Weber switching to bolt-on kettle lid handles


 
Chris Allingham

Chris Allingham

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You may have seen a lengthy thread on Weber Kettle Club about Weber switching to bolt-on lid handles for Weber kettle grills. This change is causing some heartburn for die-hard kettle fans who prefer the current welded handle design.

I reached out to my Weber contacts for comment. They confirm that the company is moving to the bolt-on handle design with heat shield for the 2015 model year starting October 1. The handle design is shown in this photo of Euro grills by our friends at weber_grillacademy_gruendau on Instagram:

kettlehandles_zps4629be01.jpg


This change will affect the Jumbo Joe portable grill, all stand-up kettle grills, and Performers. This change does not affect other grills in the product line including the Smokey Mountain Cooker.

My sources tell me that Weber is making the change for several reasons. First, it has proven effective in Europe. Second, manufacturing efficiencies will be improved by standardizing on a common worldwide handle design. Third, the integrated heat shield prevents the lid handle from reaching high temperature, a common complaint from customers about the existing plastic handles.

It's fair to say that one could see the writing on the wall when it came to this change. The Ranch Kettle got bolt-on handles sometime in the 80's or 90's. The 26.75" kettle introduced in 2009 had a tall welded handle with an integrated heat shield, lost the heat shield from 2010-2012 and then got a bolt-on handle with heat shield in 2013. It was around 2006 that Weber charcoal grills bound for Europe and Asia started sporting bolt-on handles with heat shields. The Jumbo Joe introduced in 2013 had a bolt-on handle but no heat shield.

So how do you feel about this change? Positive, negative, or indifferent? Let us know.

Best,
Chris
 
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Tom Golden said:
Excellent idea. I am all for modular; rivets can be a PITA.
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Currently the metal portion of the handle is welded to the lid. Rivets were used years ago to fasten the wooden portion of the handle to the metal portion, then they changed from rivets to a wood screw.
 
I'm also a big fan of modular assembly.

Plus, the bolts might be able to be replaced with hooks, eyelets, and whatnot to serve other purposes. For example, the bolted handle of my 22" BBK has the screw head on the underside of the lid with the threaded end on the outside serving as a hook for the bracket I use when I drop a thermometer through the vent.

Hmmm...I just pictured a set of hooks on the underside of the lid holding a 14" grate for warming or extra cooking space.
 
Thanks Chris; I hadn't heard that before. I wonder if there are any manufacturing/assembling efficiencies going with this new setup.
 
Chris Allingham said:
The 26.75" kettle introduced in 2009 had a tall welded handle with an integrated heat shield, lost the heat shield from 2010-2012 and then got a bolt-on handle with heat shield in 2013.

So how do you feel about this change? Positive, negative, or indifferent? Let us know.

Best,
Chris
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Hmm, my 2011 26.75 has the bolt on handle AND the heat shield (see below). Could have slipped through..?? ;)

2675kettle_zps426fead9.jpg
 
Tom Golden said:
There is likely a shipping savings due to smaller size of the package?
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If parts can be packed more closely together because there is no handle on the lid, reducing the height of the box, that surely translates into cost savings on packaging and shipping.
 
W Tyler said:
Hmm, my 2011 26.75 has the bolt on handle AND the heat shield (see below). Could have slipped through..?? ;)
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When I wrote that, I was going by the catalog photos. The catalog from 2009 shows a welded handle with heat shield, and that's what I have in my own backyard. The catalogs from 2010-2012 show a standard welded handle without heat shield. The catalogs from 2013-2014 show a bolt-on handle with heat shield.

The 2011 catalog shows the gray plastic handles and gray wheels in your photo, but not your bolt-on handle. Maybe the catalog photo is wrong or maybe they shipped some with and some without the bolt-on handle? Seems unlikely they shipped them both ways. I'm just not sure.
 
I like it too. There is never a good coat of enamel where the welded handle meets the lid, and most of the Webers I've seen start to rust at each of these attachpoints. First thing I always do is tape it up and shoot some Rustoleum into those nooks and crannies. A bolted on handle will mean a nice coat of enamel under it.
 
Chris is right with some savings on shipping in smaller boxes but I think it will save weber significantly more time and money on manufacturing. I'm sure welding handles Is a major step of manufacturing they can now skip and let the buyer take care of handle attachment. I also think the heat shield is a product liability improvement. Less Burt hand claims.

One plus for us consumers is that handle bolts can become hollow thermometer probe ports.
 
Some of us curmudgeons are resistant to change of a time proven design just to save a few pennies.
 
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