new 26.5 kettle


 
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George Curtis

TVWBB Olympian
saw pics of it at bbq-brethren. sweet. gotta be a member to see the pics. one touch gold style. flip up grate. lid catcher. gauge on the side/top of the lid. heat shield for the top handle.
 
Wow... that's definitely not a remake of the old 26 3/4" kettle. The grill sits much higher, which I'm guessing also makes it further across. Also, the lid is rounded similar to the 22" kettle - the old 26.75 has a noticeable flat top profile. Very cool that they put the thermometer on this as well as the ash catcher and flip up grates.

I have a 26.75 one touch that I was hoping to retrofit with the new flip-up grate, but I think the new one is going to be larger and won't sit down on the grate tabs. Thank for the pics... very cool.
 
When there is a will and the Web, there is (almost) always a way...

http://www.spogagafa.com/global/dokumente/spogagafa/neuheiten_p_z.pdf

Skip to page 34 to read about new Weber products shown at the SPOGA outdoor show in Cologne. Blow-up the PDF to 300% and you get a view of some detail of the thermometer in lid and heat field under the lid handle. (Another heat shield for 2009...I'm seeing a safety theme here.)

Hard to get a sense of scale without seeing it next to the 22".

Rough translation of text:

67 cm diameter, 40 per cent more surface: The large grill rust of the One Touch gold creates changed basic conditions in the world of grilling and provides for boundless experiences. Otherwise everything concentrates on the substantial: One Touch Reinigungssystem, ventilation slidegate valves, 1 branch and firmness, cover owner, thermometer in the cover and proven Weber quality make the One Touch Gold to the special highlight.
Click to expand...
Love these translation tools.
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We also learn of the Spirit Premium and a black Weber Q.

Regards,
Chris
 
Yes, when?? Seeing the copper kettle behind it makes me worry - that was never available in the U.S. I'm impressed that Weber didn't just re-manufacture the old 26.75 grill, but actually addressed some of its design flaws. They added the OTG system, slide-aside and thermometer. I can't wait to see this grill in person. The old 26.75 had the flatop lid which appears to be shallower than the new lid (speculation), allowing them to raise the grate and take additional advantage of the increased diameter. The 26.75 grate is a shade under 25" I believe - I'm guessing this new grate is 26"+. Not a huge difference, but definite improvement...
 
Originally posted by Allen Sharar:
Seeing the copper kettle behind it makes me worry - that was never available in the U.S.
Click to expand...
Copper was available on the Genesis gasser last season. When I spoke to Mike Kempster back in 2007, he said we'd see these metallic finishes extended to other grills in the lineup. Since they are all made in the US and shipped to Europe, I would suspect if they're making a copper-colored kettle that we'll see it here, too.
 
Rough translation of text:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">67 cm diameter, 40 per cent more surface: The large grill rust of the One Touch gold creates changed basic conditions in the world of grilling and provides for boundless experiences. Otherwise everything concentrates on the substantial: One Touch Reinigungssystem, ventilation slidegate valves, 1 branch and firmness, cover owner, thermometer in the cover and proven Weber quality make the One Touch Gold to the special highlight.
Click to expand...

Love these translation tools. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The translation reads like a lot of manuals for some products I have encountered over the years.
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Jeff
 
Here are the Suggested Retail Prices
26"One Touch Black MSRP $399
2009 18.5"SMC(WSM) MSRP $349
22.5" SMC MSRP $499

Official ship date is December 1st although I understand they will start shipping to distributors from factory as soon as production fires up in October.
 
I'm very excited about the larger kettle as well, but I have to say that the price is a bit steep.

I can see $250 or maybe $300, but $400??

I'd rather see a basic OT Silver in the larger size for about $150.
 
That's suggested Amazon is always less.

Right now WSM is Suggested $299 and available for 199.01 from Amazon.

You are also getting a half Ranch kettle for less than half the price. Compared to a Ranch or Weber propane it's a bargain in my not humble opinion.
 
I'm betting that you won't see the OTS or OTG designations with the new 26, instead it will be treated more along the lines of a specialty item (i.e. ranch-kettle, WSM). It's basically a 26" master-touch though.
 
While I can appreciate all of the nice features of the larger kettle, I still would prefer an option for a larger OT Silver (or Gold) for those of us who won't be able to afford the new 26". For me, the increased space is the biggest attraction for me.

Having a less an expensive option in addition to the more expensive model would meet the needs of a great number of people.
 
One of the main reasons why I didn't get rid of my old Weber Kettle after i purchased the performer is that if and when i need the extra space then I'll bring it out and use 2 of them.

Yes, it does mean I'll use a lot more fuel, but then I'll have over 44" in Diameter working for me rather than 22" or even the new 26".

A good 2nd hand Kettle would be a cheaper option for larger cooks.
To me, I don't think I could justify buying a new Kettle with only about 4 extra inches of space.

Only my 2 cents worth....hope I didn't offend anyone.
 
Originally posted by Davo:
One of the main reasons why I didn't get rid of my old Weber Kettle after i purchased the performer is that if and when i need the extra space then I'll bring it out and use 2 of them.

Yes, it does mean I'll use a lot more fuel, but then I'll have over 44" in Diameter working for me rather than 22" or even the new 26".

A good 2nd hand Kettle would be a cheaper option for larger cooks.
To me, I don't think I could justify buying a new Kettle with only about 4 extra inches of space.

Only my 2 cents worth....hope I didn't offend anyone.
Click to expand...

True, while the diameter of the new grill is only 4.25" wider, the actual cooking surface is 41% larger. With the 22.5 you get 397.6 square inches of grill with the 26.75 you get 562 square inches.

I'll wait until they come out with a 26.75" performer.
 
Wow, put me in the camp that thinks the pricing is high. My memory is that the 22 OTG is $150 and the 18 OTG is $130. Even if the 26.5 sells for 100 less than MSRP that still puts it out the door at $300. The second kettle option sounds awfully good.
 
The 26.5" kettle has a 41% larger cooking surface than the 22" kettle; it is hard for me to see why anyone would/should pay a price that is more than 41% higher than that of a 22" kettle.

A 22" OTG can be had from Amazon for about $140; add 41% and you're up to $200. I can certainly see paying $200 for a 26" Kettle.

$400, on the other hand, strikes me as simply outlandish - for the same money, I could buy three 22" OTGs AND a 22" OTS, and have fully 300% more cooking space. Even $300 is too steep, in my opinion, as I can still get more cooking surface for less money by buying an extra 18" and/or 22" kettle.
 
Oops - Math error. Assuming $140 for an 22" OTG, $400 will NOT get me three 22" OTGs. It will, however, come within a few bucks of two 22" OTG's, giving me 795 square inches of cooking surface (against the 562 square inches on the 26.5") PLUS two 18" OTS, bringing an additional 509 square inches. Thus, earlier math error notwithstanding, my larger point stands - I have zero incentive to pay anything close to $400 (or even $300) for a 26.5" kettle.
 
But that assumes fuel is free. I know my Ranch kettles are very thrifty with two Weber chimneys of Kingsford going 4+ hours. Running a 26" will consume far less charcoal than an army of smaller kettles and over a few years the 26" will pay for itself in fuel saving while impressing all the way.
 
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