Weber Q1200 vs Q2200 {2022 – 5 Things You Should Know}
If you are trying to choose between the Weber Q1220 and Q2200 then you have some interesting things to consider.
Let me walk you through how I made the decision to purchase a Q1200 instead of a Q2200 and why I eventually upgraded to something completely different.
Both of these grills are amazing cookers that get rave customer reviews. They are single burner grills that feature a heavy duty cast iron cooking grate, side tables and a generous warranty.
There are five key things to consider when deciding which of these tabletop grills are right for you. These factors are:
- Price
- Size
- Available Stands
- Available Colors
- Propane Usage
Let’s look at these in more detail.
Differences Between the Weber Q1200 and Q2200
The key differences between these two grills are shown in the table below.
| Grill Model | Price | Grill Area | BTU/hr | Available Stands | Available Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1200 | $219 | 189 sq in | 8,500 | Portable | Titanium + 5 Options |
| Q2200 | $279 | 280 sq in | 12,000 | Portable, Fixed | Titanium |
Carts and Colors
If you do not already have a tabletop to put your grill on then you will need to get a cart.
Weber has a portable cart that folds down for easy transport that fits both the Q1200 and Q2200. The portable cart works okay but, in my opinion, is a little flimsy.
Weber makes a sturdier stationary stand but it only fits the Q2200.
When it comes to color options the Q1200 has some amazing choices. The current color options for the Q1200 include:
- Titanium
- Red
- Orange
- Blue
- Green
- Black
The Q2200 is only available in Titanium.
Price
The difference in prices between the two grills is pretty small so I would not let that be a deciding factor for you.
These Weber grills last a really long time so spread the small cost difference over 10 years of ownership and you see that getting the larger grill will literally only cost you a few bucks per year.
Grilling Area
The Q2200 has 48% more grilling area than the Q1200 (280 vs 189 sq in).
What the size difference means in real life is that the Q1200 is a great size for 1-4 people. As soon as you want to grill for more than four people you are going to want the extra size offered by the Q2200.
For a reference point, here is a look at five brats and 12 chicken wing sections on the Q1200. This was plenty of food for the four folks in my family but the grill is pretty much maxed out on space.
Propane Usage
Both grills are designed to run off of disposable one pound propane cylinders and the propane usage is significantly different.
The burner on the Q1200 is rated at 8,500 Btu/hr compared to 12,000 btu/hr on the Q2200. This means that the Q2200 uses 41% more propane than the Q 1200.
Since there are only about 21,000 btus in a pound of propane, you will get about 2.5 hours of burn time from the Q1200 and about 1.75 hours of burn time on the Q2200 before your cylinder is empty.
Why I Bought the Q1200
The propane usage is the biggest reason I bought a Q1200 instead of the Q2200.
In order for these grills to work they way you want them to they need to pre-heat for at least 15 minutes for the heavy cast iron grates to get hot. When you factor in the pre-heat time it turns out that a one pound propane bottle will give you three grilling sessions on the Q1200 and two sessions on the Q2200.
Those one pound cylinders are kind of expensive and safely disposing of them is problematic and I want to use as few of them as possible.
I started using an adapter hose that lets me run my Q1200 off of a 20 pound cylinder (the hose works on the Q2200 also) but the propane usage argument still holds for me. One of the things I really dislike doing is heading into town and going through the hassle of swapping out propane cylinders.
During 2020, when it was just the four of us at home, the Q1200 was the perfect grill for us. I had zero complaints.
In 2021, once we started having company come over again, I started to regret having the smaller grill.
Is the Traveler a Better Choice?
When I realized that my Q1200 was a little too small for grilling for a crowd I decided to upgrade and get a larger grill. However, instead of getting the Q2200 or Q3200 I bought the Weber Traveler.
The Traveler is Weber’s first full size portable gas grill and I have been having a blast cooking on it! I recommend the Traveler instead of the Q grills for most people (see Weber Traveler vs Weber Q for more details).
The exception is for people who live near the coast or who want to put a grill near their swimming pools. In high salt/chlorine environments the aluminum and plastic construction of the Q grills is a MASSIV advantage as they do not rust and corrode.
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