On a different note entirely, who here uses a cast iron grate?
When I was a kid (1990's), I remember my father being angry when Weber stopped producing cast iron grates for the 22.5in Kettle - he used them and taught me to use them as they can reach a much higher temperature than the normal steel grate, providing better searing capabilities and also better marking on steaks, chicken, etc.
Since you can no longer buy the entire grate in cast iron, I now use a hinged steel grate with removable center rectangle portion, which happens to be the same dimensions as one side of a Weber gas grill grate--some of which are made in cast iron. This cast iron rectangle fits perfectly into the hinged grate with the old steel center removed, which has effectively solved my problem.
I can definitely notice the difference between cast iron and steel grates, as my Smokey Joe is just the stock steel grate. To me, I think the cast iron grate is definitely the way to go.. I'm just wondering if anyone else feels the same way!