New Kettle - Original or Premium?

[clifish]

Thats just on the performer. The kettle is only showing the hinged sides.

ahhh, I just saw the hinges and .....assumed it had the middle removable...you know what happens when you assume???

If the ash catcher is not a big deal that grate can be bought separately

 

[chopsaw]

So does dripping grease cause a big problem? I'm just picturing the amount of grease that pools up from a half dozen chicken thighs.

If I set up an indirect side or for a long smoke , I use a drip pan .
Grilling over the coals the drippings will burn off .

 

[Nate52]

I'm really not totally sold on the ash catcher for the purposes of catching ash. My lawn and driveway is far from manicured, so a mess isn't a worry.

The ash catcher is a good upgrade for the all the reasons listed above.
I live in a wind prone area so the enclosed ash catcher is a big plus for me.
Another benefit of the ash catcher assembly on the premium model is that Weber has marked the vane settings for closed, smoking, grilling, etc. The handle on the ash catcher is a good place to hang the sending unit on a remote thermometer.

Looks like I need to learn more about the alternative functions of the ash catcher. Thanks for the info. Could swing me the other way.

 

[Nate52]

If I set up an indirect side or for a long smoke , I use a drip pan .
Grilling over the coals the drippings will burn off .

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Nate52]

I'm mostly surprised by the support of the lid thermometer. It always seems that the general consensus is that stock thermometers are nothing more than decoration. That could be a selling point me for the premium. But then again, a 2" Tel Tru is in the $35 range. The money I save could easily cover that.

Well I was leaning original, but now I'm back to 50/50.

 

[gmc2003]

Like Rich said you can use a pan to catch the drippings, but if you do find excessive build up on the kettle bottom. A plastic putty scraper works well. Just make sure your don't bend the vanes accidentally by sliding the scrapper underneath them.

One note: Rich( chopsaw ) and Cliff ( clifish ) both live in big cities - you know the high falutin types . So a hot ash may be a big deal. I live in the country so a hot ash or two doesn't matter to much. Also I must have wussy hands. As I still find squeezing the handle to remove the ash catcher a pain and clumsy. To many years behind a keyboard I guess.

Chris

 

[Nate52]

Like Rich said you can use a pan to catch the drippings, but if you do find excessive build up on the kettle bottom. A plastic putty scraper works well. Just make sure your don't bend the vanes accidentally by sliding the scrapper underneath them.

One note: Rich( chopsaw ) and Cliff ( clifish ) both live in big cities - you know the high falutin types . So a hot ash may be a big deal. I live in the country so a hot ash or two doesn't matter to much. Also I must have wussy hands. As I still find squeezing the handle to remove the ash catcher a pain and clumsy. To many years behind a keyboard I guess.

Chris

I know those types. There are a couple of those neighborhoods at the bottom of the mountain. On windy days, some of my ash might end up there.

 

[clifish]

Yeah I am really in the city...lol

 

[chopsaw]

I know those types.

That's enough of that .

 

[Brokenhandle]

Yeah I am really in the city...lol
View attachment 633579

Notice there is no ass in his pool...I mean ash!
I just had to lol! And I don't have either one so curious as to which you choose.

Ryan

 

[Nate52]

Yeah I am really in the city...lol
View attachment 633579

City is a relative term. I once saw my neighbor's house when the leaves were down in the winter and their lights were on.

 

[Nate52]

I just snuck to Lowes on my lunch break and took a closer look. I can definitely see the appeal of the vent settings being marked on there. Until you're used to the positioning, the only way to really tell is to give it a reach-around.

I was thinking about the option of maybe getting the original, with the option to add the ash catcher later. But I noticed that the vents on the premium are a little bigger. I'm wondering if that is to make up for any loss of air flow from the catcher. If thats the case, it might hurt performance.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I'm really not totally sold on the ash catcher for the purposes of catching ash. My lawn and driveway is far from manicured, so a mess isn't a worry.


Looks like I need to learn more about the alternative functions of the ash catcher. Thanks for the info. Could swing me the other way.

In addition to briquettes, I use lump charcoal in which some of the smaller burning slivers fall through my SnS and charcoal grate down into the ash catcher. This gives me some peace of mind that those embers are contained and won't be easily airborne on breezey days and start a wildfire.
The holes in the ash catcher surround also help to somewhat diffuse the wind.
I use the ash from the lump charcoal as fertilizer. The ash catcher makes it easy to spread the ashes too.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I just snuck to Lowes on my lunch break and took a closer look. I can definitely see the appeal of the vent settings being marked on there. Until you're used to the positioning, the only way to really tell is to give it a reach-around.

I was thinking about the option of maybe getting the original, with the option to add the ash catcher later. But I noticed that the vents on the premium are a little bigger. I'm wondering if that is to make up for any loss of air flow from the catcher. If thats the case, it might hurt performance.

The newer premium kettles do have the "P" shaped bowl vent holes. They allow for plenty of air flow for smoking or grilling.

 

[clifish]

Notice there is no ass in his pool...I mean ash!
I just had to lol! And I don't have either one so curious as to which you choose.

Ryan

My ass will be in the pool with a drink by 5.30 today

 

[noboundaries]

$80 spread over at least a 20-year lifespan is $4 a year. I like the ease of the lower vent control of the Premium version ash catcher on my 25+ year-old Weber Performer (attached table but none of the fancy features of the current Performer).

 

[motocrash]

Whichever you choose, when transporting in the truck, take the lid off, take out both grates, take off ash catcher, and loosely tie down as to prevent movement yet not tweak anything or get the bowl out of round.
As thus:

 

[Nate52]

Well the wife got annoyed with me debating with myself about what to get. So she went on her own and bought the premium. "There! I decided for you!"

Should be breaking it in tonight.

 

[yankee2bbq]

Well the wife got annoyed with me debating with myself about what to get. So she went on her own and bought the premium. "There! I decided for you!"

Should be breaking it in tonight.

Nate, get in the kitchen and make me a sammich.

Awesome wife!
Be sure to post some pics of your first cook on that bad boy!

 

[forktender]

I got the premium for fathers day last year and it has been outstanding. I like the fact I can squeeze the handle, dump the ash, pop it back in, and be done. Worth the $80 IMO but its personal preference. I also have noticed the lid therm is pretty accurate. Good luck!

Another option is to buy the base model than this on amazon and save $20.