Weber Kettle: Master worth the extra?

Gundo said:

I'm finally getting into charcoal BBQ and the obvious/only choice is to go with a Weber Kettle. In everyone's opinion is paying the extra for the Master series worth the addional money?

I currently do no smoking at all but that's about to change.

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Whether it's worth it or not really depends on you. The MT has the lid bale and is 2.5 inches taller. It also comes comes with the Gourmet grill grate and the elevated warming rack.

I have a Performer and love the lid bale. It's so handy being able to just lift the lid and slide it into the bale instead of having to worry about catching the lid hook, or setting the lid down somewhere.

I also purchased the Gourmet grates. I don't swap out the insert very often, but the actual grate is thicker than the standard flip up grates. A very worthwhile upgrade.

Those two things alone are worth more than the $50 price difference to me.

I use the basic 22" weber kettles, I use them several times a week, all year, they are stored outside, uncovered all year......the one I have at home is 6 years old and going strong, the one I had before that is at my cabin and it's still working fine.....point is, these kettles LAST, so the little bit extra it costs isn't a big deal for something that you will have for years.

Btw the weber kettle is (in my opinion) the absolute best cooker to introduce yourself to cooking over the coals......I have a nice weber genesis silver gas grill I got as a wedding present, I used it for a year then bought a weber kettle on sale because I grew up using charcoal grills, figured it'd be nice to have both........I haven't used the gasser one time since I got the kettle lol

I don't have the Weber MT. However, I started out on a $20 Weber one touch silver from CL about three years ago. The basic OTS will work just as good and grill just as well as the MT. The question that only you can answer is whether the upgrades on the MT are worth the money.

I later found a one touch gold for $20, and then later found a Performer for $100. I love the gas assist, table and lid bale on the performer and get why people would want to spend the money on it.

All that being said, I don't think I would pay $200 for the MT. I would try to find a cheap kettle on Craigslist, start grilling on it, then see if you think it is worth getting the MT. However, if your decision is between a brand new one touch gold and a MT, then I would definitely spend the extra for the MT. The lid bale alone would be worth the extra $50 to me.

I have the 26" and absolutely love it: http://www.weber.com/grills/series/original-kettle/original-kettle-premium-26 It comes with most of the stuff that the Master series does. The 26" feels almost twice as big as the 22" and allows for much more indirect and smoking. I can't imagine not having the lid bale now and it's much easier the deal with the ashes.

I put bales on all my kettles that didn't have them. Worth it. All the extra stuff for $50 is a bargain. Nothing worse than setting the lid down on the deck and getting a black ring.

CL has been the source for all of my Weber acquisitions: two 26ers, 2 performers,4 daisy wheel 22's etc... Calgary CL is currently empty of charcoal Webers but I did find this for $100 on KiJiJi in Calgary. (and its blue)

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-bbq-outdoor-...al/1096439864?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

My suggestion, get it used, clean it, learn how to use it and spend the savings on accessories like a stacker or rotisserie, my .02

Cayman1 said:

I put bales on all my kettles that didn't have them. Worth it. All the extra stuff for $50 is a bargain. Nothing worse than setting the lid down on the deck and getting a black ring.

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I set the lid down on a charcoal chimney to avoid black rings....

Do it.

Weber Kettle

I have the basic Weber One Touch Kettle.
I love the thing....I think the SINGLE most important option I bought for it...was the collar type insert that allows you to do a rotisserie on it....and along with that the little holders for the coals that allow you to concentrate them in a basket on one part of the grill floor.

Every year for the past 4+ years, on Thanksgiving, I've been doing a rotisserie Standing Rib Roast (bone in)....and a pretty big one too.

(as an aside, the ONLY turkey at my house on Thanksgiving is 101 Proof!!)

But the rotisserie set up for me is what I enjoy about the Weber Kettle grill the most...whether it is a couple of chickens, leg of lamb, rib roast..etc. I just love having it cook over coals (actually coals segregated to one side of the bowl) and baste it its own juices.

The only other thing I got, was cast iron grates which with the ones I got, that are sectional and a bit of a PITA to mess with....do cook and sear quite well.

I'm about to buy a Big Green Egg myself and foresee most all my grilling to be done with that, but I will still use the Weber for when I want to do something on rotisserie...

So, for me..the basic with the rotisserie insert and motor and spit add on....is the best bang for the buck for me.

HTH,

cayenne

Gundo said:

Ha!! On my way to pick it up for a whopping $60!!! Thanks for the heads up.

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Glad it worked out for you! Post some pics once you get it set up.