It’s doable, but it requires more attention from the griller to make sure the chicken is evenly cooked. Cooking with indirect heat on a three-burner grill is more hands-off because the food sits over the middle burner, which you leave turned off. The right and left burners surround the food with heat—basically creating an outdoor oven. But with a two-burner grill, cooking with indirect heat means the food gets heat from only one side, while it sits over the other, inactive burner. So you have to maneuver and rotate your chicken or roast to make sure it cooks evenly throughout. This is not impossible, but it definitely takes some attention and finesse.
Grills with more burners are usually overkill, and two-burner grills can feel cramped. Gas grills cook faster and are easier to use than charcoal grills because you can turn on the flame with the press of a button and control the heat with the turn of a knob. They don’t produce much smoke, and they’re simpler to clean than charcoal grills, since you don’t have to dump any ashes.
The burner hoods (metal “tents” that sit over the burners and guide grease away from the flames to prevent flare-ups) are usually the first to go. Weber’s warranty covers burner hoods on the 2022 Genesis models and all parts on the Spirit II models for 10 years. Or you could find third-party options that claim higher performance and long lifespans (though we haven’t tested these claims ourselves).
2 stainless steel burners are connected to the front panel and allow for temperature control even during indirect cooking and battery-powered ignition system. When choosing a gas grill, first decide what size you need. We think a three-burner grill is large enough for most needs, with plenty of space to cook for a family dinner or a backyard BBQ.
We wish the bars of the Spirit II E-310’s warming racks ran front to back, parallel to the main grates, like they do on our upgrade pick, the Genesis E-325s. That way, you weber spirit 2 could easily slide a spatula under stuff that’s warming. As it is, the warming-rack bars run edge to edge, and you have to awkwardly jimmy a spatula in there sideways.
Gas grills run on either liquid propane or natural gas—both fossil fuels. Though both are relatively clean-burning fuels, propane emits fewer greenhouse pollutants than natural gas—though the difference is negligible. However, propane is more efficient because it burns hotter than natural gas. Additionally, propane tanks are inexpensive, reusable, and available at most hardware and big-box stores.
When fresh air and the sear on a juicy grilled burger combine, it’s pure warm-weather delight. To help you keep the good vibes going, we’ve hunted for gas grills that are durable, easy to clean, and simple to control. After cooking burgers, barbecue, and chicken on seven top-rated grills—and researching dozens more—we recommend the Weber Spirit II E-310. No grill matches its combination of exceptional performance, usability, durability, and value.
Though there’s no debating that, some experts argue that lump charcoal is potentially carbon neutral. If you want to read more about comparing grilling fuels, we found helpful articles from The Atlantic, Slate, and NPR. If a burner seems to be running cool or creates patchy flames, use a thin piece of wire to clean out the gas ports . There’s nothing inside the burners to break, so don’t feel like you have to be delicate. Check the grease trap after every use , and don’t let it get too full.
The now-discontinued Char-Broil Advantage 3-Burner Gas Grill from Lowe’s met the low expectations we set upon seeing its sub-$200 price. It cooked burgers acceptably, but to get an even cook we had to shuffle the patties around from hot spots to cool spots. Unable to keep a steady low temperature, it burned the barbecue chicken.
“I emailed the photos on Thursday, and on Saturday an incident rep called me. I got a gentle lecture on cleaning and safety, but then he said they’d be sending me a whole-new cookbox —no charge, no shipping fees. Given the situation and the cost, I felt like this was one of the easiest product issues I’ve dealt with, weber spirit 2 and I’m thrilled I neither had to make a janky repair nor spend money on a new grill! ” We are definitely not saying that you should leave your grease trap full. But we are saying that if you do, the warranty and customer service are absolutely worth the small premium you pay for Weber grills over cheaper brands.