Customer Reviews

Weber 1710001 Summit S-420 Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this grill for my recent let's say, milestone, birthday. I researched grills for over 2 months. I knew Weber was a good brand but wished to consider other options. My research always pointed back to "buy a Weber". Weber's customer service was always rated A-1, they've been bbq/grilling experts for years, and you know they'll be around in the future. The one kicker for the Summit S-420 model over a stainless Weber Genesis S-320 was a comment from a friend of mine with a nice stainless Jenn-Air model found at Lowes. He wished the rotisserie was positioned higher on the Jenn-Air. In my assessment of grills, I had never considered the importance of the rotisserie height. After looking at the Genesis S-320 and Jenn-Air models again, it became clear that a turkey or large roast might not work on the rotisserie of the other models. The Summit S-420 and other Summit grills solves this problem by providing a much higher rotisserie position. Add to that a much taller cover, and you'll see there is greater height for convection around whatever you're cooking. I've grilled hamburgers, salmon, T-bone steaks, and slow cooked smoked pork ribs - all to perfection. No need for a high end smoker feature that permanently reduces grill space - an aluminum foil tray with wood chips atop one of the burners works fine. The Snap-Jet individual burner ignition system was tricky at first. Once you actually read the instructions - Hey I'm a guy - you'll find the technology is easy and reliable. Quality is the final key to this grill. The stainless everything is impressive and high quality. The side-burner is more than an afterthought and mimics many high-end kitchen gas cook-tops. Even the doors of the storage area below are double sided for sturdiness. I usually have a minor stint of buyer's remorse after an expensive purchase. I have none. With this grill I can proudly say it's one of the best purchases/investments I've made in years!!!!

In October of 2007 we upgraded to the Summit 420 and gave my old Weber to my daughter. I'm just now writing a review of our new grill because I wanted to know what I was talking about. First I have to say, the old Weber (a Genesis purchased in 1987) was in top shape having only replaced the grills and flavor bars. Second I have to say, my new grill makes grilling far more relaxing regardless of what we grill. From catfish to the finest fillets, it provides the most consistent great texture and taste. The ability to adjust four different burners from side to side without moving the food is the magic in this grill. The grill is a perfect size for my wife and I, or up to 10 people. Chicken wings are the all time favorite in our family and on this grill I can brown the outside of the wing, fully cook, and then crisp them before taking off (not one burnt spot), without opening the grill but one time. You can cook brisket at 200 degrees, grill shrimp and veggies at 300, bake catfish at 400, and grill steaks at 500 degrees. The stainless steel grills are easy to clean, the light works great at night, and it sure seems like I'm using less propane. Service has always been awesome. I truly feel that if you were lost and you called Weber customer service, they'll try to help you. As far as the downside: I haven't found anything negitive from grilling on this grill at least twice a week for almost a year.

All reviewers said you can't go wrong with a Weber. And after comparing the Weber S420 with all the other gas grills (all of which looked good) there was an obvious difference in quality in favor of the Weber. My previous gas grill produced inconsistent results and resulted in many ruined meals. Yes, the Weber is expensive compared to others that I considered, but it is absolutely worth the extra cash. Every meal cooked on it has been excellent. Very even, controllable heat and a pleasure to use. The construction is top rate and with reasonable care, it should last for many years. Some have complained about water collecting in the grease pan during a rain and making a greasy mess. Well, duh. After the meal simply remove the grease pan and clean it. Very easy to do and when it does rain only water to blot up. As for the premium cover, I am pleased with the quality, the fit and the protection it gives the grill.
So, to sum up, you can't go wrong with this grill. Bite the bullet, spend the extra money and get this grill. You will never have "buyer's remorse".

This Weber Summit grill, as well as the entire Summit line has a design flaw that Weber refuses to consider an issue. Whenever it rains, water runs down the back and enters the internal drip tray, then flows into a drip pan, which then overflows a greasy water mess onto the cabinet floor. This problem occurs with and without the Weber Premium cover in place. (The cover has a mesh on the back that lets the rain in.)
I give the grill a two star rating because it does do a nice job of cooking ... once the mess is cleaned up.

After much reaserch my spouse and decided on the Weber S-420. So far, it has been excellent. It was delivered 98% assembled so as soon as we had the natural gas line hooked up, we were ready to roll. So far steaks, burgers and hot dogs have been cooked, all to perfection. Great grill marks, too! It cooks quicker than my former BBQ so I do have to watch it as things tend to get done sooner. We are quite plesed with this BBQ!

I bought this grill from Amazon; I was worried about a whole day wasted on shipping and assembly but shipping was super fast and easy (dock pickup with a Chevy Suburban). Assembly was trivial, he grill is nearly completely assembled - add side shelves, screw in burner plumbing, set grill & flavorizer bars, done. Disposing of the packaging took more time.

Cooks extremely hot -- mine will hit 600 deg F when preheating. Big cooking surface and four burners gives you a lot of options for indirect cooking and large food volumes at the same time. The grilling surface is superb -- very heavy stainless rod not stamped stainless or enameled steel. The stainless body is attractive and heavy duty. Cooks very well -- smoked ribs, fish, shrimp, steaks, chicken, veggies have all been effortless and good.

The flaws are trivial but keep it from perfect. If uncovered and it rains, you will have a mess. Water can enter a gap in the rear and flood the drip tray and drip pan and make a mess. Solved by covering with a Classic Accessory 70" cover (cheaper and better than any Weber cover, look them up on Amazon) but you will forget once in a while.

The interior is poorly laid out. The tank is on the right and the drip pan on the left but it sits on a "shelf" stuck in the middle of the left hand space. The shelf doesn't accommodate anything else and doesn't leave room for other things. A better drip tray design and placement would make for meaningful storage. It'd also be nice to see that space a little more environmentally tight. -- no rainwater.

I don't like the hooks on the handles. They're knobs with lips but they are shallow and items hung on them fall easily. I'd also like to see either standard or as an accessory a fold-out shelf on the burner side. The burner is great but the lack of prep space next to it limits it's usefulness for those of us without a full-scale built-in setup.

Overall it's as good as it gets. My last Weber was 11 years old and just got sold working and intact, and this one is twice as sturdy and cooks even better.

Easy to assemble, worked immediately, gets super hot.
I strongly suggest this brand, it replaced a 20 year old weber that still works!

Just bought this. Grilling surface is large and I suggest you consider a larger grilling area when you think about grills. I thought I wouldn't use the entire surface, but I was quite wrong.Side burner gives you an added possibility and frees up a stove burner. We love this thing!

Received the Weber S-420 in about 1 week after submitting on-line order. Trucking firm called to make an appointment and the grill arrived in good shape. Took about 2 hours to uncrate and assemble without too much trouble and it has worked perfectly since. For an upmarket grill from an established manufacturer, I had high expectations and they have been met or exceeded. I fully expect to use this grill for the next 20 years.

I bought this grill sight unseen and agree I should have done more research. I bought the stainless version, or at least the version advertized as stainless (S-420). Basically everything weber doesn't show you on their web site is not stainless.. The entire frame, back of the lid, internal drop pans etc.. are all regular coated metal. I was really disapointed to see this coming from a company like weber.

I don't think I can post a picture on Amazon, but I have posted one on other reviews. Its almost funny what this grill looks like from the back.

If you want an all stainless grill, you will need to look elsewhere.