Weber Genesis® II E-335 Gas Grill Deep Ocean Blue
For years I’ve been giving customers advice on home appliances. They often ask me which products I use in my daily life. As a young professional, my appliance selections have been modest. This year I moved to a house with a large backyard. Right away I knew I had to spring for a gas grill to compliment my new stay-at-home lifestyle.
Miso grilled broccoli, brussels sprouts, and mushrooms in foil.
Over the years I sold thousands of grills, however I unbeknownst to my customers, I hadn’t the faintest idea about grilling. Most of my knowledge was a regurgitation of various brands’ sell sheets. My pitch lacked passion because I actually found the category intimidating. Like who was 22-year-old me to start telling big grill guys about the optimal flame power, rotisserie motors, and smoker boxes.
Outdoor cooking is my new favorite activity. I had no idea how much fun grilling could be. Summer doesn’t feel like summer, until you’re grilling peaches for salad, ears of corn, heirloom tomatoes for gazpacho, zucchini, summer squash, and of course, grilled chicken, burgers, fish, and steak.
I bought the highest quality grill I was willing to afford. I purchased the grill pre-assembled because I didn’t have the time or technical aptitude to put it together.
As a grilling newbie, I knew I wasn’t going to splurge for the more expensive pro stainless steel grills. I was drawn to this Weber grill because of the size and beautiful blue color. I’ll tell you about my grilling experience.
Weber Genesis II E-335 Liquid Propane Gas Grill (61086001) in Deep Ocean Blue
My Favorite Features:
Deep Ocean Blue Color
I was originally drawn to this grill because of the color. It is just as beautiful in person as it is on the web. It’s also easy to keep clean.
Side Burner
Toasted risotto on my Weber Genesis side burner.
I’ve always been told that side burners aren’t that useful on affordable luxury grills but I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. The side burner was easy to ignite and control. On paper, 12,000 BTU per hour is weak, especially outdoors, however I’ve used it a few times and the side burner exceeded my expectations.
Infinity Ignition
The grill is very easy to ignite, but it’s a two-hand operation. You need to hold down the igniter button first with your left hand and turn the burner knobs with your right hand.
Sear Station
I cooked steaks the other night and cranked up the grill burners and sear station. I made sure to preheat the grill for a few minutes and was able to get a great medium-rare result. I think this feature is useful for steak, but it’s not a burner I use on a daily basis.
Porcelain-Enameled Cast Iron Cooking Grates
So I almost didn’t buy this grill because of the porcelain grates. I was taught that stainless steel grates were more durable than porcelain. Unfortunately, the blue color only came with porcelain grates so I had to make a compromise. I thought these grates would be high maintenance, but with an inexpensive grill brush, I’m easily able to keep my grill grates looking great.
Side-Mounted Gas Tank
The mechanism to hang the LP tank is sturdy and straightforward. The tank is easy to remove for LP tank refills. I haven’t used the fuel gauge as it’s empirically obvious when the propane runs out.
Grill Cabinet
A few years ago, Weber got rid of the grill cabinet on their Genesis and Spirit series grills in favor of an open-cart design. I wanted a closed cart with access doors as it’s easier to store grilling tools, paper plates, and drip pans.
My Not-So Favorite Features:
Tuck Away Warming Rack
I don’t consider this area “more grilling space”. Perhaps it would be useful for toasting burger buns, but beyond that, I couldn’t imagine that anything would truly cook up there.
Grease Management System
The grill is designed so that the cooking grease and drippings are funneled into a drip pan in the bottom of the grill. In reality, any cooking grease and drippings will just fall through the grill. The drip pan doesn’t stay put. It’s not a deal breaker, but I find myself cleaning the grill cabinet every week.
Stainless Steel Side Table
Every few days I go out back and clean pollen and debris off my grill. The first time I went out to clean the side tables with a microfiber cloth, I got a horrendous scratch. This can happen with any stainless steel appliance, but it’s a thin grade that lends itself to easy scratches.
Would I recommend this grill to a friend?
Absolutely! I am overall very impressed with my grill purchase. There are a few accessories that seem compelling like that rotisserie, sear grate, and I am looking forward to experimenting with the igrill thermometer accessory.
