We've really enjoyed our grill and expect to get many years of use out of it. We haven't yet begun to plumb the possibilities. However, this thing was born on its head! It was delivered in fine shape, but some of the hardware was missing. Called Weber. They apologized profusely and sent more nuts and bolts. Half way through assembly, I discovered it had a faulty frame! Another call to Weber, more apologies, a free cookbook (which is cool!) and, a week later, a new frame. Actually, Weber's help line is quite good. You speak to a human being who has a command of English and understands the product. And Weber needs it too given their poor quality control. Installing the new frame required me to disassemble the grill further than it had originally come. Despite claims to the contrary, the grill is not easy to assemble when the unit was as poorly inspected as this one was. What should have been one evening, spread over nearly two weeks.
Cleaning the grill is not difficult if you use the 15 minute "burn off"--sort of a self cleaning feature. We have a natural gas model, so who's counting. But if you have a propane model, you may make more trips to fill your tank than you expect if you use this feature.
The Genesis Silver A features a 22,000 BTU-per-hour cooking system and two stainless steel burners run the length of the cookbox for even heating without hot or cold spots. Infinitely-adjustable, individually-controlled burner valves let you cook with direct or indirect heat. The primary cooking area, a warming rack, and warm-up basket provide 528 square inches of total cooking space--enough room to cook for parties and bigger groups. An electronic Crossover ignition system lights all burners in succession with the push of a button. Porcelain-enameled Flavorizer bars eliminate flare-ups caused by lava rocks and ceramic briquettes--fats and juices hit the unique angled bars and sizzle away, adding delicious, smoky barbecue flavor instead of flames.
The Genesis Silver’s durable construction includes a cast aluminum cookbox, fully-enclosed, robot-welded cart, porcelain-enamel cooking grates, and a rust-free porcelain-enamel steel hood. Rugged, weather-resistant wheels are crack-proof in the most extreme temperatures and allow easy transport. Locking casters prevent the grill from rolling while you cook.
This model also comes loaded with extras including: a condiment basket, four tool hooks, and a built-in thermometer. A swing-up work surface made from easy-to-clean, granite-look Thermoset holds marinades, sauces and plates while you grill. A slide-out bottom tray funnels grease into a removable catch pan for quick and painless clean-up. Also included is a 12-foot flexible hose to connect to a natural gas source. Best of all, ten fasteners are all that's needed to put this grill together, meaning you'll go from box to barbecue in less than 40 minutes. The Weber Genesis Silver measures 65 by 63 by 30 inches fully assembled. This item comes with a limited lifetime warranty, and is made in the USA. --Mary Park
I did a lot of research online before deciding on purchasing this grill. I was replacing a "Capt'n Cook" (from Barbeques Galore) 4-yr old larger grill, for which I had paid almost 0, had already replaced the burners, and it would no longer get enough gas and heat up (I had a professional look at it, and it was not fixable). I thought that grill would last me 10 years . . . So, I wanted to make sure the next one was better, and from the reviews of most Weber gas grills, I get the impression they are very good and longlasting. I also waited about a year hoping the price would go down--it did, about :-)
Although I've only had the grill for a little over a month, I will provide some feedback:
Pros:
- Heats up quickly and it cooks evenly.
- Like the stainless steel.
Cons:
- As many other reviewers have stated, there is not enough surface to place dishes. In fact, I would say that the side where the knobs are does not have much more space than to place a couple of utensils. Since on the other side I have a burner, if I am using it, there would not be any space to place a dish. It would be nicer if the sides were extended to double their legth, or the knobs would be positioned in front instead (this may be difficult without a lot of redesign since the burners are configured along the width of the grill, ending in the knobs).
- This grill is really pricey for just a three-burner configuration with not much of a work area.
- Although I am mechanically-inclined, I paid sobody to put it together. It took two people who really know what they're doing two and a half hours to set it up. I wonder how long it would have taken me . . . ?
A couple of other comments. First, I can't say much about the "flavorizer bars" because I don't have a way to compare this feature to other Weber grills without them. Secondly, I read another Amazon review where the complaint was the delivery. The company they used for this purchase was very good at contacting me and setting up a time for the delivery; however, apparently because of traffic, even if they gave me a window of 1 to 5 p.m., the item was delivered at 7 p.m.
I hope this grill lasts longer than my previous one. So far so good; however, I've seen some of the latest reviews from Amazon customers, and I am not so sure (cheap parts, grease pan fires, flavorizer bars went bad, rust). I'll provide an update in the future.
