Weber Kettle Accessories

[RiversideSm0ker]

Guys,

I am planning on replacing my gas grill with a Weber kettle in the future. I was wondering what you guys, who already own one, think are the best five or so accessories that add value to the grill? I've seen the vortex and that looks pretty useful but what do you guys think are the absolute best add-ons?

George

 

[browneyesvictim]

A Vortex. The Slow-N-Sear is also highly rated. A charcoal chimney starter is a must. A charcoal basket. Good tongs, gloves/oven mit, Temp probe(s) of course. Kind of pointless when grilling, but add a BBQ guru for a set-and-forget experience when smoking with it.

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

I did look at the slow and sear unit but that seems pretty expensive. I believe I'd turn to my OKJ before I'd ever consider something that costs almost the same as the kettle. I could be wrong about it's usefulness though. Anybody try the Weber rotisserie or a similar unit from another vendor that they feel adds a lot of value to their kettle?

George

 

[flatbroke]

I would try and get the 26 if you an spring it. I like my 22 but the extra room on the 26 is nice.

 

[noboundaries]

Charcoal baskets. $15. Will save you money on briquettes and help burn more efficiently. I can't remember the last time I used my Kettle without the baskets.

The Vortex gets a lot of use by folks. I don't own one, but it has me thinking about the possibilities.

Erik has you covered above on the basics and the fun stuff.

Forget the Slow n Sear. Forget the Smokenator (basically the forerunner to the Slow n Sear). Buy a couple fire bricks and the $15 charcoal baskets from HD or Lowes. Put the baskets against one side, end to end, or overlapping a little, stand the fire bricks on their long side, end to end, against the baskets to use as a heat block. Overfill the baskets with cold charcoal and wood, add a few hot briquettes .......bingo...same thing as both the above products. Heat flows up and across the lid into the indirect heat side of the chamber. If you want water, put a metal pan above the fire.

I also use a 15" carbon steel paella pan ($25) in my 22.5" Kettle. Don't get the 18" pan. It won't fit due to the handles (ahem......experience talking). You can get a 13.25" round cooling rack from Amazon ($10-12) that first perfectly in the paella pan. I use that pan (and the cooling rack when smoking) in my Kettle for frying, pizza, hot smoking, slow smoking, etc. Heck, I even make paella on occasion. I'm the only one I know using a paella pan, but I consider it an essential accessory to my Kettle.

 

[noboundaries]

I would try and get the 26 if you an spring it. I like my 22 but the extra room on the 26 is nice.

Oooooh, yeah. These dang things last for decades or I'd own a 26".

 

[maineac]

In order of importance to me -
While I doubt that most would consider this an accessory, the most used item for me is a large side table. That’s why I have a Weber Performer. Second is the Slow N Sear which never leaves the kettle except when using a rotisserie. I even start the charcoal in it even though I have 2 chimneys. When used in conjunction with a cut-down pizza pan (see pic) it creates the perfect indirect cooking area with very uniform temperatures (think cooking 10 thighs). I just bang the ash off the old coals and add new making it very economical with charcoal. Next are Craycort cast iron grates. I really like the segmented design and that they retain heat; they are excellent for indirect cooking. I have a rotisserie w/accoutrements which gets used 2-4 times per year. And I have grill grates for the Slow N Sear which only gets used upside down for a mini flat-top, but I rarely use it.

 

[gmc2003]

I would try and get the 26 if you an spring it. I like my 22 but the extra room on the 26 is nice.

The only problem I've heard about the 26" is that it's too heavy for the socket's that hold the legs in place, and if you have to move it around allot one of them is bound to snap off.

As to the equipment: Vortex is #1 in my book, then charcoal baskets(not the slow-n-sear), gourmet grate is also nice to have. The Kettle pizza attachment is also nice, but a little pricey.

Chris

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Oooooh, yeah. These dang things last for decades or I'd own a 26".

I considered that but really about 90% of the time it is just me and my wife. I just can't justify the extra cost without needing the extra cooking space on a regular basis.

Right now I'm thinking that the vortex type ring and perhaps a rotisserie are the things that I feel would add the most value to a kettle. I need to be able to grill on something and that's going to happen right out of the box. Currently I don't have an option to do any rotisserie. So that feels like something I'd like to have in my arsenal. Then there is that vortex ring. Man I think that is the cure to burned chicken. What a simple bun ingenious idea. Your kettle just becomes a charcoal fueled convection oven. I love that idea. I saw a video the other day on YouTube where a guy make fried chicken on the kettle with one of those vortex rings. Man it was battered and you could tell it was all crunchy and I really wanted some fried chicken after watching that lol.

Thanks to all of you guys that have already thrown in suggestions. I doubt I will be going Al's route and getting the pizza oven but it sure is awesome that those things exist. I can't believe how many accessories are out there for a kettle. I'm almost tempted to just buy a cheap knock off kettle to have one right away but I just don't think that my wife understands about the grill need. Wishing doesn't cost a thing though ;)

George

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

While I doubt that most would consider this an accessory, the most used item for me is a large side table.

I agree with this completely. In fact, my intention is to build a grilling table where the kettle will be inserted into a round hole in the grill table top. That will be a separate project of course but having that surface to work from is the biggest thing that I can think of to make the whole setup more useful.

Thanks for all of your input Dean.

George

 

[gmc2003]

George, if you have a minute take a look at some of the links in my signature. The pork shots, fatties, kettle fried chicken, and chicken fried steak were all done on the kettle. Take a peak and see the charcoal baskets and vortex in action.

Chris

 

[flatbroke]

Check Craigslist out. Lots of cheap hardly used Weber’s pop up around here. Maybe your area has them too. Might even find a 26

 

[flatbroke]

Her is a couple options. One incorporates a rotisserie

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

That Santa Maria thing looks dangerous. I doubt I could use that in my area without getting fined or reported to the police. It looks pretty cool though.

George

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

George, if you have a minute take a look at some of the links in my signature. The pork shots, fatties, kettle fried chicken, and chicken fried steak were all done on the kettle. Take a peak and see the charcoal baskets and vortex in action.

Chris

Chris,

Yeah that vortex looks like one of the things I would say for me would be a must have. I love what that can do. I'd just get a second grate that I only cooked on with that in place. Your pork shots inspired me to give it a try this weekend. I did mine on the smoker and really liked them. They are going to be in my normal rotation from now on.

George

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

Check Craigslist out. Lots of cheap hardly used Weber’s pop up around here. Maybe your area has them too. Might even find a 26

This is a really great suggestion. If I can find one super cheap then I might just go for it. I do think I want one in that copper color though. I would have to pick one up eventually :)

George

 

[chopsaw]

Cooks great just as it is . If you don't find one on CL , you're at the right time of year to find a closeout deal in a few months . I have an 06 Performer with the baskets and propane assist .

 

[Smoke23]

One thing that gets used every time I use my kettle is some expanded metal cut to fit on the charcoal grate. There can be some very useable charcoal slip between the stock grate. For the most part the only thing in my ash pot is ash. I know charcoal isn’t too expensive, especially if you get it on sale... but still.

A second charcoal grate laid perpendicular to the original grate works to.

 

[JOHN RENDA]

One other thing about the vortex you can get a wire type wok ring and set your wok on it and do stir fry

 

[RiversideSm0ker]

One thing that gets used every time I use my kettle is some expanded metal cut to fit on the charcoal grate. There can be some very useable charcoal slip between the stock grate. For the most part the only thing in my ash pot is ash. I know charcoal isn’t too expensive, especially if you get it on sale... but still.

A second charcoal grate laid perpendicular to the original grate works to.

I actually saw this in a video on YouTube. It's a very good suggestion and one that I intend to listen to once I move forward with buying a kettle.

I bought a tiny portable kettle grill from Walmart in January just for the cooking grate but was in a pinch yesterday still without propane. I drop the charcoal in the little sucker and grilled a couple of burgers last night. Man those were delicious. It's actually been many years since I had a charcoal grill. The cooking to me seemed like it was more even. On my gas grill I tend to not be able to get it low enough to not cook the outside of my burgers too quickly. They tend to get more of a sear than I want. I like to make thick patties. In any case, that just makes me think that I will love the kettle that much more when I get around to buying one.

Damn you Erik for getting that copper one and making me change my mind from the just plain black. Now I feel compelled to seek out a copper kettle :)

George