Weber Genesis 325S Review {Differences Between E, S, EX and SX Models}

The Weber Genesis 325S grills were launched in 2022 and have significant upgrades over previous versions of the Genesis 300 series grills.  There are currently four versions of these grills available:

• Genesis E 325s
• Genesis S 325s
• Genesis EX 325s
• Genesis SX 325s

Each of these grills is available in either a liquid propane or natural gas model.

Let me walk you through the key features and upgrades on the Genesis E 325s and then let’s take a look at what is different with the other models.

For those of you in a hurry here is the quick version:

The Genesis 325s grills are just about perfect and the one that I would buy is the Genesis E 325s in Copper.

Key Features of the Weber Genesis E 325s

The Genesis 325s grills are large three burner gas grills with a fourth burner that is designated for use as the Sear Station.

The Sear Station, controlled by the small red knob on the front of the grill, provides the extra fire power you want to put a world class sear on a steak.  The Sear Station is larger and more powerful on the 325S than on previous versions of the Genesis grills.

The primary cooking grate has an area of 513 square inches which is enough space to cook for 6-8 people.  On the E 325s model the primary cooking grate is made of porcelain enameled cast iron and comes with a 10 year warranty.

The grills also have an elevated secondary cooking grate that can be folded out and expanded to provide an extra 274 square inches of cooking area inside the grill.

I appreciate the fact that the top grate can be expanded for extra space or tucked away so it doesn’t get in the way when you are trying to reach food on the back of the bottom grate with your tongs.

These grills feature Weber’s proprietary “PureBlu” burner tubes.  The rectangular burner tubes are tapered from front to back which helps insure an even gas flow through the burner holes resulting in an even flame with improved heat distribution.

When the grill is in used the burner tubes are protected by a set of stainless steel Flavorizer bars that both improve heat distribution and prevent grease from clogging the burner ports.

The Flavorizer bars and burner tubes are both covered by a 10 year warranty.

Another nice feature that is an upgrade on the 325s grills is that the grills have two extremely large side tables.

I didn’t break out my tape measure and get exact numbers but I am guessing that these side tables are about 20% larger than the ones found on previous versions of the 300 series.

Having extra space to put your grill tools, trays, etc is one of those little details that are easy to overlook but make a massive difference to your grilling experience.

The lid assembly on the E 325s in made of porcelain enameled steel and is covered by a 12 year warranty.  The colors available for this grill are Black or Copper.

Differences With the Genesis S 325s

The Weber Genesis S 325s is the stainless steel version of the E 325s.

The two upgrades you get with this grill is a stainless steel lid assembly and a cooking grate made of stainless steel rods.  For me, these two upgrades cancel each other out and make me prefer the E 325S instead.

I really love the stainless steel cooking grate.  The rods are easier to clean than the cast iron grate on the E version of this grill and also give better grill marks.

On the flip side, I do not like the stainless steel lid assembly.  It is hard to keep stainless steel looking good as it readily shows hand and grease smudges and can get a little discolored from the heat after a year or two of use.

Another reason I don’t care for a stainless steel lid assembly is that they are great at reflecting  sunlight.  I currently have one stainless steel grill on my deck and I have to be careful where I place it because it reflects light and causes a glare into our living room in the afternoon.

Again, if I were looking to buy one of these grills I would buy the Copper E 325S instead of a stainless steel model.

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Differences with the SX 325s and EX 325s

The SX and EX grills are “Smart Grills” that feature Weber Connect technology.

The SX has a stainless steel lid assembly and cooking grate.  The EX has a porcelain enameled lid assembly and cast iron cooking grate.

Personally, I would not even consider buying either one of these grills.

The Smart Grilling feature on this grill includes an electronic module built into the side table.  The module monitors the temperature of the grill and allows you to connect up to two meat probes (only one is included) so you can monitor the internal temperature of what you are grilling.

You can use the Weber app to connect the module to your smart phone so you can monitor temperatures remotely.

The module, meat probes and app work perfectly fine and as advertised.

The Problem with Weber Smart Grills

The reason I do not like these grills is because the module:

• Is overpriced
• Has limited functionality
• Will soon be obsolete

The module only allows you to monitor temperatures and does not offer the ability to control the grill like you get with the smart app on pellet grills.

This means that the module is simply a Bluetooth enabled digital thermometer.  While a wireless digital thermometer is a nice feature you can buy standalone units from Amazon for a whole lot less than what Weber is charging for this upgrade.

The thing that really bugs me is that this module is physically built into the grill.

Think about how fast the world of technology and digital gadgets is changing.  How long will it be before this piece of technology is a digital dinosaur? Two years, maybe three?

The problem is that a Weber Genesis is built like a tank and is going to last you at least 10 years and probably 15 years if you take care of it.  This means that for 7-9 years you will own a grill that has an outdated hunk of technology staring you in the face every time you fire up your grill.

Stick with the “dumb” versions of these grills and you will be much happier a few years from now.