluminum body and features 2 burners made of 304-stainless steel. Porcelain enamelled cast iron cooking grates, independent ignitions for the burners and flexible cooking options are some things to look forward to with this grill.

    Versatile cooking with 2 burners
    Reasonably priced

    Design and Structure

    • The Nexgrill Fortress is designed in a heavy-duty cast aluminum body and firebox that encloses a 261.2 sq. in. primary cooking area.
    • A propane grill, this one can be assembled in about 10 minutes by fitting the lid handle, knob controls, cooking grates and drip pan in place.
    • A built-in thermometer in the lid helps accurately read the temperature of your food.

    Cooking Performance

    • The Nexgrill Fortress Portable hold 2 burners that sear at 6,500 BTUs each, making it a neat total of 13,000 BTUs.
    • The independent push-and-turn ignition systems on each burner tube allow greater cooking flexibility by letting you keep a cooler and hotter side of the grill, ensuring grilling and toasting happens side-by-side.
    • Firing up the Nexgrill Fortress is quick and the heat is evenly distributed across the cast iron cooking grates.

    The Nexgrill Fortress Portable comes with a 5-year warranty against damage and replacement of its parts.

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    How We Picked The Best Gas Grill

    We had 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 most grills can also run on natural gasthough converting to natural gas isnt cheap or simple.1

    We didnt fret much over two other factors that grill-makers spend a lot of time talking about: total Btu count and the grates material. 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 at least as important as the total output was whether those Btus were applied efficiently, steadily, and evenly across the grates. We decided to reserve judgment until our tests.

    We knew we would be looking at intangibles, too, such as how well the grills were packed, if the instructions were clear, and if assembly was reasonably straightforward. And, of course, we would consider the biggest intangible of all: the grills ability to perform in our tests.

    But those judgments would have to wait until we got our hands on the contenders. So after weeks of research, reporting, and discussion, we settled on four gas grills to test in our main $400 to $700 category, and two grills around the $200 mark to test as budget options.

    Weber Spirit Vs Genesis: Entry Level Vs Mid

    SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page. Learn more.

    If youre looking to invest in a new gas grill, chances are youre trying to decide between the Weber

    In this guide, well take you through both the Spirit and Genesis Weber grill lines, explain the main differences and run through the latest updates from 2022.

    Well go through all the models to consider, but if you are in a rush we think the Weber Spirit II E-310 is the best value gas grill you can get if you want Weber quality without a lot of bells and whistles,

    If you can stretch your budget, then the Genesis E-335 hits the sweet spot between price, size, and functionality.

    Read on for more in-depth comparisons between these two grill lines.

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    Is Nexgrill Owned By Home Depot

    Owing to the blurred classification of grill lines by Nexgrill, and the fact that these grills are sometimes sold under other manufactures as well, Nexgrill is often confused to be owned by Home Depot. In reality, Home Depot is an online home improvement retailer that offers its customers an assortment of building materials, home improvement products, and caters to home improvement installation services.

    Home Depot is an important supplier of various products and accessories under Nexgrill, but by no means owns the brand. Nexgrill is owned by Nexgrill Industries Inc. that manufactures and supplies grills and heaters.

    Whats The Best Way To Acquire Excellent Grill Marks

    66012001 Weber Genesis II Series E

    Perfect Sear Marks: A Step-by-Step Guide

  • Make sure your grates have received a fresh coat of cooking oil. During the preparation of your meat or veggies, you may also oil them.
  • Preheat your grill.
  • On the grill, place your meat and veggies.
  • Turn your meat or veggies 45 degrees, or one quarter turn.
  • Now its time to turn the pan to complete the cooking.
  • Recommended Reading: Older Weber Gas Grill Models

    Are Weber Grills Really That Much Better

    After five days of cooking burgers, barbecue, and chicken on seven top-rated grillsand weeks of researching the dozens availableweve decided that the Weber Spirit II E-310 is our pick as the best gas grill for most people. No grill matches its combination of exceptional performance, usability, durability, and value.

    Weber Spirit E210 Vs Spirit E310

    Weber manufacture some of the best grills on the market. A couple of their most popular grills include the E210 and the newer model the E310 but what exactly are the differences and similarities between them.The biggest and most important difference is probably that the E310 has 3 burners while the E210 only has 2 burners. Having the 3 burners means there is more area where the heat will be maximized and also more cooking area and space.

    Model

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    Weber 61086001 Lp Genesis Ii E

    The next on our list is the E-335 from the Genesis series, which provides a total cooking surface of 669 sq inches for a variety of BBQ pursuits. The three main burners on this machine provide a collective heating capacity of approximately 39 000 BTUs, while the sear station burner provides 9 000 BTU in an hour for great direct heat cooking.

    669 Square Inches of Cooking Space

    The Weber Genesis II E-335 is a propane grill with a total cooking area of 669 square inches. It has 513 square inches of primary cooking space and 156 square inches of secondary cooking space. In addition, this grill features an infinity ignition system, iGrill 3 remote connectivity, and high-end heat deflectors to enhance your cooking experience.

    You can use this grill for all your entertaining outdoor needs based on its cooking capacity and features.

    Porcelain Enameled Construction

    The Weber Genesis II E-335 is a gas grill that will give you the ability to cook like a pro. Its got three highly efficient stainless steel burners, producing up to 39,000 BTUs of heat. Searing steaks and other meats at high temperatures are possible using porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates.

    Weber Q1200 Portable Review

    Weber Sear Grill

    A propane gas portable grill, the Weber Q1200 Portable is a part of the Q1000 series. A reliable, fun-to-use grill, this grill comes in 8 different colors and has a variety of accessories to it too . Stellar temperature control, easy maintenance, and some quality parts are what you can expect with the Weber Q1200.

    Attractive colour options

    Design and Structure

    • Available in a host of colors, this grill might not be portable in the strictest sense of the word. With a weight of around 30 lbs and no wheels, transporting this grill could be a bit of work.
    • The Weber Q1200 covers over 189 sq. in. of primary grilling area fitted with porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates.
    • The cooking grates are especially a delight because they are rust-resistant and very easy to clean.
    • This grill is also fitted with handy foldable side tables that help you organize your food and prep materials.

    Cooking Performance

    Weber Q1200 Portable is backed by a 5-year warranty of grill body, grates, lid, frame, side tables and burner from rusting.

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    Larger Ones Are Suitable For Professionals

    On the other hand, if you are a professional working at a high-end, busy restaurant, it would be better if you went for one from a Summit series. All the models in this series have huge cooking capacity besides top-notch build and cooking mechanisms that help deliver steakhouse-quality BBQ cookouts.

    Let The Grilling Begin

    A whole chicken was first on our test menu. You want to cook whole birds evenly at moderate temperatures to slowly crisp the skin. With all burners on low, the temp range of around 400°F was a bit too hot for slow roasting a chicken, so we changed course and went for a 2-zone setup, following Webers instructions to turn off the middle burner and leave the left and right burners on Low. Then we placed the chicken in the middle in the indirect heat zone.

    To monitor the cooking temperature, we never rely on thermometers built into the grill hood as they are notoriously inaccurate. Instead, we placed our digital thermometer in the middle area where it registered a cooking temp of 295°F. The sweet spot for roasting chicken is 325°F. At that temperature, poultry cooks gently and thoroughly while developing delicious brown skin. Cook too low and you risk dry meat and rubbery skin too high and you may have to snatch the bird off the grill to prevent burning the outside before it is properly cooked inside. We dialed up to 325°F by goosing the left and right burners almost to Medium on the control knobs and were rewarded with a crisp and juicy bird.

    Setting up 2-zone cooking on Genesis II was remarkably easy and didnt require use of a water pan to moderate the temp as some gassers do. Whats the difference between a water pan and drip pan? Good question.

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    Weber 14402001 Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill

    Why youll love it:

    The kettle design is synonymous with most charcoal grills from Weber. This design makes it easy to enjoy a barbeque grill on your patio or small backyard, because it makes the grill more compact. The big dome is not only stylish, but it also facilitates faster cooking. For smaller option see the Weber Smokey Joe 14.

    What we liked

    What we didnt like

    • Charcoal is messy and expensive

    But here is why this is the best Weber charcoal grill I have sampled so far.

    It has a hinged grate that stays in place even when you are stoking the fire and adding more charcoal to the grill. This may seem basic, but after using grills with unstable grates that sacrifice my meat to the ashes below, I appreciate one that stays in place.

    The cooking surface area is 393 square inches, and allowing users to put on multiple foods. The use of porcelain enameled grates ensures the grill retains heat throughout the grilling process. And thereafter it is very easy to clean.

    See our full review here: Weber Original Premium 22 Kettle.

    Weber 7170001 Summit S

    61006001 Weber Genesis II Series S

    Why youll love this:

    Look, I can tell you right now that this propane grill is a crowd puller. It can smoke, grill, and rotisserie your meats and birds to perfection. This is the type of grill that inspires weekend hangouts at your place.

    What We Didnt Like

    • It is the smallest size in the Weber Summit range
    • No cover included

    Wondering why it is called the S-470?

    Because the Weber-Summit S-470 offers users 470 square inches of cooking space, so you can grill up a storm. The warming rack is 112 square inches, so you have no excuse to serve cold food, ever!

    This grill is perfect for someone looking for an average-size grill, with features like a side burner and a smoker burner. My favorite feature on it is the sear station burner. This guarantees that the meat will have a perfect sear on the outside, and juicy tenderness on the inside.

    When it comes to its construction, the height is comfortable without making in necessary for tall people to hunch. It does not have a very sleek design, but at least it is not boxy.

    Still on the fence about it?

    What if I told you that they sweetened the deal by putting in an infrared rotisserie burner?

    Yes. The rear-mounted rotisserie burner is indeed infrared, meaning natural gas heats up the infrared element, which in turn radiates heat to your bird, slowly cooking her.

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