Weber Genesis II E-415
Verified1 review
It's an outdoor oven. Severely underpowered for a grill - BBQ. Forget grilling steaks – If you enjoy grilling meat then look at an alternative option. After having a good run with a cheaper 6 burner gas BBQ and our trusty Weber baby Q I thought we would treat ourselves with one of Weber's premium Genesis II models which I now deeply regret. The Genesis II 4 burner is flawed by design is severely under powered for grilling even with the lid down.
Our old cheap 6 burner could disintegrate a couple of steaks being placed over one of the burners with all other burners off if you wanted to. The Genesis II needs all 4 burners turned to maximum, the lid down (which I am ok with), 10-15 minute arm up time and barely a grill mark. Heat is also not even.
I cannot claim the BBQ is faulty as the burners are lighting up etc.. After scanning the internet for reviews it seems that others have had the same experience.
I was told at the time of purchase at a Weber premium dealer that all 4 burners did not have to be on if your only using the space covering one or two burners.
I'm at a disagreement with Weber staff after being told I need to turn on all 4 burners to maximum setting to grill a single steak or two? This is an unnecessary waste of LPG and proves the Genesis is more oven then BBQ/Grill. I never had to do this with BBQ's costing a third of what we paid for the Genesis II.
The only acceptable results I have had using this BBQ is when the entire Grill space is being used or your using it as an oven to slow cook whole chickens etc...
In summary, the Weber Genesis is built like a tank and feels like it will last many years but unfortunately the grilling experience is terrible. I wish I had purchased the Family Q or a cheaper Bunnings BBQ that both would do a lot better then the 4 burner Genesis II.
Don't waste your money on this product. I wanted to like it as it looks and feels great but I get disappointed with each cook up.
Weber Australia: You didn't feel like driving out for an inspection, hopefully you may be more motivated this time.
Purchased in .
- Even Heat Distribution: No
Hi, thanks for the comment. I will email you using the email address provided with the details. **Replied 21/07/2021**
Update 12/07/2022 Other Genesis II owners have been contacting me with the same issue (underpowered BBQ) asking for an update.
My review above is still the way I feel about the Weber Genesis II.
Weber offered no solution other telling me that the BBQ is operational within spec.
I purchased an aftermarket gas regulator from Bunnings which offered an increase in heat but not enough to sear steaks. There is a reason why they added a dedicated "sear" burner to other models. It's because the Genesis II is an oven without the additional sear burner.
I feel warming up any longer then 10 is an unnecessary waste of gas. Lastly, I love the look and build quality of the BBQ but I'm some what reluctant in using all 4 burners on high even for small cook ups e.g. 2 steaks.
Weber OEM vs aftermarket Gas regulator pre-heat test. All 4 burners on high.
Weber OEM gas Reg. 8 Deg C outside temp. 10min = 470F 245degC 15min = 515F 265degC 20min = 545F 283degC 25min = 560F 290degC
Aftermarket gas Reg. 6 Deg C outside 10min = 545F 283degC 15min = 590F 305degC 20min = 610F 320degC
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Hi Tony, we are extremely disheartened to hear that you're not happy with your Genesis II. We absolutely want you to get the best results with our products, and we are happy to help where we can.
It sounds like you might have already spoken to our customer support team? If you are comfortable, would you mind letting us know either the email address you used or if you rang, and we can find your case to look into this further.
Alternatively, you can email us at social@weberbbq.com.au with any details you may have. The barbecue serial number is the most ideal form of identification. Thanks.