Weber Kettle Club Forums

Grill Talk => Weber Grill Forum (Grills, Accessories) => Topic started by: colin.p on July 08, 2013, 03:42:20 PM

Title: I would have never believed it...
Post by: colin.p on July 08, 2013, 03:42:20 PM
...if someone, told me a year ago, heck two months ago, that charcoal cooking was as good as this, I'd have said no way. Not to sound all squishy, but cooking on my OTG is, by far, the best food I have ever cooked in my life.

I have had cheap POS charcoal BBQ's in the past, but this thing blows them all out of the water. Even with my gasser, I haven't gotten results as good as this. I have done steaks, burgers, chops, roasts,beans, scalloped potatoes, whole chickens and what else. The chicken pieces, that I cooked tonight, (which I have always burned to a friggin crisp cooking on anything else) has turned out better than I have ever had, oven, frypan, or BBQ.

Now I realize I'm preachin' to the choir, but holy frigg, this thing is great, even my wife (who was pretty pissed at me for buying the OTG in the first place) says it cooks great.

Problem is,I have my poor Spirit sitting there and I can see, if this keeps up, maybe a For Sale sign in the future? Nah, I don't think I will sell it, won't get much for it anyway especially if someone like you bunch of tightwads comes to look at it. ;D

I was thinking, before I bought the OTG, of maybe getting a WSM, but now I can't see that being all that necessary. Maybe if one comes by really cheap, or maybe make a mini WSM, but for now this OTG is the bomb baby.
Title: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Ted B on July 08, 2013, 03:44:56 PM
Colin I agree with u. I grilled too long on pos grills both charcoal and gas. Once I grilled on the weber I was hooked. My family doesn't even really want to go out for dinner anymore.
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Jeff on July 08, 2013, 03:47:26 PM
Colin...we know EXACTLY what you mean!
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Craig on July 08, 2013, 03:58:56 PM
Colin, it always starts with your first kettle, then your hooked! The flavor, the control the workability, the kettle shape, the colors, the flavor....
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: mike.stavlund on July 08, 2013, 04:29:31 PM
Right on, Colin!  Glad you're having such great success.  Please share your recipes and techniques, and of course photos.

...and don't sell you gas grill-- they make great wind-breaks on breezy days, and are a great place to store accessories for your charcoal cooking.  ;-)
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Bman on July 08, 2013, 04:31:02 PM
I agree with everything except the WSM part.  I ~love~ that thing!
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: pbe gummi bear on July 08, 2013, 05:33:03 PM
I love my wsm's. I've been Webering for years but I've never used a kettle for low and slow. I'm trying it for the first time this weekend!
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Duke on July 08, 2013, 06:33:51 PM
I love my wsm's. I've been Webering for years but I've never used a kettle for low and slow. I'm trying it for the first time this weekend!
You are in for a treat and they use much less fuel.
Title: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Chasing_smoke on July 08, 2013, 06:35:16 PM
Cheers Colin that's what a weber is all about. Can't disagree with any of it!

Ted my family says the same thing lol if we do go out its always "you could have cooked this better" then I remind her why I have so many grills :-)


 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: zavod44 on July 08, 2013, 06:39:51 PM
I got a free gas grill and I'm thinking I'm gonna put dirt in it and use it as a planter

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk 2

Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: landgraftj on July 08, 2013, 07:12:28 PM
You snobs! Don't get rid of that Spirit, you'll still use it. I use mine on days where I just don't have time to mess with my charcoals or when I need it done fast before the rain comes down.
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: Craig on July 08, 2013, 07:13:34 PM
You snobs! Don't get rid of that Spirit, you'll still use it. I use mine on days where I just don't have time to mess with my charcoals or when I need it done fast before the rain comes down.

Hey I don't even have gas  ???
 
Well, not that kind anyway..  :P
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: pbe gummi bear on July 08, 2013, 07:21:42 PM
I love my wsm's. I've been Webering for years but I've never used a kettle for low and slow. I'm trying it for the first time this weekend!
You are in for a treat and they use much less fuel.

Interesting on the fuel. I've never thought too much of it but ill keep that in mind.  :)
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: MacEggs on July 09, 2013, 05:46:24 AM
I hear you Colin! I try to tell people of my findings, too. They don't listen.

Everything they make on their gasser is just fantastic ... according to them. To each their own, eh.
 
My gasser gets used 2-3 times a year now ... to warm up ribs I cooked on the kettle or drum smoker ... and the occasional baked potato.  :)
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: javahog2002 on July 09, 2013, 05:55:35 AM
You snobs! Don't get rid of that Spirit, you'll still use it. I use mine on days where I just don't have time to mess with my charcoals or when I need it done fast before the rain comes down.

Hey I don't even have gas  ???
 
Well, not that kind anyway..  :P

I gave away my longtime Ducane gasser to some friends with young kids and no time to mess with charcoal. They only had a smoker joe.  The guy that was using that grill is 6 ft 6.  An SJ is not a good option for him.

Weber kettles with a load of charcoal are the real deal for great food.
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: HankB on July 10, 2013, 05:14:39 AM
I'm happy to hear that the kettle is working out so well for you.  ;D It really is amazing how good the food is cooked on a kettle.

Don't get rid of the gasser though. It makes a great accessory for a kettle. When I'm cooking in the colder months, I use it to hold food as it comes off the grill. I also use it for reverse searing meats, warming them for a bit on the gas before going on to a raging hot charcoal grill. And I'll admit that I occasionally use it to quickly grill some veggies or a burger or two.

But back to kettles and smokers. I highly recommend watching CL (or is it kijiji in CA?) for a Weber Smokey Joe. The SJG is preferred bit a silver will work too. Get the tamale pot to convert it to a mini-WSM. I have one and it is one of my most versatile cookers. I foundthe SJ not too useful as it was, but the conversion turns that around entirely. An 8 pound chicken easily fits on the bottom grate and using the top grate moves the food far enough away from the charcoal to make the entire grate useful for indirect cooks.
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: LightningBoldtz on July 10, 2013, 06:39:24 AM
Probably already said but, Gassers are good to keep your food warm after you have cooked it in the kettle and need to do a round two.
Title: Re: I would have never believed it...
Post by: colin.p on July 10, 2013, 09:59:23 AM
I was kidding about getting rid of my gasser, I do find that it comes in handy for all the above reasons. On the other hand, even though I would really like a WSM, I can't justify the outlay of $400 for an 18.5 especially since the kettle will work just fine, albeit with more fiddling.

Now I am really interested in the mini WSM idea and will keep my eyes open for a deal on a SJG or S at the neighbourhood Wallymart this fall. Finding the tamale pot sounds like a challenge though, not much call for such a thing up here either. I have scanned the local "CL", "Kijiji" and "Used Ottawa" sites, but around here people can't spell Weber let alone have them for sale and their ideas of BBQ's are old clapped out hibachis.