Broil King vs Weber – The Decision Has Been Made

It’s undeniable that outdoor grilling is one of the best ways to bond with family. It’s probably one of the most popular pastimes of every family in America.

However, if you want to really enjoy your time with grilled food, a high-quality grill is needed. And when it comes to the best grills out in the market, most people would tell you to look at the brand. Of course, the better known the brand is, the more you can ensure that you’re getting your money’s worth.

If you’re looking for a propane gas grill, in particular, two of the best grill brands in the market today are Broil King and Weber. These two grill manufacturers have consistently proven themselves through the years, but which is better?

In this article, we will compare one of the best 3-burner propane grills from Broil King to that of Weber. We considered grills that are of the same price range and type for a fair evaluation.

We’ll compare these two grills based on their:

• Grilling Area
• Temperature
• Design and Construction
• Price
• Warranty

So, if these are things you’d want to learn before buying a grill of your own, read on…

History of Broil King​

Broil King was founded around 1906. So, compared to most brands, it’s a fairly new company.

It’s a proudly North American company with three manufacturing sites found in Indiana, Tennessee, and Ontario. This means that the company uses local workers and local materials to build the best grills.

They first started small until Cadco purchased the brand in 1999. Cadco is a known manufacturer of high-quality food equipment, and because of this, Broil King was able to expand and produce a wide range of grills.

The company was able to produce three lines of Broil King grills:

• Signet
• Baron
• Regal

Each of which is of excellent quality, comes with advanced features, and worth the money. No wonder that many people love their grills.

History of Weber

Weber, on the other hand, is an older company. It was founded in 1952 by a man named George Stephen, Sr.

Stephen worked as a salesman in his father’s company, Weber Brothers Metal Works, around the 1950s. Around that time, the only grill people used was an open charcoal brazier. And one problem this grill faces are the outside elements like the very unpredictable weather.

So, upon realizing this problem, Stephen took two half-spheres of metal buoys, put that together, added some vents, and he now has a grill. One sphere served as the lid, while the other was the base.

This structure of a grill was very effective when it comes to handling bad weather conditions. Grillers are also now able to control heat temperature well, and the flavor is sealed perfectly inside.

In the mid-1950s, Stephen decided to quit his job at the metal company and decided to grow his grill manufacturing business. And by 1958, he came back with enough money to buy out the Weber-George company, which he now named Weber-Stephen.

Now, Weber is so far from where they started. The company also now have three lines of grills:

• Spirit
• Genesis
• Summit

All of which are also of excellent quality and worth the investment.

Comparison of the Two best models

Broil King Baron S320

The Broil King Baron S320 is one of the best three-burner grills offered by Baron King. It’s a grill designed for beginners, thanks to its amazing features that make the grill very easy to use. It’s also perfect for those who have limited space.

At first look, you’ll immediately notice the high-quality stainless steel construction from the lid down to the grill’s body. The base comes with a powder-coated finish, making it rust-resistant and durable that will last for years.

You’ll notice that the grill comes with a cabinet where you can hide the propane tank. You’ll also find two foldable side tables that provide extra space for your tools and condiments.

The grill offers 440 square inches of total cooking space, which is a pretty good size in serving a couple of people. The best part is that the burners release a powerful heat output of 30,000 BTUs across the grill, allowing the grill to heat up fast.

Now, this can be a bit concerning as meat might easily get burned. We did find that with all the burners on low, the grill can actually run very hot, even at 490 degrees Fahrenheit. However, you do have the option to do a 2-zone set-up, thanks to the 110 square inches warming rack.

The heavy-duty cast-iron cooking grids provide amazing heat retention. The grids heat up fast and evenly, making it capable of giving a beautiful sear on your meat. We also love that the cooking grids are reversible, giving you the option of getting perfect sear marks or grooves.

In between the dual-tube burners and cooking grids is the stainless steel Flav-R-Wave cooking system. This feature plays a part in distributing even heat throughout your grill and protecting your burners. On top of that, it allows drippings from your meat to vaporize and go back to your food, adding more flavor to it.

Another feature we love is the Sensi-Touch control knobs which give you excellent temperature control. So, whether it’s for searing, roasting, or slow cooking, you can set the temperature easily with this grill.

Other features you’ll love are the Sure-lite electronic ignition system for easy start-up, the Accu-Temp thermometer on the lid for easy temperature monitoring, and locking swivel caster wheels for easy portability.

Weber Genesis II E-310 Gas Grill

The Weber Genesis II E-310 Gas Grill is an excellent three-burner grill designed for beginners. It comes with overall stainless steel construction with a beautiful powder coat finish.

From the first look, you’ll immediately notice the open-cart design of the grill, providing you more storage for your tools and other cooking equipment you’d need. It also comes with two side tables with built-in hooks, which provide extra space for your condiments and other things you’d need.

The grill provides a total cooking area of 669 square inches, perfect if you have a large family. The cooking space included a primary cooking area of 513 square inches and a warming rack of 156 square inches, giving you an option of two zonal cooking for better versatility.

You can also expect a powerful heat output of 39,000 BTUs. This can heat a grill within 10-15 minutes. The porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates allow even heat distribution and impressive heat retention across your cooking surface, allowing you to produce a perfectly cooked meat fast.

Unique to every Weber grill is the flavorizer bars, which are part of the grill’s grease management system. The flavorizer bars are located right below the cook box to catch any drippings or grease from your meat, evaporating it, so it goes back to your food, enhancing the flavor.

We also love the iGrill-3 compatibility that will allow you to connect your grill to an app. This way, even if you’re away from your grill, you can still perfect your meat.

Other lovable features you’d find are the fuel gauge which allows you to monitor the fuel level, a porcelain-enameled lid for superior heat retention, a reliable ignition system for easy start-up, and the built-in thermometer for easy temperature monitoring.

In-depth Comparison of Both Models

Now that we’ve taken a look at the grill’s features in detail, let us now compare the two models based on their:

• Grilling Area
• Temperature
• Design and Construction
• Price
• Warranty

Grilling Area

The Weber Genesis II E-310 has a total cooking space of 669 square inches, while the Broil King Baron S320 has only a total cooking space of 440 square inches. So, there’s more than 229 square inches difference.

If you’re looking to serve more people, then it’s only wise to choose the Weber Genesis II E-310 rather than the Broil King Baron S320. However, this would also mean that the grill has a larger footprint, and you would need a bigger space at home.

If you don’t have much space at home, the Broil King Baron S320 would be a wise choice. Yes, it only offers a cooking space of 440 square inches, but if you’re not serving a large number of people, then this is just enough space.

Besides, the Broil King makes up for its fast heat-up, allowing you to cook meat fast, which means you can still serve more people.

So, the choice would highly depend on what you need.

Temperature/BTUs

Both grills come with three burners and no side-burners. However, the Weber grill provides a power output of 39,00 BTUs, while the Broil King grill provides only around 30,000 power output.

So, between the two, the Weber grill releases a significantly higher temperature in a short amount of time. It only takes around 10-15 minutes to preheat the grill, and you’re ready to cook.

But this is almost the same case with the Broil King as well. When you turn on the three burners, you can still achieve very high heat fast even at a low temperature.

We think that one thing responsible for the fast heat-up of the grill is the material used for the cooking grids. Both come with cast-iron grids or grates, which provide even heat distribution and excellent heat retention.

Design & Construction

Both brands have always been known for their high-quality grills, and this definitely includes the Weber Genesis II E-310 and the Broil King Baron S320.

Both grills come with overall stainless steel construction, which ensures durability that will last for years. Unlike the Broil King, however, the Weber comes with a porcelain-enameled lid that retains heat well. The materials used for the cooking grids and burners are also stainless steel, preventing them from rusting easily.

The outside look is almost the same. Both grills come with two side shelves that provide extra space for your tools.

The Weber grill features an open-cart design, providing you more space for storage. On the other hand, the Broil King comes with a closed design where you can hide the propane tank. This doesn’t give extra grill storage. However, it keeps the inside of your grill safe from outside elements.

Lastly, we have the wheels for portability. Both grills feature caster wheels with a bit of variation.

The Broil King Baron S320 comes with four locking swivel caster wheels. All four wheels are small but provide excellent stability, even on uneven surfaces.

The Weber Genesis II E-310 grill, on the other hand, also comes with four wheels, two wheels smaller than the other two. Only two wheels are lockable, but they also provide great stability.

So when it comes to design and construction, both grills are well-thought-out and can definitely last for years.

Price

Between the two grills, the Broil King Baron S320 is undeniably a lot cheaper than the Weber Genesis II E-310. Considering that it’s smaller and made for beginners, the price is very reasonable.

Weber Grills may be one of the most expensive grills on the market, but considering that they’re also one of the best and they guarantee excellent quality, the price is on point, as well.

The choice here would always depend on how much budget you have.

Warranty

Next, we look at the warranty offered by each manufacturer.

For the Weber Genesis II E-320, Weber offers a:

• 10-year limited warranty for the cook box, lid, stainless steel burners, flavorizer bars, ignition system (excluding battery), and grease management system
• 5-year limited warranty for the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates
• 2-year limited warranty for remaining parts and paint

For the Broil King Baron S320, Broil King offers a:

• Limited Lifetime Warranty for the entire cook box
• 10-year warranty for the dual-Tube burner system
• 2-year warranty for all the remaining parts and paint

Both are excellent warranty offers because 10 years is very long. That is already a long amount of time that you’ll be using your grill. But, we have to say, Broil King has a bit of an edge with its limited Lifetime Warranty.

Stand Out Features

Now, let’s look at the impressive stand-out features for each grill.

What we really love about the Broil King Baron S320 is the Flav-R-wave cooking system and the reversible cooking grids.

The Flav-R-Wave cooking system is really smart as it catches drippings, vaporizes them, and enhances the flavor of your meat. So, you really get a delicious, smoky flavor. The reversible cooking grids allow you to choose what kind of marks you want on your meat, whether it’s clean sear marks or grooves.

For the Weber Genesis II E-310, we love the flavorizer bars, iGrill-3 compatibility, and the fuel gauge.

Like the Flav-R-Wave cooking system, the Weber flavorizer bars help enhance your meat’s flavor. The iGrill-3 compatibility allows you to connect your grill to an app, so you can monitor your grill even if you are away from the grill. Lastly, the fuel gauge allows you to monitor your tank’s fuel level, so you won’t get in trouble losing fuel in the middle of cooking.

Our Verdict

Overall, the quality of both grills is very impressive. They are easy to use, easy to clean, convenient, and come with amazing features. But we would prefer the Broil King Baron S320 to the Weber Genesis II E-310.

Although the Broil King Baron S320 comes in a smaller size, it still can cook a generous amount of food. It heats up fast and evenly, retains heat well, enhances food flavor, and is very easy to control.

But what makes us prefer this grill over the Weber is its closed cart design which protects the grill from outside elements. Most of all, we appreciate the lifetime warranty offered by Broil King.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Weber grill is far behind. If you’re looking for a larger sized grill because you’re cooking for more people, then this might be a better choice for you. It also offers excellent heat retention, even heat distribution, and enhanced food flavor.

So, again, your choice would depend on what you need and what’s on your budget.