How Long Your Weber Gas Grill Should Last

Buying a backyard grill can be a bit of a headache. Should you go gas or should you go charcoal? While many chefs agree that charcoal is superior for added smoky flavor, it can add even more headaches when it comes to preparation, cleanup, and maintenance — made more for the hardcore grill fanatic. Gas grills can be great because they're easier to use, seeing as you don't have to master charcoal temperature, so you can just set the temp and let the grill loose on whatever you're cooking. And, well, while Bobby Flay prefers charcoal, he has a gas grill too. When it comes to what model to choose, there are some high-end grills you could splurge on. But for the regular outdoor griller, Weber is still at the top of the list and regularly receives high reviews. But just how long can you keep your Weber gas grill? It depends on who you talk to, Weber's warranty on individual parts and pieces, and how well you take care of your grill.

If you take care of it, you can expect a decade or more from your gas-powered Weber, but there are some things you might need to tend to along the way. While some websites may say that gas grills are generally replaced every three to five years, this may be more of a sales tactic than actual reality. Sure, you will need to do some regular maintenance, but if you're taking care of wear and tear, you can make your grill last up to 15 (maybe even 20, if you really care for it) years. You just need to understand the basics.

Based on the warranties, the electrical components of a Weber are likely to go out first. It appears that they're all warrantied for around three to five years, depending on the parts — although Weber mentions that "all remaining parts" on any given grill may only have a warranty for two to five years. It's unspecified, so you should probably check with the place where you purchased the grill, but the remaining parts likely refer to the control knobs, igniters, and valves. That said, you can easily replace simple parts, and the major components on most models are warrantied for 10 to 12 years, so you can keep it going strong for at least a decade or more.

For a regular touch-up, Weber explains that you should clean the exterior grill lid with a paper towel — glass cleaner will work with porcelain-coated lids, but you'll need a stainless steel cleaner for stainless steel lids. The interior should be cleaned regularly to remove grease. Just take off the grill grates when the grill has cooled off, and scrape out any grease underneath with a stainless steel grill brush. And, just before you're ready to cook, run the grill on high for about 15 minutes to burn off any leftover cooking residue, which can be scraped and cleaned. From there, you should be ready to go. Sure, you may need some regular maintenance and a couple parts changed out here and there, but if you keep your grill good on the regular, it should last a good 10 years or more.