Replacement kettle for old SS Performer Touch-N-Go

Mark S. · Nov 9, 2018

I have an old stainless steel Performer Touch-N-Go that I've had since about 2001. After all these years, I finally managed to burn a hole through the bottom of the kettle near the gas igniter pipe. This hole also causes my ash catcher to fall off since the third support point is no longer intact on the bottom of the kettle.

I called Weber to order a new kettle bottom bowl (my old lid is still in good shape), but they tell me I would need to order a new bottom bowl and a new top because the old tops won't fit on the new bottom bowls. Additionally, they tell me I will also need to order a new handle for the top, a new thermometer and bezel (my old top has the thermometer in the handle rather than on the top of the kettle) and a new ash catcher and blade assembly since my old ash catcher and blades won't fit on the new bottom bowl.

The price of all this new stuff totals up to $340, which makes no sense given that a standard Weber grill with ash catcher and thermometer (and legs and grates) retails for $149. I could buy a brand new Performer for $399, but I really like my old SS version better than the new one, so I'd rather just fix the one I have.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to run into this problem, so I'm curious what others have done in this situation or if you have any suggestions for acquiring a new kettle for a more reasonable price. I've been keeping an eye out for used Performers on Craigslist, but they're hard to come by in decent shape.

Also, is it true that my old top will not fit on the new bottom bowls? Looks to me like it would, but I'm not sure. And is it also true that my old ash catcher won't fit on the new bottom bowls, or is there an easy modification that would make it fit?

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions!

Dave in KC · Nov 10, 2018

Mark S. said:
Also, is it true that my old top will not fit on the new bottom bowls?

I have never heard this before.

Likely though with the ash catcher. If it has the brace bar, and a thumb screw, then you need to buy the new style
ash catcher, or do a mod to the old one. I am dealing with this right now on a NFL edition kettle I picked up recently.
I recommend you go to http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/index.php and do a search. There are many good threads
there on the subject.

Keep searching CL, and add facebook market place to your search list. Not sure what color you need, but I have a green
SSP bowl that I would part with a reasonable price.

Timothy F. Lewis · Nov 10, 2018

Nice offer Dave! How generous.
This is one more reason I like this site! Generosity!

Mark S. · Nov 10, 2018

Dave,

Thanks for the reply and the offer of the green kettle. My existing kettle is black, so the green won't work. And if I'm forced to go all new on the top and bottom, I'm going to get the blue kettle that I've been wanting for years.

Darrel Williams · Nov 12, 2018

The issue with the $150 grill is that it does not have flanges for bearing the weight. It is intended to sit on its legs. Weber is pretty strict in not selling those flanged bowls to just anyone, because they don't want to people to cobble together Performers instead of buying a performer. That's why they will sell replacement parts if they got them and you have the original, but they don't sell flange bottom bowls to anyone off the street.

It makes me want to come up with a flange assembly that I can sell on Shark Tank.

If I were you, I'd weigh the two choices of looking for a donor grill to pillage for its bowl, or try to figure out a way to mount a flange-less kettle into your SS Performer Frame, either by making flanges or adding brackets somehow.

Jon Tofte · Nov 12, 2018

Swapping in Gen 2/3 Performer kettle on a SSP?

Does any know if you can readily replace a rusted out kettle on a SSP with one from a later generation Performer?

I have a nice SSP frame. Most people would think I am crazy, but I would like to swap out the rusty blue kettle with a newer black one. I like how the black contrasts with the stainless.

Robert-R · Nov 13, 2018

You could cut the brackets off your existing performer and use them to mount a "stock" charcoal bowl to your frame.

Robert-R · Nov 13, 2018

Jon Tofte said:
Does any know if you can readily replace a rusted out kettle on a SSP with one from a later generation Performer?

I have a nice SSP frame. Most people would think I am crazy, but I would like to swap out the rusty blue kettle with a newer black one. I like how the black contrasts with the stainless.

I think that is a direct bolt in. A friend of mine that flips kettles does this. Or check with the Weber Kettle Club.

Mark S. · Nov 13, 2018

Yes, the new kettle is a direct drop-in on the old SSP frame. The mounting brackets on the side of the grill are identical. Also, I found a neighbor with a new Performer grill and tried my old top bowl on his new bottom bowl. As expected, it fits just fine. Not sure why Weber would tell me it wouldn't fit.

So, it looks like I can replace just the bottom bowl and ash catcher for a reasonable price and get back to grilling. I also spotted a SSP with a blue kettle that looks to be in pretty good shape on Craigslist, but so far no response from the seller. I'll give her a few days and if no response, I'll just order the new bottom bowl.

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions!

DrewZ · Nov 13, 2018

I just did this with a Limited Edition bowl. I had a nasty dented and rusted black performer bowl, and excised the brackets. Drilling holes in the new bowl was pretty straightforward. Removing the bowl handle was a little less easy . . .