My Dad Finally Replaced His Grill After 20 Years, and He Won’t Stop Calling Me About It

Growing up on Long Island, my dad would hold an umbrella over his dad while he grilled in the rain. Growing up in Los Angeles, I never did that for him, mainly because it never rained, but also because I was not as devoted. I wish I had, even just to protect his fair skin from the sun (he is a Dermatologist, after all).

My dad has always had a grill. I remember when the hulking stainless steel Weber arrived and how he taught me about char-zones and indirect heat, and how in his own words, it was the key to a perfect burger. Friends would always come over, as if transported by the smoke, and agree.

Year after year, I watched through the windows as slowly, the grass behind the grill died from dog pee and drought, and the grill itself became worn down and rusted. But if the rain wouldn't stop him from using it, neither would a little rust.

Needless to say, when he called me one day to tell me he was finally replacing it after 20 years, it felt like mourning a pet. But here’s the thing about my dad: If he is one thing, it’s an expert shopper. He had already been reading all of the guides, talking to all of the experts, and comparing prices. He asked my opinion, but he didn’t really need it: He was after the Weber Genesis E-325 Gas Powered Grill and that’s the one he got.

Weber Genesis E-325 

The grill arrived completely disassembled and in a cardboard box, but it took my older brother (who is the kind of guy who always did LEGOs without the instructions, and then consequently, my LEGOs, too) just under an hour to put together. Then it took my dad over a month to actually use it. 

Because the grill connects via a gas line, he needed one part and a plumber to connect it. But he was also waiting on a new toilet to come in (don't ask if you don't want to know), so instead of having the plumber come out twice, he waited a month so he could do it all in one go.

This is all to say, with proper planning, you could be grilling within an hour of its arrival. And since he finally assembled it two months ago, he has used it every single day. The grill, which measures 35.5- by 30.75- by 31-inches has a massive 787 square-inch cooking area, which is one of his favorite features.

“It means I can have more of an indirect area, and my beer-can chicken has never been better,” he told me one day over the phone.

There’s more too — compared to his old grill, he says he finds the heat more even, and the sear-zone more effective. While it’s a lower power and takes slightly longer to cook on than his old grill, something we confirmed during testing, he says the results have been better every time once he got used to this aspect.

He even loves the more simple features, like the touch-ignition. “I don’t have to use a lighter to light the grill anymore,” he said. “It’s the best thing ever.”

He has already used it for everything, from grilling that salmon my mom sort-of likes to burgers to steak, as well as vegetables and plenty more. Every time I’ve gotten a picture and a rave review of the grill. I’ve never heard him so excited about anything. 

So far, there’s only been one problem. “It doesn’t have lights,” he says, but he’s made a fix for that by picking up some Cuisinart grill lights at Amazon that lock in via magnet to the inside of the grill. 

Bottom line: My dad loves this grill. And my mom does too. Don’t believe me, that’s fine. Just read this text she sent me for proof before you pick up your very own at Amazon. 

At the time of publishing, the price was $899.