We grill a lot to keep our house cool inside during the summer. Tired of propane tanks, we had a gas line installed for a grill, and shopped for a new grill to replace the old propane grill that was on its last legs anyway.
Compared to our old basic grill, the Weber Genesis E-320 is incredible! The control I have in use, with each burner on it's own knob (like a stovetop) has been great. The ability to turn on the two side burners, while leaving the center one off, has allowed me to grill some of the best chicken we've ever had. The knobs are easy to work, and the grill lights without a hitch.
The side stovetop burner is a huge plus for me. I have been able to use it with all sorts of things, such as warming gravy or sauce, cooking vegetables that can't be grilled, and even cooking tiny slider burgers (didn't want them to fall through the grill grate) while grilling the fries!
The grate itself is high quality, thick and sturdy. I see it lasting a lot longer than the cheap grate in our last grill. It cleans up fairly easily, too.
I never knew what I was missing when I didn't have a temperature gauge on a grill! This feature has allowed me to be much more aware of the internal temperature. Also, I've been able to put things in that would normally be a baked item, such as pizza and cornbread, and have had these bake much more evenly and properly than when I basically just had to guess at the internal temperature without a gauge.
The storage underneath is fantastic, it is so nice to have an accessible place to keep my long grill tools and cleaning brush.
I chose the black/stainless version because I thought it would be easier to keep clean than the all-stainless version, and I'm glad I did. As happens with all stainless appliances, the stainless portions show every little mark.
I have to keep a potholder with the grill, because between the internal heat and the sunshine, the lid handle gets unbearably HOT! This would have been much better if made from a non-heat-conductive material. Not happy about that feature.
The manual came with a handy chart of instructions for how to cook different meats, and upon following it, I have greatly improved the quality of food coming off the grill.
My husband set this up, it took him about an hour, but he never complained, and he actually said it was easy. Believe me, if it had been complicated or problematic, I would have had an earfull!
Overall, I'm very satisfied with this purchase. It may have been more expensive than some of the other natural gas options, yet the features were worth it to me.
