Vortex VS Weber Charcoal Baskets


 

Phil Perrin

TVWBB Hall of Fame
I see lots of people raving about the Vortex. And I seem to remember someone making one out of a cheap SS bowl.
But can you get the same results by putting the baskets together in the middle of your kettle?
Just curious.
 
Yes and no, you can corral the coals but, that does not a Vortex make.
The concept is that the Vortex creates a vortex, think “afterburner”. I don’t see it gone from my wish list so, I think I might need to order it for St. Valentine’s Day!
 
Well, I have a vortex, and I've wondered this same thing .... a lot .

To avoid trying to describe where I take my Kettle temps, I'll just post a pic of where I've put my Tel Tru.

And I get temps from 325* to 375* whether I use my Vortex ......... or not . I'm thinking the Vortex is just a gimmick. And next time I do wings, I will use my charcoal baskets, and find out for sure if what I suspect is true.

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And I did not realize my Kettle is so dusty. We've been in a mild drought here, and dust has become a problem.
 
I'm not here to state emphatically that the Vortex trumps the baskets but I did try baskets once before buying the Vortex a year ago. Maybe there were some other variables but--for me--the Vortex provided superior results and over the past year I've never used any other method for wings. But I am using "oversized" Vortex units in both my 22" and 26".
 
I did two racks of baby backs on my Kettle Wednesday. I put the coals to one side of the grate. When I put the lid on, I put the vent over the ribs. I then turned the Kettle so the wind would blow the smoke back over the handle.

The temp on my Tel Tru was 325* , for almost the entire cook, which = two hours.

I get the same temps when I use the vortex.
 
I see lots of people raving about the Vortex. And I seem to remember someone making one out of a cheap SS bowl.
But can you get the same results by putting the baskets together in the middle of your kettle?
Just curious.

I think you can get pretty close results using the baskets together for a wing cook.

I use the Vortex for some tasty wing and sous vide steak cooks, but i really like indirect charcoal cooking you can use it for.

The usual Vortex wings.

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Inverted Vortex for a beer can chicken cook.





And Inverted Vortex rib roast on the rotisserie, also a indirect charcoal cook.



Sous vide steak..on the grill grates.






Just to say you can use the Vortex a few different ways Phill, I think its worth the money.
 
I don’t see it as a “Vortex trumps baskets” issue but, a case of they simply work differently, the baskets are good for some things, the Vortex is really designed for very directed high heat (in the “Narrow end up” configuration). Baskets do an extremely fine job for keeping things divided for indirect cooking and when side by side, they will keep coals nicely unified but, since the “cone” is wider at the top the heat direction cannot be as intense as with the Vortex design. It’s a matter of thermodynamics. I have no dog in the race but, they both have their advantages. You could dig the foundation for a condominium with a teaspoon but, if you have a back hoe, wouldn’t it do the job better?
Nice illustrations of how the Vortex can be put to best advantage, Jeff. To tell the truth, beercan chicken just does not snap my cap but, a standing rib roast is another matter. Not being a Vortex owner, I can’t speak to it’s effecacy, I do know that baskets do a fine job for that particular kind of cook, using the rotisserie or not.
 
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I think you can get pretty close results using the baskets together for a wing cook.

I use the Vortex for some tasty wing and sous vide steak cooks, but i really like indirect charcoal cooking you can use it for.

The usual Vortex wings.

Inverted Vortex for a beer can chicken cook.

And Inverted Vortex rib roast on the rotisserie, also a indirect charcoal cook.

Sous vide steak..on the grill grates.

Just to say you can use the Vortex a few different ways Phill, I think its worth the money.

I can do everything you've done there, without the vortex.

And beer can chicken, is also a gimmick. The beer does not do anything for the yardbird.

That's just my opinion , FWIW
 
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I don’t see it as a “Vortex trumps baskets” issue but, a case of they simply work differently, the baskets are good for some things, the Vortex is really designed for very directed high heat (in the “Narrow end up” configuration). Baskets do an extremely fine job for keeping things divided for indirect cooking and when side by side, they will keep coals nicely unified but, since the “cone” is wider at the top the heat direction cannot be as intense as with the Vortex design. It’s a matter of thermodynamics. I have no dog in the race but, they both have their advantages. You could dig the foundation for a condominium with a teaspoon but, if you have a back hoe, wouldn’t it do the job better?
Nice illustrations of how the Vortex can be put to best advantage, Jeff. To tell the truth, beercan chicken just does not snap my cap but, a standing rib roast is another matter. Not being a Vortex owner, I can’t speak to it’s effecacy, I do know that baskets do a fine job for that particular kind of cook, using the rotisserie or not.

I agree Timothy, the Vortex is just another bbq gimmick, it works for my needs. Some like Craycort cast iron grill grates, I prefer SS grill grates. To each their own.
I was just trying to show the versatility of the Vortex. What did we do before the Vortex, we cooked the same thing using the baskets with the same or better results.

Have a Merry Christmas, I enjoy your input on this forum..grounded.. but you bring/post great information, that some might not think of.
 
Phil, first let me start by wishing you and your wife a very merry Christmas! Go to Wal mart, buy a large stainless steel bowl for about $8. Measure the distance between your charcoal grate and cooking grate, and cut that much (plus 1/2") off of the bottom of the new stainless bowl. Wha-La, you have yourself a vortex!! This is what I did a couple years ago, and I'm still using it today. If you like it, great. If you find it to be just a gimmick, you're only out a few bucks. But I do recommend trying one, as I really love my faux-Tex.
Good luck my friend, and I would still like to talk to ya about your camper,
Tim
 
Tim, I’ve thought of doing that.
But ain’t no way I’m going to Walmart today! It’s gonna be beyond crazy!!
And merry Christmas to you too!
 
Well I've done wings and thighs with the baskets in the middle with good results. I decided to buy a "real vortex" and was a little happier with the results the skin was a little crisper with the vortex and the chicken seemed a little moister too. Then I decided I wanted a vortex for my Jumbo Joe but the large one wouldn't fit and I wasn't going to pay the price for a real one again.
I think it was Tim K that came up with the Walmart SS dog bowl vortex so I got a medium one, I think it was under $3.00 and cut the bottom off. It works just as well as the real deal one.
With just two of us the smaller one works best.
So Phil, if you want to experiment and you have a 22 kettle I would get the SS Walmart large dog bowl, hack the bottom off and for less than $5.00 and see how you like. No need to spend $$$ on a real one. There is little to no difference and my Walmart special has been used a lot and is holding up just fine.
Merry Christmas everyone.
 
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I've been doing a lot of wings using the Vortex, with the cone end up. The first time I did so on my Performer, I forgot to pull the lid thermometer. In a very short time the temp needle blew past 550 and continued to climb. It settled in nicely at around 200, second time around. Those were the best and crispiest wings I've ever done. I am not a gimmick person either, but I do like the Vortex and use it often. Merry Christmas everyone.
 
Yes, vortex will heat up the dome. I can barely grab my lid handle. But over on the side , on the grill, where the meat is at , I'm getting entirely different temps. I think the crispness of the wings for me, has more to do with leaving them on the grill for 35 minutes.

Maybe someone else needs to put a remote probe in between their wing pieces, to find out what their temp is ? I verify my Tel-Tru occasionally, using a boiling pot of water. Its right on and I checked it recently.
 
I think for shear searing power the vortex seems a lot hotter. I don't know if using it indirect makes much difference from the baskets. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison.
 
I think for shear searing power the vortex seems a lot hotter. I don't know if using it indirect makes much difference from the baskets. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison.

I agree Dustin, but where it really comes in to play is in an 18" JJ, even one basket in there takes up a lot of room whereas the vortex has a much smaller footprint of direct heat allowing more wings or whatever to be placed indirectly on the grate.
On a 22 probably not a whole lot of difference.
 
I think for shear searing power the vortex seems a lot hotter. I don't know if using it indirect makes much difference from the baskets. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison.

Yes, I haven't clarified that, I'm only speaking to indirect cooking of wings. I've not used the vortex for steaks or searing, I probably should.
 

 

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