Weber Genesis E-315 vs Spirit E-435
Genesis E-315: 39,000 BTU over 513 sq in at $899. Spirit E-435: 35,000 BTU over 428 sq in, a Sear Zone and a 12,000 BTU side burner at $729.
We pick the Weber Genesis E-315 Gas Grill
Spend the extra $170 on the Genesis E-315, unless pans are how you cook outdoors. It gives 513 sq in of grate against 428, two clear side tables and twelve years on the cookbox. The E-435 answers with a Sear Zone, 82 BTU per square inch against 76, and a 12,000 BTU burner set into its left table. Our reviews score the Genesis higher, and nearly all of that gap is reliability.
What actually differs
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Two ways to free up grate
The E-435 makes room by moving pans off the grill onto its side burner. The E-315 simply starts with 85 more square inches. One cooks elsewhere; the other is bigger.
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Two prep tables against one
Both Genesis side tables are fixed and free for platters and prep. On the E-435 the left one is a burner well under a hinged cover, so a pan there leaves one surface for everything else.
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The Spirit wins the heat score and loses the long one
Our Spirit review scores heat higher, for the Sear Zone and the extra burner. Our Genesis review scores long-term reliability 2.5 points higher, because the side burner sits in Weber's two-year tier.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Genesis E-315 scores higher in 2 categories, the Spirit E-435 in 2 categories. 2 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 8.0Spirit E-435 8.5 Better by 0.5Why the Spirit E-435 scores 8.5Four burners and 35,000 BTU unchanged from the E-425, with 12,000 more sent where no grate sits.
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 2.5Spirit E-435 7.0Why 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-435 scores 7.0
The side burner appears in none of Weber's longer warranty tiers, so the paid-for part carries two years.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 9.0 Better by 0.5Spirit E-435 8.5Why 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-435 scores 8.5
Cast iron, stainless bars and a closed cabinet, but one side table is now a recessed burner well.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 8.5Spirit E-435 8.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Genesis E-315 scores 8.5Electronic ignition, six tool hooks and two fixed side tables, against an assembly job and 162 pounds.
Why the Spirit E-435 scores 8.5Every burner lights on its own, though the fifth knob hangs under the table instead of on the fascia.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Genesis E-315 7.5Spirit E-435 9.0 Better by 1.5Why the Spirit E-435 scores 9.0No Genesis is listed under $899.00, and the four-burner E-415 asks $1,199.00 against this grill's $729.00.
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-435 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-435 scores 7.5The grease tray still empties in one motion, but the burner well is a second surface catching boil-overs.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Genesis E-315 | Spirit E-435 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.0 | 8.5 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 9.5 Better | 7.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 9.0 Better | 8.5 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Value (12%) | 7.5 | 9.0 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.4 | 8.2 |
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 want the bigger grate, two clear prep tables and the longer written cover, and can spare $170.
Check price →You cook sauces and sides in pans outdoors and want a marked sear side, for less money.
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.