Any cooking benefit to the new 22" vs 18"


 
Jason Nagy

Jason Nagy

New member
I have been lurking on here for a little while and have decided to get into the BBQ world with a
Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. I have read a ton of stuff and am still having a tough choice between the 18 and 22. I have a fairly small family and will not be competing or cooking huge amounts of food at one time. I was just wondering if there was any benefit to the larger 22" model in terms of cooking ability or heat retention. I think the 18" will be more than enough for my needs, but if there is a benefit to the larger model then I will get that one. Thanks for the help and for the great site!!
 
Jason,

The advantage to the 22" version is larger cooking capacity and more flexibility in how you can cook. It sounds like capacity is not an issue for you, since you're just going to cook for your small family.

By flexibility I mean you can cook ribs laid flat on the grill on the 22", whereas on the 18" you need to squeeze them in or cut them in half or roll them up to make them fit. Or you could cook a much bigger turkey in the 22" than you could in the 18".

Here's a link to some photos showing what I'm talking about in terms of how ribs work on the 18" vs. the 22". Click the thumbnails for larger images:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/22wsm.html#test1

Sounds like to me you would be well served with the 18".

Regards,
Chris
 
Chris - I've been on this forum for only about a week or so but I must say I appreciate your honesty. I belong to about a 1/2 dozen other forums for cooking and car detailing, many times the moderator will push to sell products. I always gringe when a newbie asks "what shold I buy"? But in your case you gave an honest answer.

Second, the pic that shows the 18" vs the 22" with the 3 ribs laid flat. Did you actually cook them that way as they are past the water pan or just showed for reference only? I assume the ends would need to be cut or would you foil the ends to protect them?

Howard
 
Howard,

Those side-by-side photos were just taken for reference so you could see the difference in space on the 22" vs. the 18". I did not cook those ribs that way in the 18" smoker. I would have probably rolled them, or cut them into halves and used a rib rack.

Chris
 
Howard,
I bought the 18.5 just over a month ago and love it. I cooked for about 15 people last weekend and the 18.5 was big enough. I cooked a 10lb butt on the top rack which finished about 9am and then tossed on 4 racks of ribs (cut into halves) on the top rack while the butt sat in the cooler waiting to be pulled.

What I am saying is I have not even used the bottom rack yet (to be honest, still slightly intimidated on using 2 racks with slightly diff temps haha). The point being that I was able to do 4 large racks all on the top rack of the 18.5.

No matter what size you buy, buy now
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because once you use it once, you will regret not having one a long time ago haha.

Oh, and check for deals online and through the forum first. Some guys have posted about the 22 going for under 300 on some websites (if you chose to go with the 22).
 
Thanks for all the input. It seems that I will be better served by the 18.5. I was just trying to see if there was a performance increase by going with the larger unit. I will continue to lurk on here and I'm sure ask a bunch more questions. I look forward to the BBQ journey.
 
Jason, with your concern of the performance. It is my understanding that the 18.5 will come up to temp faster and use less fuel than the 22. So, unless you are smoking large quantities of food everytime, it will cost you more time and money to use the 22 than the 18.

Merrill
 
Jason - I am considering the 22" for one reason only - cooking 6 racks of spare ribs - easily! Meaning to have them lay down flat and able to test easily and add sauce at the end. No more mutilple cut pieces no more rolling into a spiral. I buy from Sam's which sells cryovacs of ribs - 3 ribs to a package. I would like to cook 2 packages at a time to better utilize my time and charcoal costs. I just find it a waste to cook 3 racks for 5 hrs. Then, more than 1/2 are eaten by the family and friends. I would like to be able to place much more in the freezer for a rainy day or when the wife & I get home and do not know what to cook. I own an 18" and use it all the time but I am looking to expand to a larger operation
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Just consider how you will cook now and in the future.

Howard
 
I think it has been settled. I have purchased the 18.5 and I think it will be large enough for my needs. I just finished 3 baby back ribs and they fit just fine. There were even leftovers (amazingly enough). Thanks to everyone for their help and input. I love my new BBQ machine!!
 
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