Looking to get into Weber Kettles


 
J

Juls R

New member
G'day - I'm a kettle wannabe. Not new to Weber, in so far as I have a Weber family Q for about 5 years now. Love it. Thinking about expanding the Weber family and getting my first kettle.

I thought I would ease into it and got a cheap'ish kettle from the local hardware... what a mistake! It went back after two weeks. Now I am looking at taking the plunge and getting a real Weber (learning from my mistakes).

I have a bunch of questions that I will post in the appropriate forums - having read through some of the posts there are certainly a lot of knowledgeable people here.
 
Jepprey P said:
Welcome to the site, Juls.

The Weber Kettle and Family Q are a great combination for all your family's grilling and barbecue needs.

I love my Q100 (Baby Q) and 22"/57cm Kettle (and all the rest of them).
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Thanks Jepprey. The other thing that this forum opened my eyes to is how many people own more than one BBQ. Being new to this, it still feels a little odd that I would have more than one BBQ. However, the right tool for the right job... it's a bit of journey.
 
I keep telling folks that are in the gas and pellet world to give charcoal a try. The base 22” is what, $120 or thereabouts? And it will do ANYTHING you want it to.

As for multiple BBQ’s, I’m not familiar with that problem. I’ve got 14 or 15 and my 37” Ranch on order🤣

Enjoy. It’s a slippery slope but a trip I wouldn’t trade for anything.
 
Juls - the 22" Weber Kettle is really hard to beat. Unless you are pinched for cash, I highly recommend getting the master touch model that has what we refer to as "the lid bale" which holds the lid when you're grilling with the lid off. The next step up would be the kettle with the side table assembly which is also very popular. There is another model with a lid hinge which is newer and I haven't heard much about it.

Whatever you end up getting, I wish you the best with it!

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Welcome Jules.

Are there any good used kettles down under?

If so, grab a 22 and cook on it.

You will probably like it and think about getting a second one.

Or just get a master touch.

Oh yeah, welcome!
 
TimA said:
I keep telling folks that are in the gas and pellet world to give charcoal a try. The base 22” is what, $120 or thereabouts? And it will do ANYTHING you want it to.

As for multiple BBQ’s, I’m not familiar with that problem. I’ve got 14 or 15 and my 37” Ranch on order🤣

Enjoy. It’s a slippery slope but a trip I wouldn’t trade for anything.
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Thanks TimA - One thing I have noticed is the very different pricing for Weber Kettles here in Australia compared to the States.

The 22" here is $300AUD while the 26"original is $350AUD . Given at the current exchange rate $120USD is about $170 AUD, you can see we pay almost double for them. Having said that, they last forever so I am sure it is still a "sound investment" ;)
 
DanHoo said:
Welcome Jules.

Are there any good used kettles down under?

If so, grab a 22 and cook on it.

You will probably like it and think about getting a second one.

Or just get a master touch.

Oh yeah, welcome!
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Have been looking around for used ones. There are quite a few around, however most of them do not seem to be in great shape. There are some great examples on this forum of people restoring 2nd hand ones. The ones I have seen so far are all very rusted around the handles and have big dings in the lid and rusty gouges. Too big a restore job for me to take on (for the first one).

I am sure if I keep an eye out the right one is sure to pop up with my name on it.:D
 
Well now, that's a switch, coming from a gas grill background and dipping a toe into the coal burner waters! It was the exact opposite for me, coming from a kettle background and thenexplorring the convenience of a gas grill.

There's a learning curve, of course, but first thing I will say is that I prefer lump over briquettes (there are trade-offs, of course!) and even then, I will pre-light and get them burned down until they stop smoking before adding them to the kettle...the taste is just too strong for us if I don't, but others don't seem to even notice it, so YMMV but just be aware of that. Try it both ways, maybe try pre-light first so you don't prejudice your guests if this is your first try. The other thing I will suggest is try to keep the weather in your favor at first. With a gasser, if it's cold or windy it's easier to deal with than a charcoal grill. The last thing is, keep your first meals simple, maybe hamburgers cooked indirectly and then hot dogs cooked over the coals, turning often. Oak chips or chunks are mild and add good flavor, but don't overdo...if you are grilling with the lid open they will catch fire and burn without making smoke, so I cook hamburgers indirect with chips or chunks first and with the lid closed, then grill the hot dogs direct with the lid open.

There is soooo much you can do with a coal burner and a little bit of experience. I love the convenience of cooking with a gasser but the taste of a stick or coal burner is just incomparable. Why can't you have it all? Like everything else, keep it simple at first and go from there. You can put together a decent kettle from donor grills if you are patient, or just buy a new one if you are convinced that's the way to go. I tend to save my charcoal-cooked meals for special occasions, though, and my day in day out meals are prepped on our gasser, just out of convenience.

Good lick! Enjoy!
 
Ed Pinnell said:
Well now, that's a switch, coming from a gas grill background and dipping a toe into the coal burner waters! It was the exact opposite for me, coming from a kettle background and thenexplorring the convenience of a gas grill.

There's a learning curve, of course, but first thing I will say is that I prefer lump over briquettes (there are trade-offs, of course!) and even then, I will pre-light and get them burned down until they stop smoking before adding them to the kettle...the taste is just too strong for us if I don't, but others don't seem to even notice it, so YMMV but just be aware of that. Try it both ways, maybe try pre-light first so you don't prejudice your guests if this is your first try. The other thing I will suggest is try to keep the weather in your favor at first. With a gasser, if it's cold or windy it's easier to deal with than a charcoal grill. The last thing is, keep your first meals simple, maybe hamburgers cooked indirectly and then hot dogs cooked over the coals, turning often. Oak chips or chunks are mild and add good flavor, but don't overdo...if you are grilling with the lid open they will catch fire and burn without making smoke, so I cook hamburgers indirect with chips or chunks first and with the lid closed, then grill the hot dogs direct with the lid open.

There is soooo much you can do with a coal burner and a little bit of experience. I love the convenience of cooking with a gasser but the taste of a stick or coal burner is just incomparable. Why can't you have it all? Like everything else, keep it simple at first and go from there. You can put together a decent kettle from donor grills if you are patient, or just buy a new one if you are convinced that's the way to go. I tend to save my charcoal-cooked meals for special occasions, though, and my day in day out meals are prepped on our gasser, just out of convenience.

Good lick! Enjoy!
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Great Advice Ed. Thanks.
I don’t see this as the regular go to (that’s what the Q is for), but for use every couple of weekends.

I like the advice of keeping it simple to begin with - too may youtube videos show how “easy” it is to turn out great ribs first time out.
 
Juls R said:
Great Advice Ed. Thanks.
I don’t see this as the regular go to (that’s what the Q is for), but for use every couple of weekends.

I like the advice of keeping it simple to begin with - too may youtube videos show how “easy” it is to turn out great ribs first time out.
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Baby steps! Little successes lead to great achievements, but everything starts with that first step.
 
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