Weber dealer to compare 26 kettle against the summit charcoal

[Hot Spot]

The dealer said that Weber is making changes to the summit charcoal next season and that the price is going to be lower.

No details beyond that. The summit charcoal is nice but not sure it is worth that much difference in price. I might hold off
to see if there are changes and what the price will be before pulling the trigger.

[sudsandswine]

Admittedly I haven’t been paying close attention, but the last I heard, I thought they were discontinuing the WSCG?

I am intrigued though

[Mandreyka]

The summit is a rip off , get the 26 it’s bigger anyways

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

At $750 I think the Summit would have been a home run, but at twice that price it was just too high a barrier to entry for most people. This is especially true when Costco and Sam's are selling good quality ceramic kamado's below $700. The Akorn and Charmander (sp?) are also fantastic kamado style cookers in the $300 range.

Weber has left me disappointed quite a bit over the last 5 years. I don't want to turn this into a "Weber bashing thread" but the pricing for the Summit was (and still is) mind boggling. It's good news to hear that they are considering a price reduction...likely in step with a redesign of some sort to bring the manufacturing costs down. I'll keep this one in the back of my mind and wait to see what happens. I got rid of my ceramic kamado because it was too heavy and in my mind too fragile. I'd be very interested in a reasonably priced 24" metal kamado.

[glitchy]

The rumor is (with some leaked pictures) that Weber is removing the gas starter from the base model, the flimsy frame around the bottom shelf, and putting casters on all three legs and going to sell for $999. It also might not come with the diffuser plate.

The price is also rumored to drop $500 on the 'Grilling Center' with more minor tweaks. New wheels and just a wire shelf under the table are the visible changes from the pics.

They both might be labeled Summit Kamado Grill and Smoker.

I love my Weber Summit Charcoal. It might have been overpriced, but seemed competitively priced to comparable quality ceramic kamados. Though I happily would have traded the gas starter for a lower price. I didn't get mine for the new price, but luckily got some decent money off and a free cover from a store that wasn't moving them well. It's sturdier and heavier than you'd think by looking at pictures and very well made. I do wonder what it's going to move around like with 3 casters though, seems to me it would be harder to control.

[jacobp]

The two current models of the Summit charcoal aren't going away; this is going to be a 3rd option.

I got my Summit grilling center for $500 off MSRP about 6 months after release; I think its been worth every penny.

[eric21]

I heavily considered the WSCG, and it is both massively overpriced, and worth the money imo. Compared to alternatives you could argue it's better in every way (or most every way) and comes in cheaper compared to a KJBJ or BGE XL. But at the same time you know there's an immense profit margin in this grill , and if a competitor came in with something similar they could undercut the price by quite a bit.

It's hard to argue with the $1500 price from a competitive landscape perspective, because you can justify that price. But it's also hard to shake the feeling that it really should cost $500-$750 based on the materials used.

[glitchy]

Originally Posted by jacobp

The two current models of the Summit charcoal aren't going away; this is going to be a 3rd option.

What are you hearing about pricing then? I was feeling like the current Weber Summit Charcoal Grill would have no place if the new model is $999 and the Grilling Center drops to $1499.

[gtsum]

Originally Posted by eric21

I heavily considered the WSCG, and it is both massively overpriced, and worth the money imo. Compared to alternatives you could argue it's better in every way (or most every way) and comes in cheaper compared to a KJBJ or BGE XL. But at the same time you know there's an immense profit margin in this grill , and if a competitor came in with something similar they could undercut the price by quite a bit.

It's hard to argue with the $1500 price from a competitive landscape perspective, because you can justify that price. But it's also hard to shake the feeling that it really should cost $500-$750 based on the materials used.

That’s about exactly how I feel about it. Spot on imo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[PnkPanther]

I get people saying it's over priced, but if you compare it BGE, KJ, instead of knock offs, it becomes much more competitive in price.


I decided it wasn't for me. If I ever see used one, I'd probably jump all over it if price was right, but I have over grills in my sites for future.

[Hot Spot]

Someone has offered their non cart version for $900 in excellent condition with all the parts and Weber cover and Weber utensils. Waiting to hear back to see if they already registered it. I would prefer no gas light option but I would want the diffuser plate though, maybe I should just wait for that.


Where are the pictures of the newer versions?

[glitchy]

Originally Posted by Hot Spot

Someone has offered their non cart version for $900 in excellent condition with all the parts and Weber cover and Weber utensils. Waiting to hear back to see if they already registered it. I would prefer no gas light option but I would want the diffuser plate though, maybe I should just wait for that.


Where are the pictures of the newer versions?

https://tvwbb.com/threads/2nd-genera...harcoal.83218/

That would be a tough call. You would know for sure you get diffuser plate and the fan port on the used model. The gas lighter is handy sometimes, but not worth $500 if that's the difference on the new model. The fan port was always a hidden thing and not a feature they seem to advertise.

[Hot Spot]

Rumor is mid November

[onemanlan]

Originally Posted by SmoothBoarBBQ

At $750 I think the Summit would have been a home run, but at twice that price it was just too high a barrier to entry for most people. This is especially true when Costco and Sam's are selling good quality ceramic kamado's below $700. The Akorn and Charmander (sp?) are also fantastic kamado style cookers in the $300 range.

Weber has left me disappointed quite a bit over the last 5 years. I don't want to turn this into a "Weber bashing thread" but the pricing for the Summit was (and still is) mind boggling. It's good news to hear that they are considering a price reduction...likely in step with a redesign of some sort to bring the manufacturing costs down. I'll keep this one in the back of my mind and wait to see what happens. I got rid of my ceramic kamado because it was too heavy and in my mind too fragile. I'd be very interested in a reasonably priced 24" metal kamado.

You hit the nail on the head. They had a good price point they could have occupied between ceramics & kettles, but they decided to compete with kettle pricing. If they had hit that sweet spot it would have been a steael. Unfortunately it seems they priced themselves out, by punching up with more expensive ceramaics(KJ & BGE) while cheaper ceramics & alternatives closed the gap. I wonder if this has anything to do with the KJ metal grill making the rounds? Regardless Weber makes a great product even if they make some marketing mistakes from time to time. I'd love to have one, but not for the current MSRP. $500-800 and we're talking!

[cfrazier77]

It would be interesting if Weber made a 26" version.

What I really want them to make is a 26" deluxe performer with color options. I would buy one in a heartbeat.