The Weber Spirit E-330 is a solid choice for those looking to upgrade the firepower of the Spirit II E-310.
The E-330 sits at the top of Weber’s Spirit line and offers sear and side burner upgrades over the E-310.
Key Features
3 stainless steel burners with 32,000 BTU output. 1 sear station burner with 7,500 BTU output and 1 side burner with 12,000 BTU output
424 square inches of primary cooking area, therefore providing enough space to grill for 5 to 7 people
Porcelain enameled cast-iron cooking grates make for superior heat retention and gives your meat those nice looking grill marks
The flavorizer bars and lid are porcelain enameled which makes them easy to clean.
Warranty is part specific and ranges from 2 to 10 years
Fuel gauge means you’ll never run out of liquid propane halfway through a cook
Pros
- Good build quality yields consistent results in both direct and indirect cooking
- Weber’s Warranty & Customer Support is better than most of its competitors
- Sear burner allows the grill to reach very high temperatures
Cons
- Lower-grade Stainless Steel
- Pricy
Weber Spirit E-330 Detailed Review
Weber’s Spirit line of grills range from smaller 2 burner models to a 3 burner + side burner variants.
The E-330 sits in the top of the family as a 3 burner model with included sear and side burners thus providing lots of flexibility when it comes to grilling.
Design and Build Quality
The E-330 is well built. The cookbox and shroud are made from cast aluminum which is more durable than sheet metal commonly found in other grills. The shroud is porcelain enameled which helps prevent fading, peeling and rusting and is therefore easier to clean.
The lid includes a center-mounted thermometer although we always recommend having a good digital thermometer on hand.
The side shelves and burner tubes are stainless steel and the cooking grates are porcelain enameled cast iron which provide superior heat retention and searing compared to thinner wire grill grates. The cooking grates don’t require seasoning and consequently, are good to go right out of the box.
The E-330 comes with a 12,000 BTU side burner which allows for the cooking of side dishes and sauces along with the main course. It has a fold down top so the self can be used when the burner is not in use. Because of the design of the gas system, the side burner only mounts to the left side of the grill.
The sear burner adds to the output of the main burners providing the high heat needed to sear a steak. The sear burner is offset from the center, therefore it will only get one side of the grill up to very high heat.
The stainless steel side shelves provide room for food platters and prep work. The shelves also have 3 tool hooks on the ends which provide a convenient place to hang grill brushes, tongs, etc.
The E-330 can be used for tailgating but at 116 pounds, you may need 2 people to lift it into a vehicle. The grill sits on 4 casters, 2 of which can lock so the grill can be kept in place.
Ease of Use
The electronic Crossover ignition is system is very reliable. A single AA battery powered igniter lights the first burner which then allows the other burners to be lit off of it.
The Weber Spirit E-330 is powered by a 20-lb liquid propane tank and has a built-in fuel gauge. The gauge estimates remaining fuel by the weight of the tank, so you always know how much fuel you have.
The storage cabinet has plenty of room for the propane tank and also has additional space for tools and other accessories.
Swapping out the propane tank is relatively straight-forward. The porcelain on the grates and flavorizer bars make them easy to clean.
Ease of Assembly
Assembling the E-330 is relatively easy and straightforward.
The firebox and gas line come pre-assembled, you just have to assemble the cart and attach the components. Most people can do this in approximately 2 hours.
Quality of the Cook
The E-330 provides even heat in both direct and indirect cooking and comes up to temperature relatively quickly. The sear burner is also great for increasing temps to quickly to put a great crust on your meat.
The cast iron cooking grates provide excellent heat retention and distribute heat consistently across the surface.
The porcelain coated flavorizer bars catch drippings and vaporize them into smoke, thus returning more flavor to the food. They also channel any droppings not vaporized away from the burner tubes and into the grease management system and as a result, reduce flare-ups and clogged burner tubes.
The flavorizer bars also distribute heat very evenly throughout the grill, making the E-330 one of the best grills for indirect cooking and smoking.
The solid cast aluminum construction of the shroud and single vent also contribute the the superior indirect cooking performance of the E-330.
Ease of Cleanup
The E-330 has a grease management which makes system which makes cleanup straight forward.
Any juices and meat bits not vaporized by the flavorizer bars are caught by the grease tray which angles them into the catch pan. Both the grease tray and catch pan are easily removable for cleaning.
The catch pan can be discarded for another, or you can line it with aluminum foil for multiple uses.
The burner tubes can also be easily cleaned with a simple stainless steel grill brush.
Price
The Weber Spirit E-330 is on the more pricey end of the spectrum. However, you get what you pay for and the E-330 is a well built grill with many features.
In addition to Weber’s build quality, the company offers great customer support and stands behind their product with one of the best warranties in the business.
How Does it Compare?
Let’s take a look at some of the Weber Spirit E-330’s competition:
Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 3 Burner
For those looking for a grill that offers a lot of features but are on a budget, we recommend taking a look at the Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 3 Burner.
Check out our review here.
Weber Spirit II E-310
The Weber Spirit E-310 offers a step up in quality of materials and build as well as a longer warranty. Cooking results are also excellent. The E-310 offers great value might be the grill for you if you don’t need the side and sear burner the E-330 offers,
Check out our review here.
Costco is selling these for $799.00 CND. ( $628. US)
Is that a deal? They are made in China with cheaper stainless steel.
I’m worries about it sitting outside in the Winter in Canada, most of the cheap BBQ’s rust out on two years here.
Hi Rich.
Their warranty period is longer than 2 years for most parts. You can see their terms here: Weber warranty.
If I were you, I would purchase a cover for it, and it will certainly last more than 2 years! How long I’m unable to say, but the warranty for rusting through etc. is 5 years, so you can expect at least that.