Weber Q-3200 57060001 Titanium Natural Gas Grill Review
While Weber has always been a leader in the charcoal grill niche, they also made it a point to break into the gas grill niche. Their long-standing success with propane grills at every level has now encouraged them to embrace the growing popularity and availability of natural gas.
The Weber Q-3200 part# 57060001 Titanium borrows many of the key component features of the Q-2200 propane grill and turns them up a notch by using natural gas. Just bear in mind that it isn’t safe to run propane on this grill. So, you need to make sure that you have an available natural gas line, or perhaps your utility company can plumb one to your deck.
The Weber Q-3200 Titanium comes with a flexible 10-foot long natural gas hose. It lets you store the grill on the sturdy, mobile cart base near the house or in the garage. It also has two collapsing side tables to minimize the Q-3200’s footprint when you aren’t using it. When you want to fire it up, you can just wheel it to a safe distance and you’re ready to grill in seconds. Because of the wheels, and compact size, its surprisingly one of the more quality portable grills we’ve reviewed.
The body and lid are made from durable, lightweight cast aluminum. The grill body structure is made from glass-reinforced nylon which further keeps the weight down without sacrificing overall strength.
The lid itself has an accurate thermometer built into it to let you closely monitor the internal temperature. Inside the firebox, you’ll find two natural gas burners rated to produce an impressive 21,700 BTUs of heat per hour. They are connected to Weber’s proprietary Infinity ignition system.
The grill grates are made from heavy-duty cast iron which has been coated with a thick layer of nonstick porcelain. This helps them impart a superior sear, while also releasing meat easily with minimal sticking. Underneath there is a removable catch pan to pour away any unwanted drippings and rendered grease.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
As you can imagine, Weber comes with its hallmark quality infused into every aspect of the Q-3200 Titanium. The cast aluminum lid and firebox are arguably more durable than steel, yet also very lightweight. The glass-reinforced nylon structural components are also lightweight and stable. The cart base included in the purchase is firm and reliable, yet also easy to move from storage to deck.
Weber also backs up this statement of quality by warranting the Q-3200 Titanium for up to 5-years.
When it comes to assembly, you are going to have to allow some extra time to put the cart base together. Fortunately, Weber took their time to make sure the instructions were easy to read. With another person to lend you a hand, you should be able to take this grill and cart base from box to the first-time fire up in around an hour.
Grilling Performance
Natural gas has a reputation for burning cleaner and with greater energy efficiency than liquid propane. This translates into grilled meat without even a trace of the fuel source in the flavor.
The fact that the Weber Q-3200 Titanium has two burners delivering up to 21,700 BTUs per hour to the cast iron grill grates gives this grill the ability to sear off a Steak. Yet the natural gas lets you dial it down low for doing things like grilling up bone-in chicken or stuffed pork chops.
The 75 square inch warming rack can be a little bit of an issue depending on what you are grilling. Yes, it’s nice to have a place to hold over pieces of meat that get done early. Unfortunately, it gets in the way a lot and it’s still a little bit on the small side.
The two collapsible side tables are a little bit on the small side. Still, given the size of the grill grates, you will rarely be grilling for more than four people. So, you really won’t need a lot of real estate for prep and serving platters.
Grilling Areas
The porcelain-coated grill grates measure in at a comfortable 393 square inches. This is just enough to let you grill up hamburger patties or steaks for a family of four.
There’s also 75 square inch warming rack for a grand total of 468 square inches of grilling space.
Special Features
The wheeled cart base and 10-foot natural gas hose included in the initial purchase might not seem all that special at first glance. Still, it’s very convenient, and something you need to make the most out of a natural gas grill like this.
Ease to Clean
The nonstick porcelain coating on the cast iron grill grates makes it easy to release even lean cuts of meat. It’s also durable enough to handle an aggressive scraping by a heavy-duty steel-wire grill brush without having to worry about damaging the porcelain.
The curvature of the lower grill box helps to divert grease and unwanted drippings to the removable catch pan. You can then pour it away easily and replace the pan. Just be careful sliding it into place as the edges are a little easy to bend and could get jammed in the slot.
Warranty
The Weber Q-3200 Titanium is covered by an impressive five-year warranty. This is one of the better warranties for grills in this increasingly expanding niche.
Conclusion
With Weber, there is a little of their name brand factored into the price of the grill. Still, they bring quality in spades with the Weber Q-3200 Titanium. It’s an especially nice option for a home with a small deck and patio, yet also has easy access to natural gas.
