The Best Weber Grills Tested in 2024

Hello, my friend, hello again; today we come together to talk about The Best Weber Grills Tested in 2024 and hope the blog can help you.

Add a grill from one of the most well-regarded brands in the business to your outdoor kitchen.

Of the many brands of grills on the market, Weber is one of the best thanks to its reputation for making reliable and durable high-performance gas and charcoal grills. While buying a Weber grill is a smart choice, there are many different models to choose from, ranging from Weber’s classic charcoal kettle grill to its high-performance gas grills and newer smokers.

But what makes Weber such a great brand for grills, and what types of grills does Weber offer? We sought to answer this question by subjecting Weber’s grills to rigorous hands-on testing. We used the manufacturer’s charcoal, gas, and portable grills to find out how some of the best Weber grills on the market perform.

1. BEST OVERALL: Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill
3. BEST GAS: Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill
4. BEST PORTABLE: Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill
5. BEST FOR CAMPING: Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Weber Grill

Weber’s product line is diverse, with the company manufacturing charcoal, propane, and wood-pellet grills. Ahead, learn more about the different types of grills Weber offers and the important factors to consider when shopping for one.

Types of Weber Grills

There are four main types of Weber grills, and they are categorized by the type of fuel used: charcoal, liquid propane, wood pellet, and electric.

Charcoal

Weber is well-known as the inventor of the charcoal grill (after all, it is part of the company’s logo), so it stands to reason that the company’s charcoal grills would be among the most highly regarded on the market.

Its line of charcoal grills ranges from its popular Smokey Joe 14-inch grill up to its 22-inch premium charcoal grill. Weber also makes a charcoal kamado grill, which has a ceramic body, and a charcoal smoker.

Liquid Propane

While Weber may be best known for inventing the kettle charcoal grill, its propane gas grills are just as popular, if not more so. The company’s range of gas grills includes its mid-tier Spirit series, its high-end Genesis gas grills, and its top-end Summit grills, which include a mix of built-in and freestanding grills.

Wood Pellets and Electric

Though it’s not a large part of its business, Weber also offers two sizes of higher-end wood pellet grills and three electric grills designed for portable use.

Size

When choosing a grill, paying attention to size is key as it determines how much food one can cook at a time. Grill size is typically measured by the size of the cooking surface. One of the best ways to determine size is to consider how many people the grill needs to accommodate.

About 200 square inches of cooking space is suitable for one to two people, while 450 square inches is a good size for a family of four. Larger families and those who frequently entertain may require a grill with 500 to 650 square inches of cooking surface.

Grill Material

Weber charcoal grills consist of a steel body coated with a porcelain enamel that’s baked on at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit to withstand high temperatures. The company’s gas grills are made from stainless steel, aluminized steel, or cast iron. Construction varies depending on the grill’s price point.

While Weber’s Spirit series uses bent sheet metal for its construction, the company’s higher-end Genesis series consists of thicker and sturdier welded beams. Weber uses either stainless steel bars (charcoal) or porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates (gas) for the cooking surfaces on its grills.

Wheels

Larger Weber gas and charcoal stand-alone grills have wheels that make them easier to move around a patio or deck. Weber’s charcoal models as well as some of its gas grills have two wheels on one side that allow the user to move the grill by tilting it backward. Its higher-end freestanding gas grills sit on large casters that allow the user to roll them around a smooth surface.

Performance

Weber is known for integrating its grills with innovative technologies that improve performance and ease of use. Weber’s gas grill, for example, includes its GS4 system, which consists of an igniter that can set the temperature for the entire grill at once, high-performance burners that last longer, metal bars that decrease flare-ups and improve flavor by evaporating juices, and a handy grease-management system under the firebox.

Most of Weber’s gas grills are compatible with iGrill 3 app-connected technology, which consists of a small Bluetooth unit on the front of the grill. The unit connects up to four compatible meat thermometers, sold separately, to a smart device, allowing the chef to monitor meat temperatures remotely.

Ash Catcher

Weber’s charcoal grills have trays under the bottom grill vents designed to catch ash. Smaller grills, such as the Smokey Joe, have simple small metal trays, while larger models, including Weber’s premium charcoal grill, have systems that allow the user to sweep ash from the bottom of the grill into the catcher. The catcher can be removed, eliminating the need to move the entire grill to dispose of the ash.

Portability

While most of Weber’s larger grills have wheels, that doesn’t make them portable. The wheels on these larger grills are designed for transporting them over short distances, such as from one side of a patio to the other. Weber does have a line of portable grills, which includes its smaller Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe charcoal grills, Go Anywhere collapsible charcoal grill, and Traveler small gas grill.

These grills, which are compact and light enough to load into the trunk of a car for transport to a campground, park, or tailgating event, offer between 200 and 320 square inches of cooking surface.

Additional Accessories

In addition to grills, Weber also sells a broad range of grilling accessories, including high-quality grill covers, chimney starters, cooking utensils, rotisserie kits, scrapers, and cleaning kits.

Our Top Picks

We tested some of the best grills Weber has to offer, and the results are below. The list includes classic gas and charcoal grills that the company has produced for years as well as some of Weber’s newest editions, including its line of pellet grills and smokers.

Best Overall

Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill

Weber introduced the first kettle grill nearly 70 years ago, and it continues to be one of the company’s most popular grills today. After putting all three of Weber’s kettle grills through their paces, the Premium is clearly the best of the bunch.

It’s the largest of Weber’s kettle grills with a cooking surface that is 22 inches in diameter, which means users can load more charcoal into it, giving it the ability to reach higher temperatures. Our heat test recorded temperatures approaching 900 degrees Fahrenheit with standard charcoal briquettes, which is notably hotter than the Premium’s smaller cousins.

The broader cooking surface not only creates ample room for food but also makes it easier to cook at different temperatures simultaneously. The kettle is large enough to pile briquettes on the side while leaving the other half empty, creating two cooking zones.

In addition to being the largest of Weber’s kettle grills, the Premium differentiates itself with its ash-collection system. A lever just under the kettle controls the Weber’s lower vents while also moving sweeper blades inside the kettle that push ashes through the vent holes and into an enclosed ash catcher. Weber’s other grills use a metal tray that sits under the kettle.

The container can hold far more ash than a tray and keeps the ash enclosed while it’s attached to the grill, which is great for people who have a dog that loves to stick its muzzle into the ash. The container also makes disposing of ash easy and mess-free. Simply detach the catcher from the bottom of the grill and carry it to a trash can.

While the ash catcher is a big part of what makes the Premium such a standout, there are other thoughtful design features that are also notable. Weber wisely designed the lid handle with a metal heat deflector that prevents the handle from warming up to burn-inducing temperatures. There’s also a section of the cooking grate that hinges upward, which makes it easy to add additional charcoal in the middle of grilling.

While all of these design features make it such an attractive grill, the Premium also comes at a premium price. It costs nearly twice as much as Weber’s 18-inch kettle grill. Still, for those looking for a charcoal grill with ample cooking surface, features that make it easier to cook with charcoal, and a long-lasting reputation, the Premium can be worth the investment.

Product Specs

• Cooking surface: 363 square inches
• BTUs: N/A
• Type: Charcoal

Pros

• Excellent ash-disposal system
• Good capacity for charcoal grill
• Well-designed venting system
• Sturdy construction

Cons

• Expensive for a charcoal grill

Get the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill at Amazon, The Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or BBQGuys.

Best Bang for the Buck

Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill

Weber’s newest line of Spirit grills showcases some of the cutting-edge technology Weber brings to bear with its line of gas grills. Aside from a few misses in design, the E-310 is a formidable grill at a relatively affordable price point.

While assembling the Weber Spirit II E-310, it was clear that it has exceptional build quality. The grill body consists of heavy-gauge sheet metal that gives it a sturdy feel. There’s no swaying or bowing with this grill, nor are there any pieces that don’t properly align. The lid is coated in the thick, virtually indestructible enamel paint found on many Weber grills, while high-quality porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are under the hood.

The E-310 model also comes with Weber’s new GS4 cooking system, which boasts high-performance burners, an advanced ignition system, “flavorizer” bars, and a grease-management system. It also supports Weber’s iGrill 3 app-connected thermometer system, which is a separate purchase.

This GS4 system translates into solid cooking performance. The E-310’s electric ignition makes it easy to light all burners at once. While the E-310 didn’t get as hot as Weber’s higher-end Genesis grills, it did register temperatures around the 550-degree Fahrenheit mark, allowing us to sear burger patties and steaks with relative ease.

The three burners coupled with 529 square inches of cooking surface allowed us to create multiple heat zones for cooking foods or searing and finishing steaks and burgers. Weber says its flavorizer bars are designed to create smoke that infuses flavor into food. While we were skeptical at first, they were effective at creating more flavorful food. The tray collects grease nicely and is easy to access and empty.

Although the design changes from the previous generation of the Spirit are mostly good, we did have a few gripes. Whereas the earlier version of the Spirit concealed the tank behind an enclosed cabinet, the new Spirit places the tank on the exterior of the grill. While the design change opens up under-grill space for storage and makes tank installation easier, it leaves the unsightly propane tank exposed while the grill is uncovered, which is a turnoff for those who care about the aesthetics of their outdoor living space.

The Spirit II is also more bare-bones when compared to the loaded Genesis. There are no sear burners, side burners, or options for smart controls. But, given that the Spirit II is hundreds of dollars cheaper than the Genesis, it’s a heck of a deal for a high-performing and durable gas grill.

Read our full review:Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas GrillProduct Specs

• Cooking surface: 529 square inches
• BTUs: 30,000 (3 burners)
• Type: Gas

Pros

• Ample heat for cooking surface
• Supports iGrill 3 thermometer system
• Affordably priced

Cons

• Propane tank is visible

Get the Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill on Amazon, The Home Depot, or Ace Hardware.

Best Gas

Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill

Weber pushes the envelope in gas-grill technology, and nowhere is that more apparent than with its Genesis series, which feature smart controls, innovative storage designs, and specialized burners, making it the best all-around gas grill we tested from the company.

Genesis represents the higher-tier line of Weber gas grills, and that’s apparent with the EX-335 in the sheer number of additional features that it has. As many may expect, Genesis has more cooking space than the more affordable Spirit line of grills with nearly 800 square inches of cooking surface, which is well supported by three main burners plus a sear burner. It was easy to sear burgers and a steak on the sear station and then transfer each piece of meat to the cooler half of the grill for finishing.

Weber’s gas grills are generally hotter than other gas-grill brands, but the sear burner takes it to another level. We recorded heat output approaching charcoal-grill levels of 800 degrees on the Genesis’ searing station. This made searing a crust on our ribeye far easier than with a standard grill burner.

While the sear burner is a great feature, what really sets the 335 apart is its Weber Connect smart controls, which consists of a display with three control buttons on the side table. Weber Connect keeps tabs on the internal temperature of the grill while also providing ports for multiple digital thermometers for tracking meat temperature. Users can view temperature readings via the on-grill display or on a smartphone via the Weber Connect smartphone app. We’ve used digital thermometers on other grills and smokers in the past and found them to be temperamental, often dropping connection with our smartphone mid-cooking. We had no such problems with Weber Connect, which provided accurate meat temperature readings for our steaks and maintained its connection through the grilling process even when our phone went into sleep mode.

In addition to smart controls, there are other bells and whistles included on the 335 that aren’t necessary for a gas grill but are really nice to have, including LED lighting for the control knobs and under-hood lights that illuminate the grill surface with the lid up. The Genesis offers innovative storage in the form of an under-grill cabinet, which also houses the propane tank. There’s a handy side cabinet located under the side burner for grill tools and additional supplies—a slick use of what would otherwise be wasted space.

While all of these features make the Genesis a premium grill, they also extend its build time. It took us a solid 2 hours to put it together due mainly to the additional wiring required for the digital controls and side burner. That said, it could have easily taken longer were it not for Weber’s use of Bilt, a third-party smartphone app that provides animated step-by-step assembly instructions that are much easier to follow than the standard paper instructions.

Product Specs

• Cooking surface: 787 square inches
• BTUs: 39,000
• Type: Gas

Pros

• Digital smart controls and thermometer
• Large cooking surface
• High-quality construction
• LED lighting and additional storage

Cons

• Expensive
• More than 5 feet wide

Get the Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill on Amazon, The Home Depot, or BBQGuys.

Best Portable

Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill

The Smokey Joe, which is essentially a smaller 14-inch version of Weber’s full-size kettle grill, has been one of the most popular portable grills on the market since it debuted in 1955, and for good reason. Our tests reveal that the Smokey Joe is easy to light, burns hot, and has features that make it relatively easy to control the temperature.

One of the first things we noticed about the Smokey Joe is how well it heats with a minimal amount of fuel, which is a testament to the amount of air space its bulbous body creates. With just a small load of charcoal, we registered cooking surface temperatures well above 700 degrees, more than hot enough to reach sear-worthy temperatures.

It’s usually difficult to control temperature with a small charcoal grill, but that’s not the case with the Smokey Joe. The large vents on both the base and the lid made it easy to squelch the charcoals without extinguishing them. We only wish that the vent tabs were insulated, as they became impossible to touch with bare hands once the grill was hot.

The Smokey Joe’s 147 square inches of cooking space is about average for a portable charcoal grill. While the cooking surface is compact, there’s enough room to handle a half-dozen burgers or a couple of steaks. Although the Smokey Joe is small and lightweight, its three legs offer a stable base for the kettle. The grill didn’t budge even when we were vigorously flipping burgers.

In terms of portability, the entire grill weighs 10 pounds, making it ideal for throwing in a trunk or the back of a truck for camping, tailgating, or a trip to the beach. Our only gripe is that there is no way to lock the lid to the base, making it more difficult to carry. The unsecured lid also makes it tricky to transport if users are unable to dump the used ash and charcoal before making the return trip. There is a premium version of the Smokey Joe that has a locking bar for the lid, but it places the bottom vents on the side of the grill body, which is less effective for promoting airflow.

Aside from those minor flaws, it’s hard not to love the Smokey Joe. It’s a great portable charcoal grill—or even an ideal at-home option for those with limited space for a grill.

Product Specs

• Cooking surface: 147 square inches
• BTUs: N/A
• Type: Charcoal

Pros

• Weighs less than 10 pounds
• Ample cooking surface for a portable grill
• Dual air vents for temperature control
• Durable construction

Cons

• Lid doesn’t attach to the bottom for transport

Get the Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill at Amazon, The Home Depot, Ace Hardware, or BBQGuys.

Best for Camping

Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill

At