We have now had our grill for over 4 years now so we have updated our initial Weber Spirit 210 gas grill review to include our current thoughts on the grill. We begin with our original post with updated content in (bold). Below the initial post you will find the current review.
Original Post from 10/2014
Last week we purchased a new Weber Spirit E210 gas grill, generally I like to get a new grill every couple of years so I tend to stick with the cheaper models. I also typically have at least one other grill around at any given time.(at this time we have 3 grills and a smoker). So I really thought I had no use for a more expensive grill until now.
Sticking with my disposable grill thinking we opted for the Weber 210 Spirit model with about a $400 price tag. Since it is a small grill we purchased an assembled model since it would fit in the car. This is only the second assembled grill I have ever bought and ironically the other was a 22 inch Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill. When you assemble a grill you get to see the strengths and weaknesses of the grill immediately and know where you are going to have problems. Since I did not assemble this one I would have just investigate it thoroughly when we get it home.
I am not going to talk about the outside of the grill as I am sure you have seen the Weber quality up close yourself by now. (I should have touched on the painted finish here)
Inside the Grill:
With the grates and heat deflectors removed looking into the body you notice the large opening in the bottom with all 4 sides angling into the hole. The next thing that caught my eye was the thick cast aluminum that the grill body is made from. While it may take longer for this grill to heat up in cold weather it will provide a more even heat. (This has held true. Even on the coldest most windy days there is just a slight variation in performance)
Now I notice the burners and ignition bar cleanly bolted into the aluminum body. They appear to be very high quality parts and easy to remove and replace if something were to fail. From the looks of it this grill is built to last for as long as you want it to.
The heat deflectors:
On this grill there are 3 even though it only has 2 burners it is a little misleading if you just glance at it but they serve a purpose. The 3 deflectors are narrow and taller then on the low end grills I have become used to. This makes it more difficult for the food drippings to stick to them preventing rust. (After 2 years they are beginning to rust) They are also placed so that when the grease drips it hits the flame and flares for a second instead of pooling and burning longer. It is a very nice clean setup that makes for a little different grilling experience.
The Grilling Grates:
These are cast iron porcelain coated grates with wide flat surfaces. This particular model includes a center section that is removable with a pan made from the same material that can be dropped in. It is an interesting feature but it takes up a lot of room on this small grill. I have never had good experiences with these type of grates even though they appear to be a higher quality I do not know how long they will last. (These grates are still in great condition) To be fair the grates, heat deflectors and the burners have a five year warranty. In time I will replace these with some stainless grates for now I like to use the grill as it was meant to be used.
Under the grill:
This particular grill does not have a door on the front of the bottom instead it has a panel that can be lifted out. This is the only part that I really feel like Weber cheaped out when building this grill. That being said, this panel will probably last forever.
Behind the panel you have access to the drip tray and drip pan. The drip tray covers the entire lower portion of the grill and has a nice steep slope allowing the grease to run into a disposable aluminum pan. This is by far the nicest set up for the bottom of a grill I have ever seen and is very easy to remove and clean.
Also hidden under this grill is a built in propane scale that holds your tank and will give you the most accurate type of reading of how much gas is left in your tank.
Weber Spirit 210 Gas Grill Review: After 2 years of use:
First lets touch on how the grill has held up. It is no longer good as new. It has been well used over the past 2 years.
The black paint on hood is not shiny and new anymore It is like the finish has worn off, possibly from the canvas like grill cover we use. I really expected it to hold up better. To be fair I have not attempted to shine it.
Inside the grill the heat deflectors are rusting out.
As you can see it’s a pretty major problem at this point I will need to get some new ones but the burners look good as new.
The porcelain coated grates I was worried about have held up better then any others I have ever seen.
Tubular Bristle Grill Cleaning Brush Outset
Stainless steel bristles
Replacement bristles available
18″ long plastic body
The Weber Spirit 210 Gas Grill Review: How it grills:
As with most grills it took a little while to get the proper grilled flavor off of it. However after the initial break in period this Weber delivers a very constant grilling experience. Cleaning, wind or weather does not seem to bother this grill much at all.
I have had a few major flareups caused by the larger drip tray on the bottom not being scraped cleaned. With this setup I fully expected everything to run into the disposable drip pan. However some gunk sits on this pan and it needs to be scraped out ever so often. As for that disposable drip pan: It holds a lot and only need to be changed out every few months.
The heat deflectors have begun to rust and will need to be replaced.
This grill is great on propane compared to my last couple of cheaper grills. While it is a little smaller I think the grill body holding the heat has a lot to do with it.
Overall:
Dislikes:
The front panel setup
Disappointed in the painted finish not holding up
The small grilling surface limits grilling some things
I won’t need a new grill this year
Right now it looks like this grill will last no longer then a cheaper grill.
Likes:
Virtually maintenance free.
Grills consistently every time
Large enough for 95% of our daily grilling needs.
Has held amazingly well considering how much we use it.
Hopefully the Weber 5 year warranty will cover the rusted out parts
Based on our Weber Spirit 210 Gas Grill Review should you run out and buy one?
For everyday grilling for a small family this is a great grill and I do not hesitate to recommend it at all. We bought ours at Home Depot but it is available on Amazon Here.
As always our Weber Spirit 210 Gas Grill Review is unsolicited and un-sponsored which is to say.
We went to the store and paid full price for our Weber Grill and received nothing from the Weber the Home Depot or anybody else in return for writing this review.
Mike
aka Sultan of Sizzle
I have been blogging about and selling grilling tool for over 12 years. A Certified Food Safety Professional, KCBS member, award winning writer and have over 10 years experience in the food service industry.
“I have experienced some of the best food this country has to offer and nothing is better than the food that comes off my own grill!”
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