Weber 426001 Q 300 Propane Gas Barbecue

I chose this grill after reading reviews on many grills and am pleased with my choice. It is hot, cooks evenly, and does not flare up. It is made of quality materials and I expect it to last for years. It is big enough to do the job, but not one of those huge grills that take up the whole garage. We love it, and I would recommend it to anyone.

First, the good news. This grill is stylish in appearance and easy to assemble. It seems to use less gas per hour than other similarly sized grills yet gets as hot as needed.

There are, unfortunately, two problems with the cooking grates. They are porcelain-coated cast iron. The cast iron is good because it holds the heat. However, the cast iron surface is not smooth, and even with the porcelain coating foods are more likely to stick even with careful use. Cleaning instructions from Weber are only partially successful. (The grill should be run at high heat for at least 7 minutes--more is really needed--then allowed to cool, after which the grates can be scraped with a bronze-bristle brush. The high heat does fully burn the debris on the grates, but it is not fully removed by the brush. Harsh chemicals (like Dawn Power Cleaner) are to be avoided, and dish washing-up liquid doesn't clean much off, so that a layer of burned food eventually develops on the grill. This is unsightly, and is unhealthy.

The second problem is more minor. Most other Weber grills have "Flavorizer bars" which are inverted-V pieces of metal over the gas flames that prevent dripping fats or marinade from landing directly on the gas and flaring up. The Q-300 uses a different design. The cast-iron cooking grates have wider solid surfaces over the gas tubes, so that drips generally fall to the side of the flames. Generally, but not always, and flare-ups and foul-tasting and unhealthy smoke can rise to the food. In addition, only part of the grates have the narrow parallel bars that give grilled food that pattern. Only occur on 50-60% of the cooking surface of the Q-300 has this pattern-- a minor problem, but not what you expect unless you look at close-up views of the grill.

I'm not unhappy with the grill, and I've worked around or adapted to these problems, but they are definitely design flaws in an attractive gas grill.

I purchased a Weber Q 300 Propane grille last month (08/08) and find it to be a quality made, well put together item. The only negative feature is that after only one month the electric ignition is not working, and I have to light the burner manually. I have not yet had the time to check into this to find the cause of the problem.

OVERALL - GREAT

assembly - easy for me and i get frustrated easily

pre-heat - gets to 450-500 degrees in 7-10 minutes, 500+ in 10-12 minutes

cooking - my first grill and i've found it very easy to operate

clean-up - easy wipe down and drip pan easy to remove

moving - no handles for moving; although there are wheels, only easy to move short distances

propane "hider" - cover in bottom to hide propane tank from view is just a flimsy plastic thing

I do love this grill...and have started experimenting will grilling potatoes and vegetables along with chicken and steaks. My question is the propane tank size. When I purchased the grill...the salesman told me to get a small tank...which is the only size that fits in the allotted space on the grill. All I can find is larger tanks...which hang over the tank space. Any suggestions of who would sell a tank that fits?? What do you use?