Broil King Vs Weber: Which Grill is Worth Your Money?
When buying a propane grill,
There’s no doubt
So, if you’re looking to get a new propane grill and don’t know which of these brands is the best choice, we’ve pitted Broil King vs
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- Tons of customization options with Weber CRAFTED system
- Large sear zone
- Excellent storage for tools and utensils
- Easy to clean stainless steel surface
- More expensive
- Small wheels for such a large and heavy grill
- Assembly takes time and effort
- Value for money
- Includes Rotisserie
- Less cooking space
The Brands
Before we get into the specifics of the grills we’ve chosen to compare, let’s take a closer look at the two brands in question.
Weber
Weber is the most popular gas grill brand and has been around since the early 1950s.
Since then,
Broil King
If
In 1999, Cadco, a large manufacturer of high-quality food service equipment, purchased the Broil King brand, which allowed them to expand their grill range.
The Grills
Both Broil King and
Weber Genesis SPX-435 Propane Gas Grill
The
We have reviewed the Genesis SPX-435 Smart Gas Grill if you want to learn more about the new Genesis range.
The details
- Dimensions: W68.5″ x H48.5″ x D27″
- Weight: 220 lbs
- Main burners/BTUs: 4 burners producing a total of 48,000 BTUs
- Total cooking surface: 994 square inches
Broil King Baron S 490 PRO Propane Gas Grill
Broil King grills are known for being reliable and well-made, and the Baron S 490 PRO is no different. The cooking grids on this model are an excellent example of this. Made of heavy gauge 8mm stainless steel, they are hugely durable and provide superior heat retention.
The details
- Dimensions: W57″ x H46.5″ x D24″
- Weight: 153 lbs
- Main burners/BTUs: 4 burners producing a total of 40,000 BTUs
- Total cooking surface: 630 square inches
Broil King vs Weber : head-to-head
Rather than a vague overview of both models, we’ll get granular and break them down into their most significant features before comparing them head-to-head.
Burners/BTU output
We’ve spoken before about how BTU output isn’t as important as you might think. But it does give us a general idea of how fast each grill will heat up and how hot it can get.
The
The main
In comparison, the Broil King Baron S 490 PRO uses stainless steel dual-tube burners producing 40,000 BTUs.
This combines with a 10,000-BTU ceramic infrared side burner (serving as the searing station) and a 15,000-BTU rear rotisserie burner for a total BTU output of 78,000 BTUs, a touch more than the
While BTUs aren’t everything, the Broil King’s dual tube design, coupled with the high output of these burners, produces a well-distributed and consistently high heat. You can also upgrade to a 5-burner for just $200 more.
So, in this instance, we’re going with the Broil King. It tends to heat up faster, equaling faster cooking sessions.
Warranty
Both
The Genesis E-435 includes
Broil King offers a slightly more granular and less encompassing warranty. There’s a ten-year warranty on the cook box, three years on the burners, and a two-year warranty on all remaining parts and the paint.
While the Broil King guarantee is pretty comprehensive and standard for a high-end grill, you just can’t beat
Cooking surface
The Broil King grill doesn’t come close to
The Broil King’s main cook box is 460 square inches, while the secondary grilling area is 170 square inches.
In contrast, the Genesis E-435 has a primary cooking surface of 646 square inches and adds 348 square inches for its extendable top grate for a total of 994 square inches.
Both gas grills have a two-tiered cooking area and a side burner. These side burners are great when you need to sauté, boil water, heat sides, or warm sauces.
While the Broil King has a smaller cooking area, you get the bonus of a rotisserie kit included in the price. You can still fit 15 burgers across its cooking space as well, so it’s not exactly small.
Cooking system
Both the Genesis E-435 and the Baron S 490 PRO have proprietary cooking systems that put them on par with each other.
For the Genesis, it’s the tried and tested
In the Broil King grill, you’ll find the stainless steel Flav-R-Wave cooking system. Like the
Standout features
When it comes down to it, both grills are excellent choices for the amount you pay. They’re well-built, well-designed, and include various features to make any pitmaster’s life easier.
The Genesis E-435 stands out thanks to the
Nearly all of the Genesis is made of solid stainless steel, and the ten-year
However, this Broil King gas grill is equally well-built and has just a few more bells and whistles than the Genesis.
The stainless steel dual-tube burners are great for heat distribution and flare-up control. The stainless steel Flav-R-Wave flame tamers are also every bit as good as the
Added to this are the little touches, like the fact that, while both grills come with fold-down side shelves, the Baron’s infrared burner on the side also folds down for easy storage. It also comes with side shelf bins and tool hooks for additional storage space.
The Baron’s control knobs are also backlit. Like I said, it’s a little touch, but it makes a big difference when cooking at night.
While there isn’t much to choose between these grills, and we really love the Genesis E-435, the Baron S 490 PRO does everything it can, plus just a little bit more.
Other grills to consider
Of course, both
For more details, check out our Weber Spirit vs Genesis guide, which has a breakdown of all the major models.
Weber Spirit E-330 Propane Gas Grill
The
Like the Genesis, the Spirit E-330 doesn’t put up the highest numbers when it comes to pure BTU output, with 32,000 BTUs across three stainless steel burners. But it does distribute that heat effectively to ensure even cooking.
The Spirit also comes with a 7,500-BTU sear station, an independent electronic ignition for searing steaks, and a folding side table for extra storage.
Broil King 28-Inch Vertical Propane Gas Smoker
If you’re looking to get into smoking food, and you definitely should be, the Broil King 28″ Vertical Smoker is an excellent starting point.
Constructed entirely of stainless steel, this smoker has a 15,000-BTU burner ignited by a Sure-Lite electronic ignition system. Airflow is controlled by corrosion-resistant cast aluminum Roto-Draft dampers for precise control of the cooking chamber’s temperature.
There are 770 square inches of cooking space inside the main chamber, and the smoker comes with a multi-purpose chrome-coated roast/rib rack and 16 stainless steel meat hooks. So you’ve got everything you need to start smoking immediately.
While you might be tempted to upgrade to the Broil King Smoke XL 32-inch Offset Charcoal Smoker, we’d actually advise against it.
While some great offset smokers are on the market, the Broil King Smoke XL suffers from some fairly significant design issues that make the 28″ Vertical Smoker the better choice.
Wrapping it up
The Genesis E-435 and the Baron S 490 PRO are excellent grills.
However, having put them head-to-head, we think the extra features on the Broil King just edge out the
Have you used either of the grills we’ve reviewed and think we’ve missed something? Do you have an entry-level grill you believe to be just as good as the