Hello All,
I have been lurking a bit on this and a few other Weber/BBQ forums for the past few months and have been considering my new grill purchase. My wife and I purchased our new home at the beginning of the year and threw out our older cheap gas grill before we moved. I have really been wanting to get into charcoal and have been researching Webers and kamados.
I am definitely interested in doing high heat, low and slow, smoking, pizza, baking, and just about trying everything. I prefer to have one cooker if possible for space reasons and am between a Performer/26/WSC. I do live in Upstate NY, so the harsh winter is a consideration that has me interested in the WSC or some type of kamado-like grill with good insulation. The fuel efficiency intrigues me too, as it would be nice to not have to babysit too often (we have a baby on the way as well, so that will full my babysitting quota for awhile!) Gas assist would also be a nice feature for connvenience on weeknight cooking, but I guess it is not a requirement as I have seen it doesn't save a ton of time for some.
If I go with a Performer or the 26, I would definitely get a SNS and Kettlepizza, but would not need those accessories with the WSC. But that price though! Although, there is a dealer near me that has the standard WSC without cart for $1200...
Are my concerns over difficulty cooking in the NY winter justified? Can I accomplish all my goals for about half the price? Or is it worth it to splurge? I am going mad here people! I appreciate the help of all the experienced kettle aficionados here. Thank you all!