Weber Lumin review: This electric BBQ convinced me to swap from cooking on gas and charcoal

Telegraph

23-05-2025

What is the Weber Lumin?
Weber is best known for its charcoal and gas barbecues; its Spirit gas model is our Best Buy for the latter category. But as a brand it has a selection of electric models too. The Weber Q is its most affordable, the Weber Pulse adds digital controls and the Weber Lumin offers a more polished design, sitting in the middle of the electric barbecue range with a starting RRP of £559.
The Weber Lumin comes in two sizes (the smaller one is conveniently called Weber Lumin Compact, £369) while there are options to buy an additional stand (which is what I tested), depending on what you want to use it for. It's fairly portable, so easy to store, but also gives you enough space to cook for the whole family.
Interesting features include a steamer tray or the ability to add woodchips for smoke, while the grills themselves can be washed in the dishwasher, which is really convenient.
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How we test electric BBQs
For this Weber Lumin review I tested the barbecue at home over the course of six weeks. I cooked a number of barbecue recipes, trying both low and slow cooking as well as high-heat searing, to test the full range of capabilities.
I was interested in how easy it was to use, from setting it up to getting cooking. I wanted to find out how portable it was and how solid the stand was – as well as test the accessories that came in the box.
I also assessed the controls, both to see how easy it was to adjust the temperature and how long it took to reach high heats. And I considered how easy it was to clean at the end of the process and how safe and sturdy it all felt.
Ultimately, I wanted to know if the Weber Lumin could produce results like a traditional charcoal model, or the best gas barbecues and see how the design aided the production of authentic and tasty barbecue food.
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Ease of use
Score: 10/10
The Weber Lumin comes either with or without a stand. If you go for the latter, then there's little to do out of the box. The main barbecue arrives in one piece with the accessories inside the lid, so you'll be set up in under 10 minutes. Its plastic base is attached and either functions as a table stand or slots onto the top of the folding stand if you want to use it more like a home barbecue. Essentially, it's a portable barbecue that's well suited to more permanent use too.
Opt for the stand and the sturdy plastic construction will require some assembly. Even that only takes about 10 minutes; there's just one tricky part which is getting the stand's folding struts in the right places. But the instructions make that clear.
The lid isn't as domed on the Weber Lumin electric grill as it is on some rivals. So, you'll have to check that your food isn't too tall – a large whole chicken might need spatchcocking before you cook it. But I think that gives better results on the barbecue anyway.
There's a 1.8-metre cable which may or may not be long enough, depending on your garden (I tested it using an exterior socket). It can be easily removed for storage, while the grills on the Weber Lumin are dishwasher safe. A plastic scraper comes included, so when the barbecue is cool, you can scrape off the mess. I also used a wire bush – which Weber recommends. Unlike some models that have fancy non-stick coatings, you can scrub these a little harder to get them clean.
Safety
Score: 9/10
When it comes to safety, if you're using the Lumin on a tabletop, then you'll find it's perfectly solid and stable. Importantly, you can easily open the lid without the risk that it's going to topple over and there's a large, user-friendly handle to the front.
One of the nice features is that part of the base pulls out so you can easily access the drip tray. Oils (or other fluids) can drain away from the body of the barbecue, which is helpful if you're cooking something with a lot of fat or water. Best of all, it's just a foil tray, so it's easy to replace or dispose of if you don't want to clean it.
There's also a plastic shelf that slots into the side of the base. You can't put anything hot on it because it will melt and it can't take a lot of weight. But it's perfectly suited for holding your utensils and refreshments.
As for the stand, my only criticism is that it doesn't fasten to the main barbecue, so you'll have to remember that when you want to pick up and move it. However, easy separation with no tools and a folding stand mean it's easy to store once you're done cooking. There's a little wobble to the stand if you start pushing it around, but I didn't find it unsafe at any time during my testing.
Control
Score: 9/10
While the Weber Pulse has digital controls, the Weber Lumin is a little different, because you just have a clicky dial that turns on the barbecue and controls the temperature. Icons on it show low, medium and high heat, with positions indicated for smoke and steam functions.
This isn't as advanced as a barbecue as the Ninja Woodfire which has a more comprehensive digital control and timer, or the Char-Broil Smart-E (both reviewed in my guide to the best electric barbecues), which has a large display showing the digital temperature. These alternative models also beep to tell you when they have preheated.
The Weber Lumin instead has a traditional thermometer set into the lid, so you can see the temperature at a glance. Neither approach is definitely better. On one hand, digital controls have appeal, but on the other, the Weber Lumin is incredibly simple – you just turn the dial and that's it.
In comparison, with the Ninja Woodfire you have to select the cook mode, any smoke functions, heat level, cooking time and then press start. Some might find that's more fussy than necessary. Cooking on the Weber Lumin is easier and more like a conventional barbecue.
There's one downside to the Lumin controls though: the LED isn't bright enough to see on sunny days, so if you have no power, you won't notice until you're back at your barbecue and find that it's still cold. Otherwise, as you use the thermometer built into the lid, the dim LED doesn't make much of a difference.
Features
Score: 10/10
There are two grill plates and the advantage here is that one can be removed and replaced with something else, meaning you can prepare different foods at once. It comes with a tray that can act as a steamer (if you fill it with water) or as a smoker. Weber recommends its own brand wood chips which come in a range of flavours and it includes instructions for smoking, steaming, searing, food warming and barbecuing from frozen.
This makes the Lumin really versatile, with the option to buy a griddle pan or an expansion kit which includes additional trays, so you can use the whole barbecue for steaming or keeping food warm.
The Weber Lumin has 2,200W of power and will heat up to 315C. It takes about 15 minutes to reach those temperatures and you'll get lots of heat to sear the outside of your steaks with classic barbecue grill lines. You can easily maintain a cooler temperature if you just want to slow-cook a joint of meat. This is one of the benefits of electric cooking – you don't need to think about how you arrange your charcoal for an eight-hour cook, you just turn the dial, get the barbecue to the required temperature and off you go.
I found low to be around 170C, medium settled at 250C and high reached the advertised 315C. But the ambient temperature makes a difference and I took these readings on a warm day, so it might be cooler when the weather isn't as nice (if you're brave enough to cook outdoors then, that is).
Results
Score: 9/10
I was impressed with the food that I cooked on the Weber Lumin and one of the reasons for this is its design. The slotted grills are like a traditional barbecue, allowing fats and juices to drip through onto the heating element (something not seen on all electric barbecues), which makes smoke.
Then you have the option for wood chip smoke as well, meaning you can add extra flavour. It's a little more authentic than the Ninja Woodfire, which is more like using an outdoor air fryer. And that's one of the reasons why I like the Lumin: it behaves like a barbecue. I tested this with a pork fillet which really took on the smoky flavours.
The downside is that it's messy. While the grills themselves are easy enough to clean, the base of the barbecue will get burnt-on mess too. As mentioned above, it scrapes off easily enough, but it's a bit fiddly to get to because the heating element is in the way. It's removed via a couple of screws, but be prepared, just like a conventional barbecue, to spend a little more time cleaning here.
The best thing about the Weber Lumin is that it quickly gets up to heat. I often found I needed to cook at a higher temperature than I expected but that meant some really authentic steaks and burgers, with seared lines on them. Setting it to medium for a slower cook works perfectly well too.
Technical specifications
The Weber Lumin is my favourite electric barbecue, but there's a lot of interest in the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ and Grill too. We're comparing these models so you can quickly see how they differ. The Ninja is more affordable and offers many cooking functions, but it has a smaller cooking area and the results are less like cooking on a barbecue than the Weber Lumin.
Should you buy the Weber Lumin?
The Weber Lumin is a great alternative to a charcoal or gas barbecue, with the advantage of easy cooking controls, minimal assembly, choice between a stand and table top use, great authentic flavour and easy grill cleaning. It's a little on the pricey side – although the Weber Lumin Compact is cheaper – and doesn't have digital controls and all the functions that some rivals offer.
The results I achieved were great, with the smoking box adding appetising woodsmoke flavours. More than any other electric barbecue, the Weber Lumin is the most like a conventional one.
Yes, if:
You're looking for an authentic barbecuing experience
You want a grill that will give you really high heat
You want something portable
No, if:
You want precise temperature controls.
You're on a budget
Weber Lumin FAQs
How to clean Weber Lumin?
The grills on the Weber Lumin are dishwasher safe so are easy to clean. A plastic scraper is supplied, but they can also be scrubbed with a wire brush for easy cleaning when hot. The base of the Lumin is a little more difficult, but you can remove the heating elements for access to the bottom of the barbecue for deeper cleaning.
How long does the Weber Lumin take to heat up?
The Weber Lumin takes about 15 minutes to heat up to high temperatures. You simply rotate the dial and can check the temperature using the thermometer in the lid.
Does the Weber Lumin produce a smoky flavour?
Yes, the fats and juices are free to drop onto the heating element, producing smoke and contributing to the smoky flavour. The Weber Lumin also comes with a smoking tray, so you can load it with wood chips to add extra wood smoke to your cooking.
Is the Weber Lumin portable?
The Weber Lumin weighs 16kg (the Lumin Compact is 12kg) and has easy lifting points on the base. This makes it easy to move around. It's not as portable as the Ninja Woodfire, which has large handles, or the Cadac E Braai, which is a smaller and more compact electric barbecue.