Weber Genesis E-315 vs Spirit E-325
513 sq in at 76 BTU per sq in against 360 sq in at 86, with a Sear Zone. The Spirit E-325 costs $350 less than the Genesis E-315. What the Genesis buys.
We pick the Weber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill
Buy the Spirit E-325 unless you regularly fill more than 360 sq in. It runs 31,000 BTU through 360 sq in, about 86 BTU per square inch, with two Boost Burners feeding a Sear Zone, for around $549.00. The Genesis E-315 spreads 39,000 BTU over 513 sq in, about 76 BTU per square inch, with no sear area at all, for $899.00. The extra $350 buys grate and warranty years, not heat.
What actually differs
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The cheaper grill burns denser and has the sear side
86 BTU per square inch against 76. The Spirit also color-codes a Sear Zone onto its panel. The E-315 boosts no burner and marks no sear area, so a hot side means turning a knob down elsewhere.
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The Genesis money goes into the middle of the warranty
Both give the cookbox a long headline and the paint two years. The gap is underneath: the E-315 covers grates and Flavorizer bars for ten years and remaining parts for five. The Spirit gives those five and two.
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Totals 0.12 apart, reached from opposite ends
Our reviews score them 8.45 and 8.57. The Spirit wins on heat, ease of use and value; the Genesis wins on long-term reliability. The gap is small enough that the buyer's table size still decides.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Genesis E-315 scores higher in 1 category, the Spirit E-325 in 3 categories. 2 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 8.0Spirit E-325 9.0 Better by 1.0Why the Spirit E-325 scores 9.0Two Boost Burners give one grate two real working heats, at close to 86 BTU per square inch over the primary grate.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 8.0
Even heat is the whole claim, but 39,000 BTU over 513 square inches is not a dense fire.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 9.5 Better by 1.5Spirit E-325 8.0Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 9.5Twelve years on cookbox and lid, ten on everything sitting in the fire, five under the rest, better cover than rivals at this price.
Why the Spirit E-325 scores 8.0
Ten years on the cookbox, lid and burner tubes, but only two on everything remaining, paint included.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 9.0Spirit E-325 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 9.0Porcelain-enameled lid and cast iron grates, stainless Flavorizer bars, painted steel doors, 162 pounds of cart.
Why the Spirit E-325 scores 9.0Porcelain-enameled cast iron, stainless Flavorizer bars and a closed cabinet, at 98 pounds on two wheels.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 8.5Spirit E-325 9.0 Better by 0.5Why the Spirit E-325 scores 9.0Snap-Jet lights each burner one-handed, which is exactly how a two-heat cook gets set up.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 8.5
Electronic ignition, six tool hooks and two fixed side tables, against an assembly job and 162 pounds.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 7.5Spirit E-325 8.3 Better by 0.8Why the Spirit E-325 scores 8.3Around $549.00 buys the same Sear Zone and cast iron as the EX-325 for $50 less, though Weber Works accessories cost extra.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 7.5
The listed $899.00 buys area and warranty years, while the Crafted grillware that widens its range is charged separately.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 7.5Spirit E-325 7.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 7.5The grease tray pulls straight out, but chipped enamel corrodes and paint carries only two years.
Why the Spirit E-325 scores 7.5The grease tray slides out and empties fast, but chipped enamel on cast iron rusts.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Genesis E-315 | Spirit E-325 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.0 | 9.0 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 9.5 Better | 8.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 8.5 | 9.0 Better |
| Value (12%) | 7.5 | 8.3 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.4 | 8.6 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
You feed a crowd at one even heat and want ten years on the parts sitting in the fire.
Check price →You cook for four or so, want a ready-made sear side, and would rather keep $350.
Check price →More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.