Buy the Weber Spirit E-325 in Black (liquid propane, model 1500789) if steakhouse sear marks and a decade of burner-and-box coverage matter most; buy the Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet in Black (model 463253925) if you want more grate space, a side burner for sauces and sides, and a grill that cost about half as much on 09/15/2026. The Weber concentrates 31,000 BTU over 360 sq in of primary grate and adds two red Boost knobs that push 40% more power into a dedicated Sear Zone, with Weber covering the cookbox, lid and burner tubes for 10 years. The Char-Broil spreads its cooking over 435 sq in of primary grate plus a 130 sq in warming rack, adds an 11,000-BTU side burner, and carries a 2-year limited warranty. On 09/15/2026 the exact Weber variant was In Stock on Amazon US at $499.00 and the exact Char-Broil variant was In Stock at $247.00, both shipped and sold by Amazon.com with delivery as soon as Sunday, Sep 20.
Choose by your situation
| Situation | Model to consider | Main tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| You sear steaks, chops or fish often and want a dedicated high-heat zone | Weber Spirit E-325 | About twice the observed price; 75 sq in less primary space and no side burner |
| You cook for a crowd and want sides and sauces going at the same time | Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet | No dedicated boost sear zone; grates and emitters covered 1 year instead of Weber's 5 |
| You want the longest maker-backed coverage on the parts that rust and burn out | Weber Spirit E-325 | You pay for coverage you may never claim; grates and Flavorizer bars are 5-year, not 10-year |
| You want the lowest entry price into a full-size 4-burner cabinet grill | Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet | Even-heat design rather than a sear-first design; shorter warranty |
Specifications that change the decision
| Criterion | Weber Spirit E-325 (1500789) | Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet (463253925) |
|---|---|---|
| Main burners and input | 3 stainless burners, 31,000 BTU/hr (maker) | 4 burners, 30,000 BTU/hr on the maker page for the same FlavorMax 4-burner cabinet platform |
| Primary cooking area | 360 sq in (maker) | 435 sq in; maker rates it for up to 25 burgers at once |
| Warming rack | 90 sq in (maker) | 130 sq in swing-away rack |
| High-heat searing | Sear Zone: 2 Boost knobs add 40% more power in the zone (maker) | No dedicated sear zone on this variant; even-heat FlavorMax design |
| Side burner | None listed in the observed maker spec | 1 side burner, 11,000 BTU, for sauces, sides and meal prep |
| Ignition | Snap-Jet: press-and-turn per burner, one hand (maker) | Push-button electronic ignition; 1 AAA battery (maker platform spec) |
| Grate system | Porcelain-enameled cast iron; stainless Flavorizer bars vaporize drippings and funnel grease away | Porcelain-coated cast iron; FlavorMax system for even heat and fewer flare-ups |
| Grease handling | Pull-out grease tray plus large drip pan that slides out | Removable grease tray with mess-free grease management design |
| Lid thermometer | Built-in (maker) | Temperature gauge listed as included (maker platform spec) |
| Storage and workspace | Cabinet with door; 2 side tables; 4 tool hooks; Weber Works side rails for snap-on accessories | Enclosed cabinet; fold-down side shelves; swing-away rack frees grate space |
| Footprint and weight | 48.3 x 26.6 x 46.2 in closed; 98 lb (maker; listing shows 98.1 lb) | 53.7 x 24.45 x 44.96 in per listing spec |
| Fuel | Liquid propane; 20-lb tank sold separately | Liquid propane; listing describes use with a propane tank |
| Warranty | 10-year cookbox, lid, burner tubes; 5-year grates and Flavorizer bars; 2-year rest | Burners 5-year; lid and firebox 2-year; grates, emitters and other parts 1-year (maker spec; marketed as 2-year limited) |
| Observed Amazon US offer, 09/15/2026 | $499.00, In Stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Sep 20 | $247.00, In Stock, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Sep 20 |
Weber Spirit E-325 in Black: the sear-first pick
The Spirit E-325 (1500789) in Black is the grill to pick when the crust matters as much as the cook. The mechanism is explicit: two red Boost knobs drive 40% more power into the Sear Zone over porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates that hold heat, while stainless Flavorizer bars catch drippings, vaporize them back as flavor, and funnel the rest away from the burners so flare-ups stay down. Snap-Jet lights each burner with one hand, the built-in lid thermometer reports the cookbox temperature, and the cabinet door hides the tank and tools. Weber's warranty split is the ownership story: 10 years against rust-through and burn-through on the cookbox, lid and burner tubes, 5 years on the grates and Flavorizer bars, and 2 years on the rest. Its limits are space, sides and price: 360 sq in of primary grate is 75 sq in smaller than the Char-Broil, there is no side burner for sauces, and at the observed $499.00 it cost about twice the Char-Broil. The listing showed 4.4 out of 5 stars across 266 ratings with an Amazon's Choice badge and 400+ bought in the past month, which are listing displays, not test results.
Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet in Black: the space-and-sides value pick
The Performance 4-Burner Cabinet (463253925) in Black is the grill to pick when capacity and simultaneity beat peak sear. Four burners feed 435 sq in of primary grate the maker rates for up to 25 burgers, the 130 sq in swing-away rack holds food warm or cooks indirectly and swings aside to free the main grate, and the 11,000-BTU side burner keeps sauces and sides going while the main course grills. The FlavorMax system is an even-heat design aimed at fewer flare-ups rather than a dedicated boost sear zone, and the porcelain-coated cast-iron grates plus slide-out grease tray keep cleanup simple. Char-Broil also sells griddle and charcoal add-on accessories for this platform, so the grill can grow into breakfast cooks and charcoal searing later. Its limits are heat concentration and coverage length: there is no dedicated boost sear zone, and the maker spec covers burners for 5 years but grates, emitters and other parts for only 1 year, against Weber's 10-year burner-and-box terms with 5-year grates. The listing showed 4.1 out of 5 stars across 88 ratings with 50+ bought in the past month, which are listing displays, not test results.
Heat, grates and cleanup
Both grills run propane over cast-iron grates with a coated finish, so day-to-day cooking and cleaning feel similar: preheat with the lid closed, brush the grates, and slide out the grease tray. The difference is where the engineering money went. Weber spent it on peak heat exactly where steaks sit plus a stainless vaporization system with a 10-year burn-through backstop; Char-Broil spent it on a fourth burner, 75 extra square inches of primary grate, a side burner, and an enclosed cabinet at half the observed price. Neither maker publishes a heat-evenness map or a sear test with a method, so treat both heat stories as design descriptions, not measured results.
Warranty and what it costs to own
Weber's split warranty is the strongest ownership argument in this comparison: the parts that end grills, the cookbox, lid and burner tubes, carry 10 years against rust-through and burn-through, with grates and Flavorizer bars at 5 years. Char-Broil's maker spec covers burners for 5 years, the lid and firebox for 2 years, and grates, emitters and other parts for 1 year. Both compared variants burn liquid propane: Weber's maker page specifies a 20-lb tank sold separately, and the Char-Broil listing describes cooking with a propane tank. Assembly is marked required on the Char-Broil maker spec, so check assembly and delivery details on the exact-variant pages and check the footprint against your patio: about 48 x 27 in closed for the Weber and about 54 x 24 in for the Char-Broil.
Where to check the exact variants
Compare the Weber Spirit E-325 LP in Black, model 1500789 (observed In Stock at $499.00 on 09/15/2026, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Sunday, Sep 20) against the Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet in Black, model 463253925 (observed In Stock at $247.00 on 09/15/2026, shipped and sold by Amazon.com, delivery as soon as Sunday, Sep 20). Note on the Char-Broil model codes: the Amazon variant is model 463253925, while charbroil.com currently shows the sibling 4-burner cabinet SKU 463348525 with the same 435/130/FlavorMax/side-burner platform spec, and the maker page marked its own SKU out of stock at $399.00 when observed, which is why the In Stock Amazon variant is the actionable destination. If searing and long coverage matter most, pay for the Weber; if space, a side burner and the lower price matter most, take the Char-Broil.
Sources and further reading
- Amazon.com — Weber Spirit E-325 LP Black, 3 Burners with Sear Zone (B0DPH89PP3)
- Weber US — Spirit E-325 Gas Grill LP Black, model 1500789
- Amazon.com — Charbroil Performance 4-Burner Cabinet Black 463253925 (B0DMWN6BPS)
- Char-Broil — Performance Series 4-Burner Gas Grill with FlavorMax and Side Burner (Cabinet, Black)