Weber kettle preferred over wsm


 
M

M. Copeland

New member
Hello all. I have a 18" wsm and a 22.5"OTG kettle. First off I must say that both are excellent cookers and produce much better food than I should be able to and they are the reason. I have absolutely no complaints on the wsm because it maintains temps for a very long time and is amazing. I usually only cook for 4 people and lately I have been using the 22.5 kettle with the snake method for charcoal. I am able to maintain temps without too much trouble and it seems to use very little charcoal. In fact 250-300 degrees really doesn't take much effort and will stay there for around 6 hours easily.

I am not at all putting down the wsm, just wondering if anyone else has had the same experience especially cooking for a small amount of people.
 
I have a kettle and WSM as well. I agree that the kettle makes a great alternative for smaller cooks or the direct method. ...but today I am doing 6 HUGE pork steaks and there simply is not enough room for indirect on the kettle so the WSM gets the nod. Both great tools for their intended purposes. Wouldn't want it any other way.
 
Yep. The OTG is my go-to every day . The WSM is the weekend workhorse, which I only use fully loaded'
I need to try that snake method next time on the kettle!
THX

Tim
 
I read threads like this every so often. To each his own, but I'd MUCH rather cook ribs, butts or briskets on one of my bullets. I use both of my kettles a lot, but for mainly grilling. I don't cook for just four, though, either.
 
I use my kettle through the week and the WSM on the weekends. They're both great and would not want to be without either.
 
I also have kettle (Performer) + WSM.

Used to use the Performer a bit more than the WSM until I tried cooking chicken, sausage, pork steaks etc... "direct" on the WSM without a water bowl. Now my usage has gone a bit more the other way, ie I use the WSM a bit more than the Performer.

If I could only have one it would probably have to be the kettle, but having both is really nice. The interesting point for me was that discovering direct cooking on the WSM meant that I could probably get by with just a WSM, which I hadn't thought possible before.
 
I'm a long time gasser using my Silver Genesis then I bought the 22.5" WSM low and slow BBQ. I use it for smoking large cuts of meat. I bought a 22.5" OTS on CraigsList for smaller stuff for the kids & I. I'm still learning how to use charcoal grills, it is certainly a lot my prep, work and clean-up compared to a gasser.
 
There is a lot of overlap in function, but each have their strengths and weaknesses. My kettle is smaller than yours, so that helps determine it a bit more for me. Otherwise, the size/shape/quantity to be cooked dictates it for me. I can do a fantastic job making 1 butt for pulled pork on my kettle, but obviously not 4. Like John said, cooking without the water bowl is a twist that allows me to make 2 dozen wings on my WSM.
 
I use my 22.5" Kettle more than the 22.5" WSM. No other reason except the convenience factor. Takes less time to set up, cooks the same as the WSM. Doesn't really matter what you cook on, just that you cook primal and low and slow.
 
I used my performer for the majority of my grilling. But my WSM is my go to for smoking. And yes my Genesis does see action, as does my Smokey Joe. I believe in the right tool for the job. Now what grill do I need to purchase next??

Mike
 
I lived atop Mt. Palomar and used my 22" kettle year around, indirect smoked a small turkey every Sunday, even if I had to brush a foot of snow off it first. Then Russ the Swordfisher started bringing me surplus fresh fish every fortnight so I bought a cheapo Brinkmann smoker, what a pile. I did become famous in Chinese circles for my Ian Yu (smoke fish).
Fast forward to today, married and living in the UC. I'm on my 3rd kettle in the city, and also just got an 18.5 WSM for fathers day. My neighbor wanted to build me an UDS, but my wife vetoed the concept (too much U). Just this weekend I threw myself and my mother-in-law a joint birthday party, and at one point had a pork butt, big beef ribs and hot italian sausage on the WSM; cherrystones, mussels and scallops on the Smokey Joe, and a seafood Paella on the kettle. No one went hungry.
So, BOTH is my short answer to the question.
 
Well said Gene. It's kind of like only having either a chefs knife or a paring knife. You could get by with either, but there are times you'd wish for the other. Or both, and a slicing knife and filet knife and a bread knife and a machete..........
 
I have both and use both. As already stated, OTG during the week, and the WSM on the weekend.

Bob
 
If I want to cook for a long time, at low temperatures, and I don't want to keep checking on it, I always use the WSM. So butts and brisket are always on the WSM. I've had temperatures run away on me in the kettle in the past, so I'm a little leery of leaving it alone for very long. Also, if vertical space is an issue, the WSM is the cooker of choice.

Any time I want to cook at higher temperatures, like for ribs and chicken, I use my kettle. Believe it or not, I have difficulty getting my WSM any higher than 250f now that I've been using it for a few years. But I can get the kettle pretty hot, no problem.

So, really, it's more a matter of what I'm cooking and how I'm cooking it, when determining what I'm going to use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top