Gasket for kettle: worth it?

[voltronic]

I will soon be purchasing my first Weber kettle, a 22" Master Touch. I'm new to charcoal, and this cooker will be used mostly for short grilling sessions but occasional smoking as well. I know that even without the gasket, the kettle will be a major upgrade from my gas grill.

I am wondering if the lid gaskets such as the one linked below are going to be beneficial for what I'm doing. I have heard that the lids on these leak a bit when smoking, but I'm not sure how big a deal that is. My gas grill leaks like crazy (by design) and I've had some successful smoking with it.

Other concerns are longevity of the gasket and interfering with regular cleaning / degreasing the lid.

Fire Black high-temp BBQ gasket

Thanks for the advice!

 

[yankee2bbq]

Not worth it.

Congratulations on the new Webber Kettle! You will love it! They are so diverse.

 

[robrpb]

I put a gasket on my Weber kettle and it still has leaks. I would not do it again.

Rob

 

[voltronic]

I put a gasket on my Weber kettle and it still has leaks. I would not do it again.

Rob

Sorry you didn't get your money's worth, but thanks for sharing your experience.

I also saw a guy in YouTube who put a thick bead of silicone on the lid rim, Vaseline on the kettle rim, and let it sit for a day to make a "custom" fit. I am NOT doing that, but it was a cool idea.

 

[Colin1230]

Nope, that kettle will do great without it. Congratulations on choosing a great charcoal grill.

 

[voltronic]

Ok, 3 "no" answers in short order is all I need to hear. Deleted from my shopping list.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Hamdrew]

You're getting ahead of yourself! Weber Kettles are 100% good to go from the factory. Spend that money on more practice (i.e. meat) and fuel.

 

[Fueling Around]

After a few grilling (lid on) and smoking sessions, a natural gasket forms at the lid to kettle.

 

[JCAP]

What everyone else said above. If you’re really worried about leaks when smoking, a few binder clips holding the lid down will do the trick.

 

[SmokinAl]

All smokers or grills leak a bit, with a Weber it is no big deal.
Al

 

[JLeonard]

Love my Kettle, the more you use it the better it will "seal". But it will still leak some.
Jim

 

[chopsaw]

After years of use .