WSM or Kettle


 
It sounds like the 18.5" WSM is the best choice if you're planning to focus on low-and-slow cooked foods. I'm going to throw another wrench in the works and suggest that if you find yourself wanting to do some occasional charcoal grilling, you pick yourself up an 18.5" Jumbo Joe ($60) or 22" Jumbo Joe Premium ($68, I think, at Walmart). Either one of them will let you cook up burgers, dogs, chicken, or other grillable goods for 3-4 people. They both have a smaller coal-to-grate distance than the standard kettles, so they're a bit better for direct grilling.

That being said, I think the combination of an 18.5" WSM and a 22" Performer is hard to beat. Between those two, used alone or in combination, there's very little you can't do.
 
My recommendation would be to go on the hunt on Craigslist and other sites for a $50 used kettle. I love mine and they are what I use approx 75% of the time regardless if I'm grilling or smoking. I found that by using bricks to help bank the briquettes to one side of the grill I have lots of room for briskets, pork butts, etc, and I can get 6+ hours @ 250 - 275 without having to add any charcoal.

For what it's worth, I don't own a WSM, but I do own a Pit Barrel Cooker. I bought the PBC with the intention of using it for low and slow smoking but I find I much prefer the kettles. I'm sure I would feel the same way if I had gone with a WSM.

Anyway, I always recommend people who are on the fence to look for a used kettle first. That way they haven't made a big investment and if they don't like it they're likely not out much more than $50.
 
I own the following and use them as such. I use my Performer more than all the others combined. I would say I use the 18" WSM next but a close second would be my 26 Kettle. Last would be my 14.5 WSM. I have only had if for a couple of months so things could change on the amount of use in the future.

From the rest of the other posts it seems everybody does something different. If you got the room get one of each and decide for yourself!!! ;)
 
JeffH said:
My recommendation would be to go on the hunt on Craigslist and other sites for a $50 used kettle. I love mine and they are what I use approx 75% of the time regardless if I'm grilling or smoking. I found that by using bricks to help bank the briquettes to one side of the grill I have lots of room for briskets, pork butts, etc, and I can get 6+ hours @ 250 - 275 without having to add any charcoal.

For what it's worth, I don't own a WSM, but I do own a Pit Barrel Cooker. I bought the PBC with the intention of using it for low and slow smoking but I find I much prefer the kettles. I'm sure I would feel the same way if I had gone with a WSM.

Anyway, I always recommend people who are on the fence to look for a used kettle first. That way they haven't made a big investment and if they don't like it they're likely not out much more than $50.
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I agree with this. I bought a WSM first, and then an OTG 7 or 8 months later. I paid retail for both. I later sold both and own a Performer. I would buy a used Performer first if there were any do-overs, but I didn't know then what I know now.
 
I agree with a bunch of people here, but also disagree with a bunch as well...haha! I would buy a used Performer off Craigslist for ~$100-150. Then, after you use that for a while, if you decide you don't like smoking on it you can pick up a WSM 18.5" either new or used. Then, you can use the Performer for grilling and the WSM for low and slow.

FWIW, I currently do not own a WSM but I've been watching Craigslist for one... I do all of my smoking on my OTS 22.5" kettle currently, but would like a WSM for larger quantities. Yesterday, I smoked 2 racks of ribs and a few weeks ago I did 2 pork shoulders on the kettle. The kettle, from what I've seen/read, just requires a bit more attention to your temperatures and fiddling with the vents every so often than a WSM will for low and slow. Yesterday, for example, with a given vent setting my temperatures would slowly climb over the course of an hour or so until it was knocking on the door of 250, so I'd close the vents by the smallest amount I could move the handle, and then over the course of the next hour or so temp would slowly drop to 225-ish. Personally, I don't view this as a big deal, but I would like a bit more steady holding of temp to do an overnight brisket cook. But that's just me...
 
Dwain Pannell said:
It is not difficult to grill on a WSM. For chicken I simply remove the water pan but for steak I remove the entire center section and place the cooking grate on the lower bowl to get a good sear. On the other hand, it's not hard to smoke on a kettle either. Though I have both, I'd probably get the WSM if I had to choose.
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My sentiments exactly. Weber kettle is a great BBQ but since getting my WSM, I almost never use it.
 
Is the horse dead yet, or can I beat it too? lol

IT is as simple as this:
1. If you want to SMOKE meat, you want a WSM. the 18.5 should be fine for 2-4 people. I have the 22" WSM and you can put A LOT of meat on it. I often have enough food on it of 12+. Use your Char- Burn gasser to grill on.
2. IF you want to GRILL meat, and plan on dumping the gasser, then get a weber kettle, and the bigger the better (Ok, so the ranch is a little absurd, but not much!)
It is easier to smoke on a kettle than to grill on a WSM.
 
Andrew F said:
It is easier to smoke on a kettle than to grill on a WSM.
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This is true. Unless you're about 3' tall, bending that low is hard on your knees and/or back. The only time I've ever done it was to sear an eye round that I'd smoked to 120 IT and the results were less than great. After 2 hours of burning, there wasn't much thermal energy left in those briquettes, even after I knocked the ash off 'em.
 
I started with a Performer. Very versatile. I have smoked ribs and recently a Boston Butt on it, as well as numerous grilled meals. If you are like most of us around here, you'll end up owning more than one Weber. Start with the one you think you will be happy with.
 
I have no problem keeping low and slow temps on my kettle by using the bottom and top dampers. With the use of fire bricks I can easily get 6+hrs out of a load of lump. I've done 16lb bone in pork shoulders, 14lb briskets, 40 chicken thighs, 4 racks of ribs, meatloaf, beer can chickens etc etc. Oh and a 14 hr cook will use about 1/6 of a bag of lump.
 
Bob Sample said:
I have no problem keeping low and slow temps on my kettle by using the bottom and top dampers. With the use of fire bricks I can easily get 6+hrs out of a load of lump. I've done 16lb bone in pork shoulders, 14lb briskets, 40 chicken thighs, 4 racks of ribs, meatloaf, beer can chickens etc etc. Oh and a 14 hr cook will use about 1/6 of a bag of lump.
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Bob, I have had the same experience. In fact I use the kettle a lot more than my WSM just because of the savings on charcoal cost. But I really overcooked some stuff before I learned how to use it!
 
I suppose it all depends on what you really want to do most of the time (said she, with no experience with a WSM, but with one on order).
Personally I can grill for a number of people on my smallest kettle (13" or so), but then I like snacking.... Meaning, I like sitting around the braai en preparing one thing after the other and just sit and talk waiting for the next batch to get ready.
So in my case a 18" kettle would be more than big enough for grilling (I admit, the 13" is a bit on the small side).
As soon as you go to indirect and low/slow, you would do well to go bigger as you only use about half the grid space.

As said, I have no experience with the wsm except for using a mate's 22.5" for direct grilling.
I don't mind not having the height, and it actually makes it easy to take with you.

Anyway, good luck with your decission making
 
I think all have a lot good reasons for one or other but MOHO is 18in WSM and the performer are Home run/ I myself only cooking for 2 sometimes 4 people . I have a 2 burner Char-broil Infered gas so I'm covering all Bases lol. Im 74 so really having big gatherings anymore buy enjoy a little of both
Get the 18in you'll be happy
jerry C
 
Bringing this back to the top... I did all of my low and slow on the Performer with a Smokenator until this spring, when I found a barely used 18.5 WSM for $150. With a little attention, you can get great (not passable) results and save some cash until you decide you need the extra step. I would wrap the charcoal grate to force the airflow up and around thru the Smokenator and place the lid vent above the food. Also really helps on the clean-up. The is also a foil wrapped fire brick between the Smokenator and the drip pan.

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Take this as you will. The 22" Kettle is wonderful for almost any grilling. It can also cook low and slow but it requires a lot of practice. Since you say you will use it for mostly smoking and for several racks of ribs, I recommend going with the 22" WSM. The main reason is that you can lay two racks of ribs flat on the grate without excessive trimming or using a rack. You will thank me for this sometime in the future.

Yes it uses a bit more fuel but it's not more than 10-20% more. The additional space is your friend and you don't have to cram stuff inside.

Buy a used 22" kettle of C-List - they are all over the place and cheap. Spend your money on the 22 WSM new which is rare on C-List. Worst case scenario, lets say you buy a 22" WSM and find it too big. You can sell it on C-List and it will be gone in hours and likely get close to what you pay for it ($350 is average for one in good shape).
 
It is nice to have both, but if I were starting again with only one, the kettle is most versatile.
 
Get the 18.5 WSM and a 99.00 Weber kettle-silver total on Amazon 400.00 with free shipping. 22 WSM 400.00 total with free shipping! Just saying. Get rid of the gasser!!
 
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