# Weber Grill question... buy stainless or black?



## Melensdad

My expensive BBQ grill is dead.

The guts of the unit have to be replaced.  The stainless shell is still in great shape.  But it needs new burners, new vaporizer trays, and all the brass gas controls need to be replaced.  I replaced one of the broken valves a while back, but now another valve has literally blown out, flames shoot out of the front of the grill.  So its time to either pony up some big money for grill parts or to throw the entire thing out since only the shell is worth saving.

The wife wants a new grill 

Clearly repairing this grill has been overruled by the queen so we are going to get a new grill.

Took a look at the high end WEBER GENESIS models and SUMMIT models.  Local store has them in various models from_ "nice"_ to _"more than we want"_.  _I can buy an entire Weber Genesis grill for the cost of the repair parts for my ultra deluxe, but currently totally worthless grill_   A Weber SUMMIT, the highest end model they make, cost less than than it would cost to replace my current grill head so I'm really wondering why the hell I paid so much for my current grill 

*I really like the baked enamel finish of the black grill.  Wife doesn't seem to care about the color.  I'm just curious about the durability of the finish on the black Weber.  Will it hold up for 5, 7, or even 10 years?  We use our grills year around, never cover them.  I know stainless will hold up to the elements but will the black model hold up?*



FWIW, most of the painted grills from Weber use *cast iron internals with porcelain coatings*.  I am *not* interested in those.  

Just like the high end outdoor kitchen type grills, the top end Weber models use *stainless* grates, vaporizer panels, etc.  Our local store offers the top end "EP" models which include all the internal upgrades so the only difference between the "EP" and the "S" models is the painted exterior.  Hardware/big box/Amazon, etc all offer the standard "E" model and "S" models.  The standard "E" model uses the lower grade cast iron & porcelain coated interior parts.  Also, the SUMMIT models use thicker stainless, larger stainless grates, etc than the GENESIS models, but I'm not sure that a 7mm vs 9mm grate rod is really that big of a deal?  

The "E" and the "EP" models look the same from the outside until you inspect the interior.  The interior of the "EP" model is identical to the interior of the higher end "S" models, so I am either going to buy an "S" or an "EP" because I want the greater durability of the all stainless internals.


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## nixon

I've got one in stainless . Not really impressed with how "stainless " it is . If I had it to do over ,I'd go with black porcelain . I've got an old weber kettle that's 20 years old that has a finish that looks better than the stainless grille .


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## road squawker

looks like you want a gas fueled grill, but,..... the Big Green Eggs have their advantages too............. YMMV   https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...gg.eu/&usg=AFQjCNHCZxMFrq26dypw8wpYKiQykiFq2Q


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## Melensdad

I wouldn't mind having a grill + an egg.  But the lovely Mrs_Bob is demanding a grill.  An egg is not really a good grill.  Great for many things, but if you just want to toss on some burgers or hot dogs for a quick/simple meal then a natural gas grill is the way to go.


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## tiredretired

I have a Weber, it is porcelin, it is 8 years old and has held up very well and the porcelin looks great.

Just saying stainless is meaningless without knowing the grade of it.


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## Melensdad

TiredRetired said:


> I have a Weber, it is porcelin, it is 8 years old and has held up very well and the porcelin looks great.
> 
> Just saying stainless is meaningless without knowing the grade of it.



I wanted BLACK

The lovely Mrs_Bob wanted Stainless  

There is a new Stainless grill sitting on the back patio.  I have the old grill disconnected but its stuck to the post mount.  Will take some assistance to remove.  But the new grill is all hooked up and tested.


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## NorthernRedneck

I have a stainless grill at home. I hate it. The exterior always looks dirty no matter how often I clean it. The black one at camp looks new despite never getting cleaned. 

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk


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## Melensdad

NorthernRedneck said:


> I have a stainless grill at home. I hate it. *The exterior always looks dirty no matter how often I clean it.* The black one at camp looks new despite never getting cleaned.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk



I tend to agree with you on the upkeep/look of the finish of the stainless.

They look "new" for about a month.

Then they just look sort of grimy after that point.  Abrasive pads & degreaser usually work, but not worth the effort.


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## Adillo303

I have a weber performer (I think) Red porcelain.  Cart with charcoal bin. Eighteen years old. The porcelain still looks great. I wont cook on gas, so just reporting on the finish. Evrn if it is too late.


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## tiredretired

Well, the consensus is in.  Black Porcelain looks the best and is the best.  Mrs. Bob prefers Stainless.  

Stainless it is. You pick your battles, and this one was not worth fighting.


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## Jim_S RIP

Melensdad said:


> I wanted BLACK
> 
> The lovely Mrs_Bob wanted Stainless
> 
> There is a new Stainless grill sitting on the back patio.  I have the old grill disconnected but its stuck to the post mount.  Will take some assistance to remove.  But the new grill is all hooked up and tested.



Sorry to hear of your problem. 

The best grill we ever owned was a black weber post mount. Easy to keep clean and did a good job. It was 15 years old when we moved and now I regret leaving it behind.

Jim


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

My Weber Genesis in black sits outside un-protected year round and the black porcelin still looks good.  It's got to be 10 years old now.  There's probably a thread on here where I discussed buying it with Don for those that remember him.


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## Jim_S RIP

PBinWA said:


> My Weber Genesis in black sits outside un-protected year round and the black porcelin still looks good.  It's got to be 10 years old now.  There's probably a thread on here where I discussed buying it with Don for those that remember him.



Okee Don?  Been quite a while.

Jim


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## Melensdad

Well if we really want to fight about this_* (with our wives)*_, then I'd have actually had the store tear apart one of the COPPER colored Genesis grills and rebuild it with parts for Natural Gas.

The COPPER color is awesome looking and would have been great sitting next to the various shades of brown bricks and brown paint near the grill.  

But Weber doesn't offer the N.G. option in any color other than BLACK or STAINLESS.  

Of course with my luck I'd pay extra for the copper color and my wife would want to change the color of our bricks


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## waybomb

Your clean stainless with a soft towel, dawn liquid soap,  and water. 
Then you wipe it down with wd40

Ours is years old and still looks brand new.

You never use abrasive of any sort on the visible stainless. 
If you feel you must then you must go with the grain of the metal not across it.  Just like wood.


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## waybomb

If you have screwed up the finish,  get some 600 or finer wet paper and a block and sand with the grain until the Lustre of stainless comes back. 

Then wd40.


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