How to Pack and Ship a Kettle

When packing and shipping a Weber kettle, whether it be a Smokey Joe, an 18.5, 22.5, or 26.75,  it’s always a good idea to have the box at least 1.5″  larger than the kettle itself. For example, if you are packing a 22.5, then the box should be at least 24″ square. The one number I’m not positive of is what is the height of an actual Weber 22.5 box. I’d guess around 18″ high.

Here are the steps of how to pack and ship a Weber grill

1. Take the cooking and charcoal grates, along with the triangle and lay them flat on the bottom of the box.

2. Lay a piece of cardboard or rigid foam that is close to the size of the box, on top of the grates and triangle. This is important so the leg sockets won’t grind against them and get chipped up.

3. Place the kettle bowl inside on top of that cardboard piece that’s over the grates. Orient handles that are on the bowl to the corners of the box, NOT against sidewalls. This will help prevent them from getting chipped, or even worse, smashed into the bowl causing more damage. You can place your ash catcher (with bubble wrap under it) in the bowl here too. If you have a One-Touch Gold, you’ll need to remove the ash catcher assembly and pack it separately in your bowl as well.

Wrap the bowl handles with some type of bubble wrap for added protection just in case.

4. Not pictured, but this is a good time to take your wheels and individual legs and wrap them with bubble wrap, and place them in the empty cavities of the box, preferably laying the legs down flat. Now, fill all voids of the box with as much packaging material you have. (bubble wrap, peanuts, newspaper, etc.)

5. Place sheets of foam or folded cardboard over the sides of the bowl. Make sure they face each side of the box to eliminate the kettle jiggling during shipment. Don’t be afraid to add additional strips of cardboard as this will also act as a cushion for your lid which is one of the most important parts of the whole packing process. Another method I have seen done is to use foam pipe insulation around the rim of the bowl and lid. See attached photos. This is another idea to use along with the cardboard or foam strips in between the lid and bowl.

 

6. Now place your lid, upside down, into the bowl, and onto your cardboard or foam strips. Make sure no metal surfaces are touching the porcelain finish of the lid.

7. Place a cardboard piece similar is size to the box (24×24) on top of your upside down lid. This will act as an additional layer of protection and ALSO help to keep the kettle from shifting around during transit.

 

8. Lastly, if your box is too tall and has extra space on top once your kettle is packed, cut it down to size by carefully cutting down the corners of the box. This additional size savings acts to keep the kettle “tight” in the box and not shift as much. It also could be the difference in your box being classified as “oversized” depending where you are shipping too. An oversized package could easily double an average cost of 30.00 to over 70.00.

 

Where to buy boxes:

U-haul
Home Depot
UPS/Fedex (pricier)

Approximate weights:

18.5″ ~25lbs
22.5″ ~30lbs

Links to shipping calculator:

Fedex Rates and transit time
UPS Calculator

How much will it cost to ship a Weber Grill?:

Rates will vary due to weight, dimensions, service type, and location.
~$35 for 18.5″
~$45 for 22.5″
~$80 for a 26″