weber original vs premium

[redneckviddles]

Im looking at adding to my grill collection, i want a weber kettle with the vortex primarily for cooking wings, they are a favorite of mine. In the 22” size is the premium worth the extra $50 bucks, looks like the bottom vent/charcoal remover thing is the big difference?

 

[JLeonard]

Thinking thats the only real difference. I have the basic 22in and love it.
Jim

 

[gmc2003]

I'm not a fan of the premium ash catcher. It can be difficult to remove and empty the ashes. The dish on the original makes it a breeze.

Chris

 

[SmokyMose]

I still have the 22" Dad gave me in '96 and use it regularly. No ash catcher. Seems like it would just be something else to clean...

 

[frankly]

I have a 22" with the ash catcher and love it. I don't see how not having the ash catcher would be easier/cleaner overall - maybe someone can clear that up. Doesn't it make a bit of a mess just having that little tray and then having to transfer the ashes to something else instead of just popping the catcher off and dumping directly into something or somewhere?

If jumping into the kettle world here are a couple other thoughts: A friend was moving out of the country so he gifted me a 26" premium, which includes the lid holder ring and I think it is very convenient. The 22" "Master-Touch" series has the ring, but of course more money... Overall, I find the 26" more versatile for larger, controlled temp smokes/cooks and would have bought one originally instead of the 22". Butut if you have something else for larger, cotrolled-temp smokes/cooks then the 22" is great but I think somewhat more limited to grilling or higher-heat setups (hard to keep the temp down on that smaller size.)

 

[SmokyMose]

I have a 22" with the ash catcher and love it. I don't see how not having the ash catcher would be easier/cleaner overall - maybe someone can clear that up. Doesn't it make a bit of a mess just having that little tray and then having to transfer the ashes to something else instead of just popping the catcher off and dumping directly into something or somewhere?

If jumping into the kettle world here are a couple other thoughts: A friend was moving out of the country so he gifted me a 26" premium, which includes the lid holder ring and I think it is very convenient. The 22" "Master-Touch" series has the ring, but of course more money... Overall, I find the 26" more versatile for larger, controlled temp smokes/cooks and would have bought one originally instead of the 22". Butut if you have something else for larger, cotrolled-temp smokes/cooks then the 22" is great but I think somewhat more limited to grilling or higher-heat setups (hard to keep the temp down on that smaller size.)

Actually not much ash makes it to that tray. Most of it stays at the bottom of the kettle to be vacuumed out or whatever after the cook, but the older models didn't have that star shaped vent controller, just 3 separate vents. That may make a difference. The 26" would definitely be better for longer/larger smokes, but I have an offset for that.
I use the old 22" for smaller/shorter cooks where I'm not so concerned about temp control.
I've never been able to keep temps "down" in anything anyway LOL!

 

[chopsaw]

. In the 22” size is the premium worth the extra $50 bucks, looks like the bottom vent/charcoal remover thing is the big difference?

I'm gonna say yes . Just my opinion and preference . Chris is right . It can be a cuss fest sometimes . The newer design is better than the old one . The older ones twist in to lock . The newer ones work like a hinge .
If you are cooking on a deck wood or other material , the enclosed catcher keeps small coals and hot ash from blowing around and falling on the deck .
Either one is good though .

 

[DanMcG]

I'm gonna say yes . Just my opinion and preference

I agree, I like the ash catcher on my premium 22. It's about 10 years old and works fine. You don't have to clean it out every cook, so it's not a lot of work really.

 

[redneckviddles]

I have a pellet smoker and a Weber natural gas grill so i dont think i need a 26”, this would be my “wing cooker” mostly. Having said that, it looks like most on here with the vortex, cook time is about 45-90 minutes for wings, which i would guess is not much ash to deal with anyway, so i suspect the original would work. Thanks for the replies.

 

[SmokingUPnorth]

I also like the ash catcher. Comes out easier than the older ones. And I keep a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket lined with a garbage bag, and every 3 or so cooks just pop out the ash catcher and dump it in. Then when the bucket gets full just tie the bag and pitch the bag full of ashes

 

[SmokyMose]

I have a pellet smoker and a Weber natural gas grill so i dont think i need a 26”, this would be my “wing cooker” mostly. Having said that, it looks like most on here with the vortex, cook time is about 45-90 minutes for wings, which i would guess is not much ash to deal with anyway, so i suspect the original would work. Thanks for the replies.

Frankly, other than the occasional rack of ribs or some thighs, wings are mainly what I use mine for.
Keep an eye on the wings with the vortex! They'll be done quicker than you think :-)

 

[chef jimmyj]

I had a standard no frills Kettle for 20 years. It was fine and to clean the ashes, I would just wheel the grill to an out of the way spot and dump it. I have a Deluxe now and Love the quick clean-out feature. Couple of passes with the vent cover and the ash is in the cup. Way easier.

As far as the Vortex goes...It is AWESOME! Mine was a Christmas Gift from @smokin peachey (Thanks again Buddy!) and I LOVE it for Chicken Wings and Chicken Parts in general. Don't remember what I did before the Vortex!...JJ

 

[gmc2003]

The main reason I prefer the disk to the ash catcher is simplicity. On my 26" with the ash catcher you have to squeeze the handle to release it. That handle(at least mine) is a bear to squeeze the prongs together to get them to the release position. On my 22" with the disk. All I have to do is rotate one of the springs and remove the dish. Takes about a second. I'm not worried about hot coals since I shut down the vents after every smoke and empty the ash the next day. Also with the ash catcher I've had the whole unit release from the tabs and drop from the kettle when trying to squeeze the handle together. It's just my preference.

Chris

 

[redneckviddles]

i just went and looked in person at Lowes, neither setup is great, the pan has those rinky dink clips the pan sits on, the basket has that squeeze setup, they a 18” tailgate type model(can’t remember the proper name) and it has a nice system holding the pan, its just a little small

 

[gmc2003]

Don't knock the clips, I haven't had any issues with mine and their the originals. 10 years and going strong.

Chris

 

[chopsaw]

Nothing wrong with the clips .
Tailgate model?
Weber kettles only go bad from neglect .

 

[SlickRockStones]

My 22 was a ‘05 OTS with the disc. I added the ash catcher, slide - aside lid holder and SS sweeps. I use it for Vortex and rotisserie cooks. The premium ash catcher is awkward at first but soon becomes much easier once you get the touch. I’d go crimson or copper premium and medium vortex. When the grate starts flaking chrome go full KillaGrilla.

 

[binxpercy]

Hey y'all! Thread is a bit old but I wanted to see if you see any difference in temp control between the classic's "daisy wheel" bottom vent and the premium's longer vents. Seems to me the premium vent holes are larger and allow more air through and therefore more temp variation than the classic. I have a classic (love it!) and have done a lot of low and slow bbq on it. But I bbq'd on a friend's premium for the first time last weekend and saw a much bigger difference in temp when I opened or closed his vents vs my classic. Any of y'all had this happen? I'm thinking of getting a premium for this reason so I can have wider temp control.

 

[chopsaw]

I wanted to see if you see any difference in temp control between the classic's "daisy wheel" bottom vent and the premium's longer vents.

You can close off 2 of the daisy wheels completely and use just one to adjust . The adjustment on the one touch style will be " mirrored " at all 3 spots .

 

[gmc2003]

If it's windy out the daisy wheel vents work really well. As chop said you can close two of them off in the winds direction and control the temp with the third vent. The one touch does make clearing the ash easier.

I know that the daisy wheels were still available on the WSM, but wasn't aware of them still being available on the kettles.

P.S. I still like the dish better then the ash catcher.

Chris