Weber Q1200 vs Q2200

 

Buying a grill is a big deal, and you shouldn’t let anyone tell you otherwise – it is just like buying a stove for your kitchen, or making any other major purchases – the more you know about it, the better off you’ll be.

When you step into a store to purchase your first grill, one can easily get overwhelmed because there are so many different pieces and many of those pieces seem as if they have an endless amount of features.

Don’t get fooled in the marketing ploy, because not all grills are created equal. Some grills may be packed full of features, but that doesn’t mean they are top of the line. Therefore, when you’re making your decision, you really need to get up close and personal with the grill in order to make sure you’re getting the most value for your money.

First of all, you’re going to want to figure out which type of grill you want – whether you want gas or charcoal. Personally, many go for gas grills, because they’re just easier to work with. If you have decided to go for a gas grill, then we have two from Weber that might just be suitable for you.

If a person with no prior knowledge of Weber takes a look at their grills and they come across the Q series, they may get a little confused, so we would like to help you sort through them so that you can figure out which one is the most suitable for you.

In this review, we’re going to look at the key features of Q1200 and compare the grill with some of the other options you have of the market, specifically, the Q2200.

The Q1200

The Q1200 comes to us from Weber and it is a nice liquid propane grill. This grill is fun to use, highly reliable and as an additional bonus, it has a small footprint. In the end, if you do decide to go for the Q1200, you are going to love it, because it truly is amazing. However, you may have a tad bit of remorse for not going for the Q2200 over the Q1200.

Specifications and Dimensions for the Weber Q1200

In order to get a better idea of what this grill has to offer, let’s start out by taking a look at some numbers.

• Grates: The cooking grates are cast-iron, porcelain-enameled
• Grilling Are: With the Weber Q1200, you’ll have a total of 189 inches of cooking space, which is pretty good.
• Heating Power: The heating power is 8500 BTU/hour – this comes to a total of 45 BTU per hour per square inch.
• Burners – It consists of one stainless steel burner, which is a pretty good deal.
• Warranty: The warranty is very good – Weber offers a 5 year warranty on the lid assembly, cook box, grates, burner tubes, and plastic components. On all other parts, including the paint, they offer a 2 year warranty.
• Dimensions: When the lid is open and the tables are slid out, the dimensions are: 24.6”Hx40.9”Wx20.5”D. When the lid is closed, it is 15.5”H.

 

The color choices nesting behind the Weber Q1200 is something that we really like. Yes, you can still choose the normal old black, but who would want to choose black, when you could add some flair and choose another color like Fuchsia, Blue, Orange, Green, Red, Purple, Maroon, and Titanium. Personally, we would go for the Fuchsia color, because come on, who on your block has a Fuchsia colored grill? If you want to stand out from the crowd, that color is your man.

What Makes the Q1200 a Good Choice?

There are numerous factors as to why you would want to choose the Weber Q1200, starting with the grilling space you have. The 189 square inches of space that you have to cook on with this grill is going to come in handy during your outdoor events, while camping, and the small footprint makes it so that you can easily use it on a patio or balcony without any problems.

The Cooking Grates

While you’re cooking on the Q1200, you’ll be using cooking grates that are porcelain-enameled cast iron. These grates offer even heating, so you can count on every part of your food being cooked the same. Take note that these grates are really heavy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – they will take around 15 minutes to heat up, which is expected. The grates have been created so that they offer even heating in combination with the burner.

Sizing and Portability

The sizing and portability of this grill makes it so that you can take it anywhere you need. As we said, even if you want to use it on your patio during a rainy day, you can use it and on those days when it is just too sunny to stand outside and grill, you can hide it away under a nice tree so that you can cook in the shade.

Assembling the Grill

Assembling the grill when you first get it isn’t going to be that hard. You will need to attach certain parts individually, but don’t worry, because assembling this grill isn’t going to involve any form of rocket science or anything like that. It comes with a fairly detained manual that has pictures, making it easier to put together. We really like the thought of not having to have any special tools – all you need in order to put the grill together would be a screwdriver. Basically, it should take about five minutes, ten tops, to put together. In other words, the grill is almost ready to use straight out of the box.

The Burner

The burner on this grill is made out of stainless steel. At first glance, you’re going to see the shiny appearance of it – this thing isn’t going to rust anything soon (it’s rust resistant). When it comes to cleaning it up, it’s easy to clean and you don’t need to take any special steps – all you need is a soft sponge and some mild soap.

Cooking Area

The cooking area of this grill is what surprises many people. With 189 square inches, you will have more than enough room to cook a couple of whole chickens, 10 burgers or hotdogs. If you want more efficiency, you can organize the food you’re cooking, but the cooking space you have here is perfect for cooking for a small group of friends or a regular sized family.

Controls

As for the controls on this grill, they make grilling fun and simple. To get the grill started, all you have to do is push the button – just one press is all it takes. It is equipped with an infinite control burner valve, so you can easily adjust the flame to low, medium and high. The built-in temperature gauge will make it so that you can keep track of the temperature and easily control it.

The Side Tables

Normally we wouldn’t talk about the side tables, but they’re just really snazzy. At first, we didn’t think they were that big of a deal, because you know, after all, it is labeled a tabletop grill. However, after reading more about this grill, we found that those side tables were a big hit and they really do come in handy. For example, if you were to use this grill on a tabletop that was crowded, you can use the side tables as well as the space under it.

What We Don’t Like about the Q1200

The two biggest issues came down to the portability and the size.

In regards to the portability, unless you were to get a collapsible cart, then the grill isn’t all that portable. Yes, like we said, you can easily pick it up and carry it with you, but that isn’t really what it was designed to do because there is no lid handle or lid lock. With that in mind, if you want to carry it, you have to use both of your hands and carry it in front of you. As we previously mentioned in the paragraphs below, the cast iron grates are pretty heavy, so carrying it around isn’t going to be that comfortable.

If you plan on using the grill on your patio, or somewhere at home, then the portability issue isn’t going to be that big of a problem.

Does it Compare to the Q1000?

Before we compare the Q1200 to the Q2200, we first wanted to compare it to the Q1000, because this is also a Weber grill in the Q series. As far as cooking goes, comparing these two grills together, they are identical. The difference we found is that the Q1200 has an electronic ignition, while the Q1200 has a push-button start, but they do have the same amount of cooking space and heating power.

Long story short, the Q1200 is basically an upgrade to the Q10000 – it has folding tables, so you have more prep room in a tiny area, like a campsite, or at a table that is already full. Both of the grills have the same type of cooking grates that are removable, and they both have catch pans, making for easy cleanup.

There is a slight price difference between the two, but this is due to the fact that the 1200 has a folding table and the electronic ignition. Which one you choose is fully up to you, but personally, we wouldn’t mind spending a couple extra dollars for electronic ignition and side tables.

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Weber Q2200

The Q2200 is almost identical to the Q1200. The only difference is the fact that the Q2200 has an additional 48% more grilling space than the Q1200.

The Specs of the Weber Q2200:

• 12,000 BTU stainless steel burner
• 280 square inch cooking grate
• Cast aluminum lid and body
• Hood-mounted thermometer
• Push button ignition
• Glass-reinforced nylon fame
• Two work tables
• Weighs 42 pounds
• Available in multiple colors
• Conversion available for full-sized propane bottles
• Removable catch pan
• Gas-reinforced nylon frame
• Large hood

 

The Q2200 has glass-reinforced tables on both sides, which will come in handy for spices and sauces.

The 2-piece grates can be combined or swapped with a griddle accessory that is sold separately.

In all honesty, grills are nice, but when one is able to take their grill and transform it into a griddle is a major bonus – not just because you will be able to cook delicious pancakes on the grill, but because you could use the griddle plate as a searing plate for steaks.

Both of them have cast iron grates that are heavy, electronic ignitions, a lid thermometer, and side tables.

Both of the grills are amazing and can be used as tabletop grills, and both are great to use.. Both have been designed to operate from the same type of propane bottles (disposable one pound bottles), but they can be converted to be able to run off of the traditional 20 pound propane cylinder, which we recommend if you plan on grilling a lot.

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The Weber Q2200 offers a total of 280 square inches of cook space, and a stainless steel burner that is capable of putting out 12,000 BTU. All of the Q series grills from Weber have cast aluminum coated housing, and cast iron cooking grates that are porcelain-enabled, as well as glass-reinforced nyln frames and removable grease pans.

As you would expect from Weber, the Q2200 is an attractive looking grill due to the quality construction combined with an intelligent design. The cast aluminum housing can hold and distribute heat evenly, while the grates are capable at doing an amazing searing job.

You can use both the Q1200 and the Q2000 grills as a table top grill, or you can purchase the additional fold out stand that has two legs, tool hooks, and two wheels and use that. Sure, it may not be as powerful as your traditional gas grill, but if you’re looking for something that is a bit more portable than the standard grills, then this one would be suitable for you. It’s great for small outdoor spaces, camping, and even semi-permanent placement. It may look small in size, but you shouldn’t let that fool you, because it really is powerful.

The Weber 2200 shell is made of cast aluminum, and the cooking grates are made of porcelain coated cast iron. There’s an infinite control burner valve, so the user will be able to set the temperatures at different levels – this way, you won’t be limited to one temperature. The stainless steel burner tube makes it so that the food heats up evenly each and every time (something you can always expect on a Weber grill). Of course, you have the thermometer mounted on the lid, making it easy for you to keep track of the temperature.

 

Conclusion: Q1200 vs Q2200 which is Best?

When you choose a Weber grill, you can rest with the satisfaction of knowing that you are on the road to cooking on one of the highest quality grills you’re going to find. Weber offers the most dependable grills on the market, which is why they are so popular.  Whether you choose the Q 1200 or the Q2200, that choice is fully up to you. However, as we said in the paragraphs above, the two grills are practically the same, except the Q2200 has a bigger cooking space. With that said, if you would like to cook more food all at one time, then we recommend going for the Q2200.  However, if you’re single and only plan on cooking for one or two people, then the Q1200 would be a suitable option for you.