Advice on which 2nd grill to buy


 
WAlame

WAlame

New member
Hello, I’m looking for advice from the community about my next purchase. I currently have a Kamado Joe Classic II but would like to have the capacity to cook more + do parallel cooks.

I mostly reverse-sear steaks & grill smash burgers on cast iron. I will occasionally grill fish and chicken. Although I love to grill low-and-slow, I don’t really do long smokes.

I am considering a Weber Kettle, either the Performer Deluxe or the Summit. Given that I already have a Kamado, does it make sense to get a Summit? Or should I save the money with a Performer Deluxe? What are your thoughts on how they compare for my specific situation?

Thank you in advance!
 
In my opinion, the Summit would be somewhat duplicative, since you already have a Kamado. But it does provide for a ton of space and flexibility to do low n slow or high heat. You could buy 3 Performers for the cost of that and still have some money leftover for a shopping spree at Snake River Farms though. I'd have a hard time justifying a Summit if I already had a Kamado.
 
I own Pellet, gas, and charcoal cookers and if the powers to be said, " Bill you can only keep one of your cookers " I would hands down be keeping my Performer Deluxe. The flexibility the Performer gives you makes it the keeper. You can go hot and fast, low and slow, two zone cooking, reverse - sear, and light your charcoal with ease. The table makes this model a must in my book.
Good luck and good cooking with whatever you chose.
Bill
 
If you're looking for capacity, have you considered the 26"
I don't have one, but would love to.

Tim
 
I just bought a new Performer with the retractable table and love its smaller footprint. Didn't really need the gas assist any more what/with 2 chimneys and plenty of starter cubes. You could buy 5 of them for the price of one Summit, and as other say can do anything with it.
 
The Performer Deluxe is always the right answer. And, don't be surprised if you just kind of stop using the kamado. Lol.

The Performer with gas assist is the perfect single grill to own, in my opinion. I have 6 Weber grills but if I could only keep one, it would be the Performer every time.
 
Your Kamado has a slightly smaller primary cooking area than a 22" kettle, so a Performer Deluxe will more than double your capacity. However, they duplicate each other in functionality.

You may want to consider a gas grill. I'm a dedicated charcoal guy, but I can't dispute the utility of having hot grates ready to cook ten minutes after I get home from work. My charcoal grill just can't compete with the speed and convenience of gas during the week. With a gasser, you get the extra capacity that you need, but you gain versatility. I added a restored Genesis 1000 to my charcoal grill and WSM 22 smoker earlier this year and I surprised at how much use the gasser gets.
 
I have been wanting to ask this in a few different forums. What are the big differences between the Performer and my Master Touch. I believe it has the gas assistant and the side table, but is it the same kettle? I love my Master Touch. I got into Weber through the WSM and then got the Master Touch. I love them both, but I have been able to do so much in the Master Touch. It is my daily driver. I have a folding side table that I pull out and put away every use that works great for me. When you guys talk about how much you love you Performer, I am left wondering if you are having the same experience as I am having with my Master Touch.

For me if I had the money I would get with a Summit, but I love my 22 in kettle and feel like that thing can do whatever I ask of it. Like other have share the price difference is a large gap and the 22 inch kettle is a work horse!
 
Michael Richards said:
I have been wanting to ask this in a few different forums. What are the big differences between the Performer and my Master Touch. I believe it has the gas assistant and the side table, but is it the same kettle? I love my Master Touch. I got into Weber through the WSM and then got the Master Touch. I love them both, but I have been able to do so much in the Master Touch. It is my daily driver. I have a folding side table that I pull out and put away every use that works great for me. When you guys talk about how much you love you Performer, I am left wondering if you are having the same experience as I am having with my Master Touch.

For me if I had the money I would get with a Summit, but I love my 22 in kettle and feel like that thing can do whatever I ask of it. Like other have share the price difference is a large gap and the 22 inch kettle is a work horse!
Click to expand...

Yeah, the kettles are the same. The gas assist Performer just has gas assist and the table.
 
If I had a Kamado style charcoal cooker, my second grill would be a gasser ............. for sure. I would do a lot less grilling and outdoor cooking if my only grills were charcoal.
 
Love my performer with the gas lighting, it don't take long to be cooking imo. like I have always stated it will be the last grill to leave my house.
 
Michael Richards said:
I have been wanting to ask this in a few different forums. What are the big differences between the Performer and my Master Touch. I believe it has the gas assistant and the side table, but is it the same kettle? I love my Master Touch. I got into Weber through the WSM and then got the Master Touch. I love them both, but I have been able to do so much in the Master Touch. It is my daily driver. I have a folding side table that I pull out and put away every use that works great for me. When you guys talk about how much you love you Performer, I am left wondering if you are having the same experience as I am having with my Master Touch.

For me if I had the money I would get with a Summit, but I love my 22 in kettle and feel like that thing can do whatever I ask of it. Like other have share the price difference is a large gap and the 22 inch kettle is a work horse!
Click to expand...

As Mike said, the table and gas assist. The MasterTouch also has P shaped vents, which apparently allow for more precise air control.
 
I would buy a performer in a minute very versatile smoke,hot and fast, it dose it all and has a serving table to boot.....
 
Performer Deluxe is an amazing grill and my go to grill for just about everything. If you want a grill that can handle cooking for a large party then get the 26" kettle. 26" you gain a lot more grilling space, but lose the table and gas assist. Also, Performer is offered in a handful of different colors, including a cool Slate Blue one from Crate and Barrel.
 
I wish Weber made a 26" Master Touch Performer Deluxe.
My suggestion would be Performer Deluxe as the best of all possibilities if you want one grill. A 26" would be the second grill I would recommend for more surface.
 
Ever think about a blackstone griddle? I had the 36” for awhile and it was great at the things you mention as far as searing on reverse sears. You can do like 50 smash burgers at once. Fried rice was always fun and you can turn out alot of breakfast at once. Since you are mostly into grilling maybe look at a PK360 also. The shape of the PK makes it the best 2 zone cooker I have ever cooked on. I have a Summitt also and the PK gets used more than the Summitt. I also agree with the people above the Summitt is redundant with the KJ. I sold my XL egg once i got the Summitt they are basically the same cooker. My vote would probably be the PK360.
 
hard to say what you should get.

Do you want a table? are you trying to conserve space? do you want to get one as a daily driver and bring the Komodo out on special occasions? How often will it be used? is this for when you have people over? or for your primarily family unit on every saturday?


Both the performer and Summit would be duplicative to what you have. If you're going to keep the Komodo, and are happy with it, I'd go gas.
If you want a big party grill with a lot of room, go 26". You get a lot of room.
The performer, is good, I have one, but I'm not sure its the answer here. I view it as a primary charcoal cooker, which you have.
Same as the Summit its a great grill (I hear), but its effectively a larger Komodo equivalent.
Then there is a plain 22"

I dunno, I haven't really had the urge to maintain multiple charcoal grills, I like the versatility of having a gas option. I have a Weber LX S440 for general cooking duties and a Weber Performer when i want charcoal and have more time/energy. I have a WSM for smoking.
 
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