Broil King vs. Weber – Grill Comparison & Differences

Broil King and Weber pride in being two of the biggest names in the grill production industry, and they also happen to be some of the oldest brands.

Also, both will manufacture products to cater to all kinds of grillers as they will have everything from small, basic and inexpensive models to the medium and high tier grills for both home and commercial use.

But with the many similarities between the two from their business model to the products that they make, it can be hard to choose between them.

However, in this piece, we compare them side by side and also highlight some of the key pros and cons of each brand to help make the decision easier for grillers.

Broil King Grills Overview

Given that it has been in business since 1906, Broil King is most likely the oldest top grill brand.

Their many years of operation is a good indication that they understand everything there is to know about grills and have had enough time to improve the design and performance of their products.

While the company might still not be as popular as Weber, it has its large enough following of diehard fanatics who will not use a grill from any other brand.

Broil King also offers a wide variety of grill types to cater to different market segments from the smaller and inexpensive 2-burner models to the larger 5-burner grills for high volume grilling.

They are always improving their product by embracing modern technologies. A good example of this is the stainless steel dual-tube burners you get in many of their newer models such as the Regal 490.

Pros:

• More efficient burner design
• Relatively more affordable
• Heavy-duty pure cast-iron grates
• More convenient side shelf design

Cons:

• Relatively smaller primary cooking areas

Weber Grills Overview

Weber is probably the most popular grill brand and for most people, it will always be the first option they think of when shopping for a new grill.

The company has been making and selling grills since the 1950s, and they are known for their high-quality and reliable grills that are available in various sizes and types.

Weber offers their grills in two popular lines of products which are Genesis and Spirit which often differ design and features. Unlike many grills by Broil King, most of their models will come with larger wheels designed to make mobility easy.

With Weber, you will often get larger cooking areas when compared to the matching models from Broil King.

If you are very keen on how your grill looks, they will also often offer more color choices than many other brands.

Pros:

• Larger wheels for easier mobility
• Relatively larger cooking areas
• Higher heat output

Cons:

• Can be a little expensive

Broil King vs. Weber Comparison

Given the huge variety of products that both Broil King and Weber have in the market, it is hard to do a blanket comparison given the different product features.

But using their two popular grills which are Broil King’s Baron 320 and Weber’s Spirit E-310 should make it easier to understand how the brands differ.

Here are some of the things that set the two models apart.

1. Total Cooking Area

When it comes to the cooking area, Weber always tries to give grillers as much space as possible, and so in many instances, their grills will provide more cooking space than similar models from Broil King.

The Spirit E-310 provides a primary cooking area of 424 square inches and a 105 square inch warming rack which makes a total cooking space of 529 square.

This will be more than enough for a typical family or for cooking for a small group.

With the Broil King Baron 320, you will get a total of 440 square inches of cooking space which incorporates the 330 square inches you get from the primary cooking area over the three burners and 110 square inches warming rack.

But note that the Baron 320 has a relatively larger warming rack which might be an important feature for some grillers.

2. Maximum Heat Output

Heat output is another area where Weber seems to beat Broil King and most other brands out there. Their burners will typically produce more BTUs per hour to ensure faster and more efficient cooking.

The Spirit E-310, for example, produces a total of 32,000 BTU from the three burners which are relatively higher than the 30,000 BTU’s you get with the Baron 320.

However, it is important to keep in mind that given that the Spirit E-310 has a relatively larger primary cooking area.

The heat output that you get per square inch will be significantly less than what you get with the Broil King model since it has a smaller primary cooking area.

3. Burners

Burners do the actual heating and they are hence the most important part of these grills. The two grills we use for comparison will both include 3 burners, and this which means they will cook almost the same.

Broil King’s Baron 320 uses dual-tube stainless steel burners which are relatively more efficient than the 3 regular stainless steel burners you get on the Weber grill.

With dual-tube you get heavy-duty burners that are designed to have a relatively larger diameter than standard burners and with a unique design that delivers two rows of flame for every burner and hence ensuring you get more even heat distribution.

Still at the burners, Broil King also seems to have an edge here as their grill will include a powerful rotisserie burner that delivers up to 15,000 BTUs and hence making this grill even more versatile.

4. Grate Material

The kind of grates you get on your grill will determine the grilling efficiency as besides supporting the food they will also be what transfers heat from the burners to what you are cooking.

Like with most of their other gills, both Weber and Broil King seem to get things correct when it comes to the grates with their Spirit E-310 and Baron 320 respectively as both use the high-performing cast-iron grates.

Also Read: Tips to Care Cast Iron Grill Grate

Weber uses porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates which besides maintaining the excellent heat retention of cast-iron also comes with the benefit of a reduced likelihood of rusting and being easier to clean thanks to the porcelain coating.

With Broil King, on the other hand, you get good old cast-iron that will deliver top-notch heat retention and also ensure you always get excellent searing.

Also, with the Broil King grates, one comes in a pointed design that ensures you get some fantastic grill marks.

5. Side Shelves

Side shelves are an important part of a grill that you should never overlook as they provide the space you need to prepare the food and also to keep other grilling essentials you need when cooking such as tongs.

Both Broil King and Weber understand thing better than most other brands out there, and that is why almost all their grills will have some side shelves.

Their side shelves will be typically made of stainless steel which makes them as durable as the rest of the grill. However, Broil King seems to have a slight edge here as their side shelves look sturdier and folding them is also quicker and easier.

But what you get on the Spirit E-310 and most other Weber grills will still give you an easy enough time.

6. Warranty

Warranties give you an assurance that the grill you are buying is well-built and designed to last a long time. Broil King and Weber will offer some of the longest warranties out there.

With Broil King you will get a 10-year warranty for their burners and 2 years for their other components of the grill which is as good as it can get for these products.

Weber, on the other hand, also provides a 10-year limited warranty for the burners and 2 years for the other components of the grills.

However, with Weber, the warranty is more comprehensive as you will also get up to 5 years cover against rust for the grates and flavorizer bars and 10-year warranty against rust for the lid assembly.

7. Prices

One of the key reasons why Weber and Broil King are two of the most popular grill brands is that they try to cater to all market segments by availing products in different price ranges.

But, despite both brands having models in the same categories with almost identical features, Broil King products often come at a relatively smaller price tag than their Weber counterpart.

At the time of writing this article, the Broil King Baron 320 is retailing for around $80 less than you would pay for Weber Spirit E-310, and this is despite the two being quite similar in features.

The extra bucks that you pay for the Weber grill are mostly due to the relatively larger cooking are and the fact that it also has a significantly higher output.

Also, given that Weber is a significantly more reputable brand than Broil King, most of their products will be relatively pricier than what you get from the latter.

Comparison Table

Note: Given that the two brands have several grill models with different features and specifications.

Below we compare two in the same category which is the Broil King Baron 320 and Weber Spirit E-310 that will offer a good indication of what sets the two brands apart.

Conclusion

If you want to be almost certain that you are getting a high-quality and feature-rich grill that is designed for high-performance, it will be better to stick with reputable brands like Broil King and Weber.

However, choosing between the two is not always a straightforward affair given the similarities between the products that they offer, but the decision should be easier knowing what sets them apart.

From our comparison above, Broil King is the brand to go for if you are looking for something more budget-friendly but still highly efficient while Weber is a perfect choice for those concerned with getting a higher heat output and a larger total cooking area.