Kettle user looking to upgrade. What should I get?


 
M

MarcusWilliams

TVWBB Member
I have been using a small 18.5 Kettle for about a year, and looking to upgrade this summer. Wife wants me to go with a gas grill because that'll be faster to start up than charcoal. While I enjoy using charcoal I guess propane is easier to use, and between our 3 kids and jobs, I agree propane is the more practical choice. To be honest, I really enjoy charcoal because I just love starting fires :) 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.

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?
 
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are you in a hurry to cook?
no time to relax while the charcoal is starting?
you "really enjoy charcoal because I just love starting fires"... then, is a gas grill "the more practical choice"?

and, as for the size of the WSM, Marcus.... size DOES matter. And I'm not talking about how many kids are in the family.
...the Green Egg? Really??!

C'mon, Think about it.
 
You can grill and smoke with a kettle too. Propane is ok but you lose flavor compared to cooking over charcoal.
Look at a Weber Performer or the 26" kettle. For the WSM, I have the 14.5 and think it is great. but for a growing family
I would look at the 18" WSM. If you check the time that it takes for a gas grill to be ready to cook versus a kettle with the
coals started in a chimney, or the Performer gas starter, the few minutes that you might save in startup will be more than
paid back with flavor using a kettle.
 
I have two small kids and the 18.5 wsm and wish I had the 21.5! I wouldn't go for the 14 if that's your only smoker.
 
I'd definitely go with at least the 18.5 WSM and a larger kettle. I have an 18.5 WSM and have fed a small army on pulled pork out of it. And fed a small army burgers off my 22" kettle! PLUS,you can do low and slow on a kettle! And if Mrs. Williams isn't firing up the grill,I'd stick with the kettle! Pammi will fire up the Genesis but she won't touch either of my charcoal critters! :wsm:
 
I am a BIG fan of the Weber Performer. It is much more convenient to use with it's work table. You can get the gas ignition or not I have both, either should not be a deal breaker. The Performer is an extremely versatile tool for direct or indirect (you can do both in the same cook).

I mostly use my 14.5" WSM but if I were limited to one, I would consider the 18.5 (either is not a mistake, tho'). When using my 14.5, I can do two Boston Butts at once, easily. I can do eight half racks of ribs using a rib rack and get perfectly evenly cooked ribs from end to end. I can do several splatch cocked chickens at once. I can do 12-14 chicken wing parts or about eight whole wings on the top grate, only, when doing "hot and fast" chicken. I can do several sausage "fatties" at once on both the 14.5" and the Performer. I could go on and on but you get the idea.

I have a perfectly good SS Gas Grill. It takes fifteen minutes from lit to ready to grill. My Performer takes 20-25 minutes. Really no difference to speak of. I use a Weber chimney and recommend it as a "must do" accessory.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Marcus,

Your arguments seem to be going all over the place. In one sentence you're thinking gasser to get away from charcoal, then next you're talking Big Green Egg.

I either own or have owned all the stuff you've mentioned, so I will give you my opinion, given your circumstances.

As others have stated, I think you need a Performer with a gas starter. The gas starter will speed things along, yet still feed the pyromaniac in you. The kettle is perhaps the most versatile design on the market, and it has a vast array of accessories available, both from Weber and from 3rd party vendors. For instance, if you want a bullet smoker, add a Cajun Bandit to your Performer, and voila...bullet smoker.

I would never discourage anyone from becoming an Eggoholic...but you'll not find a BGE with gas assisted starting and the accessories for the Egg are brutally expensive and there are several that you have to have before you can do anything other than direct grilling (indirect grilling on an Egg involves placing a barrier between the fire and the food). I love my Eggs, but they're not grills designed for the budget conscious.

If you are certain you want to go gas, take a look at the Weber Q3200 before you go with the Genesis. It's a worthy option, and you'd have a few bucks left to get a WSM or a Cajun Bandit for the kettle you already have.
 
MarcusWilliams said:
I have been using a small 18.5 Kettle for about a year, and looking to upgrade this summer. Wife wants me to go with a gas grill because that'll be faster to start up than charcoal. While I enjoy using charcoal I guess propane is easier to use, and between our 3 kids and jobs, I agree propane is the more practical choice. To be honest, I really enjoy charcoal because I just love starting fires :) 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.

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?
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Marcus,
I gave my propane grill away after I bought my 22" kettle. I had a Weber Genesis that was pretty good, but it appeared too limiting. I use a chimney to light my charcoal, and it takes about 10 minutes to be ready to cook. That is faster than I could get my gasser going, usually about 15 minutes. Additionally, I can smoke on my kettle which really didn't work all that well on my gasser. All in all, I believe a 22" kettle is about the most flexible appliance around. I can do more on it than other appliances. However, for a long smoke, I have a WSM; that I can run 12 hours vice about 4-6 on the kettle.
 
Hi Marcus, and welcome! I see you've got a related discussion going in another thread. I will limit my comments to this thread.

Looks like Jim's reply caused you to edit your original post. Don't mind him...he's still grumpy from Wisconsin's loss to Duke in the NCAA Final. :)

I think you should have the Weber Triad of kettle, smoker, and gas grill -- that's what I have. Keep the 18.5" kettle. This allows you to still play with fire when you want to. Get an 18.5" WSM. It won't be too big and you can do a big turkey or a decent sized brisket if you want. Get either a higher-end WeberQ like the 2200 or 3200 or spring for the Genesis. The gas grill lets you and your wife grill stuff quickly on weeknights.

Don't underestimate the enjoyment you'll get from a gasser. I've owned Weber gassers since 1992 and they're great. Follow my blog The Virtual Weber Gas Grill for tips and blathering from me.
 
I use a chimney starter, it was easy to get the kettle going. The reason I was thinking about going gas was because I plan to grill more this summer, maybe gas will be more suitable for an "everyday" grill, where you just want to quickly switch it on and throw some food on it? I haven't found the kettle difficult to use, the long wait for dinner was mostly due to my kettle's small size. For example I had to cook vegetables first and then grill the burger because they won't all fit, especially with 2-zone cooking. A bigger grill would cut down on cooking time significantly. Maybe a 22.5 Kettle would be sufficient. I have eliminated BGE after reading comments here.

I mostly use my 14.5" WSM but if I were limited to one, I would consider the 18.5 (either is not a mistake, tho'). When using my 14.5, I can do two Boston Butts at once, easily. I can do eight half racks of ribs using a rib rack and get perfectly evenly cooked ribs from end to end. I can do several splatch cocked chickens at once. I can do 12-14 chicken wing parts or about eight whole wings on the top grate, only, when doing "hot and fast" chicken. I can do several sausage "fatties" at once on both the 14.5" and the Performer. I could go on and on but you get the idea.
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It seems 14.5 would be sufficient for our family. We rarely entertain so it's just the five of us, but I do cook extra food for lunch the next day for my wife and myself. So for each cookout, I will generally cook enough food for 3 little kids + 4 adult. Would you recommend 14.5 or 18.5? Seems like 18.5 is the consensus. I generally prefer the smallest that can get the job done. How much more charcoal does the 18.5 use compare to 14.5? Is it easier to keep temp on one than the other?

@Jeff & Chris - I haven't heard of the Q grills. I will check them out.
 
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Marcus, some of this will come down to the question of how much do you want to spend ? In a perfect world, for the number of people you are cooking for, get a Genesis and a Performer. There's no rule that says you can't use both at the same time to make dinner.
 
DaveW said:
Marcus, some of this will come down to the question of how much do you want to spend ? In a perfect world, for the number of people you are cooking for, get a Genesis and a Performer. There's no rule that says you can't use both at the same time to make dinner.
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I may get a Genesis and a WSM, but don't think Genesis + Performer combo would be on my shopping list. I don't see the point of a Performer if I already have a Genesis + 18.5 Kettle.
 
Here's what I'd do. Get a CajunBandit 18" stacker so that your kettle can do double duty as a grill and smoker. You can actually smoke on your kettle without the stacker. Next would be a Performer with gas ignition; this makes getting the charcoal ready fast. Lastly, look for good used low priced Genesis on CL. I like the older ones. I have twin 3yo girls and cook on charcoal 5-6 nights of the week. I have 2 gassers and haven't used those for a while. Probably because I keep forgetting to take my tanks with me to work so I can get them filled.
 
MarcusWilliams said:
I may get a Genesis and a WSM, but don't think Genesis + Performer combo would be on my shopping list. I don't see the point of a Performer if I already have a Genesis + 18.5 Kettle.
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The reason I'd go with a Performer is that you can cook more on it at one time if you wanted to go all charcoal one night. That plus the work table and the gas igniter. Also, this might be heretical around here, but the Performer works very well as a smoker.
 
Not a whole lot more I can add. I have a mini 14.5 an WSM 18.5, a gas assist performer, a Smokey Joe, a E330 Ng and a propane Genesis 1000. Out of all of them the performer is the most used because it can do just about anything the others can do plus the gas assist makes it just about as easy as a gasser and the work table is really handy. For the smoker I would go with the 18.5 although I use my 14.5 90% of the time because it's just my wife and I. You will enjoy the extra room the 18.5 has.
The only reason I have gas grills is during the fire season here charcoal cooking is not allowed until the Monsoon rains come so it's gasser only for 2-4 months.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Hi Marcus, and welcome! I see you've got a related discussion going in another thread. I will limit my comments to this thread.

Looks like Jim's reply caused you to edit your original post. Don't mind him...he's still grumpy from Wisconsin's loss to Duke in the NCAA Final. :)

I think you should have the Weber Triad of kettle, smoker, and gas grill -- that's what I have. Keep the 18.5" kettle. This allows you to still play with fire when you want to. Get an 18.5" WSM. It won't be too big and you can do a big turkey or a decent sized brisket if you want. Get either a higher-end WeberQ like the 2200 or 3200 or spring for the Genesis. The gas grill lets you and your wife grill stuff quickly on weeknights.

Don't underestimate the enjoyment you'll get from a gasser. I've owned Weber gassers since 1992 and they're great. Follow my blog The Virtual Weber Gas Grill for tips and blathering from me.
Click to expand...

Could not agree more with Chris!
 
MarcusWilliams said:
I use a chimney starter, it was easy to get the kettle going. The reason I was thinking about going gas was because I plan to grill more this summer, maybe gas will be more suitable for an "everyday" grill, where you just want to quickly switch it on and throw some food on it? I haven't found the kettle difficult to use, the long wait for dinner was mostly due to my kettle's small size. For example I had to cook vegetables first and then grill the burger because they won't all fit, especially with 2-zone cooking. A bigger grill would cut down on cooking time significantly. Maybe a 22.5 Kettle would be sufficient. I have eliminated BGE after reading comments here.



It seems 14.5 would be sufficient for our family. We rarely entertain so it's just the five of us, but I do cook extra food for lunch the next day for my wife and myself. So for each cookout, I will generally cook enough food for 3 little kids + 4 adult. Would you recommend 14.5 or 18.5? Seems like 18.5 is the consensus. I generally prefer the smallest that can get the job done. How much more charcoal does the 18.5 use compare to 14.5? Is it easier to keep temp on one than the other?

@Jeff & Chris - I haven't heard of the Q grills. I will check them out.
Click to expand...

Since your cooking needs are virtually identical to mine (my wife and I have two boys ages 5 and 7 1/2, and I usually cook enough extra food so my wife and I will have enough for lunch the next day at least) I'll tell you what my current grill situation is, etc. We have a Performer, Genesis EP320 and a 22.5 OTG. And a Chargriller Super Pro. I rarely use the Chargriller but may use it today since I'm cooking a couple dozen chicken wings and there's no way they'll all fit on the Performer. I may just go the two kettle route, but haven't decided yet.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that while you need to plan for today's needs in terms of buying a new grill or two, you also need to plan for tomorrows needs. Your kids are small now but they'll be hitting their teen years before you know it and when that time comes and they'e inviting their friends over, etc., you'll find yourself having to cook for a small army. :)

If it were me I'd get a Genesis and a Performer. That would give you two kettles and you can convert a kettle into a very good smoker with just a couple of firebricks or a Smokenator. Install a lid thermometer in your 18.5 and drill a hole in the side just above grate level to install a grommet to run a temp probe through, and you're all set.

I actually don't use charcoal that much on weekdays unless it's a holiday, etc. Weekends are a different story :) During the week the genesis gets the nod when it comes to grilling.

Hope this helps.
 
Brian Thomas said:
Since your cooking needs are virtually identical to mine (my wife and I have two boys ages 5 and 7 1/2, and I usually cook enough extra food so my wife and I will have enough for lunch the next day at least) I'll tell you what my current grill situation is, etc. We have a Performer, Genesis EP320 and a 22.5 OTG. And a Chargriller Super Pro. I rarely use the Chargriller but may use it today since I'm cooking a couple dozen chicken wings and there's no way they'll all fit on the Performer. I may just go the two kettle route, but haven't decided yet.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that while you need to plan for today's needs in terms of buying a new grill or two, you also need to plan for tomorrows needs. Your kids are small now but they'll be hitting their teen years before you know it and when that time comes and they'e inviting their friends over, etc., you'll find yourself having to cook for a small army. :)

If it were me I'd get a Genesis and a Performer. That would give you two kettles and you can convert a kettle into a very good smoker with just a couple of firebricks or a Smokenator. Install a lid thermometer in your 18.5 and drill a hole in the side just above grate level to install a grommet to run a temp probe through, and you're all set.

I actually don't use charcoal that much on weekdays unless it's a holiday, etc. Weekends are a different story :) During the week the genesis gets the nod when it comes to grilling.

Hope this helps.
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hehe, you bring up a great point. Since we are talking about Weber Grills, you definitely should plan for 10 - 15 years down the road. :cool:
 
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
 
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