Deciding between Weber master touch, performer or summit E6

[Tony P in Florida]

Can you share a link to the facebook group? Don't know if that's allowed here . On the idea of making Pizza on the E6 I am still not sure it will match my expectations. All the pizza I see made on the E6 looks ok like the image I attached. But for the price of the E6 I could get a Performer and an ooni and still have 200 left for fuel and steaks.
If the summit can make pizza as good as the ooni then I would prefer to have just one grill/oven but I haven't been able to find a video or review about the summit making pizzas that nice.

It's been a long while since I made pizza on my ceramic kamado. I have not yet made one on my E6.

But in terms of the picture of the kamado making pizza, that's one way of doing it.

The other way of doing it is elevating the pizza stone and the pizza at least 6 in off the grate. When it's closer to the dome, you got that heat radiating off of the dome which Cooks the top and the bottom... So top cooks faster that way. I think the key is to have more heat radiating on top of the pizza.

I've seen some setups in the kamado forums where folks would use two Pizza stones. One stone on the grate where the pizza lays on top of, and the other Stone which is a couple of inches above the pizza. Usually held up with bricks or something. Same principle as elevating the pizza to the dome. You get that hot stone above the pizza which helps the cook. The results would be closer to the ooni.

 

[Bruno]

Have not used one of these on my grill but have used them many times at work, they keep an icy acetylene torch too clean. I could very much see this being useful to clean a burner tube.

 

[DanHoo]

It's been a long while since I made pizza on my ceramic kamado. I have not yet made one on my E6.

But in terms of the picture of the kamado making pizza, that's one way of doing it.

The other way of doing it is elevating the pizza stone and the pizza at least 6 in off the grate. When it's closer to the dome, you got that heat radiating off of the dome which Cooks the top and the bottom... So top cooks faster that way. I think the key is to have more heat radiating on top of the pizza.

I've seen some setups in the kamado forums where folks would use two Pizza stones. One stone on the grate where the pizza lays on top of, and the other Stone which is a couple of inches above the pizza. Usually held up with bricks or something. Same principle as elevating the pizza to the dome. You get that hot stone above the pizza which helps the cook. The results would be closer to the ooni.

I use two pizza stones in my gasser and my BGE.

I use spacers to give an air gap between the stones. The ceramic BGE feet work well as spacers

 

[GrantT]

If the summit can make pizza as good as the ooni then I would prefer to have just one grill/oven but I haven't been able to find a video or review about the summit making pizzas that nice.

NO kamado or gas grill makes a decent Neapolitan style pizza. Period. I've gone down this route and kamado and gas grills by their temperature/design etc are just not suited to that style of cooking. You cannot hit 900-1000 degrees and get the radiated heat required. Not to say you cannot make an amazing pizza of another style...but it will not compare to a true Neapolitan if that is your end goal.

Every grill gives up something to do what it does...there is no one grill that does it all that I have seen. A kamado is close to the king of doing it all pretty well, but still is not the BEST smoker, or the best grill, or the best pizza oven etc.

 

[Noe]

IMO the 26er is the best kettle grill hands down Weber has ever made, the 22 is great but the 26er is superior. The price will not break the bank.

 

[Richard Garcia]

IMO the 26er is the best kettle grill hands down Weber has ever made, the 22 is great but the 26er is superior. The price will not break the bank.

My go-to grill is a Weber Performer Deluxe 22" in which I "park" my Cajun Bandit Rotisserie Ring when not in use. I am now wanting to utilize more often my Rotisserie Set-up, so, I am now contemplating purchasing another Weber Kettle primarily for Rotisserie Cooking.

I generally BBQ only for the Wife and I, so, another Weber Kettle 22" will suffice, however, that 26er will be handy when we have guests.

The heavy lid and needing to burn more charcoal for the 26er is somewhat a turn-off, however, that Stainless Steel Grill is a great addition on the 26er!

 

[Brock Gingery]

I haven’t gotten into pizzas much, but on one of the FB groups I belong to, people love them for that. The dual walls and flip up damper make it easier to get hotter temps.

If you really never see doing cooks longer than a few hours and the capacity of the 22” isn’t limiting for you, you might be happier with a Performer though. I had one before the WSCG and do miss the table. You can also use any accessory designed for the 22” kettles on a performer.

I've gotten 8+ hours on a single banked load of charcoal with my 22 inch for low and slow before. you can also get 700 degree Temps if you know how to build your fire. Some of the pizza oven kits for them can push 900 to 1000 degrees with how you fuel them.

It's all in how you set it up. I think the one main benefit the E6 gives is insulation against wind. Does that warrant the extra increase in price? Not for me. Happy folks are enjoying them when they get them though.

 

[Shane - glitchy]

I've gotten 8+ hours on a single banked load of charcoal with my 22 inch for low and slow before. you can also get 700 degree Temps if you know how to build your fire. Some of the pizza oven kits for them can push 900 to 1000 degrees with how you fuel them.

It's all in how you set it up. I think the one main benefit the E6 gives is insulation against wind. Does that warrant the extra increase in price? Not for me. Happy folks are enjoying them when they get them though.

All I can say is look how many people sell their kettles and performers and never look back after getting the Kamado/WSCG. Is it cheap? No. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a. kettle, that’s why it’s been around 70 years. Can it be improved? Definitely, that’s why there’s other options. I can’t do anything on the WSCG that I couldn’t find a way to do on the Performer or my kettle before that, but I can do many things better, or at least far more efficiently. I’d challenge you to anytime you get 8 hours, I could get 16 in the same conditions with the same amount of fuel on my WSCG. It obviously doesn’t pay for itself in a year or three, but that’s not the only factor. If you’re happy with what you have more power to you, but that’s not the question asked, it’s what benefits might you get from the Kamado over a kettle/Performer? The only benefits I see in a kettle over a kamado are cleaner smoke at 225° (due to less efficiency) and cheaper initial cost. The Kamado has more space, is more efficient, should be able to reach higher temps, is physically more stable, is easier to keep at a steady temp for longer periods, etc.

 

[Darren Lebner]

Another reason some people use a kettle is simply because they don't need hours of slow cooking. I don't have a Kamado. 99% of my grilling is for immediate or near immediate needs, for the guests who'll be at our table within the next few minutes or hours. I have done a lot more slow-cooking on my kettle since learning how here on TVWBB and it shows in the resulting great taste and texture of the meat and poultry.

But I am tempted to buy a Kamado for my next purchase. I just need to understand the personal justification for it. Will I want it because I will wind up doing more batches of slow-cooked meats to freeze, rather than serving off the grill, which I usually do?

 

[Richard Garcia]

, but that’s not the question asked, it’s what benefits might you get from the Kamado over a kettle/Performer? The only benefits I see in a kettle over a kamado are cleaner smoke at 225° (due to less efficiency) and cheaper initial cost. The Kamado has more space, is more efficient, should be able to reach higher temps, is physically more stable, is easier to keep at a steady temp for longer periods, etc.

One great benefit is the cost difference between the Weber Performer Deluxe's(WPD) spacious table and the Weber Kamado beautiful Stainless Steel Table. The WPD cost Difference between the Weber Kamado with a table here in Costa Rica is around TWO THOUSAND(2000) DOLLARS Less and the Weber Kamado without the table is around One Thousand Five-Hundred(1,500) Dollars Less and lacking that table makes it somewhat more inconvenient for your grilling sessions IMO.

 

[Brett-EDH]

Another reason some people use a kettle is simply because they don't need hours of slow cooking. I don't have a Kamado. 99% of my grilling is for immediate or near immediate needs, for the guests who'll be at our table within the next few minutes or hours. I have done a lot more slow-cooking on my kettle since learning how here on TVWBB and it shows in the resulting great taste and texture of the meat and poultry.

But I am tempted to buy a Kamado for my next purchase. I just need to understand the personal justification for it. Will I want it because I will wind up doing more batches of slow-cooked meats to freeze, rather than serving off the grill, which I usually do?

For me, my E6 replaced my WSM and my gasser Summit 670. I was able to combine the best of three worlds, smoking, grilling and all over coal for maximum flavor. One grill that does it ALL and each facet perfectly.

 

[Darren Lebner]

For me, my E6 replaced my WSM and my gasser Summit 670. I was able to combine the best of three worlds, smoking, grilling and all over coal for maximum flavor. One grill that does it ALL and each facet perfectly.

I need our G II 310 or 435 to cook quantities for a lot of guests or for cooking large batches to be frozen. They're like an assembly line.

Cannot do those quantities with a gas grill in the same minimum of time.

 

[Brock Gingery]

All I can say is look how many people sell their kettles and performers and never look back after getting the Kamado/WSCG. Is it cheap? No. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a. kettle, that’s why it’s been around 70 years. Can it be improved? Definitely, that’s why there’s other options. I can’t do anything on the WSCG that I couldn’t find a way to do on the Performer or my kettle before that, but I can do many things better, or at least far more efficiently. I’d challenge you to anytime you get 8 hours, I could get 16 in the same conditions with the same amount of fuel on my WSCG. It obviously doesn’t pay for itself in a year or three, but that’s not the only factor. If you’re happy with what you have more power to you, but that’s not the question asked, it’s what benefits might you get from the Kamado over a kettle/Performer? The only benefits I see in a kettle over a kamado are cleaner smoke at 225° (due to less efficiency) and cheaper initial cost. The Kamado has more space, is more efficient, should be able to reach higher temps, is physically more stable, is easier to keep at a steady temp for longer periods, etc.

There are more benefits to the kettle than what you are saying, and I was aware of what the original question asked was. He wanted a do all grill with out of the box options and expandability down the road. That second part is what tips the equation in favor of the kettle due to aftermarket support.

Kettles come up for sale a lot sure, but I also don't see many running out to buy an E6 once they sell them. Many of those are people who bought them thinking it's cheaper, and later choose to go gas or pellet for "ease of use". The other side of that coin though? There are a lot who will nab that barely used kettle because we know how good a deal we are getting.

I was not trying to put down your choice of the E6/summit, I'm just saying it doesn't necessarily do anything better than a kettle. Is that saying the kettle is better? No, it's just recognizing that they do things for their purpose well, they just do it differently. That is also why I said the one clear advantage they(the Weber kamado) have is the double wall insulation protecting against wind cooling.

<Deleted by Moderator>

 

[Tony P in Florida]

First I'll say there's no right or wrong answer. Everyone has different attributes that equate to quality means to them

One of the things I always thought about when I was thinking about going with a Weber performer kettle (cannot recall the cost offhand in 2016) or a ceramic kamado ($400 at Sam's club) in 2016 was the cost of fuel. The efficiency of a ceramic kamado is far Superior to a kettle. I did a lot of smoking over 5 years so I'm willing to bet that the cost of the ceramic kamado plus the fuel over a 5-year period was less than a kettle plus fuel over that same 5 years.

And fuel efficiency was one of the reasons why I went with the Summit E6 instead of a 22" or 26" kettle in late 2021.

My brother has owned a kettle for many years. And he has several attachments for it. He can turn out really good smoked food. He does not need an E6 to do that. Or any kamado for that matter. But that's what he purchased and that's what he is invested in. Much like many here.

For me, quality equates to:
- flavor control (i.e. amounts of smoke)
- cooking surface area
- fuel efficiency
- temperature stability
- build quality
- ease of use

PS:
I considered pellet cookers last year before I made my purchase on the summit E6. Pellet cookers sure have ease of use. But they lack the flavor control I wanted, and they are expensive to operate when used to see your food at 500°.

PPS:
Sometimes one grill is not enough to meet all use cases. I find that my Genesis II E-410 4-burner as plenty of real estate for indirect cooking because the surface area is pretty big. I put four aluminum anodized grillgrates on it and it makes fantastic steaks. Even though I reverse seer many times on the summit e6 (and on the ceramic kamado before a purchased the E6), I still on occasion make steaks on the Gasser and the grillgrates cuz the steak taste really good that way too. And it's easier to do a steak on the Gasser and the grillgrates then reverse searing on a kamado or kettle.

 

[Garvin R]

IMO the 26er is the best kettle grill hands down Weber has ever made, the 22 is great but the 26er is superior. The price will not break the bank.

Best combo is the WSM 18 or 22 paired with the 26.75 kettle!!

Scott

 

[TimA]

I was not trying to put down your choice of the E6/summit, I'm just saying it doesn't necessarily do anything better than a kettle.

Not trying to hurt feelings here but......

It absolutely, 100%, does EVERYTHING better than a kettle. Period. To argue that fact is comical at best.

Look, I know you’ve convinced yourself otherwise, and I would stack it up against a Smokey Mountain any day, and the only reason I can see for that “it doesn’t do anything better” is price, but facts are facts and you’re standing on extremely shaky ground trying to argue.

Most if not all of us Summit/Kamado owners have had or do have a kettle (I personally have 8 kettles of various sizes) and have verifiable data to back our claims. I’m not sure you do, other than the aforementioned “it doesn’t do anything better”. Ignorance is bliss I suppose...

No one is taking anything away from the kettle. They work and work extremely well. For the price paid, there isn’t a better option on the market. But there IS better, and it’s the Summit Kamado.

 

[Grant Cunningham]

Kettles come up for sale a lot sure, but I also don't see many running out to buy an E6 once they sell them. Many of those are people who bought them thinking it's cheaper, and later choose to go gas or pellet for "ease of use". The other side of that coin though? There are a lot who will nab that barely used kettle because we know how good a deal we are getting.

I don't know where you live, but in my area a used Summit sells FAST and for a high percentage of its original price (depending on condition, of course.)

I know this because I tried to buy a used one — note the word TRIED — for many months before I finally broke down and bought new. There were several that came available, but they sold before I could get to them. The only one that didn't sell immediately was an unused original model with the outboard gas assist, for which the seller wanted more than new. As soon as he dropped the price to $900, it was gone.

 

[Shane - glitchy]

The Kamado upper grate is closer to the cooking grate than the kettle. That’s why the SNS doesn’t fit perfect in the Kamado and they have a Low Profile model. That distance does make the Kamado sear a little differently than the kettle.

 

[Brett-EDH]

The Kamado upper grate is closer to the cooking grate than the kettle. That’s why the SNS doesn’t fit perfect in the Kamado and they have a Low Profile model. That distance does make the Kamado sear a little differently than the kettle.

From my own experiences and actually measured with a laser thermometer, on my E6 with a CI center grate, I am searing steaks at 1100°F. The flavor and char that develops rivals that of any steakhouse I’ve ever eaten ate. I cannot speak for any kettle(s) as the last one I owned was a Smokey Joe back in 1991 which is where my personal grilling journey truly began.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Cleanup on Aisle 6.

Clearly some replies here that are not consistent with our high standards for friendly, helpful discussion. I'll go back and delete a few replies and then close this thread. I hope we didn't scare away JGonzalez, but I think there's enough good info in the thread to help him make an informed decision.

P.S. Don't carry over this dispute into the Humor Thread or other threads. I'm trying to use a light touch here, I know it's easy for a word or phrase to derail a discussion thread, but now that you have all been warned, please don't continue the feuding. I don't want to put anyone in the penalty box, but I will if I have to. Go Sharks!