I originally wrote this article about Weber Spirit vs Genesis back in 2017 and have had to update it every year since due to the amount of changes Weber makes in these two product lines.
The biggest change for 2021 is that Weber is discontinuing the Spirit II Series grills and reverting back to the previous generational Spirit design. This creates some serious value disconnects that are worth exploring. (Some Weber Spirit II Series grills are still in stock.)
There are 15 different grill models that sport either a Spirit or Genesis badge. The important thing to know about these two product lines is that they are BOTH excellent. The trick is striking the right balance between how much you want to spend and the features you value.
I will walk you through the two product lines and show you where the sweet spots are.
What Are The Differences Between These Weber Grills?
There are a lot of subtle differences between the two product lines but the major differences are summarized below.
- Spirit grills are smaller than Genesis grills.
- Genesis grills have a longer warranty than Spirit grills.
- Spirit grills are less expensive than Genesis grills.
- Genesis grills have GS4 High Performance components and Spirit grills do not.
- Genesis grills are available in more colors than Spirit grills.
- Spirit grill have either 2 or 3 burners while Genesis grills have either 3 or 4 burners.
Which Should You Buy?
The real question for most people isn’t what is different between the grills but rather which grill is the best one to buy. That answer is going to depend on how much you want to spend and how big of a grill you want.
Out of the 15 different options the four that I recommend are given below.
- Weber Spirit E 210
- Weber Spirit SP 335
- Weber Genesis SE 330
- Weber Genesis S 435
Let’s look at each of these grills in a little more detail to see which one is right for you.
Weber Spirit E 210
The Spirit E210 is the least expensive of all of the Spirit and Genesis grills. It is a simple two burner grill that has wonderful performance. The Spirit E 210 provides even heat distribution and minimal flare ups and is a joy to cook on.
The Spirit E 210 does not have any fancy bells and whistles. This grill is perfect for someone who occasionally grills for up to four people and wants a high quality grill without spending a lot of money.
This grill is not for you if you need to cook for a large crowd or is you are a hardcore griller is who serious about steaks. The grill is just fine for burgers, brats, chicken, etc. but it lacks the serious hardcore searing power to put the perfect crust on steaks.
Weber Spirit E 210 Warranty and Specs
- Primary Grilling Area: 360 square inches
- Warming Rack: 90 square inches
- Burners: Two burners rated for a combined 26,500 BTU/hr
- Cooking Grate: Porcelain enameled cast iron
- Warranty: 10 years (cookbox, lid, burner tubes) 5 years (cooking grate) 2 years (everything else)
Weber Spirit SP 335
The Spirit SP 335 is the absolute sweet spot between performance and value. If I were shopping for a new grill today then this is what I would probably buy.
The Spirit SP 335 is a three burner grill that provides significantly more grilling space than the two burner Spirit E 210. In addition to more grilling space you also get three extra bonuses:
- Side Burner
- Sear Station Burner
- Stainless Steel Cooking Grate
The Sear Station is an extra medium size burner located inside the grill that helps superheat a section of the grill grate. As the name implies, this burner helps get the grill hot enough to do some serious searing of steaks and chops!
The stainless steel cooking grate is made on 7mm thick stainless steel rods. The rods give amazing grill marks and are easy to clean. Most of the Weber gas grills come with heavy duty cast iron grates. I like the stainless steel ones much better!
The Spirit SP 335 is the most expensive model in the Spirit lineup but it is still at least $100 cheaper than the least expensive, stipped down Genesis.
If you love to grill and want the most bang for your buck then the Spirit SP 335 is perfect for you.
Weber Spirit SP 335 Warranty and Specs
- Primary Grilling Area: 424 square inches
- Warming Rack: 105 square inches
- Primary Burners: Three burners rated for a combined 32,000 BTU/hr
- Sear Station Burner: Single burner rated for 7,500 BTU/hr
- Side Burner: Single burner rated for 12,000 BTU/hr
- Cooking Grate: 7mm stainless steel rods
- Warranty: 10 years (cookbox, lid, burner tubes) 5 years (cooking grate, flavorizer bars) 2 years (everything else)
Weber Genesis II SE 330
The Genesis II SE 330 is a beautiful beast of a grill. Functionally this grill is almost identical to the Spirit SP 335 and comes with three primary burners, a Sear Station and a side burner.
The Genesis II SE 330 is an upgrade over the Spirit by primarily by offering:
- 20% more grilling area
- 9mm stainless steel rod cooking grate
- 10 year warranty on all components including the grate, flavorizer bars and ignition.
- Wide variety of color options
The Genesis II SE 330 costs several hundred dollars more than the comparably equipped but slight smaller Spirit SP 335. Is it worth the extra money? To me, the value that the Genesis II SE 330 brings is in its beauty. I spend more time looking at my grills than cooking on them and these new Genesis grills are stunning.
Personally I would save a few bucks and stick with the Spirit but I would not blame anybody who bought one of these instead.
Weber Genesis II SE 330 Warranty and Specs
- Primary Grilling Area: 513 square inches
- Warming Rack: 156 square inches
- Primary Burners: Three burners rated for a combined 39,000 BTU/hr
- Sear Station Burner: Single burner rated for 9,000 BTU/hr
- Side Burner: Single burner rated for 12,000 BTU/hr
- Cooking Grate: 9mm stainless steel rods
- Warranty: 10 years for all components
Weber Genesis II S 435
The Genesis II S 435 is the biggest grill Weber makes. This four burner grill is the largest of the Genesis line and even has more usable grilling area than Weber’s six burner ultra premium Summit S 670.
The S 435 has the same same Sear Station and side burner configuration of the Genesis SE 330 The main difference between the two grills is size.
If you are looking for a beautiful, massive grill that can feed a crowd then the Genesis II S 435 is for you. There is a massive price tag that comes along with this grill but you can justify it by saying that it will last a decade so the annual cost of ownership is about $100 per year 🙂
Weber Genesis II S 435 Warranty and Specs
- Primary Grilling Area: 646 square inches
- Warming Rack: 198 square inches
- Primary Burners: Four burners rated for a combined 48,000 BTU/hr
- Sear Station Burner: Single burner rated for 9,000 BTU/hr
- Side Burner: Single burner rated for 12,000 BTU/hr
- Cooking Grate: 7mm stainless steel rods
- Warranty: 10 years for all components
What is the GS4 High Performance Grilling System?
One of the ways Weber justifies the premium price of the Genesis over the Spirit is by the introduction of GS4 High Performance Grilling System.  This technology package was included in the 2018 Weber Spirit II grills but was removed from the 2020 Spirit models. Here is a short video (90 seconds) showing the highlights of the GS4 system.
To be clear, parts of the GS4 system are unwarranted hype.
Specifically, with the exception of the Weber Q series, all Weber gas grills have always had Flavorizer bars. Â The redesigned Flavorizer bars 2017 have “half moon” slots that let you see the burner flames. Â If you really need to see the flames then I guess this is a good thing. Â I can’t imagine why this is an upgrade.
The new grease management system isn’t really anything to write home about either. Â They have relocated a drip tray by a few inches.
The new Infinity Ignition System is a serious upgrade over past ignitions. Â If it lives up to the promise of “It lights the first time every time” then it is a real improvement. Â We really need a few years of field testing in the wild to see just how reliable the new ignitions actually are but seeing how Weber has upgraded the warranty from two to ten years I suspect it is going to work just fine.
One difference in the GS4 systems between these grills is the burner tubes. While both grills carry a ten year warranty on the burner tubes the Genesis is a little more high tech. The Genesis II has a tapered rectangular burner that is designed to provide a completely even flame distribution across the entire grilling surface.  The Spirit still has the older tubular burners had a tendency to produce sputtering flames at the end of the burner tube where the gas pressure was lowest.
If one of your selection criteria is that you want the most even heat distribution possible then you will probably want to go with a grill from the Genesis series.
What Does IGrill3 Ready Mean?
Starting in 2017 all Weber Genesis grills as advertised as being “iGrill3 Ready”.
The iGrill3 is a nice Bluetooth enabled thermometer that lets you monitor your grill on your phone.
Unfortunately this grill does not actually come with the iGrill3. Â What Weber means by “Ready” is they have cut a little hole in the front of the grill where you can place your iGrill3 after you purchase it separately for $100.
Equally annoying is that while the iGrill3 is nice technology today it will be outdated and replaced by something even better within three years. Â What is the point of customizing a grill that will last for 20 years around a small piece of technology that will be outdated in 3 years??
Spirit vs Genesis Styling Differences
Here is a look at the housing around the lid thermometer. Â Personally I like the look of the Spirit.
Here is a look at the burner knobs. Â Again, I like the Spirit better.
Let’s look at the lid handles. Â The Genesis wins this round with the stainless handle.
Although the Weber badge is identical on both grills the riveted chrome band on the Genesis is a beautiful design design element missing on the Spirit.
I just checked out the two models at a local big box. One item it noticed is the the Gensis has a double walled lid. This, I would think, would make a difference in Maintaining a constant temperature during cooking. Is that worth an extra $100 bucks?
Blaine, I think the only benefit to the lid is it helps the Genesis pre-heat a few minutes faster. Not worth it to me :).
Thanks for dropping by!
No more Genesis LX model? Is it true that the Genesis II S-335 replaces the Genesis II LX S-340 for 2019?
Correct. The price tag on the LX was way off since it didn’t have a Sear Station burner.
David,
I purchased the genesis II E-335 recently. I went back and forth between the spirit E-330 and the Genesis II E-335 but ultimately decided that the premium for the genesis warranty, new ignition and burner technology, and visual appearance was worth the additional $200 (I found the Genesis II E-335 for $800). Have you heard of or determined any cons to the Genesis II?
Matthew, the only cons about the Genesis II grills is that some people don’t think the models without a Sear Station get hot enough. If you got the S-335 then you are going to be a happy man for a long time!
Mathew,
I’m very interested in the Weber Genesis II E-335. Where did you find one for $800?
Ok so they put the drip tray back where it used to be and called it an improvement.
Love your reviews and your straight up style. Recommending the Spirit SP335 as the sweet spot…..right on.
Why hasn’t anyone called out Weber for the space between the burners resulting in less heat? That’s why they had to add the ‘sear station’. I have a previous Genesis with the burner knobs on the side. When I look at the space between burners it is nice and close compared to the burners now. Adding the ‘sear station’ is really just putting burners closer together. Duh, this was not a problem until Weber designed it into being.