Weber Smokey Joe Silver vs. Smokey Joe Gold

I bought both.

The Silver works like a mini kettle since that is what it is. The gold has airflow issues which disappear when used as a base for a miniWSM smoker. It also holds more ash.

I moved the gold's locking lid and handle over to the silver. Best overall unit IMHO.

I bought an old SJ at the flea market two weeks ago for $5. It is an N code (1991?) with wooden handles. I just finished cleaning her up, time to do a cook on it!

I agree with Greg. The silver has the ash pan because the vent is centered on the bottom. That allows airflow directly to the coals, making it better for hot and fast grilling. However, it necessitates the ash catcher because the ash falls directly on, thus through, the vent. The gold has 2 vents higher up on the sides, making it the perfect candidate for the base of a mini wsm, since you don't have the ashes building up and clogging the vent on a low and slow smoke. It doesn't have an ash pan because there are no openings in the bottom, so no ashes fall through.

I went with the Gold model as I also wanted to use it to make a mini WSM out of it. Have no issues at all with it airflow wise when just doing cooks on it as well.