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


 
Haha! I know you did...I thought it was ingenious!

Great question...and I'm not shilling here. I'm speaking for what my needs are. If I could only have one grill, this would be it (of course, who am I kidding, none of us can have just one grill!). Regarding ease of use, it's very Performer like, as it's essentially a larger Performer. I love the extra real estate, especially when wanting to have an entire dinner on one grill. In terms of the WSM, it's beyond easy and very intuitive. I used a kamado for a number of years, so I understand the differences of a kamado to a WSM to the SCG. The SCG is able to smoke for 10-12 hours, and the setup takes less time than the WSM and better yet, no hassle with the water pan. When I shot the brisket video, I added in 10 pounds of pork past the flat brisket as an after thought. It was an overnight cook, and I had zero issues. Best yet, I can move the SCG around with ease, which for me is important. While everyone's needs and interests are different, especially here, I find the SCG to be incredibly versatile and rewarding. It's a fantastic grill AND a fantastic smoker. It really is the best of both worlds.
 
Esteemed board, this product to me is a huge disappointment. The price is honestly insane. They are going head to head with so many high end Q products with a glorified kettle that honestly when I saw the price, I thought it was a mistake or a typo. In Canada, the basic Summit is 2K. Umm,,,, no. And I don't care how they improved it. If it took them 7 years for this then they aren't funding their R&D properly. Saying this just slays me = but their existing product line can do for a mere fraction what this unit is asking the world for. It looks ace, and appears to be built well, but to me is trading on name. A full zoot Summit Gasser is 3K here and can burn the carriage off low flying planes. I know that unit is not a smoker, but my 14.5" WSM is and is the bomb. Between that and a kettle you are a mere fraction of the price of this thing. I love innovation but this is a joke. I love my Weber kettle and 14" WSM and see NO reason to even consider this other than a prestige purchase. If I spend 2K + it would not be on this. I hope I am proven wrong and wish them nothing but success.
 
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It looks amazing. But 2,000 is too much for my budget. There are sure to be some people who buy it and have buyer's remorse down the line. I'll start hunting CL and try to get lucky.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Want to see how these grills go together? The owners manuals are now online:


Here's a nice cutaway view from the manual that helps illustrate the distance between grates within the grill.

cutaway-view_zpsablxc5i0.jpg
Click to expand...


Very helpful. Nice find. I find it interesting that they went with a single support on the left side of the cooker, rather than framing the corners and building around that. I'm no engineer, so I have no idea of the pros/cons. Just not a 'typical' design, so I'm wondering if there's a structural reason , or if it was aesthetic.
 
Just my .02 - I don't believe Weber is going after their existing customer base. For the majority of us we own WSM(s), some version of Gas, and kettles or performers. Each serves its own purpose and fit the bill extremely well. This unit is an attempt to consolidate all of the bells and whistles of multiple products into a single. While my original thought was new Weber = must have... That is not the case here. I just don't see a need to consolidate to a single unit when in my opinion it won't perform as well as each specialty unit.

To be fair - if the cost was lower I might consider tossing the 18" WSM on CL and perhaps a performer or both but again I really think this is going after the market of new users that want a all-in-one vs the majority of us that have tools for the right job.
 
Chris Allingham said:
More tidbits on optional Summit Charcoal Grill accessories:

  • Polyester cover: $59 / $69
  • Large rib rack: price unknown
  • Expansion grilling rack: price unknown
  • Charcoal rake: price unknown

Got a note from someone I know inside Weber. He says, and I'm paraphrasing, "We know these prices aren't for everyone, but years of R&D went into this product. We expect it will meet the needs of a segment of our customer base looking for high-end grills."
Click to expand...

The problem is its not a high end grill. Weber has gone nuts.
 
I have someone that wants to buy my large BGE, and I will be looking to sell the small BGE as well. Both proceeds will go towards the SCG fund. I think I will hold out for the one with the cart, even as ridiculous as the price is. My XL BGE goes for a similar price here locally (close to $1499). I don't think they will sell a ton of these, they knew that when they built it, and priced it accordingly. People that are buying kamados are spending $1000+, so unfortunately, I think they have priced it nearly correct. They have priced it with future inflation in mind, it will remain at this price for many years, and it will have trickle sales compared to their other units. But now the die hard Weber fans (such as us), that are looking for more than their WSM will offer, will think twice about going to the dark (or green) side before making that big purchase. I believe their target customer is that person that has a WSM (or looking for the "best" smoker), and is willing to spend a lot on an BGE. People will buy something based on price because they thing its better since it costs more.

I saw a F150 "platinum" going down the road the other day with white rims to match the color of the truck. This poor person bought it over the lower model because he assumed if it cost more, it was better. All I saw was white rims.
 
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I think you hit the target market right on the head.

To be honest, I have considered going to the "green" side myself. Three reasons kept me from doing so. First, the fact that the BGE cooks at high temperatures, but doesn't get the true sear that one needs for a truly remarkable steak. Second, the BGE is damn heavy, and seems like it would be difficult to move around. So I enjoyed having my webers, which cook and smoke just fine, but we're always lacking the convienence of having the insulation and versatility associated with the BGE. Lastly, I have wanted just a little more surface area in my performer and the desire to put a BBQ guru on it

All that being said, this product seems to address all my complaints about the BGE, and offers the upgrades to the performer that I have been wanting. For these reasons, I will be giving this product serious consideration.
 
I really like what Weber has with done with this grill. I think it would absolutely be the best of both worlds, WSM and Kettle. I also like the ability to change temperature quickly something I can’t do with my Keg.
Some may recall the mods and experimentation I did with the 26" kettle. This design goes way beyond that for sure. I do think they should have done more to control the air intake. I agree with the comments about the bottom damper getting caught up in debris and bending thereby becoming less efficient. I also think I would have insulated the bottom half and left the top half air only.

I would be interested in seeing how well it performs in the cold or in windy conditions for anything other than grilling.

I think the price is too high for the value minded consumer but I'm sure others will have to have one:)
 
Why don't we all just wait and see how well it holds temp and see results before we all make a decision. Can we really smoke 3 butts like pictured where ever I saw that(I think they where butts). Snake method? Minion(no need for the gas starter then)? Still need the chimney.

Are we going to see a smokenater diffuser? How about pizza? Is there gonna be a kettle pizza kit for it? It's a hinged lid. Should be exciting.

So let's all not make a decision yet and wait and see
 
I was a bit worried when I first saw it that Weber was messing with the iconic shape of its lid but I love it and wish it was on my back deck. how does it compare to internal space from an WSM?
 
Forget about the price!
It really is a neat cooker!
Solves many of things about ceramic Kamodo's that bother me.
1) limited capacity, with the expander shelf & 24 in grate will smoke the same amount as a 22 WSM
2) weight & inability to move, roll around on performer cart.
3) ceramic being fragile , & prone to crack.
3) ease of use , propane lighter & ome touch ash system.
4) save money by using on sale Kingsford :rolleyes:
5) better searing, charcoal grate adjustable for searing.

If it wasn't so damn expensive I'd order one from firecraft sight unseen
 
Andy Berner said:
Why don't we all just wait and see how well it holds temp and see results before we all make a decision. Can we really smoke 3 butts like pictured where ever I saw that(I think they where butts). Snake method? Minion(no need for the gas starter then)? Still need the chimney.

Are we going to see a smokenater diffuser? How about pizza? Is there gonna be a kettle pizza kit for it? It's a hinged lid. Should be exciting.

So let's all not make a decision yet and wait and see
Click to expand...
All kamado style cook the same.
Will hold temps well.
My Akorn with 20 in grate & 2nd level will smoke 4 butts this has 40% larger grate.
Don't need minion method with Kamado
Don't need smokinator
Don't need chimney
All you need for pizza is a bigass pizza stone & a peel.
 
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