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Weber is one of the most popular names in outdoor grilling appliances, and their charcoal grills are classics that are known around the world.
While a coal grill can be nostalgic in a sense, there are more versatile options to be found on the market today, especially when you consider the electric grills that are available.
Even though Weber is often seen as a traditional company, they aren’t afraid of innovation, and that is evident with their 55020001 Q 2400 electric grill.
Designed for people that need a compact and more practical grilling solution, it’s time to take a look at what this model has to offer and whether it would be a worthy addition to your home.
Weber Electric Grill Product Features
- 280 square inch cooking area.
- Premium material construction with cast iron, porcelain, and aluminum.
- No assembly necessary.
- Indoor/outdoor electrical operation.
- 1560-watt heating element.
First Impressions After Unboxing and Setup
With most electric grills you would expect some assembly out of the box. With models from brands like George Foreman and even Char-Broil, the assembly can take anything from 5 minutes, up to 45 minutes or more.
Tools are sometimes necessary and this can be an inconvenience for some consumers. If you don’t want to go through the process of assembling your new electric grill, and you simply want something that is ready to go when you open the box, then you’re going to appreciate the Weber Q 2400.
After unpacking it, you’ll find that it comes fully assembled. Besides needing to give the cooking surface an initial clean and priming, you’ll have a fully functioning electric grill that can start working right away.
Weber is well known for quality and that is something that you’re going to feel when you unpack the Q 2400.
The grill has some decent weight to it without being too heavy, and all the parts are coated in a stylish finish that feels hard wearing.
The design of the unit is attractive and it would look as good on a heat protected counter top as it will on an outdoor picnic table.
While this is definitely priced above some of the other electric grills on the market, you can see how that money is going into superior design and excellent build quality.
Like any Weber grill, this is one that you’ll be proud to use and show to your friends and family.
Key Benefits to Owning the Weber Electric Grill
There are a number of reasons why you would want to choose an electric grill and this Weber unit in particular.
The first and most obvious reason would be convenience. How many times have you wanted to grill but just didn’t have the time to get a charcoal grill to the right temperature?
Grilling is a fun activity, especially in social situations, but sometimes it’s just more effort than what the end result is worth.
With charcoal, you’ll need to constantly maintain heat, and the cooking experience can even be physically tiring. You won’t have precise control over your cooking temperatures and you can end up with partially burnt food.
Is all that effort worth the smoky charcoal flavor?
For an increasing number of consumers, the answer is no.
Gas is more convenient than charcoal, but it still comes with its own set of problems. For starters, you’ll need to make sure that you have propane ready to go whenever you are grilling.
If it’s the start of summer then you might realize that you’re out of gas, which means making a trip before you can even fire up the grill.
Throughout the summer you might need to refill your propane tank three or four times, or even more if you really love to grill.
Then there’s the fact that open flame grilling can char your food beyond recognition, so you’ll need to be right on top of your game any time that you’re cooking outside.
Electric grilling with a model like the Q 2400 doesn’t come with these problems, and you’ll be able to grill in a matter of minutes after plugging the appliance into an electrical outlet.
If you live in a condo or a smaller property like a townhouse, then grilling with gas or propane may be impractical or forbidden by property management. The same goes for apartments.
Just because you can’t run a traditional grill, doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a traditional barbecue, because with a grill like the Weber 55020001 Q 2400 you’ll be able to grill on a small deck or patio, or even indoors if you have a heat resistant surface to set the grill on.
Electric grilling is also more environmentally friendly, so you’ll be able to reduce your overall carbon footprint.
If going green is something that’s important to you and your family, then changing out your fossil fueled grill for an efficient electric grill will be an easy decision.
Cooking Performance – Can This replace Your Old Gas or Charcoal Grill ?
The Weber Q 2400 isn’t the only electric grill on the market, so it’s going to need some strong cooking capabilities to differentiate itself from some of the more affordable grills that are available.
One of the first things that you’ll note about the Weber Q is the pod style design.
This is not just for styling purposes, but also helps to create a natural convection so that food can be cooked not only from the heating element, but from hot air that moves around when the lid is closed.
This makes it possible to use a Weber like a roasting oven, which is perfect for cooking bone-in whole chicken, ribs, or larger cuts of meat.
Some of the more affordable electric grills can have problems maintaining heat while the lid is open. This is something that has been a challenge for all manufacturers, including Weber.
However, with the Q series, they seem to have found a sweet spot. Lifting the lid will reduce temperature as expected, but the powerful heating elements are good enough that you can still grill food with the lid raised, and the temperature will quickly build up as soon as it is closed again.
There’s no thermostat on this model which will be disappointing for some, but many owners will simply use a probe style meat thermometer to check on any larger items that are cooking inside.
While an electric grill will never have the exact same flavor of charcoal, it’s still possible to get authentic barbecue flavors like you would with a gas grill.
The key here is the 1560-watt heating element that Weber uses.
It’s able to get hot enough to produce a perfect sear on food, but because there’s no open flame it won’t cause excessive charring or burning.
You won’t have trouble cooking any of your regular barbeque food, and with the lid closed you’ll get the convection oven treatment that ensures everything is well heated both on the outside and the inside.
You have great control over the temperature with the Weber, and the cooking quality is right up there with the best electric grills as well as the top gas and charcoal grills.
Construction Quality
Construction quality is a standout feature, and you’ll feel it from the moment you pull the grill out of its packaging.
Not many electric grill companies will use an authentic cast iron grill grate, but this is exactly what you get on the Weber. It’s finished with a porcelain coating which helps with sticking and makes cleaning easier.
Some plastic is used on the grill but high quality aluminum is featured wherever it is needed most, and you won’t find any difference in the build and material quality when comparing this to a Weber gas or charcoal model.
The design itself is also impressive. There are some features which are well thought out and that will be appreciated if you make this your next purchase.
The drip tray is easy to access, and slides right out from the underside of the grill.
The tray is actually a housing for a disposable aluminum tray, so cleaning up excess grease and food particles is as close to effortless as is possible.
Even cleaning the inside of the grill is simple, and you can do this after cooking with a hard plastic scraper.
Just make sure you’ve allowed enough time to cool and any residue stuck on the surface can be scraped into the catch tray below.
Unlike some less expensive grill surfaces, you’ll be able to use a proper wire grill brush on the grates, so if you’re used to cleaning a traditional barbeque then you’ll feel right at home with Weber’s electric grill.
Pros and Cons of the Weber Electric Grill
This is one of the more expensive electric grills one the market, but the price reflects the quality and the value.
As such, there are very few negative points when it comes to reviewing the Weber 55020001 Q 2400 Electric Grill.
Pros
- High temperature heating elements make open top grilling a possibility, and you get plenty of control with the temperature selector.
- Natural convection cooking allows for plenty of food options.
- High quality materials and excellent construction. This looks and feels like a premium appliance.
- The grill can be seated easily on a level outdoor tabletop, or on a heat resistant indoor surface. The versatility of cooking indoors and outdoors is a bonus.
- No assembly is required.
- Easy to clean with an excellent drip tray design.
Cons
- No thermostat on the cooking top.
- High price.
What do the Customer Testimonials Say About this Grill?
This grill is usually offered around the $299 price point, so sales figures aren’t as impressive as more affordable grills. However, there are still a number of verified owner reviews to be found online.
From more than 200 reviews, the Weber Electric Grill has an average 4.6 / 5 star rating, and an impressive 78% of all reviews are perfect 5 star ratings.
Owners have praised the ease of use, the fact that it can simply be turned on and used without any preparation, and owners have also been impressed by the design.
A number of reviews also praise the fact that no charcoal or gas is required, noting that electricity is much more convenient and in many cases is even more cost effective.
One interesting thing to note is that a number of reviewers have commented that they were able to use small pieces of smoking wood in the Q 2400 to give their barbeque a more authentic flavor.
Smoking pellets would also be ideal, as they can be placed in special steel cylinders designed for use in electric grills.
Conclusion and Final Recommendation
Most consumers will notice the price when first looking at the Weber Electric Grill.
There’s no denying that it’s a significant step up in cost from some other electric grills, but it’s also a step up in quality and cooking ability. If you opt for a cheaper grill, then you’re going to have to make some compromises.
Construction quality and materials will be two of them, and actual cooking ability will be another.
The Weber simply does things better than the majority of the competition, and for that reason the price should be seen as proportionate to the overall value.
If it’s within your budget and you want one of the best electric grilling experiences possible, then the Weber Q 2400 is highly recommended.
