Weber Q320 Portable Grill Review

by | Mar 20, 2012

The Weber Q320 has been discontinued, and has been replaced with the upgraded Weber Q3200 grill.  Learn about the Q3200 grill here.  For those of you looking to grab some of the last remaining Q320’s on the shelves, click here.

My Weber Q320 grill arrived in 23 hours, a day ahead of schedule; someone must have been smiling down upon me. It was professionally packaged and arrived in perfect condition. After perusing the instructions, I located all the parts, got them organized, and got to wrenching. Actually, a Phillips screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and the butt of my palm (a small rubber mallet would have worked, too), was what it took. All told, I had it assembled and grilling in just inside two hours.

Weber Q320 Grill openI’ve been grilling for nigh on forty years now, and I’ve cooked on just about every type of grilling surface you could imagine, including a hot rock. And I can tell you without a doubt, the Weber Q 320 grill is simply a griller’s best friend. The Q 320 has all of the more important features you would expect to find on those bigger, high-priced models.

It has every feature one might need for a five-star grilling experience.

Independent Review by WiredGun234
March 20, 2013

Weber Q320 Grill vs. the Weber Q300 Grill

If you compare the Weber Q320 grill to its little brother, the Q300, you’ll find some significant improvements in the Q320. At first glance, the Q300 and Q320 appear identical, but after closer inspection you’ll see the following differences:

  • Q320 can boast a larger cooking surface with the addition of an ample 69 inch warming rack. The grilling surface is plenty big enough for my family of four and four guests, and I could have accommodated two or three more if pressed. The warming rack works great for roasting veggies, I’m hooked on roasted red potatoes, any kind of pepper, and sweet corn. OMG, the roasted sweet corn is to die for.
  • You’ll also appreciate the electronic ignition, a feature you won’t find on many other portable gas grills (at least none I’ve found).  Just set the temperature and you’re grilling in :60 seconds.  The Weber Q 300 has a push-button ignition.
  • The grilling lamp. This is a feature that at first I thought silly, a grilling lamp concealed in the handle of the lid.  Turned out to be pretty slick.

Using the Weber Q320 Grill

Weber Q-320 on PatioThe electronic ignition is great, just set the temperature and you’re grilling in :60 seconds. I couldn’t believe either, but the blogs I read were right in their raves. The Weber Q320 grill’s clam shell design comes to cooking temperature in seconds. In my personal experience, 500 degrees in less than two minutes (1:49 to be exact).

As I mentioned, I first thought that the lighted handle in the Q320 lid was useless… until I actually used it one evening when my patio light went out. I didn’t even have to turn it on, it came on automatically when I opened the lid, pretty nifty; and more importantly, it lit up the entire Weber Q 320 grill surface quite well.

Another novel feature I found was their use of PET plastic in the leg and wheel assemblies. At first glance, I thought to myself, “this is hokey”, but once I got it together I found it both sturdy and lightweight. Amazing what they can do with plastics these days.

Weber Q 320 Grill Specifications

Grill Specs

  • 462 square inch total cooking area
  • 21,700 BTU-per-hour input
  • 2 Stainless steel burners
  • Infinite control burner valves
  • Removable catch pan
  • 2 porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates
  • Electronic ignition
  • 1 Grill Out® handle light
  • Uses refillable 20 lb. LP tank (tank not included)
  • Weber® Q™ recipe booklet
  • Limited warranty
  • Warming rack = 69 square inches

Construction

  • Cast-aluminum lid and body with drip ducts
  • Glass-reinforced nylon frame
  • Removable folding work tables with tool holders
  • Bolts onto stationary cart (included)
  • Tall lid profile with built-in thermometer

Grill Dimensions

  • With the lid open and tables folded down:
  • Height: 55.5 inches
  • Width R-L: 36.5 inches
  • Depth: 22 inches

Weber Q-320 Portable Grill

In Summary

As I said in the beginning, I’ve been grilling for a long time, and the Weber Q320 grill meets and exceeds all of my requirements as an experienced grill master.

And when you compare it to all the others in the market, the Weber Q320 grill is simply the best value in grilling today… bar none.

Is the Weber Q 320 Grill For You?

A friend asked me if I thought the Weber Q320 grill would be a good choice for him. I told him:

  • If you’re a novice barbecuer, you should buy a Q320.
  • If you’re an experienced grillmeister like me, you should buy a Q320 for grilling on the go (tailgating, camping, etc).
  • If you just happen to have some spare cash lying around, you should buy a Q320.

So, to put it into a couple of words… Heck, yes!