 Unless your cooking for an army, this is the one to get... |
| Review Date: March 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Todd Poole, Frostbite Falls, MN |
Been waiting for awhile to find a good deal on this, but Amazon's got the best price with shipping you are going to find. $0.01, doesn't get much better than that. What surprised the heck out of me was ordering early Thursday morning and finding at my doorstep Friday before noon. FedEx overnight, somebody loves me. This was supposed to ship ground.
I've bought a Weber Q several years ago, so I already know what the fuss is about. Cast iron grill, great cook platform, etc. I've never used a cover, so over the years, I've had to replace burners, etc. as they corroded and degraded. Not Weber's fault, but Weber customer service is the greatest, 24/7 etc., cheerfully helped identify what I needed and sent me the replacement parts.
I've been enviously looking at the 300 and when I saw the specs on the 320, I knew I was looking at my next Weber.
I thought I knew what I was getting, but I was pleasantly surprised at what I unboxed. This one is even cleverer than the original.
Stationary Cart is a well thought out design. Stable, with safety features I've never seen implemented as well. The Tank storage system that locks the propane tank in place so it can't shift and also provides the cart with a counterweight to help prevent tips is a marvel by itself. The collapsible shelf system is elegant and functional while feeling more substantial than the Q200's fixed shelfs.
The slightly larger cooking area is served by split cast iron grills instead of the single grill piece used by the Q200. This actually makes this grill easier to clean and service, while taking nothing away from the cook area. A stainless steel warming rack is a nice place to put up food from the grill surface. Just sits there but is totally substantial and stable.
A second burning tube, stainless steel to prevent rusting out provides the additional heat and controls to bring the grill up to the temperatures I need to cook in colder weather. 40degrees last night, and the grill still heated up to over 400 degrees in about 5 minutes.
Thermostat is simple, and will be easy to replace in the event of breakage or failure. This has an integral BBQ light that has a sensor that automatically turns it off when the lid is lowered. Very cool.
I have never been satisfied with the old style igniter on the previous Q models. The Q320 now has a electronic igniter that works great. Uses a AAA battery. Press a button and poof. Weber's lit. The outer burner ignites the center burner automatically.
Assembly was easy with two of us, but this could have been assembled easily by one person. Directions could have been better, but pictures worked fine.
Food tastes great. Looking foward to putting through it's paces this summer.
Already bought my grill cover. This time I don't plan on abusing Weber Customer service as much .
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Better version of the Q300
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| Review Date: February 8, 2008 |
| Reviewer: D. Thompson, Franklin, IN |
| I just received my grill so this is not a performance review. For a performance review, check out the many positive reviews on the Q300 model. When I was reading the reviews on the Q300, people loved it. But a few mentioned that they would like a warming shelf, electronic ignition, or light. The great thing about Weber is that they quickly responded by adding those features to the Q320. I liked what I heard about the Q300, so with the improvements, I decided to move up. I put it together in about an hour using the easy to follow instructions. I look forward to a great grilling experience when the weather gets a little warmer. An update: I have now used the grill a few times and it is as good as others have reported the Q300 to be. I really like the electronic ignition. Turn on the gas, push the button, click, click, and you're in business. It heats up fast and leaves great grill marks. I also like the grill cover. It's designed for the Q300 but fits the Q320 just fine, in case you wondered. |
Great Grill!!
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| Review Date: April 4, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gochiso Gourmet, Kaneohe, HI |
Originally planned on gettin' the Weber Summit S-320 but at $980 (the cost of livin' in paradise), it was pricey enough to give pause. Decided on the Q 300 when I realized that I would only be cookin' for a dozen at most. Locally, the Q 300 was priced at $377. When I discovered that Amazon had the upgraded 300 series for $18 less, I jumped at the opportunity. And $0.01 shipping - 2 day FedEx no less - made it a sweeter deal.
This compact grill heats faster and cooks better than any $300 big box model, even if said model is rated at > 40,000 btu and the Q 320 is "only" 21,700 btu. Sears steaks and veges like no one's business and also does great roasting with the burners turned down. A snap to assemble (no cussing required) and also pleasing to the eye.
If you're looking for your 1st grill, get the Q 320. If you're looking for a replacement grill, get the Q 320. If don't need a grill but have $359.01 lying around, get the Q 320. |
Simply great !
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| Review Date: July 10, 2008 |
| Reviewer: 2Sense, CA USA |
Weber once and again. We had a Weber Genesis for nearly 15 years before getting the Q-320. The Genesis was in need of some new parts and as an alternative to some re-build, we instead looked around to see what's available in new grills these days. At first we saw that stores were now carrying bigger and bigger grills and although we have a patio, we did not want a grill that large. Then, we came across the positive reviews on the Weber Q series, looked into these and finally choose the Q-320.
Since we had the Weber Genesis before this, I can offer some comparisons. Simply put, we liked the Genesis and love the Q-320. Though the Q-320 has a bit less cooking area, it is enough for our family. Both the Genesis and Q-320 can take the same fuel tank size (5 gal / 20 lb). I think the Q-320 is more fuel efficient, though I haven't had it long enough to tell for sure. This would make sense because the inside volume of the closed Q-320 is less than that of the Genesis. Also, the Q-320 has only 2 burner tubes (one oval burner plus one in-line burner) instead of 3 in-line burners as in the Genesis has. But, the Q-320 seems to cook just as fast.
A big benefit of the Q-320 is that is actually browns much better than the Genesis. If you do it right, it can give you those picture-perfect grill stripes on meats with the flavor to go along with them. We also like the added features of the Q-320 including the electronic ignition (quick and quiet compared to the older model's ignition system), and the grill light built into the handle is a really nice touch. Both side surfaces of the Q-320 are available as tables because they are flat surfaces vs. on the Genesis where one surface had 3 burner knobs on top so only one surface was available as a table. The Q-320's burner knobs are front-mounted, larger and easier to turn.
And yes, the Q-320 actually looks quite nice!. It is clear that someone put design thought into it. You might or might not appreciate the Q-320's use of plastics in some parts (such as legs, side tables and handle). But, for instance, the thin plastic "tank skirt" helps to hide the tank from front view and is also is functional because it can help shade the tank from the sun depending on grill position.
Mobility is one area where the Genesis was a bit more convenient: Although the Genesis is larger, the weight of its fuel-tank weight actually helps provide some lift when you want to roll it. That is because the Genesis tank is mounted opposite the far axle from the handles that you must lift to roll it. However, on the Q-320, the tank is centered between its two axles. So, when rolling the Q-320, you lift more of the tank weight. Also, it seems that the Q-320's smaller size permits less "kick" space during movement, and that its plastic body can flex somewhat when moving it with a full fuel tank. On the other hand, since the tank weight is centered, a plus for the Q-320 is that I do not get the feeling that I might accidentally "up-end" it while moving it.
Assembling the Q-320 took me an hour or two, and I had no difficulties with it. For many of the connections involved, it is quite literally, a "snap".
Overall, we really like the Q-320. It is does a great cooking job, is a compact size, has a pleasing visual design and hopefully will even save some fuel. |
Finally the perfect grill!
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| Review Date: June 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: frank, New Hampshire |
I've owned every type of BBQ grill over my 70+ years. The Weber Q320 is the best of the lot. I switched from charcoal to gas grills about 35 years ago because gas grills are so much less trouble. The one thing I liked about charcoal grills is the flavor derived from the smoke formed when juices dripped onto the hot coals. Early gas grills I owned duplicatd that effect with lava rocks. But lava rocks were different sizes and sometimes fell through the supporting grate. Then ceramic briquettes became available. They were standard in size and easy to form into a pattern to catch the drippings. But ceramic does deteriorate over time so it wasn't a perfect solution.
I believe Weber was the first, or among the first, to provide "flavor bars" - metal, triangular bars - to replace lava rocks and ceramic briquettes. Flavor bars worked well for me for many years. Their disadvantages were that they did eventually rust out, but they did last a long time; and to clean the bottom of the grill occasionally, they had to all be removed.
The Weber Q320 uses no devices to create smoke from the juices. It has an open area under the grill surface so juices drip in three places: onto the burners, through the opening in the bottom into an aluminum drip pan, or onto the bottom of the grill enclosure.
I've found no noticeable difference in the taste of foods and the lack of the smoke is probably healthier since smoke must be loaded with all sorts of nasty things that are produced when things are burned.
The cast iron grill surface is terrific in several ways. Unlike stainless or porcelain covered grates, the cast iron grill has no wide open spaces for food to fall through. You can grill hotdogs in any direction without worrying about them slipping through. I've sliced various vegetables into 1/2 inch slices and they cook nicely on the cast iron grill without any worry of losing any. Potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, onions, carrots, etc. Spray some olive oil on them and put them on the grill to cook. Delicious!!
Meat gets the nice grill stripes that somehow enhances appreciation of the grilling experience. I've found that leaving the burners set to medium for most items produces the best results. The thermometer in the hood gives a nice correlation between your burner control settings and the heat being produced. I try to open the hood just once to turn the items at the halfway point. One nice feature is that by looking at the grill from either end, you can see inside the unit without opening the hood, so if you happen to get a flameup, you can see it and take action. Of course, with no rocks, briquettes or flavor bars, the chance for flameups is greatly reduced.
I sometimes grill in the evening and having the handle light is a nice feature. Where I grill in the winter, I have no overhead light so I have to hang something there. I haven't yet used the Q320 in winter, but the light will save me the trouble of hanging a light nearby.
Finally, I leave my grill outside all the time. The premium cover provides good protection, but one of the reasons I really like the Q320 is all the plastic used in the stand - it won't corrode or rust.
This is the grill I've been waiting for. Maybe some time, some one may develop a better one, but I don't see how the Weber Q320 can be improved. |
Weber Q320: A Great Gas Grill
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| Review Date: May 10, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Tony Maxey, Northern California |
Assembling the Weber Q320 looked a bit daunting when I first opened the box and saw how many parts there were, but the directions that Weber sent where complete and well written, so my assembly much faster and more smoothly than I first thought that it would.
I've owned a number of Weber grills through the years, and have always considered them well made; this unit did not disappoint. Once setup, this Weber is quite sturdy, and has a pleasant design that is attractive.
There is a bit more plastic in the construction--mainly the pedestals and legs the unit rests on--than I prefer, but it doesn't affect the stability of the unit, which sits quite solidly upright. Overall, even with the plastic components, the build quality of this grill seems very good.
Hooked up to a full propane tank, the Weber ignited forthwith and heated up to cooking temperature quickly. A convenient built in thermometer takes the guess work out of cooking temperatures. Two shelves at each end give good surface area for plates, utensils, and so forth; they fold down easily for storage when the grill is not in use.
Inside the cooking chamber, the slotted, cast iron grilling surface gives ample surface area to cook steaks, burgers, chops, and so forth for two to four people, and is easily removed for cleaning. There is also a removable raised rack for toasting buns or other bread items. With the grill surface removed, there is ample access room to wipe cooking grease and spatters from the inside of unit.
So far our Weber grill cooking efforts have been confined to beef, but the food prepared on our unit has been most satisfactory. Gas grills take a little bit of learning to achieve proper results, especially for those accustomed to grilling on charcoal. Weber includes an informative cooking guide/cookbook with the unit that explains how to get good results with a variety of different meats and other foods.
The Weber Q320 is an ideal size for use by a single or a couple. Bigger families or those wanting to cook for a crowd may want to consider purchasing a larger grill, but the Weber Q320 is a great value in my opinion. |
Best gas grill I ever owned
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| Review Date: August 31, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Thomas Paine, Vail Colorado |
Took less than an hour to set up. Solid product, looks great, not "tinny" nor "tiny" heavy rock solid construction.
Heats up very fast - to 450 degrees within 1 minute. 550 degrees in another 30 seconds. -wow!!!!!!!!!
Cooks GREAT steak with seared in flavor - charred outside,rare inside the only way I like steak. MEANWHILE rhe warming eack allows me to cook up a "medium" steak at the same time. This is how my wife likes her steak - although cooking a good steak to medium is a waste of good meat.
Anyway - as you can probably tell, we are commited PETA people - People Eating Tasty Animals - and for all people like us, this is the gas grill for you. Of course you could spend $7000 and get something that cooks just as well as the Q320 -except it would use more propane gas quicker.
This Q320 is the gas grill to buy. Beware the earlier model Q300 which is the same grill, but without the warming tray, the really cool LED light on the top, and without a battery powered ignition switch.
I luv it. and will use it next to my Weber charcoal grill that I bought back in 1971 and is still working like a champ. Its gratifying to see an AMERICAN company can still put out the highest quality,most competitive product setting the GOLD STANDARD for the competition. |
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US $86.66
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Greetings…I have been following you for awhile, and enjoy your site. I found you via the smokering.
I am just starting to make my own sauce. Do you have an alternative to ketchup? It’s a weird little prejudice I have.
Dave
Look at that sauce! I want to dip my finger in it and take a taste.
Now that looks great! Love the richness of the hunter sauce. Reminds me of the German variety – only without the mushrooms! Going in the recipe box for sure!
Yum, our whole family would gobble this up!
Tried this sauce today on mesquite smoked ribs. What a great combo! Excellent