►Warning: Flame may be hot when present.
Written: Oct 07 '06 (Updated Oct 07 '06)
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Pros: Quality, Warranty
Cons: Price
The Bottom Line: An excellent buy.
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| tch7's Full Review: Weber-Stephen Products Genesis Silver B (NG) Gas G... |
Week 1: The sparker quits sparking. It gets fixed under warranty.
Week 2: The sparker quits sparking, again. Screw it.
Month 3: The handles fall off. We replace them.
Month 6: A lid hinge breaks off.
Year 1: The cast iron grates start rusting through. Handles are charred and fall off.
Year 3: The briquette holders rust through and collapse. Handles fall off.
Year 5: Handles fall off.
Year 7: Flame sporadically disappears in the middle of grilling.
Year 8: Small explosions occur when lighting. Maybe it’s time to get something new...
Don’t be alarmed – that was the old Broil King. Some people may be impressed that it lasted 8 years, but really, it was only safe for one year. With much euphoria, I recently embarked on the journey of replacing it, with build quality being the number one factor. After a little research, the resounding word was that Weber had the reputation, and the Genesis Silver B had what I wanted – except for being double my desired price.
Not keen on spending much money, I kept looking. Most grills were all about appearance. They had big numbers and shiny surfaces – the two of things no man can easily ignore. But upon closer examination, they didn’t have the goods to back them up. Handles would wobble, doors wouldn’t properly close, hinges were weak, and all signs indicated poor craftsmanship. Alas, I returned to the Weber Genesis Silver B, knowing that a durable, long-lasting relationship was all that I really wanted, and that no price could get in the way.
Bring her home, dress her up!
I had set aside an entire day for dealing with the purchase and installation, but it turned out the only available natural gas Silver B available was the display model, giving me the fully assembled grill without the $25 assembly charge. Assembled or not, there was no way it was easily getting in the back of my Mazda3, so I planned ahead by hijacking my parent’s van. When I got it home, it took me about an hour to switch it with the old grill, with most of my time devoted to connecting the awkwardly-placed natural gas supply. Instructions say that the entire assembly time takes 30-45 minutes, but unless you set up grills as some sort of a sick hobby, I can’t see that being realistic.
Oh my, you’re so big!
The Silver B has no shortage of cooking room, with the three horizontal burners ensuring that no area is left unheated. The main 424 square inch grilling surface provides ample room for cooking for a family get-together, with the additional warming grate and basket providing enough room for cooking side dishes. Meals as a family don’t happen often here, and it’s usually just a case of cooking for one or two, and in those cases it’s nice to know that the grill isn’t so big that you’re wasting gas for heating an abundance of unneeded space. The only time when space would be a slight concern is when you’re hosting a mid-sized party of some sort.
The exterior was designed well, not being a backyard shrine, but still large enough and pretty enough to not be forced to hide it in some dark corner. I would prefer if the intuitive heat controls were placed on the front panel, rather than being placed in the middle of a side-table, but it’s no big deal – the flip-up shelves on the other side of the barbecue provide lots of room to put tongs, sauces, plates and the like.
Do you like it hot?
With most barbecues in this price range touting anywhere from 50 000 to 90 000 BTUs, it seemed like the Silver B’s 36 000 BTUs would be a little meager. Not so. If you insist on grilling with the hood open, it’ll be slow going, but Weber insists that you keep the lid closed, flipping your food once halfway through cooking. I formerly was a frequent flipper and determined doneness by eye, but it was easy to adjust to grilling on a cooking-time basis and the results are generally better. Weber includes a book with decent recipes and an accurate chart of times for cooking just about any type of meat or vegetable. Just make sure you follow all of the instructions.
Heat is evenly distributed, being warm enough to properly sear meats with the cast iron grates (some places sell them with stainless steel or porcelain-coated enamel grates). The stainless steel warming rack and warm-up basket do just as their name suggests, with the warming rack being perfect for cooking garlic bread or toasting a hamburger bun.
So far, I’ve cooked many different cuts of beef, chicken, pork, sausages, and potatoes with great results. Meat comes out juicy and evenly cooked with some beautiful searing on both sides. The flavour is great, which may be a result of the Flavorizer Bars (briquette replacement) that reduce flare-ups and produce some smoke for flavour. It’s definitely different and better tasting than my previous natural gas grill. I’m interested to see how it’ll affect cooking a full turkey, since the burner arrangement is much different than on my Broil King, meaning the indirect cooking method will be different. It better work well, because I refuse to go back to oven-dried turkey.
If you look after me, I’ll look after you...
Whether it’s 30ºC with the sun beaming or -30ºC and the snow glistening, I grill. Barbecue season is 12 months long for me, so having something that doesn’t need nurturing after every single use is important for the colder months. I’ll scrape off the grates every time, but beyond that, I don’t want to be constantly washing and cleaning things. The Silver B seems to be up to that, although the occasional cleaning is still recommended. Fortunately, all of parts that get dirty under normal use (the side shelf, grates, Flavorizer bars, bottom pan, and grease catcher) are all super easy to remove to take inside the house for washing. My biggest worry is with the cast iron grates, as our previous ones stayed free of rust for about a week. I’m trying to keep these ones lubricated and fairly clean, and they’re holding up fine after a month of heavy use.
Though the Silver B does not come with a cover, I strongly recommend you spend the additional $70 for the lightweight Weber cover or something similar. We didn’t bother for the first week, and in that time the rain caused the grease catcher to fill up with water, and also caused a tiny bit of superficial rust on the stainless steel cabinet doors.
It doesn’t come cheap…
Just like everybody else that has bought a Genesis Silver B, I was a bit apprehensive at shelling out so much money for a barbeque. For C$750, I could have purchased a grill with 80 000 BTUs, two side burners, 1000 square feet of grilling area, and a much flashier design – or I could just get the fairly basic Weber Genesis Silver B with a nice warranty. After having a Broil King, my biggest desire was a quality BBQ that wouldn’t rust away in a few years or need frequent cleaning. If it grilled well, that’d be great, but that wasn’t a top concern.
With the Weber Genesis Silver B, I seem to have received both. It’s holding up well and it produces great tasting food. Assuming it does stay intact for the next decade, that C$750 price won’t seem so bad, as I’d probably otherwise go through that much money by replacing multiple lower-quality grills. With some parts of the Silver B being covered by a 25 year warranty, I’m not too worried about getting screwed over.
Do note that if you’re purchasing the propane version, it is $50 cheaper. Of course, since propane is the more expensive fuel, you’re not really gaining anything in the long run.
Break out the cheque book?
There’s no denying that the Silver B is expensive, but it has long-term value. Then again, I haven’t personally owned it long enough to truly praise its quality, but even the initial quality is far above the others I looked at. Even if it doesn’t last as long as I hope, it’s brought new life to barbecued food and I haven’t had one regret about choosing the Weber Genesis Silver B. It’s simple and pricey, but does what it should when it should, and I couldn’t ask for much more than that.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 648.3256
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Epinions.com ID:
tch7
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