Whenever it comes to outdoor cooking, I always find myself going back to either Broil King or Weber. However, like many of you, I used to find it difficult to choose between these brands. Simply because they both are great and have been around for many years.
Both Weber and Broil King have a number of different products that are very popular on the market. Moreover, they produce both smokers and grills so whichever brand you choose to look at they will have a product for you. But to make this comparison fair we'll look at two of the most bought and rated products Broil King and Weber produced.
For Weber, their top grill option is the Weber Spirit Genesis while for Broil King it's the Regal 490. Both grills are almost similar in specs and are literally the only options I would recommend looking at. Among their several excellent features, what I love most about these two products is their ease of use and maneuverability.
So, in this article, I will be giving a detailed comparison of these two products and help you choose the right one for your needs. Both Broil King and Weber are not only two of the oldest brands. They are also among the top-selling brands in the community of grills.
Both the grills are perfect if you want maximum results with simplicity and minimal efforts.
Let's get into their comparison.
Broil King vs Weber - Should you buy the Broil King Regal 490 Pro or Weber Genesis II S-435?
No doubt, both Weber Genesis II S-435 and Broil King 490 Pro grills provide exceptional grilling experience and high-end features. Yet, the slight differences between these two products may make a huge difference for most customers.
For a clearer understanding, let us directly get to a detailed description of both these products.
Overview of Broil King Regal 490 Pro
Broil King has been immensely gaining popularity in the market of outdoor grills. They take pride in delivering durable and reliable products. Amidst their several excellent products, the Broil King Regal 490 Pro is no exception.
With this grill, Broil King introduced porcelain coatings on its cooking grates. This convenient grill comes with a total of four burners. It also has an additional rotisserie and side burners, which are placed in different cabinets.
The four burners are based on dual tubes and made of high-quality stainless steel. The overall heat output of this grill is up to 75,000 BTU. The cooking area on this grill measures 695 sq inches, and the entire grill weighs about 189 pounds.
Overview of Weber Genesis II S-435
When Weber launched its Genesis II 400 line in 2017, customers complained about the absence of a searing burner. Weber is known for its excellent customer service and feedback. In 2019, thus, the Weber Genesis II S-435 was launched with four excellent primary burners along with a Searing and side burner.
The Weber S-435 grill comes well equipped with many innovative systems and designs. Weber has also included the classic GS4 technology in this grill. In fact, Weber includes the GS4 technology in almost all products in the Genesis II Series.
Another notable technology of this grill is that it comes with iGrill3 technology. With this, you can monitor the heating temperature through your smartphone.
Let us now compare the primary features and differences between the Broil King Regal 490 Pro and Weber Genesis II S-435.
Design and Build
The shape and size of both the Broil King and Weber grills are quite similar. These are not one of those extra-large grills. The size and shape of these grills are just perfect for a dinner gathering at your backyard, approximately seven to eight people.
The basic design of the Weber grill includes a dome-shaped hood with the side burner and sear stations extending on both sides. It has a total number of four burners. Also, there is a thermometer attached to the lid for monitoring the cooking temperature.
All the parts in this grill are of high-quality stainless steel. Thus, there is no need to worry when it comes to cleaning this excellent product. It will also last you for years to come.
Like the Weber grill, Broil King has a dome-like lid, and the four primary burners are made of strong stainless steel. However, on the other hand, the entire Broil King grill is not made of stainless steel.
In Broil King Regal 490 Pro, the iron grates are coated with porcelain. This enables the cooking grates to give a non-stick cooking experience.
Cooking Area
The cooking area is one of the first aspects that you may look for while purchasing a grill. You can select the cooking space of the grills depending upon the number of people you cook for.
The Weber Genesis II S-435 has an overall cooking space of 844 sq inches. The main cooking station with the four burners occupies 646 sq inches. And the warming rack occupies the remaining 198 sq inches of cooking area.
On the contrary, the Broil King grill has an overall cooking area of 695 sq inch. Out of this, the main cooking station occupies a space of 500 sq inches.
If we compare both the main cooking station and warming rack areas on both these grills, the overall winner is the Weber Genesis grill. No doubt, both are quite sufficient to cook for a large household. But if we compare precisely, Weber Genesis II S-435 grill takes homes the trophy with cooking space.
Maneuverability
As said at the beginning of this article, I love the maneuverability of both the Broil King and Weber Genesis grills. These are both easy to handle, and you can move them from one location to another without any hassle.
But technically, the Broil King Regal 490 Pro grill is the clear winner when we compare both the products. This is evident from the fact that the Broil King grill comes in four rollers.
On the other hand, Weber Genesis II S-435 only includes two rollers along with two usual wheels.
However, the rollers on both the grills have locking techniques.
This slight contrast on the rollers of these two grills does not make much difference in their maneuverability. Yet, we can say that the Broil King grill has the upper hand in this aspect.
Heat Output and Grilling Performance
Both Broil King and Weber grills work on four primary stainless steel burners at their main cooking station. There is not much difference in the physical attribute between their burners, and they both work well in delivering uniform heat.
However, the big difference lies in their heat out. The Weber Genesis burner has a total heat output of 69,000 BTU. Out of this, its main burners pump out a heat of 48,000 BTU. The side burner has 12,000 BTU, and the searing station has 9,000 BTU of heat output.
The Broil King Regal 490 Pro, on the contrary, has a stellar heat output of up to 75,000 BTU. Breaking down the overall heat output, the main cooking station pumps heat up to 50,000 BTU. Plus, the side burner and rotisserie burner have 10,000 BTU and 15,000 BTU, respectively.
The difference in BTU between these two grills adds up to 6,000 BTU. Thus, this is a notable difference, and Broil King aces this aspect.
Additional Technologies and Features
The Regal 490 Pro grill works with its innovative Dual-Tube burners and Flab-R-Wave technology to provide even cooking temperatures. This ensures delicious cooking results keeping your grilled food moist and juicy.
The 9mm cooking grids on this grill are about 55% heavier than most grills available in the market. This ensures excellent sear marks and great heat output.
Another notable feature of this grill is its Linear-flow valves. With this, you have maximum control over the heat temperature. Also, it has a removable tank holder. Thus, you can remove and place your gas tanks without any hassle.
On the other hand, the Weber Genesis S-435 is no less. It has the classic Weber iGrill Technology, which allows you to control the cooking temperature on your phone.
The searing burner has a unique design to provide maximum high heat for faster searing marks. It also has a fuel gauge that enables you to check the level of fuel.
Also, strong 7mm cooking grades can retain maximum heat temperatures. The stainless body and parts of this grill make it highly durable and provide easy cleaning.
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Pros of Broil King
Cons OF BROIL KING
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Pros of Weber
Cons OF weber
What are the main differences between Broil King Regal 490 Pro and Weber Genesis II S-435?
The main difference between these two grills lies in its cooking space and heat output. While Broil King has the upper hand in heat output, the Weber grill is a clear winner in overall cooking space.
Broil King has a total of 75,000 BTU as compared to Weber's 69,000 BTU. And Weber has a total cooking space of 844 sq inches, clearly beating Broil King's 695 sq inches.
Verdict
No doubt, both these grills work efficiently in providing excellent grilling experience. Broil King grill aces in one aspect, while the Weber grill aces in another. Thus, it would be unfair to pick a clear winner.
Both the grills are convenient to suffice a large family of seven to eight members. Despite some minor differences, both the grills are excellent in quality and performance.