It is time for a new grill, and you’re wondering which of the popular brands can give you a durable, good-quality grill at a reasonable price. Two of the best brands on the market are Char-Broil and Weber: Even though they offer a diverse product selection, the former leans more affordable, while the latter has more expensive grill models.
But, what else distinguishes Weber from Char-Broil? We compare their bestselling gas grills to give you an idea of how they are different. Read more to find out.
Char-Broil
In the ’50s in America, Char-Broil produced their first charcoal grills ever. That was back when outdoor cooking wasn’t so mainstream. Through the years, the Columbus, Georgia-based company continued to build upon their strengths and innovate to make grilling products more enjoyable and more affordable.
One thing to note is that Char-Broil manufactures their grills in China. The lower prices of Char-Broil grilling products certainly gives it an edge over Weber.
Weber
George Stephen invented the kettle grill in 1952. He got the inspiration from a buoy cut in half, pierced with holes, and stuck with three legs. From there, his passion for BBQ drove him to improve the Weber kettle grill. For instance, he found that the addition of metal Flavorizer bars on the grill vastly improved the heat distribution and tamed flare-ups.
Weber is one of the best grill brands on the market, so it’s safe to say that no matter what product you buy from them, even their kamado grills, you’ll get exceptional quality. However, their liquid propane and natural gas grills are their bestsellers.
Compare the Two Famous Char-Broil and Weber Grills Models
To establish a fair competition between them, we have picked the most outstanding 2-burner model from each brand which are Char-Broil Performance 300 and Weber Spirit II E-210.
So without further ado here is a comparison table of our two selected models:
| Specifications | Char-Broil Performance 300 | Weber Spirit II E-210 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of burners | Two | Two |
| Cooking surface | 400 square inches | 450 square inches |
| Heat output (BTU) | 24,000 BTU | 26,500 BTU |
| Dimensions | 25 x 43x 44 inches | 48 x 26 x 57 inches |
| Weight | 66 lbs. | 103 lbs. |
| Material of the grates | Porcelain-coated cast iron grates | Porcelain-enameled, cast iron |
| Cart style | Closed-cabinet design | Open cart design |
| Wheels | Four caster wheels | Two all-weather wheels |
| Warranty | One year | Ten years |
Char-Broil Performance 300
Char-Broil Performance 300 is a 2-burner gas grill that packs 24,000 BTUs in 300 square inches of primary cooking area and 100 square inches of warming rack. You can use the spacious warming rack to place your vegetables and toast your buns while waiting for the meat to cook.
It is a closed-cabinet-style gas grill that weighs just 66 lbs. and does not take up much space in your backyard. But what can we say about its construction? The Char-Broil grill, while relatively lighter gauge, is still stainless steel that doesn’t feel flimsy. It also has a built-in thermometer for easy temperature reading.
The most appealing thing about the Char-Broil Performance 300 is its electronic ignition that will give you a hassle-free, quick start to your BBQ grilling. The two main burners can easily reach 500-600 Fahrenheit once the grill’s on. The two foldable metal side shelves are convenient for food preparation, too, since you can fold them down whenever.
The grill relies on four caster wheels that give you an easy time transporting it – you can point it in almost any direction and roll it super smoothly.
- Affordable
- Easy to assemble
- Lights easily
- Even heat distribution
- Includes lid-mounted temperature gauge
- Lightweight and attractive design of stainless steel
- Caster wheels give it great mobility
- Smaller cooking surface area
- You will need to soak the grates after cooking saucy and sticky food.
This Char-Broil grill produces quite intense heat, to the point where you need to watch closely when your food is cooking to keep it from getting overcooked. We think this will be an interesting contender to one of Weber’s best gas grills because of its quick, easy, and impressive heat.
Weber Spirit II E-210
Similar to the Char-Broil Performance 300, the Weber Spirit II E-210 is a sleek, compact 2-burner grill. However, it crams a few more square inches of cooking space than its Char-Broil counterpart with 450 square inches of total cooking area (360 square inches for the primary cooking space and 90 inches for the warming rack).
Weber Spirit II E-210’s heat output is 26,500 BTU, and it’s an open cart design that weighs slightly more than the Char-Broil at 103 lbs. There’s also additional storage space under the grill, where you can find six hooks.
This 2-burner grill offers many features such as porcelain-coated cast-iron grates, built-in Flavorizer Bars, GS4 Grilling System, and iGrill 3 compatibilities. Unlike the Char-Broil grill, the Weber Spirit II E-210 is available in many colors and only comes with two all-weather wheels.
- Large cooking surface
- Ten-year warranty
- Great design and build quality
- Heats efficiently and instantly
- Good grease management system
- Comes in black, white, blue, and red
- Some assembly required
- Expensive for a two-burner grill
- Its back vent is a source of a lot of heat, so you must consider where to place it to prevent damaging your things.
Weber created a great grill with the Spirit II E-210. They managed to fill the relatively small gas grill with many convenient features that make the grilling experience more enjoyable. You will find a lot to love in this excellent space-saving grill.
In-depth Comparison between Weber and Char-Broil Grills
Heat output
Generally, both grills have impressive BTUs that provide quite a good amount of heat for their respective cooking areas. But, let’s take a look at which grill brand you can trust to cook your food more quickly.
You can count on Char-Broil burners to heat up quickly and evenly across the cooking surface of the grill. In fact, these grills can get extremely hot that so many users said you need to keep an eye on your food. With each of the two burners producing 12,000 BTU to give you 24,000 BTU per hour, it’s no wonder the Char-Broil Performance 300 can reach such high heat.
On the other hand, Weber grills are one of the best when it comes to heat output. The total heat output of the Spirit II E-210 is 26,500 BTU, which is 2,500 more than Char-Broil’s Performance 300. Weber also ensures that their burners produce even heat.
Comparing the two grill models, you shouldn’t just look at the BTUs when judging which one has a higher heat output. Grilling experts consider the cooking space too since that affects how much heat gets distributed per square inch of surface.
Weber Spirit II E-210 gives you about 74 BTU/square inch for the primary cooking surface. In contrast, Char-Broil Performance 300 will grant your food 80 BTU per square inch, which means it wins this round.
Heat retention
Both grill brands can hold their heat for a decent amount of time, which is good to know if you’re planning to cook multi-course meals.
Char-Broil Performance 300’s porcelain-coated cast-iron grates ensure excellent heat retention. This grill is a must-have if you like cooking chicken (or any meat, really) since you can lower the heat to slow-cook and retain the tasty juices inside the meat. Grilling vegetables are so easy with the Char-Broil, too, since these will cook almost instantly.
However, the downside to Char-Broil’s extremely hot grill grates during cooking is the cleanup. You need to soak them in water to get all the grease and burnt food particles off the surface.
On the other hand, Weber’s cooking grates do not have an issue regarding heat retention. The grill works perfectly well, and you can make a lot of evenly cooked BBQ for your gatherings in no time.
Ignition system
Char-Broil’s ignition system is fairly simple and quick to use. Moreover, it’s reliable and does the job pretty well, given that you take care of your grilling equipment regularly. Their cheaper models do have some problems with durability, so keep that in mind.
Weber’s Infinity ignition system is impressive, but on the off-chance that malfunctions occur, it’s going to cost you a lot of trouble to replace or get fixed.
Despite being the more affordable brand, Char-Broil manages to beat Weber when it comes to the ignition system’s overall reliability.
Cooking space and overall size
Char-Broil offers a smaller primary cooking space, but it has a large warming rack, which is a huge deal to some. It also has decently sized shelves for food prep.
With Weber, you have a big 450 inches that let you cook lots of burgers or sausages for a large group of people. Weber E-210 is a better choice than Char-Broil 300 if you need to prepare a big batch of BBQ.
Both units give you sufficient cooking space, but you won’t have to worry about the space they occupy in your backyard.
Build quality
Some minor parts of the Char-Broil are prone to breaking and rusting, such as the ignition switch and the lid. You should keep this in mind if you plan to use your grill very frequently.
We suggest investing in a Weber grill if you want to be free from worry about these little things. Weber has great build quality, and it shows – even the ten-year-long warranty should say something about their confidence in the product’s durability.
Wheels
Wheels are a great indicator of a grill’s portability. The Weber grill has two all-weather wheels that are easy to move even on the roughest of surfaces, ensuring that you don’t get stuck when you’re rolling it. Additionally, two thick stand legs help with stability when it’s stationary.
Compared to Weber’s two, Char-Broil has four wheels on its grill, letting you move in any direction. Aside from that, you can lock two of the four caster wheels into place when you’re about to grill.
Despite only having two wheels, we think Weber wins here simply because its all-weather wheels will be more durable and resistant in the long run.
Warranty
As mentioned earlier, Weber offers an amazing ten-year warranty on their products, beating Char-Broil models’ one-year warranty. To be fair, most grill brands usually give a one-year warranty backing for their products.
Extra Features
Buyers will like Weber’s feature-packed grill. There are plenty of fancy, user-friendly features that make Weber grills special such as the GS4 Grilling System. The said system includes Weber’s Flavorizer Bars, E2i ignition, grease management, and high-performance burners.
Furthermore, Weber implemented a new catch-pan design for their Spirit line and iGrill 3 compatibility.
Affordability
Given Weber’s use of high-quality material for their grill products, extra features, and generally larger cooking spaces, their prices are higher even for their entry-level grills.
At the time of writing this article, the Char-Broil Performance 300 costs $120 less than the Weber Spirit II E-210.
Getting a grill from Char-Broil will be easier on the budget, but there will be some noticeable quality differences with the pricier Weber models that hold great value for money.
Final Verdict: Which is Better?
The choice ultimately depends on your spending limit. If you are looking for a lower-priced grill and don’t care much about fancy features, go for the Char-Broil Performance 300. You will get a high BTU-per-square inch, reliable ignition, and excellent heat retention for an affordable price. Overall, it’s a very good competitor for Weber, one of the BBQ market’s leading brands.
There’s a reason expert grillers highly appreciate Weber- and that is the well-designed, feature-packed unit that’s got a decade of warranty. Weber Spirit II E-210 is also easier to clean than the Char-Broil model.
I spent most of my life fascinated by food, and the outdoors. I can’t think of a more fitting combo that leads to mastering the art of BBQ one day. I ended up decent enough to grill the perfect burger and choose the best equipment after years of improvement. I create this website for outdoor cooking enthusiasts, who are fueled by interest but lacking in help, feel educated when they leave because I see my past clueless self in them.
