Vortex VS Weber Charcoal Baskets


 
Nice looking wings Phil....but this picture.... :rolleyes:



Dustin Dorsey said:
I think for shear searing power the vortex seems a lot hotter. I don't know if using it indirect makes much difference from the baskets. It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison.
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I like using the Vortex for indirect cooking, as you can put the hot coals all around the Vortex and still have a shield around what your cooking.



 
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Lynn, you are certainly correct. Once you get the basic Kettle and some baskets, there's really very little else that you "need" in order to cook a great many things excellently.

The Vortex and SnS are simply accessories that, for many of us, make things easier or give us a better finished product.





BD
 
Bill D-NC said:
Lynn, you are certainly correct. Once you get the basic Kettle and some baskets, there's really very little else that you "need" in order to cook a great many things excellently.

The Vortex and SnS are simply accessories that, for many of us, make things easier or give us a better finished product.





BD
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Oh , heck yes, if these accessories make it more fun for you, or more enjoyable, or you feel they make your food taste better ..................then I'm not gonna rain on anyone's parade.

All I've done here, is attempt to answer the OP's question, which as these forum threads age , sometimes gets forgotten ..

I see lots of people raving about the Vortex. And I seem to remember someone making one out of a cheap SS bowl.
But can you get the same results by putting the baskets together in the middle of your kettle?
Just curious.
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I bought a Vortex, mostly out of curiosity. Because I don't see the physics involved. I also don't see the physics of the SNS, and that thing is not cheap. I'm smoking great baby backs on my Kettle , without it. I don't see how its gonna make my ribs better. I don't see how its gonna sear my steak any better than charcoal baskets. For me, its got to be grounded in logic, but that's just me.

But I'm gonna keep experimenting with the vortex, taking temp measurements from diff places inside the Kettle, and do the same with charcoal baskets.
 
They’re all tools in the kit, some work for a lot of applications some for fewer the physics behind how the thing works is kind of interesting, I did not get one from Santa so, I will get my selfish self one soon.
Think of it this way,
If Escoffier had been able to use a cuisinart he certainly would have, instead, he had a kitchen brigade that would be the next in line to whip egg whites and cream by hand. Tools make the project easier, sometimes. To be honest the best accessory is a set of the GOOD 304SS baskets. They are better. Baskets do most everything I need. I guess that’s why I have not gotten a Vortex yet. Just made up a batch of Parmesan wings, would love to try the Vortex with that but, baskets will get the project done just fine.
 
Lynn, since you mentioned the Slow'N'Sear.. I bought one to let me smoke using lump in my kettle and used it about 10 times for this purpose. Since then, I also bought a WSM so probably will never use the SNS for smoking again, but I still absolutely love it for high heat grilling. It creates a straight boundary of the direct and indirect zones and its form somehow seems to help focusing the fire on the direct zone. In fact, the only time I remove the SNS from my kettle when I use my home-made Vortex.. :) which I absolutely love too, it's really the wings machine it's claimed to be.

I'm sure one can do fine without such gadgets but I think you can have slightly more fun (and slightly more results) using them. If in doubt, give it a try.. and then you can choose whatever works best for you :)
 
Reading these made me curious about my grate temp when using the Vortex; I had never checked it before. Last night I did a batch of wings on the 22" Kettle using the medium Vortex. Outdoor temp was 12*f and I used a flush standard chimney of KBB, dumped after top coals began to ash. However; though I use just a flush chimney I do divide those coals evenly between two chimneys when I light them and wait for them to be ready to place in the grill. In my feeble mind I am starting off with a little less spent charcoal by implementing two chims (but I'm about as sharp as a marble, so this could be inaccurate). I placed my Ivation probe at 6 o'clock 1" above grate and 1" from outer edge (approx.). I'm simply sharing my data and am not attempting to prove any point (which I could not, anyway, since I don't use my baskets for wings):

Duration/ Grate (*f)/ Dome (*f, stock thermo)
5 min./ 419/ 540 (wings placed 5 minutes prior)
10 min./ 408/ 530
15 min./ 410/ 560
20 min./ 419/ 560
30 min./ 417/ 560 (pulled wings)

I rotated the exhaust vent three equal times during this span of 30-35 minutes, starting at 12 o'clock, then to 4 o'clock and to 8 o'clock. I do not flip my wings, so the lid was on during the entire sequence.

This leaves me questioning why I bother rotating my exhaust vent. Is there a some reason not supported by temp?

Thanks!
 
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Those temps are interesting. With the Vortex, my grill temps on the outside of the grill are consistently 350 to 375 .

Next wings will be using charcoal baskets. I've been intending to do that for a while now, just to satisfy my own curiosity.
 
Very happy with my purchases within the last year or so: SlowNSear Plus, Medium-Size Vortex, DripNGriddle, Theromoworks Chef Alarm,ABC "Easy Spin" SS Grill.

All the above have made for me and wifey a more satisfied and timely outcome for cooks on my 22" Weber Mastertouch Grill and Weber WSM "Classic"
 
David P Harrisburg said:
When you make wings with the vortex do you line the outside ring with foil?
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I, personally, do not. After grilling wings I use a wad of foil--or some other utensil--on the grate and I always scrape a plastic putty knife in the bottom of the Kettle bowl after each use.
 
Here's the results of my very very unscientific comparison of Vortex vrs Weber charcoal basket . Everything was constant except for the vortex and charcoal baskets i.e. temp sensor in same position, used Kingsford , etc etc

This was the Vortex temps on the outside of the grate, where wings would be located , and I can not explain the diff between the Tel Tru and the Maverick, the Mav probe is not but a few inches away from the Tel Tru. And both have been verified in boiling water ............ so, que sera

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And this is with charcoal baskets ........... so yes, the Vortex does increase the temps ,

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Verified by Lynn..very very unscientific comparison of Vortex vrs Weber charcoal basket, now all you have to do is clean your Weber BBQ and get a new camera phone....;) JK
 
I've no idea why I need to clean the Kettle, after a couple of days, it will look the same :) its dusty here.

But the real test, was whether the wings were better with the Vortex or charcoal baskets ............... and ......... it was really hard to tell , without being able to do a " side by side " of wings.

However, the wings from the Vortex had a crispier skin. The charcoal basket wings had rubbery skin and could not get a " clean bite " . Did that impact flavor ? Well, maybe the higher temp of the Vortex rendered the fat in the skin of the wings, thus they're crispy, and thus ... have a better flavor.

But again, that's really hard to tell .................... it would come down to a subjective taste test.
 
Lynn Dollar said:
Here's the results of my very very unscientific comparison of Vortex vrs Weber charcoal basket
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Thanks for sharing your detail. BTW, I believe my Kettles may be dirtier/more dusty than yours. Horses, farming community, lack of interest in shiny porcelain, etc.
 
My Kettle, is a year 2000 version ...........its seen a lot of cooks. And its still going strong, even if it is dusty :)
 
Lynn Dollar said:
My Kettle, is a year 2000 version ...........its seen a lot of cooks. And its still going strong, even if it is dusty :)
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Lynn, no disrespect on the dirty grill.... just playing with you, as another poster on here was a few months ago...
 
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