Is Weber Worth It? 2026 Review
Weber’s $229 kettle is still the smartest grill it sells, and the 10-year warranty on its gas grills covers less than the badge suggests. Here is what to buy, what to skip, and how returns work.
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- Skip the upgrade
- Skip the $599 Spirit EX-325 Smart. The extra $50 over the E-325 buys a Wi-Fi thermometer that several owners say would not pair or update.
- Best time to buy
- Not on Weber.com in October: no grill we checked showed a sale price, and the special-offers page returned an error. Watch for a reduced price there before paying list.
Weber sells the same grills on its own US store as at hardware chains, from a $119 Jumbo Joe to Summit grill centers near $5,000, at list prices that rarely move on its site. In October none of the grills we checked carried a markdown.
The value is concentrated at the bottom of the range. The 22-inch kettle has barely changed in decades and still earns 4.7 stars from nearly 7,000 owners. Further up, read the warranty carefully: the headline 10 or 12 years covers the cookbox and lid against rust-through, while most other parts get two. Our advice is to buy the kettle or a Spirit, skip the smart versions, and keep the box, because returns are on your dime.
What to buy (and what not to)
22” Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
$229 Black. Copper and Green list at $249; the basic 22-inch Original Kettle is $149.
The classic 22-inch kettle with a lid thermometer, a hinged grate and an enclosed ash catcher, at a price most gas grills cannot touch.
The Premium adds the conveniences people otherwise retrofit: a lid thermometer, a hinged cooking grate that flips up so you can add charcoal mid-cook, and the One-Touch system that sweeps ash into an enclosed catcher. Weber says it cooks for six to eight people. The porcelain-enameled bowl and lid carry 10 years against rust-through and burn-through; the One-Touch system gets five.
Owners rate it 4.7 out of 5 across nearly 7,000 reviews. The low end is mostly about assembly and quality control rather than cooking: legs whose clamps let go, a grate that wobbles, an ash catcher that will not stay put, and enamel that one long-time owner says started peeling after a year. A few describe slow replies from support.
Upside
- 4.7 stars from nearly 7,000 owners
- Hinged grate and enclosed ash catcher make long cooks easier
Downside
- Leg and ash-catcher fit complaints in low reviews
- Parts outside the bowl and lid covered for two years
The numbers
- Cooking grate 22-inch, cooks for 6-8
- Thermometer built into the lid
- Ash One-Touch system with enclosed catcher
- Warranty bowl and lid 10 years
Spirit E-325 Gas Grill
$549 Liquid propane, black. Natural gas lists at $599.
A three-burner propane grill with a Sear Zone, and the best-reviewed gas grill on this list.
The E-325 is Weber’s mainstream gas grill: three burners, two red Boost Burner knobs that Weber says put 40% more power into the Sear Zone, Snap-Jet ignition for lighting each burner one-handed, and fold-down side tables with rails for Weber Works accessories. Owners give it 4.5 out of 5 across more than 4,300 reviews.
Two warnings from the bottom of those reviews. First, shipping damage and wrong parts come up again and again, sometimes with replacement parts out of stock. Second, the design draws gripes: one owner disliked that it has only two wheels and an open tank area. The headline 10-year warranty also needs reading: the cookbox, lid and burner tubes get 10 years against rust-through, the grates and Flavorizer bars five, and everything else two.
Upside
- 4.5 stars from more than 4,300 owners
- Sear Zone and one-handed ignition per burner
Downside
- Damaged or wrong parts on arrival are a recurring complaint
- Most parts outside the cookbox are covered for two years
The numbers
- Burners 3, with 2 Boost Burners
- Sear Zone 40% more power, per Weber
- Ignition Snap-Jet, per burner
- Warranty cookbox and lid 10 years
Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18”
$419 The 14-inch model is $289 and the 22-inch is $549.
A charcoal bullet smoker with two cooking grates, and one of the highest-rated products Weber sells.
The Smokey Mountain Cooker is a vertical charcoal smoker: a porcelain-enameled bowl, center section and lid, two cooking grates, adjustable dampers and a removable fuel door for adding charcoal and wood. A silicone grommet lets you run a temperature probe inside. The 18-inch size is the middle of three.
Owners give it 4.7 out of 5 from about 1,800 reviews, and the one-star reviews are rare. Most concern shipping damage and missing screws, with slow or absent help from support. A couple of buyers wanted stainless rather than plated grates, and one found the water pan hard to refill and the fuel door hot to work around. The bowl, lid and center ring carry 10 years against rust-through; plastic parts five; everything else two.
Upside
- 4.7 stars from about 1,800 owners
- Two grates for smoking two large cuts at once
Downside
- Plated, not stainless, cooking grates
- Shipping dents can let air in and upset temperature control
The numbers
- Cooking grates 2
- Probe access silicone grommet
- Fuel access removable door
- Warranty bowl, lid, center ring 10 years
WEBER TRAVELER Portable Gas Grill
$449 The smaller Traveler Compact lists at $349 but showed as unavailable in October.
A fold-down propane grill on wheels that fits 12 burgers and slides into most SUVs, with a regulator problem in its reviews.
The Traveler folds on a one-hand lever, locks its lid automatically for transport and rolls on wheels. Weber says it is 40 inches wide, fits most SUVs and holds 12 burgers or 15 sausages on porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates. Push-button ignition and front-access grease removal round it out.
The reviews split sharply: 4.3 out of 5 across 72 ratings, but 10 of those are one-star, a far higher share than Weber’s kettles. The recurring complaint is the regulator, with owners describing grills that will not stay lit, will not drop below 500°F, or need a new regulator every year or two. The warranty matches the risk: cookbox and lid get five years, grates three, and the remaining parts, regulator included, two.
Upside
- Folds and rolls one-handed, fits most SUVs
- Room for 12 burgers at a time
Downside
- Repeated regulator failures in low reviews
- Most parts covered for only two years
The numbers
- Width 40 inches
- Capacity 12 burgers or 15 sausages
- Grates porcelain-enameled cast iron
- Warranty cookbox and lid 5 years
Slate 28” Rust-Resistant Griddle
$599 Liquid propane. Natural gas lists at $649; the 36-inch starts at $849.
A three-burner flat top with a pre-seasoned, rust-resistant carbon-steel cooktop, priced well above basic griddles.
Weber’s answer to the backyard griddle boom is built around one promise: a pre-seasoned carbon-steel cooktop that resists rust, with no coating, so metal spatulas are fine. Three burners give separate heat zones, wind guards protect the flames, and Weber says it reaches over 500°F. The side rails take Weber Works accessories.
Owners rate it 4.6 out of 5 from 369 reviews. The low reviews mostly describe boxes that arrived damaged and replacement parts sent piecemeal, leaving buyers to rebuild sub-assemblies themselves. One owner says rust appeared within a month despite oiling and a cover, which cuts against the main selling point. Another found the lid needs about a foot of clearance behind the unit. The griddle warranty is five years, rust on the cooktop excluded.
Upside
- Rust-resistant cooktop that takes metal tools
- Three independent heat zones
Downside
- Cooktop rust is excluded from the warranty
- Damaged-in-box reports and piecemeal replacement parts
The numbers
- Cooktop 28-inch pre-seasoned carbon steel
- Burners 3 independent zones
- Max heat over 500°F
- Warranty 5 years, cooktop rust excluded
Genesis EX-325W Smart Gas Grill
$999 Liquid propane. Natural gas lists at $1,049.
A powerful three-burner Genesis with a 750°F Sear Zone, let down by the smart thermometer it charges you for.
On paper the EX-325W earns its price: 513 square inches of primary cooking area, 49,000 BTU per hour, a Sear Zone Weber says reaches 750°F, porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates and a 12-year warranty on the cookbox and lid. The smart part is a Wi-Fi digital thermometer with one wired probe that pairs with the Weber Connect app.
We pass because that smart part is the weak link. The grill averages 4.0 out of 5 from 80 ratings, and 12 are one-star. Several describe a thermometer that would not pair or update, leaving a display stuck on a prompt and no temperature reading at all, and the Connect electronics carry only three years of coverage. Others report a leaking hose and a defective manifold. A Spirit E-325 plus a standalone probe thermometer is the smarter spend.
Upside
- 513 square inches and a 750°F Sear Zone
- 12 years on cookbox and lid
Downside
- Smart thermometer pairing and update failures
- Electronics covered for three years only
The numbers
- Primary cooking area 513 sq in
- Total BTU per hour 49,000
- Sear Zone up to 750°F
- Dimensions, lid closed 48.1 x 61.4 x 27 in
At a glance
| Product | Call | Best for | Price | Key spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22” Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill | Smart buy | Charcoal grilling on a budget | $229 | Cooking grate: 22-inch, cooks for 6-8 |
| Spirit E-325 Gas Grill | Good buy | A family’s first gas grill | $549 | Burners: 3, with 2 Boost Burners |
| Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18” | Good buy | Low-and-slow barbecue | $419 | Cooking grates: 2 |
| WEBER TRAVELER Portable Gas Grill | Wait for a sale | Tailgating and camping | $449 | Width: 40 inches |
| Slate 28” Rust-Resistant Griddle | Good buy | Griddle cooks who hate rust | $599 | Cooktop: 28-inch pre-seasoned carbon steel |
| Genesis EX-325W Smart Gas Grill | Pass | App-minded big-batch cooks | $999 | Primary cooking area: 513 sq in |
Pick yours in ten seconds
- If you want great food for the least moneyGet the 22” Original Kettle Premium Charcoal GrillCharcoal flavor, a lid thermometer and easy ash cleanup for $229.
- If you want weeknight gas grilling for a familyGet the Spirit E-325 Gas GrillThree burners and a Sear Zone, with Weber’s best gas-grill reviews.
- If you want brisket and ribs, not just burgersGet the Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18”A dedicated smoker that owners rate almost as highly as the kettle.
- If you cook breakfasts and smash burgers outdoorsGet the Slate 28” Rust-Resistant GriddleA flat top that resists rust better than bare steel, if you accept the price.
The policies, plainly
- Trial
- No trial; unused items in original packaging returnable within 30 days
- Returns
- 30 days from purchase, unused and boxed; buyer pays return shipping, and delivery charges are non-refundable under $99
- Warranty
- By part: cookbox and lid up to 10-12 years, most other parts 2 years; third-party parts do not void it
- Shipping
- Large grills by scheduled freight to the driveway, about 5-9 business days; contiguous US only
- Support
- Customer service 7 days a week, 7am to 8pm Central, by phone, email and chat
- Financing
- Not stated
Read on Weber's US site in October 2026.
What customers say
Weber’s own reviews are strong for the classics: the 22-inch Premium kettle averages 4.7 from about 7,000 ratings and the Smokey Mountain 4.7 from 1,800. The Spirit E-325 sits at 4.5. The newer gadget-heavy models score lower, with the Genesis EX-325W at 4.0 and the Traveler at 4.3.
The one-star reviews rarely blame the cooking. They describe freight damage, wrong or missing parts, replacement parts on back order, and support tickets that go quiet. Trustpilot’s Weber profile, which mixes European and US buyers, rated it 1.7 out of 5, “Bad”, in October, and recent reviewers there describe US orders stuck past the 48-hour processing promise and, in Europe, a refund that took weeks.
The practical lesson: inspect the box before signing for freight delivery, and photograph damage at once.
Score breakdown
| Part | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Product | 4.2 | 35% |
| Value | 3.7 | 30% |
| Policies | 3.1 | 20% |
| Buying experience | 2.8 | 15% |
| Smart Score | 3.6/5 | |
Proven grills with strong owner ratings, held back by warranties that cover most parts for only two years, buyer-paid returns, and slow parts and support complaints on Trustpilot and Weber’s own site.
Shop around first
- Blackstone. Choose it instead if you mainly want a flat-top griddle and care more about price than rust resistance.
- Traeger. Choose it instead if you want a pellet grill that holds smoking temperatures without tending charcoal.
- Char-Broil. Choose it instead if you want a basic gas grill for well under Spirit money.
Questions, answered
What does Weber’s 10-year warranty actually cover?
Less than the headline suggests. On a Spirit gas grill, the cookbox, lid and stainless burner tubes get 10 years against rust-through or burn-through, with only two years on paint. Grates and Flavorizer bars get five years, and all remaining parts get two. Charcoal kettles follow the same pattern: 10 years on the bowl and lid, two on most other parts.
Can I use non-Weber replacement parts?
Yes, without voiding the warranty. After a 2022 settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, Weber revised its warranty: using third-party parts no longer voids coverage. Weber still does not cover the third-party parts themselves or damage they cause, and an unauthorized gas conversion voids the warranty. The notice is linked from Weber’s warranty page.
How do returns work on a grill bought from Weber.com?
Unused items in original packaging can come back within 30 days of purchase, with a refund of the price and sales tax once Weber inspects them. You pay return shipping, which for a freight-delivered grill can be significant, and delivery charges on orders under $99 are not refunded. Grills bought from retailers go back to the retailer.
Is the Smart version of a Weber grill worth it?
Usually not. On the Spirit, the Smart model costs $50 more for a Wi-Fi thermometer and one probe. Owners of the Spirit EX-325 and Genesis EX-325W describe pairing and firmware-update failures, and one says an iPhone could not complete the first update. A standalone probe thermometer does the same job and does not depend on an app.
Our sources
- Weber US product pages for the 22-inch Original Kettle Premium, Spirit E-325 and EX-325, Smokey Mountain Cooker, Traveler, Slate 28-inch and Genesis EX-325W, read October 2026.
- Weber US shipping and returns page, warranties page and the FTC consent-order warranty notice, read October 2026.
- Weber on-site owner reviews for each pick, lowest-rated first, October 2026.
- Trustpilot reviews of weber.com, most recent first, October 2026.