Sorry to Ask....But Which Grill

I just used my performer today for the first time in a long time to grill 6 rib eyes and 2 t bones and I will say the performer rocks! And before I ever owned an actual smoker, I learned to smoke ribs on my performer. Nothing short of an awesome grill!

Weber. Their customer service cannot be beaten.

Weber Dude.

I'd go for the Weber why well lets say i have a thing for them! :becky::becky:

Being from a cold climate the akorn would be fuel efficient and you have a good smoker already. ........but I can say for sure that a weber will last at least a decade, probably way longer. I'm sure the akorn will last with care but ain't nobody got time for that. So my conclusion is to build a drum.

If you cook a lot at one time a 26 kettle would suit your needs for that price, you just have to build a table.

Performer Platinum ....gas assist. The best all around grill/smoker on the market and so easy to operate and clean.jmho

If you want to make pizzas, then the Akorn would be a good choice.
Of course you can always just buy that pizza conversion kit for a Kettle cooker as well, or build one yourself if you were so inclined.

Also I'd just like to say you shouldn't feel the need to apologize. People might ask this question a lot, but it's rarely for the exact same reasons.
Every situation is different. PLUS you're asking a bunch of people on the internet for an opinion. That's a DREAM COME TRUE!

Weber def....my Akorn leaks terrible and needs a bunch of mods to get it to low and slow.

It's not for everyone (you have to bend over), but if you turn your WSM coal grate and ring into a true basket, then attach four large eye bolts to the coal grate to be able to grab and shake the ash off with, you can then set a grill grate across the top of those eye bolts and be cooking right above the coals. I did this to my WSM 22.5" and then use my gasser for just high heat grilling like chicken.

We did some Korean ribs on ours and got a great grill cook with a nice sear.

You sold your silver? Shame on you lol only kidding. You can guess what I am going to say get the performer weber is the best. I love kettle grills.

Mini WSM hands down and there isn't a close second place. I smoke, grill and sear most of my meals on it.

I love my performer for a few reasons. Oak grilled steaks. Anything smoked that I want to do a high heat sear on after(like the wings I smoked today for an hour indirect, then spread out the coals and crisped them up). Honestly I have not used it for "smaller" smokes because I have the WSM and it is a workhorse for quality bbq. My performer has the gas assist and I use that to start the charcoal for my smokers all the time. All around great grill.

Smokin-Canuck said:

Let me first say a I have a WSM 18.5" as my go-to smoker and I love it. I have a Weber Q320 as a gasser so the void currently is a charcoal grill.

Click to expand...

I am thinking about building a fire basket for the WSM, just the right height, so that it can be used down below for smoking or between the two cooking grates for grilling/searing. (I'll replace the lower cooking grate with the more heavy duty charcoal grate from the 22.5" kettle -- which is the same size I believe.)

I love my 1992 Red Performer, but if I'm just doing one or two steaks for my wife and I,I fire up some lump in the chimney over the Performer gas lighter and dump it into my Smokey Joe. Cooks great and less clean up.

I say go with the kettle. Just add to your Weber collection.

This was my collection. I have since passed the 2 OTG and 1 mini to friends getting into the bbq hobby. I also added another performer.

I would definitely go with the Weber Performer Platinum for a few reasons:

1) full disclosure (I have one, and love it)
2) gas-assist lighting (for both charcoal chimneys and Thunderdome's Vortex)
3) I like have a bag of charcoal stored at the grill
4) the side tray is quite large, stable; very usable
5) the storage rack underneath is also quite usable
6) throw the stupid timer away; useless :lol:

What's a Vortex? Here's a link to page 2 on Thunderdome's BBQ blog. Scroll down for a few posts with plenty of photos of the Vortex in use. Those photos show the prototype version (the one I bought for $20). The current shipping version is made from stainless steel and has flat, smooth edges all around.

I do a lot of sous vide cooking, with a final sear at the end. The Weber kettle/Vortex combo is perfect for that. I leave the Vortex with partially used charcoal in place. When I next need a sear, I sweep the ashes out of the kettle, add some fresh charcoal to the top of the Vortex, fire up the gas assist (no chimney required; the Vortex serves that purpose) and let 'er rip will the meat is coming up to temp in the sous vide.

When I'm ready to eat, I pull the meat from the sous vide, pat it dry, and give it a 1 minute sear on each side over the Vortex. I immediately shut the vents on the kettle to retain as much useful charcoal as possible. This turns out to be a pretty efficient use of fuel.

Nothing beats a Weber!