I remember when the Vortex came out, I was not a fan of the price, but the kids got me one for Christmas, and I ended up liking it. Having said that, I'm not a fan of that deflector at $60 US, but that's not to say I won't leave a hint or two when Christmas comes near
My WAG, is so it pushes the heat out to the cook. The Vortex counts on the dome of the grill to push the heat out, I'm guessing this makes that more efficient
According to Weber, the cone positions charcoal for up to 7 hours of low-and-slow cooking when used with charcoal briquettes, while the diffuser ring provides even heat across the entire grilling surface, giving you plenty of room for larger foods like ribs, pork shoulders and more.
Got it, so seems like it doesn't make the vortex work better or anything related but to do a totally different cook itself.
I do not currently have a need for that accessory. If it was my only cooker then I could see a need for an indirect brisket cook or something maybe.
Looks like that deflector setup on the performer with the hinged lid that may or may not exist still....Food is close to the fire but who knows.