Is the Weber Genesis still the best?

Need to replace my gas grill. Any reason not to get a Weber? Anything better in the market? I already have a bge for smoking.

For the money, no nothing better.

You can spend a shit ton more money and get something prettier, but will the food taste any better?

Costco has the Genesis II S-435 right now here in Texas for $999. That’s $250 cheaper than anywhere else. I bought one last week.

Any thoughts on the stainless grates? Do y’all like them or replace them with cast iron?

Cast Iron all they way, IMO. Take longer to heat, but worth it.

I have had two gas grills over the past 20+ years. Both Weber and will always buy Weber for gas grill. They built well, built to last, and they stand behind their products and design them to be, for the most part, maintainable. One of my burners cracked so I was trying to purchase replacement burner and emailed support- they found out I was still under the 10 year warranty and promptly sent me out a full set of new burner tubes.

I’m the opposite of Hank Hill. In my opinion, propane is an upside down broiler, not a grill. I do covet a Big Green Egg but have a Weber Kettle now. It’s amazing how many ceramic kamado style grills there are now.

I’m also in the market for a new grill and have just started looking around a little. Not sure the budget will accommodate a Genesis, so I’m looking into the Spirit (although I read that line’s quality has dropped in recent years) and at the 3 Embers four-burner model which has gotten some solid reviews.

Didn’t see any Webers when at my Costco over the weekend, but will have to look again next time I’m there.

Recent experience with a warranty issue convinced me even more that Weber is the way to go. The liner on my 7 year old SS hood on my Summit started to have some slight corrosion (heat related) this spring. Call them up they asked for a photo and they fed-ex’d a new hood to me (that’s a big freakin box!) within 2 days. I’m in Canada. Very impressed. Didn’t have to jump through hoops or go anywhere.

I prefer the SS grates to cast iron. In our climate, no matter how careful I was, I’d always get some rust from time to time, which is easy enough to remedy, but still takes some time and a pain if you see it when you were about to use the grill.

If you get the thicker SS grates from the Summit line or better Genesis models, they work just as well and are bomb-proof.

Ethan - what is your use case for Propane? Not judging in any way - but you noted you already have a BGE. Do you not like direct grilling on Charcoal? Too long to heat? I have an egg which I use for most things, but people always ask me if I still have a propane grill. I do not see how I would use it. Thanks everyone!

My Genesis still going strong after many years. I have replaced the original grills and flavorizer bars but everything else is original. Charcoal is great but being able to heat the grill in 10 minutes is very handy in a busy world.

This. Love charcoal but time and clean up make gas essential for me (plus the ability to grill year round - I’m not messing around with charcoal with snow on the ground but I do use the Genesis). I rarely use the charcoal grill these days.

I’ve had the Genesis close to 20 years. I’ve replaced the grills, the flavorizer bars and the igniter.

just as a reference point, 6 years ago when i moved into my current house there was a large viking cart grill. all of the grates, bars needed replacing. if i had used all viking replacement parts (i didn’t) i was well over $1700!!! almost the price of a summit at the time.
i would have much preferred to start over with a genesis which in my experiences never fail.

Yes. Mostly use the grill for weeknights. Quick heat and basically no cleanup compared to the eggs. Also safer with crazy toddler running around!

Agree completely. I’ve had my Genesis Silver B for 17 years. Replaced the grates and the flavorizer bars several times over the years. The igniter doesn’t work anymore so I light it with a match. But it works like a charm. We grill 12 months out of the year and in the dead of winter when it’s freezing. It’s great for what we use it for. Can’t imagine messing around with charcoal in the winter or anytime on a weeknight for that matter.

My one complaint is that the grates rust quickly. Not sure what to do about that.

Did you go with Viking parts? I have one of those Viking grills. It is 18 years old now. Very solid.
I replaced the grates with aftermarket parts a few years ago for ~$120. Bars are still in excellent shape.
The grill retailed for ~$3000 btw; I got it with an offer of buying 3-4 Viking kitchen appliances, get the grill free.
I’m tempted to get a Costco membership just for that Genesis mentioned upthread to replace the Viking.

You can get a membership, buy the grill and then get a prorated rebate for the full membership amount the next day.

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From the Genesis this afternoon

I dumped my Weber gas grill two years ago for a combination of Traeger and Weber Kettle. Got tired of dealing with rusty vaporizer bars and a faulty ignition. I also kept two propane tanks so I would never run out. That’s the best advice I could give anyone who wants to stay propane. Haven’t missed it one bit.

The Traeger is a great option for quick weeknight basic grilling where you may not need a 500*+ temp. Marinated chicken breasts turned out great Monday night at 450. I also do reverse sear steaks in addition to weekend smokes.

The Weber Kettle is amazingly cheap and easy to use. I use an electric charcoal starter that’s marketed for Komodo grills but it works great for me. I can actually have a hot flame going in 10-15 minutes. Not as quick as gas, but I get it going early enough that I have plenty of time while doing other meal prep.

David, how old is yours? The Genesis II S-435 on their website shows them having the round stainless grates; my Costco hasn’t had them yet so I haven’t seen them in person.

3-4 years, probably

Three left in Arlington as of Sunday.