Hi All - I'm looking to replace a built in Weber gas grill that has served me very well over 20 years. Unfortunately not a repairable situation as temp changes have actually warped the grill over time.
I'm looking to replace either with the Weber Summit SB 38S or with the Hestan. I'm not looking for tech or fancy as I'd prefer something that will stand the test of time. Anyone have experience with either the Weber (which I see many noted issues with water damage) and the Hestan?
This is just my personal opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. I love Weber grills. I currently have 5 of them and have probably had 15 over the years. I don’t think I could get myself to buy a Summit gasser though for two reasons. One, they had a series that was designed horribly and they abandoned that whole user base discontinuing parts and not fulfilling warranty claims. They offered some pretty measly discount towards a new Summit as compensation. Second, I’ve seen the parts quality decline significantly over past 5-10 years. The SmokeFire had parts wearing in less than a year, they had to create and send out stability kits for the Kamado after they released it, etc. The stuff I’ve read on the Searwood and assembling the Spirit I bought a week ago makes me believe they might be changing course and starting to beef things back up a little bit, but as soon as I put the propane tank on the Spirit, the axle flexed and the tops of the wheels tilted inward.
If I were looking for a premium gasser, I’d probably be looking at Hestan, Twin Eagles, Fire Magic, etc.
Yeah weber’s quality is questionable at best with many things, i would be hard pressed to buy more than a kettle or my kamado. I remember your journey with the smoke fire, they fumbled that release for sure.
SnS Kettle
Napoleon 500 Pro gasser grill
Weber Slate 30” griddle
Gozney Arc XL pizza oven
Instant Pot Duo Crisper 8 qt
Cuisinart food processor
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
Breville Smart toaster oven
Anova Sous vide (Pro version and Standard Version)
Cabella 15” Vacuum Sealer
Combustion Inc Wireless Probes (Gen2 upgrades)
Fireboard v2
Fireboard Spark
Fireboard Pulse (3) probes and S1G antenna
ThermoWorks RFX gateway and 2 RFX meat probes
Thermoworks IR gun
Thermoworks MK4
Thermoworks Zero
Thermoworks Signals
7 Shun knives (paring to 12" slicer)
Misen Chef's knife
Dalstrong Phantom Series Boning Knife
8-9 other knives (enough to get an eye roll from wife!)
2 Mandolins, 1 veggie spiralizer
Work Sharp E5 sharpener
Chef's Choice sharpener
Hone Rolling Sharpener
I bought a Hestan Aspire that replaced a Weber Summit that died in a wind storm. Gorgeous grill, but I soon discovered design details issues that I just couldn’t overlook. I ended up donating it to a local fire department and bought a Napoleon Prestige Pro, which I am quite happy with. Here is my post about that decision:
My friend has a Hestan at his lake house. It's gorgeous and high quality, and there were just a couple minor gripes about it. What is your budget? Both those seem to be around the $5k vicinity but you can definitely spend more for more.
It looks like the Summit is in the $5k range and the Hestan is $9k-$12k. Honestly, i'm okay with the higher price point if it will last 15 years, the stone work to have it reset will end up costing more than the difference in the grills. Also open to other suggestions in that range...Min requirements are having a rotisserie attachment and a sear or infrared burner. Other than that would prefer less tech to make sure it last for the long haul
Comment