UK brand name Selection

If you are handy with the tools, why not make a UDS?

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/262738/smokin-monkey-uds-build#post_1706825

Easy manageable for under £100.00

It sounds as if a 57cm (22") Kettle would work well for you. There are "Weber" kettles as you know but there are also some reasonable Weber clones appearing in the DIY stores these days that would probably be within your price range.

I know what you mean about the round air vents on the Original and Master Weber (and I prefer the vane style vents too) but there is a simple, inexpensive mod that does improve their operation.


The Landmann and Outback kettle BBQs are examples of the cheaper clones but as with most things you get what you pay for. With a lot of the cleap clones the coating is usually a powder coat (rather than enamel) and so it will come come off after some use and the unit will begin to rust. Most people that buy these BBQs really only use them for grilling and they are fine for that. Most do have fairly shallow lids though and so when cooking as a kettle the size of the meat that you can cook is limited. A good example of this is my Christmas turkey - I can cook it with ease in my Weber kettle but was unable to on one of the cheaper clones. Upright beer can chicken can also be a problem with the shallower lid.

The Landmann Grill Chef looks like a reasonable buy at £99.99 and it is enamel coated too. The bottom vent is the disk type (similar to the lower end Webers) with an extended handle - like the photo above. The lid dome looks to be reasonably round but at 53.5 cm in diameter it is slightly smaller than the Weber 57". This may not be too significant though.

The Outback Comet would probably do a good job too. It is also powder coated and is 57cm - the same size as the Weber. It uses a different method of air control though (two rings of overlapping holes) and this type is usually slightly less efficient when trying to maintain low stable smoking temperatures. The problem is that there are more push together joint seams to leak in air which can become less air tight as the unit ages.

I am still regularly using a Weber Original (though it wasn't called that then) that I bought 14 years ago and so I think they are a great investment. If you can find a One Touch or Original that falls within your price range that is in good condition then it would certainly be worth the inconvenience of collecting it if it wasn't too far away.

I hope this helps.

Some photos of the Weber 57 cm for you to consider when choosing...

I bought a Landmann barrel style BBQ a year and a bit ago for £120. I've had some great cooks with it, and can't complain too much, but if I could go back then I really would spend a little more and get the best Weber kettle I could.

The Landmann does seem durable for the meantime, but the overwhelming weight of evidence is that a Weber kettle will last you a decade at least if you look after it, and provide a quality experience in the meantime. 

I'm not saying you have to up your budget, but I'm saying IMO the long term bang for buck sweet spot is probably the Weber Original 57cm, which you can get online for £149.99 with free next day delivery

Secondhand Weber 57cm kettles in good condition regularly go for £50 or less  on Gumtree. You can set Gumtree up to alert you by email when something you are searching for shows up.