New Kettle - Original or Premium?

[Bumppo]

Welp. I pulled this old kettle out of storage this spring after acquiring it 13 years ago and never using it. It was in rough shape when I got it, but figured it would be good to learn with. Every cook I've done with it has been amazing and I fell in love. So I naturally wanted to take it on my annual Memorial Day camping trip to treat the crew to a great meal.

After an hour and a half drive and only a mile from the campground, the cover blew off and the lid followed. During its flight, the lid met with the post on a guide rail and came to a rest on the side of the road. I was able to pound out the crease and get it back to sort of round to get through that night's cook, but I definitely limped through it. Without a good seal, I couldn't keep the thing hot and my cook took almost twice as long as expected.

But its not all bad news! The wife informed me that I was probably getting a new one for father's day, anyway! Just need to pick one out.

I tend to be a cheap son of a gun, but I'm also practical. I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money on some unnecessary features, but won't blink an eye if it actually makes a difference. But then again, since I'm cheap, I'm starting my shopping at the lower end of the spectrum. Trying to decide between the original and the premium. Whichever one I end up with will be an upgrade over the old one, even it its glory days.

From what I've seen, there are really only 3 big differences between them for either $139 or $219
1. Hinged grate - already upgraded for the old one, so don't need
2. Lid thermometer - we can all agree that they're useless unless its from a higher end manufacturer
3. Ash catcher - seems like an improvement, but the one-touch cleaning is an upgrade regardless

So is the ash catcher really worth $80? Or are there other differences that I missed in my research?

 

[JLeonard]

Depends on you....IS the ash catcher worth $80? I have the basic 22in Weber and love it.
Jim

 

[SmokinAl]

Yes the ash catcher makes cleaning the grill much easier. In my opinion it’s worth it.
Al

 

[chopsaw]

The ash catcher is worth the money . It keeps hot stuff contained on windy days , plus easy clean out .

Lid thermometer - we can all agree that they're useless unless its from a higher end manufacturer

Not if you know what you're looking at . I go by mine all the time . Checks out with my Ink bird too .

one-touch cleaning is an upgrade regardless

Yes , but you have to keep the bottom clean . If you don't you can bend the vanes and they no longer seal . Not a negative , just something to think about .

 

[gmc2003]

I have the original 22" kettle with the disc, and a 26" kettle with the ash catcher. I prefer the disc style myself. It's easier for me to dump the ash, and I don't really notice a lot ash flying around my yard during a cook.

The 26" kettle does have the therm on top of the lid and although it's not super accurate. It does allow me to glance at the kettle and see if it's holding a steady temp.

I will say that overall the 26" kettle(a bit pricey) is worth the extra money. The extra room you get is unbelievable, and the slide-aside for the lid is much better then the hook. Also the charcoal and cooking grates are really heavy duty.

If your set on the 22" kettle then I would keep the extra 80.00 and go for the basic original. They cook the same.

Chris

 

[sawhorseray]

Like Rich and Chris I have a 22 and 26, been cooking on a Weber kettle for over 45 years. I like to keep it simple with no frills, the money saved on the ash catcher can be spent on a SnS and Vortex, then you're really cookin'! RAY

 

[Bumppo]

Yes the ash catcher makes cleaning the grill much easier. In my opinion it’s worth it.
Al

The ash catcher is worth the money . It keeps hot stuff contained on windy days , plus easy clean out .

What about it makes it easier to clean? I get that it holds more, so I wouldn't have to empty it each cook, but is there anything else?

 

[Bumppo]

Yes , but you have to keep the bottom clean . If you don't you can bend the vanes and they no longer seal . Not a negative , just something to think about .

Thanks for the tip. I haven't looked that closely at the mechanism when browsing at the store.

 

[chopsaw]

What about it makes it easier to clean?

For me it's the fact that the ash is contained .

 

[Bumppo]

I have the original 22" kettle with the disc, and a 26" kettle with the ash catcher. I prefer the disc style myself. It's easier for me to dump the ash, and I don't really notice a lot ash flying around my yard during a cook.

The 26" kettle does have the therm on top of the lid and although it's not super accurate. It does allow me to glance at the kettle and see if it's holding a steady temp.

I will say that overall the 26" kettle(a bit pricey) is worth the extra money. The extra room you get is unbelievable, and the slide-aside for the lid is much better then the hook. Also the charcoal and cooking grates are really heavy duty.

If your set on the 22" kettle then I would keep the extra 80.00 and go for the basic original. They cook the same.

Chris

I'd love to get a 26" some day. But that will have to wait for another summer. I joked with the wife about getting the Ranch, and it seems like that will have to wait another decade.

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks for the tip. I haven't looked that closely at the mechanism when browsing at the store.

If you let the bottom get gunked up , then force the sweeping motion it can bend the vanes .
You can see how tight these are to the bottom .

 

[clifish]

I agree with chop, I have the performer kettle and would not want hot ash blowing around in my backyard. I also like that mine came with the grate where the center comes out for better reloading of the vortex. Also both sides of the grate are hinged to reload charcoal baskets. BTW I also find the lid therm to be pretty darn accurate..at least now.

 

[Bumppo]

Like Rich and Chris I have a 22 and 26, been cooking on a Weber kettle for over 45 years. I like to keep it simple with no frills, the money saved on the ash catcher can be spent on a SnS and Vortex, then you're really cookin'! RAY

That might be the best argument I'll hear in favor of the cheaper one.

 

[Bumppo]

If you let the bottom get gunked up , then force the sweeping motion it can bend the vanes .
You can see how tight these are to the bottom .
View attachment 633573

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.

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

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!

 

[Bumppo]

I agree with chop, I have the performer kettle and would not want hot ash blowing around in my backyard. I also like that mine came with the grate where the center comes out for better reloading of the vortex. Also both sides of the grate are hinged to reload charcoal baskets. BTW I also find the lid therm to be pretty darn accurate..at least now.

If the premium came with that grate, I wouldn't hesitate to get it.

 

[clifish]

If the premium came with that grate, I wouldn't hesitate to get it.

According to the weber site it does come with that.

 

[BigW.]

I'm a fan of the ash catcher. I wish I would have got the 26" the first time.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

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.

 

[Bumppo]

According to the weber site it does come with that.

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