Weber vs.

[JeremyJeddidah]

Okay..... I've been getting pointed toward Weber in my last thread. My family has used that when I was a kid, so it has some history with me.

I'd like to find something that is something a little more than a grill and where I don't have to rig something to make it something else. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to see it so when I visit friends we can experiment (most of my friends have 'just' a grill).

Perhaps something more of a smoker/grill would work better for the money?

http://gfbbq.com/store/index.php?mai...&products_id=5

Has anyone used a smoker/grill? I know they say it's a grill but will it get hot enough to actually grill what I need?

http://www.jnsistore.com/shop/product.php?productid=17856&cat=309&page=2

Thanks all,
JJ

 

[grillinguy247]

You can use a weber kettle as a grill and or smoker. Just bank the coals to one side and have the exhaust on the other. Or you can load it full of charcoal and cook at a high enough temperature to cook just about anything. Just my .02

 

[Friedturkeyspam]

I've had the 22 1/2" Webers for 25 years and although used mainly for grilling hot a person is able to move the fire around and kind of indirectly cook on one. Several months ago I bought the 26 3/4" model, bought one off Ebay for $219 shipped NIB. With that size increase you can really have enough real estate to build the fire on one end and idirectly cook on the other half and let me tell you it works very well. i've cooked literally thousands of bratwursts over the years and the ones I am turning out now on my bigger Webber are the best I've ever made. Just like the fella above said, build the fire on one end, put you top vent to the other side and the food underneath it. It pulls the hot air and smoke past the food and out the vent. It only takes me about 25% more time on small items like brats but it no longer splits the casings, put a 1/4" deep smoke ring using a 50-50 mix of Kingsford briquets and lump. They don't even look cooked but if you stab a couple with your Thermapen and pull them at about 175 they are. When you take them in the house they wrinkle a little and man are they delicious!

The dial on the lid will tell you the temps are 400 to 500 degrees, and maybe they are along the top of the lid, but the temp at the food grate is quite a bit different, which I've checked with my Maverick 732. I guess what I am saying is, if you cook indirectly using the dial on the lid you will be misinformed to say the least.

You can still cook a bunch of steaks like you always did with that big Weber, that seemingly small diameter change adds about 40% of square inches to your grate compared to the smaller one. The grate is much heavier and stainless steel with a small diagonal underneath for long term support. It's quite the rig, I'm so glad I finally bought one.

My 2 cents,
Mike

 

[SmittyJonz]

Just get a George Foreman Grill.

 

[fingerlickin']

You're links aren't working properly, but for the money you can't beat a 22" weber kettle, you can smoke and grill on that thing.

If you want to spend more money, maybe buy and offset that you can use to smoke or load charcoal into the cooking chamber and grill. Unless you're doing more food than will fit in the kettle then there's no sense in trying to re-invent the wheel IMO.

 

[THoey1963]

I would think a Weber Smokey Mountian grill could be used for both smoking and grilling...

 

[HookedOnQ]

Like others have said you can do it all on a weber. Its gonna be hard to find a more versatile grill/smoker for the price of a kettle.

 

[bbqgeekess]

Get the 22.5 OTG and the 18.5 WSM and you'll be set for everything. Although you can grill with the 18.5 WSM, but it sits kinda low on the ground. Build a Mini WSM or buy the Weber 14.5 WSM if you wanna save money on fuel.

Or perhaps a 22.5 OTG and Weber 14.5 WSM. $350 total. You can smoke everything for 4-8 people on the Weber 14.5 WSM if you pinwheel your ribs or bend over your full packer brisket--you can do 2 spatchcock chickens at once. Then you can use your OTG 22.5 for grilling, smoking turkeys or smoking anything else that won't fit in the Weber 14.5 WSM.

 

[Friedturkeyspam]

or buy a Weber 26.75" and do it all. I can't understand how they sell any of those 18.5" or smaller grills.

 

[Bludawg]

Dude you need an George Foreman and a Pink Easy bake oven.:razz: Get a 26" Weber kettle and build a UDS problem solved! Like I said a Big George and an Easy bake it don't have to be pink.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Buy a RecTec.

http://www.rectecgrills.com

 

[ejmiller]

The 26" really makes a big difference

 

[DaveAlvarado]

I wish they made a 26" Performer with propane assist. I use that propane starter for everything, it's so darn handy. But I need more grill space than 22" sometimes. I'm torn between replacing the 22" Performer with a 26", or just adding a 22" to the patio (along with the Performer and two 22" WSMs) for when I need more grilling space.

My patio looks like a Weber ad already...

 

[Grimm5577]

I prefer to use my WSM as a grill and or a smoker over my 18.5" kettle as smoker, only downfall is it's low to the ground. 3 grate levels over the fire is a nice touch when grilling.

 

[Pyle's BBQ]

I'm confused by the smoker/grill that you want. You say you want to experiment with friends and then expect us to dream up what you want to do. We need more specifics. There is a reason that Weber is mentioned a lot here. It works, period. You can build a UDS for less but they are not that portable. I have used all maker of cookers and for someone just starting out a Weber is the way to go.

Why?
1) Easy to set up.
2) Easy to light.
3) Easy to learn how to control heat.
4) Parts and accessories are readily available.
5) Great customer service.

As far as the thermometer you have linked. I believe they are just gadgets that Re unnecessary. When you are learning to grill or smoke you do not want to be walking away for your grill. Once you have some experience you will be able to know when most things are done without a thermometer. I find it odd that people will only react to what is going on in their pit or grill only when erred by a device, instead of taking an active role in producing the product.

 

[aawa]

A majority of the people on this forum will recommend a Weber kettle grill. I am one of them.

The weber kettles you can grill like you are used to from your memories when you were younger. You can also do bbq brisket/ribs/pork butts or anything on them if you know how to utilize it to its fullest.

I have 3 Weber Performers and I love them. I use them more than my stove, oven and uds. I do almost all my bbq on them (unless I am doing a large amount of meat, 30+ lbs, at one time)

If you get a weber kettle just learn the 2 zone fire, the 3 zone fire, the the snake/ring of fire method, and the 2 hot side methods and you will be able to cook dang near anything you want on it.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I'd get one of those cheap Weber knockoffs............ :shock:

 

[funugy]

Okay..... I've been getting pointed toward Weber in my last thread. My family has used that when I was a kid, so it has some history with me.

I'd like to find something that is something a little more than a grill and where I don't have to rig something to make it something else. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to see it so when I visit friends we can experiment (most of my friends have 'just' a grill).

Perhaps something more of a smoker/grill would work better for the money?

http://gfbbq.com/store/index.php?mai...&products_id=5

Has anyone used a smoker/grill? I know they say it's a grill but will it get hot enough to actually grill what I need?

http://www.jnsistore.com/shop/product.php?productid=17856&cat=309&page=2

Thanks all,
JJ

I know what you are saying. I too wanted an "All-in-one" smoker/grill when I first started. I looked all around and was convinced that the Traeger was the way to go. There are a lot of people on this site that have and swear by their "Pellet Poopers." I ended up going with a UDS and 22.5 Weber OTG. I didn't want to have two different cookers on the deck, but that is what I ended up with and I don't have any regrets, and I saved a lot of money that I am able to spend on meat.

Cheers!

 

[Johnny_Crunch]

Buy a BGE

 

[dadsr4]

Okay..... I've been getting pointed toward Weber in my last thread. My family has used that when I was a kid, so it has some history with me.

I'd like to find something that is something a little more than a grill and where I don't have to rig something to make it something else. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to see it so when I visit friends we can experiment (most of my friends have 'just' a grill).

Perhaps something more of a smoker/grill would work better for the money?

http://gfbbq.com/store/index.php?mai...&products_id=5

Has anyone used a smoker/grill? I know they say it's a grill but will it get hot enough to actually grill what I need?

http://www.jnsistore.com/shop/product.php?productid=17856&cat=309&page=2

Thanks all,
JJ

You don't need a thing.
Ribs

Anything else.