Gas grill - Weber or Char Griller? (outside, worth, better)

[Threerun]

Originally Posted by ss7605a

Thank you all, really helpful.

TaxPhd - so did Weber fix the ignition for you or was it a expensive fix?

I replaced mine. Part was cheap and replacing it was a breeze (assuming you have some common hand tools).

I only had to replace it once in 10 years.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by TimAZ

Stay away from the Nexgrill brand. We bought one based on a Consumer Reports rating and discovered it was flimsy junk. Returned it in exchange for a Weber and are now satisfied serial grillers.

I bought a cheap NexGrill 4 burner in my current location (lived in a rental while selling a home that had a built in Alfresco grill, then moved the NexGrill to my new home). It worked ok for nearly 3 years although the piezo igniter failed. A fair amount of flare ups but nothing unmanageable.

My wife bought me a Weber which arrived on a pallet for me to assemble. While functionally equivalent it probably weighs 2-3x as much and the construction is miles better. It’s also much bigger although still a 4 burner plus side burner.

The only negative is that my Bakerstone pizza oven got hotter faster in the NexGrill due to its smaller size (barely closed over the oven) but for everything else the Weber is better, and I know I will be able to get parts for it.

[Hammer Time]

Originally Posted by ss7605a

I am looking for recommendations on a good entry-level gas grill (3 burner with side burner) and my budget was $200 -$250 at the max. This is my first grill and the side-burner is a "must-have".
It looks like Weber's cheapest is the E330.

But reading all over the place, it looks like Weber is probably the best and the other 2 has mixed reviews.


I found the following with side-burners -
1. NexGrill - $199
2. Char Griller - $189
3. Weber Spirit E330 - $629

But wouldn't you come out cheaper even if the lower-end ones come for 4-5 years and then I have to replace it?

Any reason why I should pay higher and go for the Weber?

Weber all the way. The quality and longevity are second to none. My 5-year-old $1200 Char-Broil is junk. It cooks great. So far I have replaced the ignition switch, 4 of the 5 temperature gauges are busted. One of the grill hinges rusted away, the gas valve has always been fluky and recently it completely **** the bed. I keep dropping money into it because it's cheaper than buying a new unit.

[Ron61]

I’m going on 9 years with my Weber 310 grill. It is starting to show its age, and needs its third set of flavorizer bars that go over the burners. I have replaced all the burners once, and the cast iron grills need replaced now. The burners were replaced under warranty, as will the cast iron grills if I decide to keep the grill. I also have a small hole that has burned through the lid at the front.

Since I grill 3 or 4 times a week year round, I consider my Weber to have held up very well. I’m currently looking at a smaller Weber grill to,replace the existing one. The initial cost is higher, but over the long haul the Weber is your best buy.

[kauailover]

I've owned a number of gas grills. None of them last as long as a Weber or cook as evenly over the entire grill surface. Only Weber's do that. You will always have a hot spot with the other brands. Get a Weber!


PS....... Weber has excellent customer service. I needed a missing clevis pin for my lid and they had it to me within a week.

[Moonlady]

Even with our lower end Spirit model, we were able to buy replacement burner tubes and the ignition has a battery so it still functions after 5 years plus. We are planning to upgrade to a nicer Genesis at some point.

[Uconn97]

Originally Posted by CaptainNJ

have you ever owned a weber grill?

ive only had the weber, i dont know enough about other grills to have an opinion on them. i do know that weber genesis is the most common among the people i know and they all seem to have them for a long time.

I have, so yes, I can have an opinion on them.

[CaptainNJ]

Originally Posted by Uconn97

I have, so yes, I can have an opinion on them.

hey, you can have an opinion if you have never owned one but its going to be more useful to people if you did. i am glad that you did own one, it does make your opinion more valuable.

[easy62]

I’m getting a black stone this summer, I’ve got a Weber grill now but you can do more with a black stone.

[carcrazy67]

I've been purchasing weber grills for 30 years. The difference between the older ones and the ones currently for sale are night and day. You could get 10 years out of the older ones without any problem...even if you abused it. I purchased a new one 4 years ago and within 3 years it had rusted all the way through! If you purchase one plan on cleaning and covering it otherwise you'll be purchasing another one pretty quickly. These aren't your father's Weber grills anymore!