Weber Spirit II E-210 review: a great option for BBQ beginners

If you're new to the world of barbecuing and are looking for a simple-to-use yet high-quality outdoor BBQ, consider the Weber Spirit II E-210. It offers a high-performance grilling system that ensures you get great-tasting food every time while also being easy enough to operate for a BBQ beginner.

Compared to some other quality BBQs on the market, the Weber Spirit II E-210 has a more compact size, with features like an open cart design for accessory storage and integrated hooks on one of the side tables to pop your tools. One of the side tables also folds down to save your space. If you're limited on outdoor space or want to make a feature of a smaller part of a larger garden, this BBQ could be a good option for you.

As you'd expect from a Weber BBQ, the Weber Spirit II has a sleek design and is made from quality materials so you can tell it's a more premium product, but is it worth the money? Take a look at our Weber Spirit II review to find out what we thought.

Weber Spirit II E-210 overview

How we tested the Weber Spirit II E-210 BBQ

I put the Weber Spirit II E-210 through its paces cooking your traditional BBQ items, like burgers and sausages, as well as items that required a bit more cooking on a BBQ, such as a whole chicken. As well as testing the cooking ability, I also took the time to build the BBQ from scratch and gave it a deep clean after use so I could test out the full Weber Spirit II experience from start to finish.

As we'd expect from British weather, all kinds of elements were chucked at me while I tested this BBQ. One minute I was cooking in full sunshine, the next it turned windy so I was able to see whether this was something that affected the cooking conditions.

Testing the Weber Spirit II E-210

Build

When the Weber Spirit II E-210 arrived at my door, it came on a palette. So, straight off, I would say when ordering this BBQ, you need to make sure you’ve got somewhere large enough to store it until you’ve got time to build it.

To put the whole thing together, I enlisted help from a family friend. The instructions didn’t explicitly say you needed a second person to build it but considering I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve used a screwdriver before, I thought it couldn’t hurt to have an extra pair of hands to help me. We took everything out of the box so we could clearly see each part and downloaded the BILT app that Weber recommended so we could follow a 3D visual of the instructions for each step. This part did take a while to figure out as there are a couple of different versions of the Weber Spirit II and I had accidentally downloaded the instructions to the slightly bigger E-310 model to begin with.

The instructions in the manual were broken down into manageable steps so you weren’t overloaded with multiple bits you needed to put together at once. However, the confusion over the different types of Weber Spirit II struck again as the instructions were designed to put together three different models. Some of the drawings of the parts were bigger than the ones used on the E-210 model and there were references to different bags of screws that we didn’t have, making us think to begin with that we were missing parts until we realised they were for a different model.

You will need to carve some time out to actually put the BBQ together. The build took me and my family friend around two hours and I felt like the majority of that time was spent putting the base and wheels together rather than the cooking part of the BBQ. You definitely needed two people for putting the base together as you needed to be able to hold the base sturdy, plus the part you're attaching while making sure the screws and bolt were being put in at the right angle. With my limited DIY knowledge, that just wouldn’t have happened on my own. That being said, although it took a while, it seemed to suddenly come together very quickly after the base was put together.

Considering it was put together in part by someone with no DIY skills at all, I was very impressed with how sturdy the BBQ was. Once screwed together, the parts didn't wobble about at all and it all felt very robust. You can tell all the individual elements, from the cooking grates down to each tiny screw and washer, are made with premium materials just by the feel of them, which is something you'd expect from a barbecue costing you in excess of £500.

Cooking and testing the features

After the build comes the most exciting part - testing the features. Before putting anything on the Weber Spirit II E-210 BBQ, I'd recommend spending time reading the manual. I'd never barbecued anything in my life before so wanted to make sure I'd got to grips with what this BBQ was capable of before getting stuck in.

The Weber Spirit II is a gas BBQ and offers both direct heat cooking and indirect heat cooking. The direct heat is what you'd be used to on most traditional BBQs as it's designed for cooking smaller items that cook quickly. Think your burgers, sausages, sliced vegetables and things like that. Your indirect heat cooking is more for items that need a slower cooking time, like a whole chicken or ribs. As you'd probably guess by the name, it works by not placing your food on direct heat and once you've popped the lid down, it circulates the heat all around the food to cook it evenly on all sides and through the centre without burning. The instruction manual includes a little diagram of this to show where you need to place the food when using it for indirect heat cooking and how to set up the burners.

Direct heat cooking on the Weber Spirit II E-210

As a BBQ novice, I thought I'd start with the classic burgers, sausages and chicken as the first things I cooked on the Weber Spirit II. As you'd expect from someone new to barbecuing, there was a lot of fiddling with the burners to get it hot enough and opening the lid to see if the food was cooking as it should. The conditions were probably less than ideal for barbecuing as although it was bright and sunny to begin with, the wind soon picked up (your typical spring day in the UK!) so every time I opened the lid to check they were cooking okay, the wind blew the flame out. The BBQ being quite quiet is a good thing but it did mean that I didn't really know the flame had gone out until I could smell gas. Once you knew what you were doing, it was really straightforward to use and cooked food quickly but it still felt nice and tender. The warming rack was particularly useful for cooking multiple items as I could pop the burgers on top to stay warm while the sausages and chicken cooked for a little bit longer.

Indirect heat cooking on the Weber Spirit II E-210

To give myself a bit more of a challenge, I tasked myself with cooking a whole chicken on my Weber Spirit II to see what this barbecue was really capable of. I used the Weber Poultry Roaster as the tin and emptied a can of beer inside the bit in the middle to enhance the flavour and add more moisture to the bird. Weber advises you to leave the BBQ for 15 to 20 minutes to preheat before adding the roaster inside. The built-in temperature gauge on the lid is so handy for making sure the BBQ was at the right temperature before adding the chicken and great for monitoring it while the bird was cooking without lifting the lid up and letting the heat escape.

To get the right temperature for the indirect heat cooking, it was a bit more fiddling with the burner settings to get the temperature to stay at a consistent level. It was way too hot to start with so I turned the first burner down to the lowest setting while keeping the second burner at the lowest setting but then this meant the temperature was too low. I then kept increasing both burners in small increments until I managed to get the temperature to stay at a consistent 180 degrees.

Once it reached temperature though, I just left the barbecue with the lid down to do its thing. I was keen to avoid the flame going out like it did when cooking on direct heat so I moved the BBQ to a more sheltered spot on the patio to keep it out of the wind. The compact size of this Weber Spirit II E-210 BBQ means that it's easy to move around and it doesn't take up a load of room either, great for those with smaller gardens or balconies. I also didn't lift the lid until I put new potatoes inside to cook alongside the chicken at around the one-hour mark. The total cooking time for the chicken was one hour 45 minutes and I have to say, it produced the juiciest chicken I'd ever eaten - no dry bird in sight! The potatoes were nicely crispy on the outside while still remaining light and fluffy on the inside.

Cleaning

The worst part about barbecuing (or just cooking in general really) is the cleaning up but it's got to be done to keep the BBQ in tip-top condition. Weber advises cleaning the cooking grates when they're hot by scraping the bits off with a metal scraper. This did do the job of getting them off but it just meant the bits went further inside the barbecue rather than being stuck to the grates. The brand says to give the BBQ a deep clean every couple of months or so, so cleaning beyond the grates isn't something that needs to be done every single time you use the barbecue. However, they do say in so many words that you may find the performance of the BBQ and flavour of your food may be compromised if it's too dirty. I'd recommend buying a good quality BBQ cleaner to help you make light work of the grime and grease stuck on the grates.

One thing that is really good for a lazy cleaner like myself is that the fat is collected in a tray underneath the BBQ that you can simply chuck away when it's full. No need to scrub the life out of the barbecue trying to get stubborn fat splodges off the stainless steel, it just neatly goes into a disposable tray.

Price

It's no secret that Weber BBQs are a slightly more pricey option compared to other BBQs with similar specs on the market, but what are you getting for that price is a premium quality BBQ. At the time of writing, it retails on the Weber website for £509 and for that, you're getting a sleek stainless steel design, porcelain-enamelled cast iron cooking grates, two side tables, two burners and the other features we've mentioned and tested throughout our Weber Spirit II review. It's also worth noting that Weber BBQs have a 10-year warranty on all parts so that's included in the price.

The Weber website often runs promotions where you can get deals on accessories to make it even more value for money. For example, when I got my Weber Spirit II, they had an offer where you could receive a free Poultry Roaster and instant-read thermometer. The Poultry Roaster retails for £73.99 and the thermometer for £22.79 so it's definitely worth taking advantage of deals when they're available.

Overall verdict: Is the Weber Spirit II E-210 barbecue worth it?

Overall, I've found the Weber Spirit II E-210 barbecue to be super straightforward to use, which is what I needed as somebody who was a complete beginner to barbecuing. Although I've never owned a barbecue myself before, I can tell how premium the product is through the quality of the materials used. Well, that and through multiple family members and friends commenting on how nice it looked.

I've knocked points off for the build because if it wasn't for the fact I had help to build it, it would have still been sat in pieces on my patio weeks later. While the instructions were clear when it came to each step, it wasn't so clear on what was exactly needed for the Weber Spirit II E-210 as a lot of the diagrams depicted the Weber Spirit II E-310, which is slightly bigger with an additional burner, so there was a lot of confusion to begin with over if we were following the right instructions and if we had all the parts we were supposed to have.

If I was rating it purely on the features and ease of use alone, the Weber Spirit II E-210 would get a straight 5 out of 5 stars. I cannot stress enough how much of a useless cook I am and if I’ve managed to cook a whole chicken on it without getting food poisoning, anyone can. Once you’ve figured out the setting the burners need to be on, the barbecue does all the hard work for you and you can keep an eye on the temperature without even opening the lid so it takes the worry out of making sure your food is cooking how it’s supposed to. The warming rack is also a welcome addition if you’re cooking for multiple people as you can keep everything nice and hot while waiting for everything else to cook to perfection.

Rating: 4.5/5

Weber Spirit II FAQs

What's the difference between a Weber Spirit II E-310 and 210?

The only real difference between the Weber Spirit II E-310 and 210 is the number of burners it has. The Weber Spirit II E-210 that we tested has two burners and the E-310 model has three burners. As it has an additional burner, the E-310 is slightly bigger (with dimensions of 113 x 132 x 69cm with the lid closed) and has the capacity to cook for slightly more people too. Other than that, the design and features are all the same so your decision between the two may purely depend on whether you need that bigger capacity and if you have the space in your garden to accommodate the slightly larger size.

How long will a Weber Spirit last?

With proper care, there's no reason why a Weber Spirit BBQ shouldn't last you for years to come. You'll want to make sure you're giving it a good clean between uses to ensure the BBQ can grill to its full potential every time. We'd also recommend using a BBQ cover to protect it from the elements as we all know how unpredictable the great British weather can be.

The Weber Spirit II E-210 that we tested has a 10-year warranty for all parts, but this doesn't apply to general wear and tear. Be sure to register your BBQ as soon as you get it to ensure it's covered by the warranty.

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What to read next:

Essential BBQ tools you need to become a grill master

Best BBQ fuel to use: Guide for hybrid, electric, gas and charcoal barbecues

Best BBQ brands for grill completists

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Rosie Floyd is a Pets, Homes and Garden Product Writer for Modern Gardens, specialising in outdoor living. Before joining the team at Bauer, Rosie spent almost three years writing content for a garden buildings company so knows her stuff about garden sheds, rooms and offices and how to make the most of your outdoor space.