Weber Spirit E-310 vs Pit Boss Sportsman 850: Gas Grill or Value Pellet Smoker at Similar Money

Where these two differ

For roughly the same money a buyer can have a Weber three-burner gas grill or a Pit Boss full-size pellet grill, and the choice is between a better grill and a bigger smoker. The Spirit E-310 sears on open flame and is ready in ten minutes. The Sportsman 850 smokes for hours unattended, has nearly twice the cooking area and sears through its flame broiler.

This comparison is based on the published specifications and manuals for both grills and on recurring owner feedback. We have not cooked on either ourselves.

Grilling

The Spirit lights, preheats in ten minutes and cooks burgers, chicken and vegetables with direct heat and a sear. The Sportsman 850 takes longer to preheat and grills at 450 to 500 F, with the flame broiler opened for a sear that is closer to gas than most pellet grills manage. For a Tuesday dinner, the Weber is faster and simpler.

Smoking

The Pit Boss holds 225 F from a 21 lb hopper for a brisket or a pork shoulder with no attention, and smokes the whole time. The Spirit cannot do this. If smoke is the point, the choice is made.

Capacity

Five hundred and twenty-nine square inches feeds a family; 849 feeds a party and takes two briskets. The Pit Boss is a much bigger cooker for the same money, at the cost of patio space.

Build and upkeep

The Weber is a better finished grill with a ten-year warranty on the parts that matter and a cleaning routine of a brush and a tray. The Pit Boss is solid steel with rough edges, a reliable auger, a controller without an app and a cleaning routine that includes a vacuum for the fire pot. Both last with a cover.

Common owner complaints

Spirit owners mention the folding side table and the lid height. Sportsman 850 owners mention temperature swings in cold wind, controller readings that differ from a grate thermometer and no app. Both grills have a long record of owners who keep them.

Which one should you buy

Buy the Spirit E-310 if most of your cooking is quick grilling and you value a finished product and simplicity. Buy the Sportsman 850 if you want smoke, capacity and a sear from one value grill and the patio has an outlet. Both are good money spent on different cooking.

Our verdict

The Spirit E-310 is the better grill and the one most households will use more often, so it edges this comparison. The Sportsman 850 is the better buy for anyone who wants to smoke, and its flame broiler makes it a fair grill as well.