Garden Last updated · owner ratings verified July 2026
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Side by side
| Our pick Weber Weber Genesis E-325s Natural Gas Grill Better overall $1,100–1,500 Check price | Monument Monument Grills 4-Burner Convertible Natural Gas Better value $400–650 Check price | Weber Weber Spirit E-310 Natural Gas Grill Weber for less $600–850 Check price | Monument Monument Grills 4-Burner Liquid Propane Same chassis, propane $350–550 Check price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What owners rate it | ||||
| Owner rating | 4.7 / 5 (246) | 4.5 / 5 (281) | 4.5 / 5 (720) | 4.4 / 5 (2,074) |
| Specifications | ||||
| Burners | 3 main burners | 4 main burners plus side burner | 3 main burners | 4 main burners |
| Total BTU | Around 39,000 BTU total | Around 60,000 BTU total | Around 30,000 BTU total | Around 60,000 BTU total |
| Cooking area | Roughly 787 sq in including warming rack | Large — four burners across a wide cookbox | Roughly 529 sq in including warming rack | Large — four burners across a wide cookbox |
| Grates | Porcelain-enameled cast iron | Porcelain-coated cast iron | Porcelain-enameled cast iron | Porcelain-coated cast iron |
| Fuel | Natural gas only — not convertible | Natural gas, convertible design | Natural gas only — not convertible | Liquid propane |
| Notable features | Flavorizer bars, grease management system, fuel gauge not needed on NG | Side burner, LED knobs, lid thermometer, cabinet storage | Flavorizer bars, grease tray, foldable side tables | Side shelves, lid thermometer, cabinet storage |
| Warranty | 10-year limited on all parts — confirm by model year | Manufacturer limited warranty — shorter than Weber, confirm on the listing | 10-year limited on major parts — confirm by model year | Manufacturer limited warranty — confirm on the listing |
| Who it suits | ||||
| Best for | buyers who intend to own one grill for the next fifteen years | cooking for a crowd without spending Weber money | a family of four who want Weber build without Genesis money | anyone without a gas line at the patio |
Ratings are aggregated Amazon owner ratings, not our own testing. Figures verified July 2026.
Pros and cons
Weber Genesis E-325s Natural Gas Grill
- Weber's parts network is the deepest in the industry — burner tubes and Flavorizer bars are stocked for decades-old models
- Porcelain-enameled cast iron grates hold heat for a real sear rather than just marking the meat
- Angled Flavorizer bars vaporize drippings and shield the burners from grease, which is why Weber burners last
- Long warranty covering all parts rather than a headline figure that applies only to the lid
- Two to three times the price of the Monument for one fewer burner
- Weber does not permit fuel conversion — buy the natural gas version or nothing
- Assembly is a two-person afternoon
Monument Grills 4-Burner Convertible Natural Gas
- Four burners plus a side burner for roughly a third of the Genesis price
- Ships convertible, with the fittings to run natural gas rather than a locked fuel type
- Stainless cabinet-style body with enclosed storage under the cookbox
- Built-in lid thermometer and LED-lit control knobs for cooking after dark
- Thinner steel throughout — heat retention and long-term corrosion are the recurring owner complaints
- Parts availability is nothing like Weber's; replacements come from the manufacturer rather than a local shelf
- Warranty terms are shorter and narrower than Weber's
Weber Spirit E-310 Natural Gas Grill
- Same Weber parts network, same grease management principle, much lower price
- Three burners is enough for genuine two-zone cooking
- Compact enough for a small deck or a townhouse patio
- Best-reviewed Weber natural gas grill by owner volume
- Smaller cooking area than either Monument
- No side burner in this configuration
- Still costs more than the four-burner Monument
Monument Grills 4-Burner Liquid Propane
- The largest owner-review base of any Monument grill, and a solid rating with it
- Same four-burner stainless layout as the natural gas model
- Runs from a standard exchange tank with no plumbing at all
- Cheapest way into a big four-burner grill in this comparison
- Propane, so it does not solve the problem this comparison is about
- Converting a propane grill to natural gas is not a casual job and often is not permitted
- Same thin-steel durability concerns as its natural gas sibling
Decision factors
What you actually pay
The gap is enormous. A Weber Genesis E-325s in natural gas typically runs $1,100 to $1,500 and the smaller Spirit E-310 $600 to $850. The Monument four-burner natural gas model sits at $400 to $650 with a side burner included, and its propane sibling lower still.
Where the premium goes. Heavier gauge steel, cast iron grates, the Flavorizer bar and grease management design that keeps drippings off the burners, and a ten-year all-parts warranty. It does not go into BTUs — the Monument burns considerably more gas per hour than the Genesis does.
The cost that dwarfs the grill. The gas line. Running a dedicated natural gas supply to a patio normally requires a licensed fitter and a permit, and in many US markets the installation costs as much as a mid-range grill. Get that quote before you choose between these two, because it changes which one represents good value.
Running costs favor natural gas heavily once installed. No tank exchanges, no running out halfway through dinner, and fuel at a fraction of propane's cost per hour. Budget instead for consumables: a cover, a grill brush, and eventually a burner set and grates. On a Weber those are cheap, available and expected. On a budget grill they are the point at which people buy a new grill instead.
Which one fits you
- Buying one grill to keep for a decade or more Weber Genesis E-325s Parts availability for decades-old models is the only feature that decides whether a grill is still alive in year twelve.
- Feeding a crowd on a real budget Monument 4-Burner Convertible NG Four burners plus a side burner for roughly a third of the Genesis price is a genuine amount of extra cooking capability.
- Wants Weber quality on a smaller patio Weber Spirit E-310 The same parts network and grease management in a footprint that fits a townhouse deck, for a lot less money.
- No gas line at the patio yet Monument 4-Burner Liquid Propane Running a gas line costs real money — a propane grill sidesteps the whole question until you are ready.
If neither is right
- Napoleon Prestige 500 Natural Gas Grill The premium alternative to Weber, with an infrared rear rotisserie burner, a sear plate and heavier stainless construction. Worth a look if you are already spending Genesis money and want features Weber does not offer at that price.
- Char-Broil Performance Series 4-Burner Cabinet A well-rated four-burner cabinet grill from a brand with far better parts distribution than Monument. This listing is the propane configuration, so check for the matching natural gas variant before ordering.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Weber Genesis E-325s if this is a grill you intend to keep. Not for the BTU figure, which is lower than the Monument's, but because Weber parts for decade-old models are still stocked on ordinary hardware store shelves and a ten-year all-parts warranty stands behind them. Buy the Monument 4-burner if you want the most cooking capability today for the least money — four burners plus a side burner for roughly a third of the Genesis price is a real, tangible advantage, and it ships convertible rather than locked to one fuel.
The full ranked field, including the Napoleon that sits above both on features, is in our best natural gas grill roundup.
Why parts availability is the whole argument
Gas grills do not die of old age. They die because a burner tube rusts through, an igniter fails, or the cookbox corrodes — and whether that is a repair or a replacement depends entirely on whether the parts still exist.
This is Weber's real moat. Burner tubes, Flavorizer bars, grates, igniters and control knobs for Genesis and Spirit grills going back many model years are carried by hardware stores, big-box chains and a large aftermarket. A Weber that needs a new burner set is a Saturday morning and a modest parts bill; our guide to replacing gas grill burners covers the job.
Monument's parts come from the manufacturer, and the brand does not have the decades of installed base that keeps a local aftermarket alive. That is not a criticism of the grill you receive — it is a statement about what happens in year six. If you are the kind of buyer who replaces a grill every few years anyway, it costs you nothing. If you expect to keep it, it is the single most important line on this page.
Does the Monument's bigger BTU number mean anything?
Very little, and it is worth understanding why because every budget grill leads with it. BTU measures how much gas the burners consume per hour, not how much heat reaches your food. A grill with thin steel and a poorly sealed lid will burn 60,000 BTU and still lose most of it to the air; a well-built cookbox with heavy grates does more with 39,000.
What actually determines cooking performance is heat retention and distribution. Weber's cast iron grates and angled Flavorizer bars store heat and spread it, which is why a Genesis holds temperature when you open the lid and recovers quickly when you close it. Monument's four burners give you more area at temperature, which is a genuine advantage when you are cooking for twelve people — just not the advantage the BTU figure implies. Our grill BTUs explained guide goes further, and 2-burner vs 4-burner covers how many you actually need.
The natural gas question nobody thinks about first
Natural gas is the cheapest way to run a grill and the most expensive way to start. There is no tank to exchange, no running out mid-cook, and the fuel itself costs a fraction of propane. But the grill has to connect to your home's gas supply through a dedicated line with a quick-disconnect fitting, and in most US jurisdictions that means a licensed gas fitter and a permit. The installation can cost as much as the grill.
Get quotes before you buy either brand, because that number changes the whole calculation. If the line runs cheaply, the Weber becomes easier to justify because you are already committed. If it is expensive, the Monument propane model is a legitimate way to defer the decision — see natural gas vs propane grills.
One thing to be clear about: Weber does not permit fuel conversion. There is no sanctioned kit to turn a propane Weber into a natural gas one. Monument sells convertible models and includes the fittings, which is a genuine flexibility advantage. Do not attempt an unsanctioned conversion on any grill — the orifices are sized for different gas pressures, it voids the warranty, and it is a fire risk. Our page on converting a propane grill to natural gas sets out where the line is.
Where the money shows up in the metal
Pick both grills up and the difference is immediate. Weber uses heavier gauge steel in the cookbox, porcelain-enameled cast iron grates, and a grease management system that routes drippings away from the burners into a catch pan. Monument uses thinner stainless, lighter grates and a simpler grease path.
The consequences show over seasons, not weeks. Thin steel warps and rusts sooner, particularly around the firebox seams and the burner ports. Owner reviews of budget grills across the whole category — not just this brand — converge on the same complaint pattern by year three. A cover and regular cleaning genuinely extend that; leaving any grill uncovered through a wet winter shortens it dramatically. See gas grill covers and how to clean a gas grill.
Where each brand's line-up is strong and weak
Weber is strong on longevity, parts, warranty and consistency: the Spirit and Genesis lines cover small patios up to family entertaining, and every one of them is supported for a decade. Weber is weak on value at the four-burner end, on features you get free elsewhere — side burners, rotisserie kits, lit knobs — and on fuel flexibility, since nothing converts.
Monument is strong on specification per dollar: four burners, a side burner, a stainless cabinet, LED knobs and a convertible fuel design at a price where Weber sells three burners and nothing else. Monument is weak on the long game — thinner steel, a shorter warranty, and a parts pipeline that runs through the manufacturer rather than a shelf near you.
The call
Weber Genesis E-325s if you are buying a grill to keep, and Weber Spirit E-310 if you want the same support and build in a smaller, cheaper package. Monument's four-burner if capacity today matters more than parts in year eight, or if the extra thousand dollars is better spent on the gas line that makes either grill possible.
Whichever you buy, cover it and clean the grease tray — those two habits decide how long a gas grill lasts more than the badge does. See how long a gas grill lasts, and how we rank for the method behind these picks, which comes from aggregated owner ratings and expert consensus rather than first-hand trials.