Weber Genesis II 335 Review: E, S, SE, EX and SX Models

The Weber Genesis II 335 is a great grill that has plenty of power, heats evenly, has minimal flareups and is built like a tank. The problem is that Weber has FIVE grills in the Genesis II 335 series and picking the right one can be confusing!

This article will walk you through what all of the Genesis 335 grills have in common and what the primary differences are so you can pick the right grill for your needs and budget.

Table of Contents

What the Genesis II 335 Grills Have in Common

All five of the 335 grills have the following features in common.

Three Primary Burners (39,000 btu/hr)
One Sear Station Burner (9,000 btu/hr)
One Side Table Burner (12,000 btu/hr)
Primary Grilling Area = 513 sq in
Tuck Away Warming Rack = 156 sq inches
GS4 High Performance Grilling System
Enclosed Lower Cabinet
iGrill3 Compatible
Available for Propane or Natural Gas
10 Year Warranty on All Components

For what it is worth, if I was buying a new grill right now then I would go with the Genesis II E-335. It is a powerhouse of a grill and is the most affordable option.

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Features That I Love

The Sear Station burner is located inside the body of the grill and gives you the extra searing power you need to properly cook a steak over scorching high heat. I am a massive fan of the Sear Station and believe you will like the feature as well.

These grills have massive capacity and cooking for a crowd will never be a problem. According to Weber you can fit 20 hamburgers on these grills.

The 335 grills, like just about every other Weber gas grill, have extremely even heating. The evenness of heating was improved on the Genesis II Series as part of the GS4 High Performance upgrade package.

I absolutely love the 10 year all inclusive warranty on these grills. I have had to make two warranty claims on my Weber products in the past 5 years and Weber was always amazingly quick to send me replacement parts for free.

A Feature I Don’t Like

These grills have a slot on the right side table that is designed to accept Weber’s iGrill3 remote temperature monitoring system. While these grills are iGrill3 compatible they do not come with the iGrill3 module.

Some people assume that the grill comes with the iGrill3 system and get upset when they realize that it has to be bought separately.

I recommend ignoring the iGrill3 slot and not being tempted to make the purchase. I reviewed the iGrill3 and did not like it.

Differences Between the Genesis II 335 Models

There are five different versions of the Genesis II 335; the E, S, SE, EX and SX. While the grilling functionality is identical between the grills there are some design differences which are shown in the table below.

Weber Genesis II 335 Grill Models

Genesis II 335 Version	Cooking Grate	Handle Light	Smart Grill	Body Construction
E 335	Cast Iron	No	No	Enameled Steel
S 335	7 mm Stainless Steel	No	No	Stainless Steel
SE 335	9 mm Stainless Steel	Yes	No	Enameled Steel
EX 335	Cast Iron	Yes	Yes	Enameled Steel
SX 335	7 mm Stainless Steel	Yes	Yes	Stainless Steel

Let’s do a quick review of the E, S and SE models before we tackle the new “Smart” EX and SX grills.

Genesis II E 335 vs S 335

The “S” model costs about $100 more than the “E” model and the overall functionality is identical between them.

The “E” model gets its name from the fact that the lid and cabinet body. are constructed of porcelain “E”nameled steel. This grill has cooking grates made from cast iron.

The “S” model gets its name from the fact that the lid and cabinet body are constructed from “S“tainless steel. The cooking grate on the “S” model is made from 7mm stainless steel rods and is spectacular. The rods will not rust, give great grill marks and are ridiculously easy to clean.

What is Different about the Weber Genesis II SE Model?

There are two differences between the “E” and “SE” versions of the 335. The SE has a handle mounted grill light and a stainless steel grate made on 9 mm stainless steel rods.

The handle light is nice but is not a big deal.
The upgraded cooking grate on the SE 335 is amazing

The SE 335 grate made from 9 mm stainless steel rods will last forever, gives crazy good grill marks and is MUCH easier to clean than the cast iron grate on the E 335.

The “S” and “SX” 335 grills also have cooking grates made from stainless steel rods but, while they are both excellent, they are made from 7 mm rods instead of 9mm.

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Customer Reviews of the E, S and SE Genesis II 335

When you look at the reviews for the three Genesis 335 models (obtained from the Home Depot and Ace Hardware websites) you see that customers love all three models just about the same.

Customers love the amazing searing power, overall grilling performance and stunning great looks of these grills. There are simply amazing grills.

The biggest complaint about all three models is that it will take you 3-4 hours to fully assemble the grills.

Genesis II EX and SX 335 Reviews

The Genesis II EX and SX 335 are “Smart Grills” that I do not recommend.

The Genesis II EX 335 is made of black porcelain enameled steel, has a handle mounted grill light and comes with a cast iron cooking grate.
The Genesis II SX 335 is made of stainless steel, has a handle mounted grill light and comes with a 7mm stainless steel rod cooking grate.

These grills have the exact same grilling performance as the other 335 models but come at an increased cost for a technology package that is functional but unimpressive.

Weber is incorporating technology it obtained trough its acquisition of June Ovens into some of the Genesis and Spirit grills that enables remote temperature monitoring on your phone/tablet.

The “Smart” functionality is essentially the upgraded replacement for the iGrill3. The Smart Technology in the EX and SX models works as advertised but I do not like it for three reasons:

All it lets you do is monitor temperature, not control the grill.
The grill will last 10-15 years and the “Smart Technology” will be outdated in 2-3 years.
You can buy equivalent technology separately for less money.

If you want to read more then here is the article about the Weber Spirit Smart Grill.

Which Genesis II 335 Model Should You Buy?

There is not a one size fits all answer to this question.

Weber Genesis II E 335: Buy this grill if you want an amazing grill and your budget is under $1,000.
Weber Genesis II S 335: Buy this grill if you love the look of a stainless steel grill.
Weber Genesis II SE 335: This is the grill that I would buy. It has the best cooking grate of any model and that is important to me.
Weber Genesis II EX/SX 335: Buy this grill if you would rather spend your money on gadgets than steak.

All five grills are beautiful powerhouses that will make you happy.

The 335 grills heat evenly, have minimal flareups and sear like a champ. The build quality is outstanding and, with some routine maintenance, the grills will easily last for more than 10 years.

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Other Weber Grills to Consider

Overall the Genesis II 335 is just a flat out spectacular grilling machine. If you like the looks of the 335 and have a little extra money in your budget then you owe it to yourself to check out the slightly larger Weber Genesis II S 435.

If you are not completely sold on looks and are more interested in performance then the Weber Spirit 330 can save you significant money.