Spirit 325 vs 435 - are there really advantages to the extra burner?

[Mister C]

Hey, everybody. First time buying a gasser, and looking at one of these two models. I don't need anything super fancy but I do want good control over the cooking process. As a result the only important feature difference here for me is the number of burners, ie the side stove burner, storage box and digital thermometer are of little interest. I was thinking that, with a slightly bigger box and the 4th burner potentially further from the food, you could get temps lower than the smaller box with only 3 burners. The reason I'm interested in this is for cooking stuff like casseroles or holding/reheating similar sized vessels without overdoing it. Anybody have experience with this, or want to pontificate on this logic? My dad has an old Spirit and a Genesis, and struggles with getting the temp low enough to do these tasks without constantly checking and opening the lid. Both of his are 3 burners.

As a bonus, I'm also thinking the two searing burners on the 435 vs just the one on the 325 could make a big difference when finishing a large hunk or a large number of steaks etc. This is not super important to me as I don't intend on having company over all the time, but it is a nice add nonetheless.

Any thoughts regarding this logic? Right now the 435 is on sale and the difference here is not that much, but still, no need to spend extra if there's not much to be gained.

[SheilaAnn]

Sounds to me like you just talked yourself into the 435. Do it! It will give you more flexibility, I bet.

[Ace]

+1 😊

[Panhead John]

+2 We also recommend that one just cause it’s more expensive too…..🤓

[Mister C]

Looks like I might have! 😂

[TomfromtheSoo]

The only thing that I have "baked" on my gasser is bread in loaf pans or cornbread in cast iron.

Each time I do it I pre-heat with some fire bricks arranged in the center of the cooker to raise the item being baked up higher into the dome lid and away from the grates.

Mine is a five-burner and when I bake on it I usually use the 1st, 3rd, and 5th burners. The 3rd burner is set very low and is usually the first one to be turned off. I guess the fire bricks to support the item being baked are over the 2nd and 4th burners which are off.

On a 4 burner, you could use the 1st and 4th burner and leave 2 and 3 off.

[Mister C]

Nice! I do like making cornbread

[LA Pork Butt]

I have a Spirit 4 burner with side burner. It is relatively new, but I really like it so far.

[Mister C]

Good to hear! I hope it's the same for me.

[glitchy]

Maybe there’s multiple models, but the new Spirit 3 burner has two sear burners. I just bought one yesterday and assembled and used today.

[jfmorris]

glitchy - did your Genesis you got a few years back die, to be replaced by the Spirit? Or did the herd just grow?

[glitchy]

jfmorris Upgrade for camper. I wanted something more versatile than the Q as the main cooker.

[Mister C]

You are spot on, I didn't notice that.

[jfmorris]

I will jump in as the owner of an old 2002 2 burner Genesis Silver A, and a 2019 Genesis II E-410 (4 burner). The 4 burner configuration does give you a lot more space to do indirect at lower temperatures. I often find myself during the holidays setting up my Genesis 4 burner as a "holding oven" for side dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I do this by setting the two outer burners on low, with a double sheet of heavy duty foil laid on top of the flavorizer bars, with about a 1 inch gap around the perimeter of the grill. I can fit a couple of casserole dishes, sometimes stacked 2 high, in the central indirect area. You could get lower with just 1 burner on at one end.

Note that there is a big space difference on grate space between the Spirit and Genesis lines. I would look at the two side by side before you spend the money, and decide if the smaller Spirit series has the room you need. I say this having used the old 2 burner Genesis as my only gas grill for 18 years. I just learned to cook in batches when grilling for big crowds! And on that grill, with the burner configuration indirect was really not an option.

For direct cooking unless you grill for a crowd, there are fewer advantages to the 4 versus 3 burner Spirit. Only you can decide if you need the extra 100 square inches of grate space.

[Mister C]

Thanks for the insight. I'm confident the smaller area will be sufficient, as it's pretty rare that I'll be grilling for a crowd. Also I'll have a few tools to work with and will probably spread the workload around when having a party.

[jfmorris]

Cooking space comparison:

Spirit 325 - 360 sq inches
Spirit 435 - 428 sq inches
Genesis 3 burner - 513 sq inches
Genesis 4 burner - 646 sq inches

I will comment that Weber gas grills tend to have a lower BTU output per square inch than some other brands. But in my experience they get the job done, last a long time, and parts availability is never an issue.

[Mister C]

Interesting regarding the BTU output. My dad's had both a Spirit and Genesis for ages, and while I never really used them, he's never failed to produce great stuff on them. As far as the size is concerned, after looking at it I think the 4 burner Spirit will be plenty.

[DaveD]

Some great advice here - also depends a lot on how much food you cook at a time and how often. I have a 3-burner Spirit, and I have no trouble maintaining 250/120 on the indirect side. I'm only ever cooking for two, so this works very well for us.

[Mister C]

Cool, good to hear. I'll probably be 90-95% cooking for two also, and previously was able to manage very easily with a kettle, indoor oven and pizza oven when having 15-20 people over. With this is mind I'd have the option to shift a little more to the grill if desired, plus I plan to pick up a barrel smoker like the bronco or WSM so I'll have some extra area if ever needed.

[jfmorris]

Mister C sounds like the decision is made! Now go get that Spirit 435 and send us a picture of it on your patio!

I'll be honest. I owned one grill in my life with a side burner - an old Charbroil - and barely ever used that side burner. That grill rusted out after several years, back in the late 90's. I had it converted to natural gas, but it just didn't last. The 2002 Weber Genesis is still going strong. Heck it has a partial warranty until NEXT summer (25 on the cast aluminum body!).

I think my outdoor cooking has changed in the past 10-12 years, and if I had a side burner now, I would use it for deep frying (in a dutch oven), cooking sauces or sides while grilling or smoking, and even lighting chimneys of charcoal. I've recently busted out an old Coleman stove to do a few of those things on a patio table, while grilling. Or put pots directly on the grill I was using.

So if I had the option for a grill with a side burner, for similar price and quality as one without, I would get the one WITH the side burner these days.

Anything to keep the heat of the kitchen in summer is my motto, with hot summers and high utility bills.

[jfmorris]

Good point Panhead John - my parents moved from Georgia to here, and the house they bought has all electric appliances (new). They had gas stoves their entire marriage (64 years now), and the little Spirit 3 burner my dad bought with a side burner is the only place their cast iron gets used now. My mom is afraid to scratch her new stove with it. My dad makes up for it by cooking bacon and frying fish outside.

[Mister C]

This is an interesting situation for me, for a few reasons. First, the layout of the house is a little different than what we've been used to in that the kitchen is basically separated from the rest of the house. There's a small central patio that's open air, and all the other rooms are around it, so for the first time in my life I won't have the "heat up the rest of the house" conundrum to manage...

[Mister C]

Second, I'm going to drop this grill into a countertop rather than have it freestanding, so if I want to integrate the burner into it I'll be cutting a whole. Makes me think a little tabletop one might be better in this case. Third, I've already got a Blackstone tabletop griddle that's nicely seasoned - not versatile as a burner but 80% there I think. So I think what I'll do is start with the griddle and if it's not enough, I'll either pick up a tabletop burner or integrate the Weber.

[Huskee]

Something to keep in mind is that when using a 2-zone setup on a gasser, the bigger the grill (aka more burners), the easier a 2-zone setup will be. Also, the whole 'cooking for a crowd' thing when the time comes. Plus more burners = more firepower if you wanted to try a pizza and need serious heat. I can keep talking you into the big one iffin ya want! (And yes, side burners are great for numerous reasons as well)

[Mister C]

Tempting! Though I've resolved to stick to one new piece of expensive gear, and I decided the pizza oven is getting that honor. The new kit will consist of a gasser (presumably the Spirit 435 at this point), a WSM or Bronco for smoking and a Gozney Dome for everything else. After 5-6 years with my Ooni, I feel ready for a step up.

I plan to cook outdoors more than indoors, so I went very reasonable on the indoor appliances and hog wild on the patio 😅

[jfmorris]

Mister C I saw your comment about wanting to build this grill into a countertop, versus using the cart.

Weber does not sell the grill for use in that manner, and it will probably void the warranty, if that matters. I don't think Weber supports using any of their grills as built ins anymore. However, more importantly, I would be careful on two things - first, a LOT of heat comes out the back edge of the lid on the Weber gassers, so you need to be sure the area behind the grill is fireproof. And you need to ensure adequate ventilation below the countertop to support the grill.

Don't get me wrong - I am sure you can do this. Just pointing out some precautions. And it does sound like for that purpose, one without the side burner would be better. Otherwise, you end up with a regulator and manifold that cover a side burner you don't want to use.

I was going to do this at one time with my Camp Chef FTG900 6 burner griddle, but never got around to it. For that griddle though, it is essentially self contained, sitting on top of the cart legs. I was just going to put a drop down in the counter to set the griddle in. The burner controls and manifold are part of the griddle. On recent Weber grills I've helped assembly, the control knob area I feel is attached to the cart - not to the grill body. So you would have to do some cutting of the cart structure to keep that together I think.

An easier alternative might be to just notch out a recess in your cabinetry where you can roll the Weber into, keeping the cart intact, but do not install the side tables at all (or side burner). I've seen lots of folks do that, and it keeps the grill pretty much intact and under warranty.

[Mister C]

This is really helpful, thanks for the warning! The entire house including the outdoor kitchen is stone and metal (will check what kind specifically), so not much in the way of combustibles there. That said, if we still decide to attempt it I'll try to make sure it sits further forward a bit so there's some clear air between the back of the grill and the wall and underneath.

Worth mentioning that I'll have professional help so I won't be attempting this stunt alone...

[bbqLuv]

MCS strikes again, good on you.