Kettle user looking to upgrade. What should I get?


 
I would get the18.5 WSM over the 14.5. It handles ribs much more easier than the 14.5 and you have plenty of room for more if you decide to throw parties or whatnot. I have both and find that I could've done without the 14.5 but I still use it for very small cooks
 
Adam B. said:
I just got my new gasser, a Genesis E330. This replaced my old rusted out piece of junk that we bought a few years ago. The decision to go Genesis came down to size. Will my 4 year old, 2 year old, and 4 month old eat a lot now, no. But when they're about ten years from now I'll be glad to have the space. This new beauty sits on my deck, next to my 22.5" WSM. I'm glad I went large with my smoker as I will cook and freeze or give away food to family and friends. Based on your stated needs, I'd suggest the 18.5 WSM and Genesis
Click to expand...

I will likely take this route. I'm liking the EP 330, but find it hard to part with $850 of cash. I'm the kind of guy that's very tight with his money. :)
 
not sure which model to get yet, but will probably be between EP-301 and EP-303, depending on whether I find the need for a side burner and the sear station.
Click to expand...

Hi, I just bought the Genesis E-330 two weeks ago to replace a Vermont Castings grill that getting parts for were harder/costlier as time went on. Do yourself a favor and get the Genesis, yes it does cost more, but it will last a long while, and getting replacement parts will be very easy for a long time to come. I think if I had it to do again, I would of been fine with the E-310. You can achieve pretty high temperatures just from the 3 main burners, and I have used the side burner once in 6 cooks on it - remember when your using the side burner you lose the added shelf to hold condiments, prep materials etc.

It was tough parting with the cash to get this grill, but you know what - a lot of times I have buyers remorse after making big ticket purchases, not the case in this instance. I love to grill, my wife REALLY likes me to grill, so we are both happy with the investment. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
 
The Genesis E-330 is a fine product. It would be my choice if I was to get a gasser. If speed is REALLY why you want to stray from charcoal, though, maybe take a look at this old thread I started. I use the approach described on page 2 almost every time I grill. It's quick.
 
Carl H. said:
The Genesis E-330 is a fine product. It would be my choice if I was to get a gasser. If speed is REALLY why you want to stray from charcoal, though, maybe take a look at this old thread I started. I use the approach described on page 2 almost every time I grill. It's quick.
Click to expand...

Speed is one thing but I don't think it's a big deal, another is having to clean up the ashes. Also, since I don't generally use up all of the charcoals in one cook, for the next cook, I have to pick out old charcoals from the ash that can still be used. Seems wasteful to throw them away. This is probably my lease favorite part of using charcoal. I also hope gas would reduce flare ups.
 
The gas grill with or without the side burner is a nice grill. If you do sauces or boil items outside get the side burner.
Weber is more money but they last mine is a S310 2007 model and is going strong.
 
I just replaced my older Spirit 2 burner with the EP330. After 3 uses it is everything I thought it would be. Spent a lot of time deciding, sear burner/ side burner/ SS grates?? Decided for the extra that I would go for it. I've used the sear burner twice and the side burner once, yes I know it's still new............we'll see in 6 months whether I still use them. :) The extra grill space is what I was looking for and the variety of ways that I can use the different burners, seems like there is not much I won't be able to do.
A great addition for the summer
 
I'm a little late to the game in sharing my thoughts, and I'm sure what I'm going to say has been said by others (I admit I didn't read every response before hitting reply), but here are my $0.02.

MarcusWilliams said:
We looked at the Weber Spirit but was disappointed with its build quality, so we will go with a Genesis :blackgenesis:, not sure which model to get yet, but will probably be between EP-301 and EP-303, depending on whether I find the need for a side burner and the sear station.
Click to expand...

I am personally not ready to make the jump to a gas grill (even though I've thought about it more seriously since joining TVWBB), so I really can't weigh in on which model to get. That said, and given your love of starting fires, I would probably opt for a performer w/a gas assist starter. That way you can use the gas assist on days when you need to "quick start" the coals but can still "rough it" by starting them the old-fashion way (as long as you're NOT using lighter fluid ;) ).

MarcusWilliams said:
I am also looking to get a WSM :wsm22:, we love ribs and smoked chicken, but I'm not a big fan of pork shoulder. Which size WSM should I get? I am thinking I should go with the new 14.5. Our kids are small, oldest is only 5. I think the 14.5 should smoke enough food for everyone with leftover for lunch. Any experience with the 14.5 vs 18.5? I really don't think I will ever need 22.5. What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think you should go for the 18.5 WSM. I think it is more versatile than the 14.5. How so? Well it's not so small that it's challenging to get larger cuts (whole packer brisket, whole turkey, etc.) cooked, and it's not so big that it seems like overkill when cooking just one or two racks of ribs or a single chicken. Plus you're small kids are only going to get bigger, you want to make sure your smoker is big enough to cater those birthday parties!

You also have to think about the fact that the more you smoke, the more you're going to want to expand your smoking repertoire. Bigger cuts, more meat at once, etc.
 
Thanks for all your comments. I have made my decision, I will go for a 18.5 WSM, and a Genesis. What tipped the balance in favor of a gas grill was cleaning ashes from my kettle. While setting things on fire is great, cleaning up is not, and I don't want to do that regularly.
 
Late to the party but you should really consider getting the 26er or the 18.5 wsm you can thank me later.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top