1955 Weber Bros Cooking With Magic Weber Bar-B-Q Kettle Brochure


 

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member


Congratulations on your new Weber BAR-B-Q KETTLE! Soon you will be performing feats of culinary magic that will amaze you.

The "secret" of your Weber BAR-B-Q is in the cover and dampers...food comes out more juicy and tender with a sealed-in flavor that cannot be duplicated on ordinary barbecue grills without a cover.

1955 Weber Bros Cooking With Magic Weber Bar-B-Q Kettle Brochure

Based on the brochure content and what we know of Weber history, we can date this brochure to 1955:

  • The Weber Smokey Joe was introduced in 1955.
  • George Stephen redesigned the Bar-B-Q kettle in 1956 from the flat-lid design shown in the brochure to the iconic domed lid we know today.
  • The Weber Bros. & White Metal Works website says, "Progressive Service Since 1885". The back of the brochure includes the phrase "70 Years of Manufacturing Quality Products". Adding 70 years to the Weber Bros. date results in 1955.
  • The history section of Weber.com indicates that the Weber Bros. logo on the back of the brochure dates to 1956.
So 1955 feels about right for this brochure.

The first two pages provide general information about covered grilling, how to start a fire, and general cooking instructions.

The next six pages are recipes and cooking times for beef, "wieners", pork, lamb, fowl, "sea food", vegetables, "skewered combinations", and "sauces and marinates".

The last 2 pages show the "Weber line of flavor-controlled BAR-B-Q kettles and accessories" including the Smokey Joe model SJ-100, the BAR-B-Q kettle model BK-500, the BAR-B-Q Deluxe model BK-550, and the Ranch BAR-B-Q model RB-600 which includes a "warm-up center pan". Also shown are the BAR-B-Q Brazier model JB-300, an electric self-rotating spit, a stainless steel smoke hood, the cutting shelf model CS-15, and the garden torch model GT-200.

You can see examples of the grills and accessories featured in this brochure in this old photo from Weber.com:

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If you read the brochure carefully, you'll notice that grill finishes are undergoing a transition at this time. On page 10, the Bar-B-Q Kettle Model BK-500 is described as having a "rust-proof porcelain finish", yet on page 3 under the heading "If Kettle is a 'Smokey Joe' or Ranch Bar-B-Q..." it says, "The dull-black finish of these two models is a special heat-resistant silicon paint which needs to be 'heat treated' before the kettle is ready for service." It describes the process of "setting the paint and freeing the unit of fumes" by building an initial fire in the grill. "The paint smokes and rubs off only if touched while being treated. After 3 hours, close both dampers and when kettle cools, you're ready to cook."

Talk about seasoning your grill. This was literally the case with the original Smokey Joe and Ranch Kettle!

Hope you enjoy this classic Weber brochure. Special thanks to the owner of this piece of Weber history for sharing it exclusively with TVWBB!
 
...on page 3 under the heading "If Kettle is a 'Smokey Joe' or Ranch Bar-B-Q..." it says, "The dull-black finish of these two models is a special heat-resistant silicon paint which needs to be 'heat treated' before the kettle is ready for service." It describes the process of "setting the paint and freeing the unit of fumes" by building an initial fire in the grill. "The paint smokes and rubs off only if touched while being treated. After 3 hours, close both dampers and when kettle cools, you're ready to cook."

that's crazy, hey? Imagine how that would go over in today's world...?
 
I was shocked to see that Weber actually sold an open top "brazier" type grill back in the day! This brochure is a treasure - along with many of our other saved pieces of Weber history.
 
Wow that’s awesome! Haven’t seen that and somehow missed it while digging through stuff archived.
 

 

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