The Product: High-End Four-Burner Gas Grill

Weber has redesigned upgraded its Summit Grills over the past few years in response to competitive pressure, putting features into the four burner models that were previously unavailable in this size. For 2010, Weber has paired back its number of models, phasing out the midline Summit S 450 in favor of the S-420 and S-470 models. Summit S-class series, the S-470 has a great clean and modern look courtesy of its all stainless steel construction. It is powered by four stainless steel burners that put out nearly 49,000 BTU, and the burner tubes run up and town rather then left to right, which makes it easier to control heat zones from left to right and cook multiple items at different temperatures. There is 498 square inches of regular cooking area, which is large enough for most families to grill everything they need it once. There is also a 12,000 BTU flush-mounted side burner which is designed to let use that side as a workspace when you don’t need the burner.

The Summit S-470 also has many great high-end features and gagets typically available on larger grills. One of the most useful is the 8,000 BTU smoker burner, which makes smoking with gas even easier than with charcoal and comes with a smoker box that can hold wood chips or mesquite and give your BBQ that great smokey flavor. Another is the rotisserie burner with spit accessory, which is mounted higher in the new version so that you don’t need to remove the grates and allows you to make restaurant-quality roast fowl and meat with ease. Another recent addition is the 10,600 BTU infrared sear burner which can be a lot of fun with steak. Its located between the main burners so that you can use intermittently while cooking. The 470 also features Weber’s new front-mounted Snap-Jet burner knobs, which are electronically controlled and light individually when turned, without the need for a separate starter. A buillt-in stainless steel Grill-Out handle light acts as a mini spotlight so you can see your food in the dark. Basically, it's loaded ;)

The Weber Summit S470 is also one of the few Weber's with the extra-thick stainless steel 9.5 mm cooking grates. These grates retain heat very well, don't rust and are easy to clean. They are my favoraite by far. If you are looking for a lot of grill under the $1,800 price point, you should be very happy with what the Weber S-470 can provide and how long it will last.

Other Notable Features:

• All stainless steel construction
• Weber’s best-in-class warranty, which will cover most items well beyond your own life span

Models and Variations
The identical built-in version of the 470 is the Weber S-460. In the four burner Summit Series, Weber also offers the S-420 and E-420 models which lose the smoker burner and the infrared burner. The S model is all stainless construction while the E model is porcelain-enameled exterior, available in black or gold, offering additional cost savings. If you regularly grill for large groups or have a big family, then you may need to size of a six-burner grill and you should check out the Summit S-670 Review.

See All Weber Summit E&S Models at  Amazon

Devil's Advocate:

While the Weber S-450 is made mostly of stainless steel, other materials are used around the base of the grill. It is a good idea to wash and clean these areas every so often to prevent any rusting. Also, since the S-class grills are mostly stainless steel, there is no choice of colors.