Weber Summit Charcoal Grill and Summit Charcoal Grilling Center - New for 2016


 
I love my Summit charcoal grill. I have the one w/o the table. I bought it last year. One thing that deserves mentioning. The charcoal ring from a WSM 18 fits in the Summit perfectly. Like it was made for it. I have 2 neglected WSM 18" that have served me well for years, but they aren't a WSC. The added charcoal capacity the WSM 18" charcoal ring adds really makes the WSC a great low and slow smoker.
 
ChrisV said:
The reason why I want the summit is, I currently have 3 Weber grills... A Genesis, a Performer and a Jumbo Joe. Unlike most people here, I really don't have any desire for a deck/patio full of cookers. It just becomes clutter after a while and I don't cook that much food at one time to justify it. I'm usually only cooking for 2 and on occasion, maybe up to 10 people at most.
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I totally agree with you here. I just moved into a new house and my deck seems significantly smaller. I don't really know if it is, but the fact that there are stairs and railings now (as opposed to a wood deck basically sitting on the ground) makes a huge difference. When I'm not trying to cook my 3 resident cookers are pushed against the railing or the house and it's not a big deal. Once I start cooking, I need more clearance around the cooker and instantly my deck becomes very small. I had been seriously considering downsizing my outdoor cooking arsenal to only one cooker and I was on the fence between a gasser or going all out and getting a Summit. However, every time I thought about it, I kept coming back to how each of my current units does something better than the others. Plus there is a lot of sentimental value attached to all of my Weber cookers. Then there is the fact that having multiple cookers gives you the flexibility to cook an entire feast outdoors at different temps at the same time. Or for when you're in hour 6 of a brisket cook and want to do some burgers or dogs for the kids and their friends.

ChrisV said:
As for my Performer... well I know this will be considered blasphemy around here but if I'm being honest, I don't love it. I think most people do because of the flexibility of it which is true but for me, its a jack of all trades, master of none. As a grill, I think the bottom bowl is too deep and/or the coal grate is too low. For straight up grilling, I think my Jumbo Joe is much better just not as big. As a smoker, I think the performer is at best, barely mediocre.
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I get this too, granted I don't have a performer, but I do have a 22" kettle. I've often found myself frustrated when trying to get a good hot grilling session going using my 22". In fact, whenever I cook steaks I pull out the 18" kettle because it does way better at getting as hot as I want for searing. Granted, I'm usually only cooking steak for 2, so there is plenty of room. I do admit the 22" is much better for doing larger cooks/cuts when going for indirect cooking. Sometimes there just isn't enough room, or the charcoal is too close in the 18". That makes the adjustable charcoal grate in the Summit is a very attractive feature. But at the same time, it's also nice to be able to cook at different temps at the same time. When it comes to smoking, I've got my trusty 18" WSM! It's so much less, work compared to the kettles, trying to maintain temps or having sufficient fuel... So all in all I like having all three cookers in my arsenal.

All that being said... I still want a Summit... but probably won't have one for a very long time.
 
Brian Johnson said:
Chris, I asked Jamie in the Q&A before seeing this post, and now I'm curious.... What's your "daily driver" or go-to cooker. The Summit? Performer? WSM?
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Sorry, I'm just now noticing this question.

To be honest, we do a lot of grilling on the Summit 450 gas grill, just quick and easy and my wife gets in there and uses it, too. For a burger or a hot dog or a heavily marinated skirt steak or some boneless skinless chicken breasts, we use the gasser. Also, sometimes the Summit 450 is chosen because I'm creating content for my gas grill blog.

Next is the WSM. Again, often it's to create content for my WSM website.

Then lastly, it's the Summit Charcoal Grilling Center, usually for special cuts of meat that I know are best grilled over charcoal, like dry-aged USDA Prime ribeye steaks.

At this time, I don't own any other kettle grills. I used to have three--a 26", a 22" redhead and a 22" brownie--but didn't have room for them and had to sell. As it is, I have 7 WSMs, the Summit 450 gasser, and the Summit Charcoal Grilling Center. Oh, and a Genesis 2 redhead at my mom & dad's house.
 
@Brian Johnson
"Then there is the fact that having multiple cookers gives you the flexibility to cook an entire feast outdoors at different temps at the same time. Or for when you're in hour 6 of a brisket cook and want to do some burgers or dogs for the kids and their friends."

This.
Every time I get a wild hair and think about replacing my Performer, 14" WSM, and ceramic kamado with the WSCG, I change my mind. No plans of getting rid of my redhead MT.
To me the WSCG looks more fiddly than the Performer, I could be wrong. The Performer gets about 80% or more of the work.

 
I'm seriously thinking about getting the WSCG with table, but man the price tag just keeps coming back up in my thinking. If it was $1,500, I would pull the trigger right now, but at $2,000 it is really hard to justify. Does anybody feel like Weber might do away with these or if they would ever lower the price?
 
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after owning a WSCG without the attached table since February, i see no need for it. I'm sure it may be handy...
 
Been loving my WSCG. Although after several weeks of ownership I have found one issue that drives me nuts... Granted it is not the biggest deal, but.... I HATE the Weber Gourmet BBQ system cutout in the grill grate. Seems like it should have been an option instead of the only option. The grill is already pretty spendy. If I want to buy Gourmet BBQ system stuff I would... but I don't see any real value in those accessories. Whenever I remove my grill grate and that center insert falls out I want to yell obscenities. Same goes for when I'm scrubbing the grate with a wire brush and it pops off and wants to fall through the center of the grate. I asked Weber about whether I could buy a grill grate without that center cutout and they don't currently sell one that will fit the WSCG that doesn't have it. They actually told me that I would have to buy an aftermarket grate if I wanted that center cutout gone. ugh...
 
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JohnA_Boise said:
Been loving my WSCG. Although after several weeks of ownership I have found one issue that drives me nuts... Granted it is not the biggest deal, but.... I HATE the Weber Gourmet BBQ system cutout in the grill grate. Seems like it should have been an option instead of the only option. The grill is already pretty spendy. If I want to buy Gourmet BBQ system stuff I would... but I don't see any real value in those accessories. Whenever I remove my grill grate and that center insert falls out I want to yell obscenities. Same goes for when I'm scrubbing the grate with a wire brush and it pops off and wants to fall through the center of the grate. I asked Weber about whether I could buy a grill grate without that center cutout and they don't currently sell one that will fit the WSCG that doesn't have it. They actually told me that I would have to buy an aftermarket grate if I wanted that center cutout gone. ugh...
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Baling wire!
 
BillSmith said:
Uggh, sorry to hear that. It's one of those things that everyone thinks it's cool to have until they try it out in practice. Bummer.
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I was rereading my post and it made me laugh.. maybe a bit over dramatic but I had just had the center insert fall into the pile of coal causing an ash cloud that got my boxers in a twist ;)

All in all it really is a great grill. That is the only complaint I can come up with. I wish that there was an option from Weber for me to buy a grate that doesn't have that cutout. It's annoying. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels that way!
 
JohnA_Boise said:
I wish that there was an option from Weber for me to buy a grate that doesn't have that cutout. It's annoying. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels that way!
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Reach out to Mark Baron. He runs a wire and metal fab business called Belex, Inc. Killa Grilla grates is one of his brands. His SS grates are amazing. If he doesn't have what you need as a standard model yet, he'll custom make it for you. I bought two WSM cooking grates from him recently. Great guy to do business with.

http://killagrilla.com/

Here are his standard models:

https://squareup.com/store/killagrilla/

They are pricey, but you get what you pay for. They're much heavier gauge than Weber OEM and since they are true SS, they are very easy to keep clean.
 
Yes, I would also recommend Mark Baron of Killa Grilla. If he doesn't list it, I would ask him since others would probably also be interested. I have 2 of his 22" grates and one old-style 26" grate. He may be the only viable source for grates for the old 26" flat-top like mine.

His grates are wonderful, top quality stainless. Easy to clean and hold up very well. On the gas grill forum I tell people that he is to kettle grill grates what Dave Santana "rcplanebuyer" is to Genesis grates.
 
I think if you got that killa grilla you'd never need another grate. I wish they did the opposite and made one with the center cutout for the 22 inch. I'd be willing to bet it's a ton of extra work to make one with the cutout though.
 
BillSmith said:
It’s fascinating to me to learn what other people have in their collection but 7 WSMs!!? Wow! Are they all different sizes and with different mods?

I’m happy with my 18” but would like to get the 14” at some point.
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I have a 1983 Model 1880 14", a 2013 14" sent by Weber, and a 2018 14" still in a box.

I have a early 90's 18" in an unusual original octagonal box, a 1997 18" that I do all my cooking on, and a 2018 18" still in a box.

I have a 2018 22" still in a box.

Since I write and photograph articles about the WSM, I like to keep several around that are new and unusued...they make for good photos.
 
JohnA_Boise said:
I was rereading my post and it made me laugh.. maybe a bit over dramatic but I had just had the center insert fall into the pile of coal causing an ash cloud that got my boxers in a twist ;)

All in all it really is a great grill. That is the only complaint I can come up with. I wish that there was an option from Weber for me to buy a grate that doesn't have that cutout. It's annoying. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels that way!
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I used some stainless steel artistic wire and secured the insert to the rest of the grate. Not permanent in case I change my mind for some reason, but allows for me to remove the grate as usual without worrying about the cutout.
 
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