New 22.5" Bar-B-Kettle 3-wheeler vs One-Touch?


 
I´ve got my fair share of Weber products but no normal sized grills (a bunch of SJGs and an 18.5 WSM). A local store here in Sweden has a sale right now of the current 22.5" Bar-B-Kettle 3-wheeler (made in USA like always, but only sold in some countries) and I´m trying to decide if the great price makes it worth buying vs the One-Touch Premium sold here (OTG with thermometer basically). The prices themselves might not be too intering since they differ a lot from US prices, but the Bar-B-Kettle is a little less than half the price of the One-Touch Premium.

I always did like the 3-wheeler design but the ash collector is obviously a nice feature.

Any thoughts to help me make up my mind?

Some pictures of the current version of the Bar-B-Kettle: http://www.grillsportverein.de/foru...-b-kettle-57cm-zum-halben-preis-104493-2.html

/Erik
 
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I like the three daisy wheels so you can control temps. With the one touch the vents are all open the same amount but with the wheels you can close a cpl off and control temps with one, close one off and control temps with two, etc.
 
I like the three daisy wheels so you can control temps. With the one touch the vents are all open the same amount but with the wheels you can close a cpl off and control temps with one, close one off and control temps with two, etc.

I like that feature too as long as you are not cooking on a wooden deck. I do notice the grate does not have the lift upsides to add fuel or wood, no therm and no rubber tab on the dome vent. Depends I guess on what you consider to be more important. The food will taste the same on either. I really do like the convenience of the ash catcher.
 
Bar-B-Kettle is the like the old style we had here in the states before the One Touch. I also used one of these for a number of years when we lived in Germany. From a direct heat / indirect heat grilling perspective, there is essentially no difference between the old three vent system and the One Touch. Where there is a difference is when you use it for long low and slow cooks. Although you can make an argument that you can better control the temperature because of the three vents like on a WSM, the bigger issue is ash build up. The One Touch system gives you the ability to gently sweep the ashes or just bump it back and forth a little to maintain the air flow and keep adding additional charcoal. The old three vent system forced you to do innovative things similar to what some of us do with the WSM by sticking stuff in the holes and pushing the ash out of the way. But, as I said, if all you are doing is straight direct and indirect high heat grilling or short duration low and slow cooks, you will never know the difference.
 
So Weber is doing a Throw Back model of the old three vent?
Cool. I started on one of those and would buy one in an instant if it was available here.

Tim
 
I have/had all three types (Silver, 3 Wheel, and Gold) I far prefer the Gold version with the basket for ease of clean up. The 3 wheel vents are very low on the kettle and can get clogged. A WSM has the 3 wheel vents higher up on the ketle. You can always add one or two 3 wheel vents to a Gold to ease air flow if you like or just cover a vent hole with foil tape. I added 3 wheel vents to a Silver to increase air flow and heat.
 
From a cleaning standpoint, the One touch is much easier and quicker. From a cooking standpoint, I like the daisy vent kettles. I find that there is easier temperature control for things like pizzas, or low and slow cooks.
 

 

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