Customer Reviews

Weber 566002 Q 220 Gas Grill

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this grill (online) to replace the latest in a series of disappointing (and increasingly expensive) backyard BBQ's that were costing me $100 worth of repair parts and considerable grief every year. Having had a single Weber charcoal grill for 25 years I knew they knew BBQ and quality. Reviewing the features of the Q series, it appeared to me ( as an engineer and discriminating BBQ'r,) that they had "a better idea. "
That said, the Weber web site is disappointing and tells you very little about the size and differences between the various Q series grills.
Ok, here goes.
My grill arrived standing on end in an apparent "rough delivery". Opening the box I saw that it was packed SUPER securely with multiple layers of form fit HD card/ fiber board. Impressive packaging. . No damage. From there it took all of 5 minutes to assemble. Two pins for the cover, two screws for the handle , a nut for the thermometer . ANYBODY could do this in 10 min (with no more than a screwdriver.) I got the Q 220 model which is their, higher end, mid sized portable. Overall closed size is 31" long x 16" wide (with the cover handle and hinges sticking out a few more inch's on each side . ). Closed height is approx 16" off the table/ground. Grill surface area is slightly football shaped and has a max dimension of 15"wx 21" long. The grill /grate itself is a 1 piece, massively heavy, ceramic coated cast iron with solid sections that protect the burner below from drippings (Very smart feature!) The cover of the Q220 is approx 7" tall in the center and includes a thermometer. (BTW, that similar in height as a 22" charcoal Weber and 1" taller than the 200) IMHO, the grill size is "just right" for a home grill that can still double for the occasional trip to the park or grandma's. It's still light enough for one person to carry @ 36# (w cyl) and small enough to get into your truck but big enough to grill for a extended family. ( It will hold about 12 ¼ # burgers (or 9 and 8 dogs) at one time. Just as important, the mass of the cast iron allows you to cook predictably fast and rotate food through with a decent rate/speed. The extra cover height makes it adequate to grill a whole chicken, ½ turkey or family sized roast.
As for performance, I was initially worried about the 12,500 BTU rating (which was 1/3 of my large grill.) However, with the combination of smaller cooking area , cast aluminum body and heavy grill, I'll tell you that this grill can bury the thermometer needle @ 600deg F in just 15 min after hitting the ( upgraded/more reliable) igniter . I.e. She gets HOT ! Cooking steaks seems to take ½ the time of even my stainless behemoth 42,000BTU BBQ.! Best of all when it's time to flip them, you still get that satisfying Sizzle that tells you the grill has enough reserve heat to sear the other side. ( Nothing worse than a baked $10 steak IMHO) The design is that good! One last note: The shape of the grill funnels all drippings to the easily removable /disposable waste pan. This makes the possibility of a flash fire (and /or dumping old grease everywhere ) much less likely.

First off, let me say I love this grill. It is fantastic.
Cons:
-Grill is a little on the heavy side. Cast iron grate, quality components and a sturdy base all combine to make this a little heavier than other portable grills. This is compared to my last portable grill, a shoddy lightweight grill made by Coleman.

Pros:
-Cast iron cooking surface. This is my first time with cast iron as opposed to the skinny stainless steel wires that most grills have. I'll never go back.
-Solid construction. Every piece looks and feels like it was made with quality materials.
-Two side tables. What can I say, they're extra useful
-Thermometer
-Taller grill lid than the q200 series. Lets you cook a larger roast or something else tall. Probably wont fit a Beer can chicken though (although I'm definitely going to try)
-Utensil hooks for grilling tools
-Precision flame control
-Fits a variety of propane tanks (you may need the adapter, sold separately)
-Has an excellent line up of accessories. I've also go the rolling cart on the way, it looks great.

Don't forget to buy the duffel or vinyl cover if you're going to be storing this outside. You wouldn't want dust and pet hair to cover your hardcore grilling machine.

100% satisfied, A+ product.

Followup (April 6, 2010):
I ended up buying a couple of accessories that I think really bring this grill together. We live in a apartment, and I find each of these to be indispensable:
Weber 6551 Vinyl Cover for Weber Q, Q-200, and Q-220 Gas Grills
Weber 6507 Rolling Cart
Weber 6503 Q Handle Light

This is a great grill, when it works. Unfortunately, getting to get it to work can be a challenge as Weber has a longstanding problem that the safety valve in their regulators is very very finicky, particularly if you try to use it with the separately sold Weber adapter hose and a larger 20lb propane tank. The problem is widespread and well documented in reviews across the web (see the low-star reviews on the "Weber 41455" on Amazon for instance).

How finicky? If you're lucky, you'll be able to get the grill to light up as long as you are willing to spend 5-10 minutes turning it on every single time - a long sequence of very very slowly opening the valve on the propane tank and then letting it all sit for a while for pressures to equalize before you even try to turn on the grill, and then a 5-15 minute "reset sequence" if you do something too fast and it doesn't work the first time... if you're unlucky or have one of their defective regulators, even that won't work.

What if you call customer service to get help? They're friendly enough and will quickly diagnose the problem (since it is so common) and offer to ship you a free replacement regulator, but the problem is so widespread that they can't build the replacements fast enough to keep them in stock, so you may well be waiting at least a week or two as they ship them to all the customers in front of you in line before you finally get your replacement and can start grilling...

Past those two issues, once you get this grill to work it is a great grill, nice and hot, great ceramic cast-iron cooking surface, built-in thermometer very helpful, nice looking and a streamlined footprint if you have a smaller patio, and all the other good things that people say. Buyers just need to beware this very well might not work out of the box so you might be waiting a few weeks to do a repair, particularly if you plan to use it with the Weber adapter hose and a larger standard 20lb propane tank.

We've been using this great little grill quite a bit since we purchased it. It heats up really quickly -- but you have to keep it really clean to get this effect. The grate seasons well and is easy to clean and remove. The small profile is convenient for us.

Drawbacks:

1. The side trays are not well-supported, so don't use them with heavy platters or with platters holding a lot of food. You'll be sorry.

2. The small profile of the lid prohibits using long skewers to cook many kabobs at once. However, you can use shorter skewers and it works just fine. Also, you won't be able to use any of those fancy pans for the grill and close the lid.

Otherwise, I found it to work really well. Just remember to clean not just the grate, but the gas tube after you grill. It makes a big difference.

I love to grill and have used a portable propane grill for years when I go to the lake or go camping. I'm sure that I stretch the capabilities of a portable grill beyond the normal user. Sometimes I'm cooking for a crowd or using the grill for things other than burgers and dogs. I've already used my new grill for making shortcakes, bisquits, and using a super-sized cast iron griddle (Camp Chef CGG24) while cooking lots of food for an army. I regularly use a grill for smoking shoulders, 4-6 chickens at a time, or making pizza.
Likes: Quality construction (it is a Weber!), cast iron grate, large grilling area, extra height lid, thermometer on lid.
Dislikes (could be improved): Max BTU output could be higher, burner holes become covered with grease/marindade splatter and need cleaning and close attention, and side tables are flimsy and not very useful.
Overall - I am happy with this grill and look forward to many years of tasty eats.

I did a lot of research before I chose the Weber Q220 (566002). I wanted it to be able to cook a lot of food but also be able to be occassionally portable. Any larger grill with more burners and it is pretty much taking the portability out. Its already big and heavy enough. The customer reviews for this product were right on target. It is an excellent grill especially for the price. The porcelain-enameled cast-iron grate is great as it is very durable and cooks evenly. In my opinion, it is better than the Weber Spirit's grill. And if you are concerned about indirect cooking because it has one burner, don't worry! It is possible by simply using the Weber Roast holder and aluminum foil. I would recommend the stationary cart that COMES WITH THE ADAPTER, Weber roast holder, cover and ofcourse the Weber tools. Weber is simply the best!

I researched grills for awhile and had the debate, do I really want to spend $200 on a weber that will be reliable for a long time, or spend $50 on some generic little guy that might die on me? Finally, after much agony I went ahead and purchased the weber 220q and have been relatively happy since! :-) This has a large grilling space, enough for family or friends who come and visit, nonetheless just grilling for me. My q heats up really quickly and the grill heat is surprisingly evenly disbursed!

My one complaint: after the first usage the ignitor stopped working. Reading that this was a similar complaint of other owners, I did something surprising--read the manual! It turns out the ignitor is battery operated. Change the battery, and you're good to go! None of the reviews I read mentioned that so I thought I'd share.

Overall, great grill and I know this guy will work hard for many, many years to come! Little bit of a steep price, but worth it and the Weber quality!

Excellent BBQ grill. I previously owned the Weber Go-Anywhere propane grill and enjoyed it, but found the igniter very temperamental. So after researching the web for a few weeks and going to a couple of stores to "kick the tires" I decided on the q220 and I'm glad I did! This grill is fantastic the electronic ignition is a breeze and I've found myself grilling more than ever. When I received the grill it was missing the thermometer, so I called Weber and they sent me a new one right away.

Nice design and excellent heating elements. Luckily, we haven't had any of the lighting problems that I've read from other posters.

The burner holes need special attention because getting anything on them that can clog will cause you problems. Clean-as-you-go as much as possible to help ward off stains and such.

Also, don't set your wife's dinner plate on the flimsy side trays. If you do and the tray fails dropping her plate to the ground, you will be in deep trouble...especially if you think it's the least bit funny. The 5 Second floor rule only works at home on your clean floors, not in camping dirt.

Lesson learned.

I had looked at several portable style grills and based on other reviews I chose the Weber Q220. I am so happy with it. I had originally bought it for tailgating etc but now I find myself using it at home instead of my full size grill. The quality is excellent and set up was a snap. Creates professional looking grill marks and gets nice and hot to sear a steak or tuna and still have it nice and rare in the middle.
The only caveat I would add is that the gas tanks are not the normal green round ones you think you would use. They are actually longer and skinnier. I have been able to find them easily at my local true value store so I am sure you can too. But just a head's up about the gas tanks!