I have the Summit Charcoal Grill Center (the one with the table). My wife bought it for me for Father's Day last year as a suprise. I probably wouldn't have bought it myself because I am cheap but she is the kind of person that says you should just get what you want and be happy.
It is probably a flop as far as sales go. I do not personally know anyone else that has one. I don't even know anyone that knows what it is outside of me telling them about it. When I go to stores that sell grills, I never see it and no one knows what I am talking about. Even popular YouTube personalities like Guga (Guge Foods/Sous Vide Everything) and Malcolm Reed do not know anything about it based on their comments on videos and twitter if people ask them about it. Outside of Baby Back Maniac and Harry Soo, I don't see any known YouTubers with it.
The biggest problem is they haven't really gotten the word out. I'm not sure how these dealer relationships work but I see BGE and Kamado Joe everywhere but never see this grill. They also haven't done a good job showing how it performs better than a performer or a WSM. Just read all the comments on this post or other threads, people say you can do all the same for less with a performer and a WSM. You can, but not as well. I have used all of those as well as BGE and the Summit is the best cooking device I have ever used. It took me about 5 low and slow cooks to figure out where to put my vents and how much charcoal to use and now it is like an oven. I check on it due to paranoia but it is always rock steady. It is way better at holding temps that the WSM 18 I had. I really can't say how much I love it. It can hold a ton too, especially if you add a second rack - which I have not done yet since I don't cook for 100 people or anything crazy like that.
I think another problem is that it looks like a kettle performer. People don't see how it could be that much better but it really is. It looks great but I think the BGE and KJ have a more stand-out look which really does sway people with the cermanic in nice colors. It is like a trophy or something. They have also been out longer so they have a bigger head start. Since they are ceramic, people are aware they hold temps for a long time. They do not understand that an air insulated kamado can hold just as long and has some benefits (can crank down the temp quicker, way less fragile, much easier to move around - take to the park - move off a deck - etc). I could go on and on about the benefits vs a ceramic but that's another post.
I hope they keep it around because:
A) I want parts years down the line should I need it
b) I like to talk to friends about it but they don't have the experience - I wish more people had it
c) it is just awesome
They really should be comparing it to BGE and KJ with the benefits. That's the target competition. They need to get to these dealers and really convince them it is better (I really think it is). Then hopefully it will sell more
The pricing is actually better or similar in some cases vs BGE and KJ.
Kamado Joe Big Joe (24 inch) = $1,899. They don't even make a cart for that but the cart they sold for the smaller size was $849 so that would be $2748. $748 more than the equivelant Weber Summit Charcoal Grill Center.
Big Green Egg XL (24 inch) = $1,199. I couldn't find pricing on the modular nest with wheels but a similar cart not made by BGE is $699 on Home Depot. So $1899, so about $100 less than the Weber. The actual BGE nest probably costs more if I had to guess.
It is probably a flop as far as sales go. I do not personally know anyone else that has one. I don't even know anyone that knows what it is outside of me telling them about it. When I go to stores that sell grills, I never see it and no one knows what I am talking about. Even popular YouTube personalities like Guga (Guge Foods/Sous Vide Everything) and Malcolm Reed do not know anything about it based on their comments on videos and twitter if people ask them about it. Outside of Baby Back Maniac and Harry Soo, I don't see any known YouTubers with it.
The biggest problem is they haven't really gotten the word out. I'm not sure how these dealer relationships work but I see BGE and Kamado Joe everywhere but never see this grill. They also haven't done a good job showing how it performs better than a performer or a WSM. Just read all the comments on this post or other threads, people say you can do all the same for less with a performer and a WSM. You can, but not as well. I have used all of those as well as BGE and the Summit is the best cooking device I have ever used. It took me about 5 low and slow cooks to figure out where to put my vents and how much charcoal to use and now it is like an oven. I check on it due to paranoia but it is always rock steady. It is way better at holding temps that the WSM 18 I had. I really can't say how much I love it. It can hold a ton too, especially if you add a second rack - which I have not done yet since I don't cook for 100 people or anything crazy like that.
I think another problem is that it looks like a kettle performer. People don't see how it could be that much better but it really is. It looks great but I think the BGE and KJ have a more stand-out look which really does sway people with the cermanic in nice colors. It is like a trophy or something. They have also been out longer so they have a bigger head start. Since they are ceramic, people are aware they hold temps for a long time. They do not understand that an air insulated kamado can hold just as long and has some benefits (can crank down the temp quicker, way less fragile, much easier to move around - take to the park - move off a deck - etc). I could go on and on about the benefits vs a ceramic but that's another post.
I hope they keep it around because:
A) I want parts years down the line should I need it
b) I like to talk to friends about it but they don't have the experience - I wish more people had it
c) it is just awesome
They really should be comparing it to BGE and KJ with the benefits. That's the target competition. They need to get to these dealers and really convince them it is better (I really think it is). Then hopefully it will sell more
The pricing is actually better or similar in some cases vs BGE and KJ.
Kamado Joe Big Joe (24 inch) = $1,899. They don't even make a cart for that but the cart they sold for the smaller size was $849 so that would be $2748. $748 more than the equivelant Weber Summit Charcoal Grill Center.
Big Green Egg XL (24 inch) = $1,199. I couldn't find pricing on the modular nest with wheels but a similar cart not made by BGE is $699 on Home Depot. So $1899, so about $100 less than the Weber. The actual BGE nest probably costs more if I had to guess.
). So I made the decision to sell the three charcoal grills and pick up the Summit Grilling Center. It does all the things that the WSM and the two kettles did, with better functionality and much easier cleanup. Just as importantly, it cleared up space out back.
