The Summit line includes Weber's top grills, and the S-450 makes it easy to see why. This is a powerhouse grill with looks to match.

Constructed almost entirely from stainless-steel components, the S-450 sparkles. This unit has almost every feature imaginable. It comes with an enclosed cart with two front doors, a primary grill box with four stainless-steel tube burners and two 20x17-inch side shelves, one containing a flush-mounted 12,000-Btu side burner. There are also an 8,000-Btu dedicated smoker burner with stainless-steel smoker box and a 10,600-Btu rear-mounted infrared rotisserie burner.

Performance-wise, the S-450 wowed us. Each of the burners has its own Snap-Jet igniter, so lighting the grill is fast and easy. A quick turn of the burner knob sends a spark to ignite the burner. Because each burner operates independently, you can use one, two, three or all four burners for exacting temperature control. Together, the burners generate an impressive 48,800 Btu of cooking power.

The S-450 is an energy-efficient grill that can operate at an economically low Btu rate. All of the burners feature adjustable settings from Start/Hi to Medium, Low and Off.

The S-450 preheats in record time. At the 5-minute mark, the hood thermometer registered 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and by 10 minutes, it was up to 600 degrees. With the lid closed and all the burners turned to low, the grill retained a constant 400 degree cooking temperature. The cooking grates on the S-450 are thick stainless-steel rod-style grates. While we did notice a bit of sticking with certain foods like buns, vegetables and other non-fatty items, the problem was alleviated by pre-treating the cooking grate with a high-temperature cooking oil or grilling spray.

The usable cooking area of the S-450 measures 650 square inches. The surface consists of a pair of removable 11x19-1/2-inch heavy-duty grates that sit in the recessed area of the grill box. An extra 4 inches of space is sacrificed to accommodate the stainless-steel smoker box, which runs the full depth of the grill box and is large enough to accommodate a good supply of wood chips. The smoker box has its own dedicated burner and igniter, which makes smoking foods easy and efficient even if you've never done it before. Smoking takes about 10 minutes and lasts up to 45 minutes. If a longer cooking time is required, you can simply add more chips. Cooking in a smoke-filled grill enhances the flavor of meats, fish and poultry. Keep in mind that this grill is also available without the smoker box as model S-420.

Even without the smoker box, the S-450 delivered flavorful results, thanks to Weber's unique Flavorizer bar cooking system. This model has eight stainless-steel Flavorizer bars, which run vertically from the front of the grill box to the rear. The bars interchangeably cover each burner and the open space between burners to both equalize the heat from the burners and catch and vaporize drippings, which redistributes the flavor to the food.

Another exceptional feature on the S-450 is the rear-mounted infrared rotisserie burner and accessories. The extra-long rotisserie spit is constructed of thick stainless steel and can accommodate roasts or whole chickens up to 9-1/2 inches wide and approximately 15 inches long. Two smaller roasts can be cooked as long as they are tied together with cooking twine. In addition, the rotisserie and smoker box can be used together for extra smoked flavor. Remember that foods cooked using the rotisserie burner alone or in combination with the two outer burners (for indirect heat) will take quite a bit longer than those cooked over a direct heat source. However, the results will be worth it.

The S-450's other standard features include a 112-square-inch warming rack, an oversize stay-cool polished hood handle, cast-aluminum end caps that retain heat inside grilling box, a handy fuel gauge inside the cart, four heavy-duty caster wheels (two of which are locking casters) and an easily accessed removable drip tray. There are also six utensil holders (three on each side shelf) and a cool Grill Out handle light that shines a beam of light down onto the cooking surface when the hood is lifted.

For exceptional grilling, the feature-packed Weber Summit S-450 gas grill is tough to beat.


Pros: Four burners produce 48,800 Btu, stainless-steel construction, 12,000-Btu side burner, 8,000-Btu smoker box, 10,600-Btu infrared rotisserie burner, Snap-Jet igniter system
Cons: Slight sticking with delicate foods

Warranty
2 years, parts; 5 years, stainless-steel cooking grates and Flavorizer bars; 10 years, stainless-steel burner tubes; 25 years, aluminum castings, stainless-steel shroud, and porcelain-enameled shroud