Weber Spirit E-325 vs EX-325
Identical fire: 31,000 BTU, two Boost Burners, 360 sq in primary, 86 BTU per sq in. The EX-325 adds a Wi-Fi thermometer and one wired probe for $50.
We pick the Weber Spirit EX-325 Smart Gas Grill
Pay the $50 for the EX-325 if you ever cook something that takes hours. The two print the same cooking figures: 31,000 BTU across three burners, two of them Boost Burners feeding a Sear Zone, over 360 sq in of primary grate. The EX-325 adds a Wi-Fi thermometer, a panel readout and one wired food probe, reporting to Weber Connect. It does not cook any hotter. If you already own a probe thermometer you trust, the E-325 is the same grill.
What actually differs
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The difference is instruments, not fire
Same burners, same grates, same Flavorizer bars. The EX-325 tells your phone when the grill is preheated and when to flip. On a steak you stand over, that adds nothing; on a pork shoulder it is the point.
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One probe, one piece of food
A single wired probe ships in the box, and Weber publishes nothing about adding a second. Chicken thighs beside a brisket means one of them goes unwatched.
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The part you pay extra for has the shortest cover
Both grills put ten years on the cookbox, lid and burner tubes. The radio, readout and probe sit in the two-year bucket, and the app needs iOS 12.1 or Android 7.0 or later.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Spirit E-325 scores higher in 1 category, the Weber Spirit EX-325 in one. 4 are level.
Level overall: within a tenth of each other.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 9.0Weber Spirit EX-325 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber 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 Spirit EX-325 scores 9.0Two Boost Burners give the Sear Zone 40% more power, over cast-iron grates and stainless Flavorizer bars, on 31,000 BTU.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 8.0Weber Spirit EX-325 8.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Spirit E-325 scores 8.0Ten years on the cookbox, lid and burner tubes, but only two on everything remaining, paint included.
Why the Weber Spirit EX-325 scores 8.0Ten years on the metal is class-leading, but the radio, display and probe fall in the two-year bucket with everything else.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 9.0Weber Spirit EX-325 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Spirit E-325 scores 9.0Porcelain-enameled cast iron, stainless Flavorizer bars and a closed cabinet, at 98 pounds on two wheels.
Why the Weber Spirit EX-325 scores 9.0Cast-aluminum cook box, stainless Flavorizer bars and porcelain-enameled cast iron, though Weber's own pages disagree about what the grill weighs.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 9.0Weber Spirit EX-325 9.5 Better by 0.5Why the Weber Spirit EX-325 scores 9.5Nothing else near this price lights each burner one-handed and then reports grill and food temps to a phone.
Why the Weber Spirit E-325 scores 9.0
Snap-Jet lights each burner one-handed, which is exactly how a two-heat cook gets set up.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 8.3 Better by 0.2Weber Spirit EX-325 8.1Why the Weber 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 Spirit EX-325 scores 8.1
The connected layer costs $50 over the E-325 and buys one wired probe; the plain grill cooks identically for less.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Spirit E-325 7.5Weber Spirit EX-325 7.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Spirit E-325 scores 7.5The grease tray slides out and empties fast, but chipped enamel on cast iron rusts.
Why the Weber Spirit EX-325 scores 7.5Removable grease tray helps, yet cast iron wants oiling and there is now a probe, a display and cells to mind.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Spirit E-325 | Weber Spirit EX-325 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.0 | 9.5 Better |
| Value (12%) | 8.3 Better | 8.1 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.6 | 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 grill fast, stand beside it the whole time, or already own a thermometer.
Check price →You roast and slow-cook, and keep getting called indoors halfway through.
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.