Need a bigger kettle


 

BobJ

TVWBB Super Fan
I currently have an 18" Premium that my charcoal cooking has outgrown, as such I'm looking to bump up to a 22, either the Master-Touch or the Performer. Thing is I can't find anywhere around me that has anything other then the Original 22 on display. For one, I can't tell if the regular Performer has the gas assist. Weber's web site does not mention if it has it, but then neither does the Performer Premium. I'm thinking the lower end Performer as I have very limited room to store it so the fold up table would be nice. If it does not have gas assist the Master Touch would be fine.

Questions: Do all the Performers have gas assist? Can someone tell me how it works? Do you still use a chimney? Is the Performer worth the extra $60? Are there benefits for the Master Touch over the Performer, other then price? Looks like it has a different grate setup.

Thanks
 
Not all Performers have gas assist, and the one with a fold up table does not.
It works by placing your charcoal, piled up, in baskets, or a chimney, over the twin burners and pushing the igniter.
The MT has a lid holder, and a bucket rather than dish for ashes. Not sure what grate they have for it presently.
I'm pretty sure the Performer Premium has gas assist.
You'll have to decide for yourself. :)
 
Thanks, just looking for pros and cons as I can't see them in person and the web pages are lacking in info. Now that I know the basic Performer has no gas assist it lessens my interest in it.
 
Weber doesn't make it easy on their website to discern information about their products. You have to click on the specifications tab and read carefully. Based on a quick read of the specs, I think the Performer Deluxe is the only model with gas assist. The regular Performer and Performer Premium models do not have it.

Performer v. MT? I had a Performer for years before we put an island with a built in charcoal grill. I loved that Performer. A friend of mine still has it and uses it. It's got to be 15 years old at this point. If you have the room, I don't think you'll regret getting a Performer. I cooked on an 18" kettle on vacation recently and the only thing I missed was a work table. I think the gas assist is unnecessary because the Weber starter cubes do a great job, but it would be tempting to get a Deluxe just for the green option.
 
I have Kettles and I have a Performer Deluxe. There is a convenience that I appreciate and enjoy with the Performer; I can walk outside empty-handed and everything needed to get it fired-up is right there at the unit. I pull charcoal from its storage bin into the baskets, position them over the burner tube, press a button and walk away for 5 minutes and then come back and turn off the gas, allowing some additional time for the coals to ready themselves. Its table has ample room that I don't need any additional shelving or tables. Having said all that, it obviously doesn't cook any better and is considerably more costly if you buy a new one.
 
Performer Deluxe is the way to go. I have multiple Weber's and the Performer is my go to 90% of the time.
 
Shop the used market to find a gas assist model. I picked up a green one for 170 and looks and works like new. Just replaced the cheap plastic cracked table and away you go.
 
My gas assist performer is what got me back into charcoal cooking years ago. It's so convenient having the gas assist it's as easy as a gasser and the attached table is very nice to have. I use the storage bin for my smoke wood. One thing I did was get the accessory hose to hook up a 20# propane tank instead of the little bottles, the tank that's on there now has been on for over three years and it's still half full, much better than the little bottles that don't last to long. That only works if you don't have to move the performer around much as there is no way to mount the big tank to the performer.
 
I just used a gas assist performer for the first time while visiting family in S.C.
It was kind of nice but, since I don’t have gas assist on mine, I don’t miss it. Chimney and the local, worthless, newspaper works just fine!
Bide your time, the right one will come your way as long as you’re patient.
 
I agree with the others on the gas assist I love it use a chimney to get started using the gas assist no cubes and no newspaper ash. Since I have a smoker I use the gas assist to get the chimney going for that also. You don't need to use a lot of gas and I still use the small tanks but at Walmart not a lot of money and depending on how much you use it they last a long time.

If your going to use it a lot and don't need to move it around what Rich does with the 20# tank is the way to go and like Rich it was the performer that got me back into charcoal. I got one used was fortunate for under $100 bucks got a new charcoal and cooking grate the table was cracked I got lucky and Weber replaced it with the new steel table which is what they should have been using all along.

Even if Weber won't comp you a table for free they were offering it to people who had cracked tables for $40 bucks not sure if they do that anymore.
 
I have a Performer without the gas assist, and I love it. Sure it would be convenient to have it, but I'll tell ya, the Weber lighter cubes are practically as easy to use. Push a cube out the pack, light it (lights instantly), plop a chimney of charcoal on top, walk away.

If you can find a good used Performer, I would do that. Otherwise, you wouldn't be wrong getting a MT either.
 
I would keep my eye out for a used one. I have seen decent ones with gas assist for under $100. Some cleanup and maybe one or two new grates and you are ready to go. Plus you can choose the grate you want since you don't have deal with the standard grate the new ones come with.
One thing I like about the Performer is the higher "counter top" height. They are 1 or 2" higher than the MT. If you are a tall fellow you appreciate the higher working height.
 
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I've been watching Craigslist for a few months now, best I've seen is a couple Performers w/gas assist for $175 and close to 2 hours away. I might do the $175 for used, but not with a 4 hour drive. I'll keep looking, for a while. Pretty much the only kettles I see come up in this area are the Originals.
 
I've been watching Craigslist for a few months now, best I've seen is a couple Performers w/gas assist for $175 and close to 2 hours away. I might do the $175 for used, but not with a 4 hour drive. I'll keep looking, for a while. Pretty much the only kettles I see come up in this area are the Originals.

Also watch Offerup.com, Facebook Marketplace and letgo.com. I found the Genesis gasser I'd been looking for on Offerup.
 
I’m not either, TVWBB is as social as I get!

I just realized today my overperformer is four years old today! I saw the weather deteriorating so, I put its cover on. Having both the 22 and 18 on the same carriage has proven very satisfactory, I will install an umbrella mount on the front side so I can set the WSM under that more easily than moving the heavyweight rascal around for rainy smoking! Two hose clamps and a piece of PVC about 16” long and I think I have pretty much all the bases covered!
 
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I've been watching Craigslist for a few months now, best I've seen is a couple Performers w/gas assist for $175 and close to 2 hours away. I might do the $175 for used, but not with a 4 hour drive. I'll keep looking, for a while. Pretty much the only kettles I see come up in this area are the Originals.

I think $175 for a gas assist is a decent deal, I live in ATL and not many pop up their are 2 on craigslist and they are both over $300 for the asking price. Hang tight something will pop up.
 

 

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