Old vs New Weber kettles

[therod]

I have a 22" Weber Performer. It has been well-used. This machine is probably 22-23 years old. It was purchased for my parents originally, but they won't take the time to start charcoal and do the other work necessary to maintain a kettle. They have a Weber gasser that they use extensively. So my question is about my performer. Is there much of a difference in how well the newer kettles are made vs a 20+ year old kettle? Or has there been any changes in materials or material design that would make a newer kettle more efficient enough to update / upgrade to a new model? If I had the money to blow, I'd buy a 26" kettle, just to have the extra room. I have 3 kids, and 2 of the kids won't eat anything with any kind of grill marks. So half of the food I cook is cooked directly over the coals (unless it's to be cooked indirect by design) and the other half I cook indirect while also putting the food on some mats I bought on Amazon to prevent the meat from getting those beautiful looking marks. So how much better are the newer kettles vs the older ones? Would I gain anything buying a new kettle? I hate to give my Performer the boot, it's a great machine. But I am just curious if the newer machines provide anything for efficiency as far as heat and fuel go. And I've never looked...if I buy a newer 22" kettle, could I just pull my old kettle off the frame and hang a new kettle in its place?

[HoosierKettle]

I'm not sure I understand. Is your current kettle in good shape?  A kettle is pretty much a kettle besides some subtle nuances that have changed and colors.

Efficiency differences?  They have been the same basic shape steel bowl and lid since the beginning with changes made to the vents in the 80's when they went to one touch.


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[ReanimatedRobot]

There really isn't much of a difference function wise.  The only real enhancement I have seen from the previous design is that the new MasterTouches have a P shaped vent rather than the usual oval.  I don't think that is a sufficient reason to upgrade if it is the only reason.  I think the only real advantage it provides is a little more temp control for smoking and etc. 

Personally, I would clean up the old performer and keep using it for the time being until a good deal comes along on a 26" or you see a color that you absolutely must have.  I would still probably keep the performer after that as an extra kettle can come in handy if you are going to entertain guests or just make a smaller meal than what the 26" requires.  Plus a 22.5" has a lot more accessories you can use with it. 

The 26" is usually over $300 plus tax.  If you are lucky you might snag one on close out this time of year, but it isn't a certainty as I am not sure they changed the design from last year and only certain stores carry them in stock.  You can find them on Facebook marketplace for $100 to $200 used, but you have to catch them quick because most kettle heads around here will snag one at that price if they are in a similar situation. 

[therod]

No my kettle is in fine shape. It's been covered and well-cared for. It's one of my prized possessions. But I haven't really kept up on the kettles themselves for awhile. I have a great multitude of accessories for it. Enough that I bought a brand new tool cabinet for the garage strictly for my grilling tools. I was also looking at the KillaGrilla grates. I have a cast-iron rack, the stock stainless rack, and recently purchased the Skyflame modular stainless rack with a porcelain-coated cast-iron insert. Was really just curious if there was much of a difference between my kettle that was made 20+ years ago, and the newer kettles available now.

[jhagestad]

I also have a 22 year old kettle at my MIL's lake house and a modded-out 11 year old kettle that I use almost daily.  The biggest difference is that the newer models have the ash sweeper handle that makes cleaning out the ashes and controlling the bottom vents much easier. I added the high-capacity ash pan this summer which allowed me to make some marks on the catcher bracket to note how open the bottom vent is relative to where the ash sweeper handle was positioned. Having said that, the older kettle easily handled a 6-hour low and slow ribs cook this past October just by keeping one bottom vent open (out of the three) and the top vent wide open.  The temps held steady at 240 the whole cook. For ease of use, I like the ash sweeper handle and ash bucket, but there's no difference in cooking times or quality between the two. Hope this helps!

[GrillGuyMosier]

I would keep the kettle you have unless it's in bad shape.  Such as rust holes or something really bad.       
Those kids would starve at my place!

[Transit98]

Buy a killa grilla grate - that's an improvement - other than that a SnS . Give her a cleaning. She will last another 30 years


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[jhagestad]

Give her a cleaning. She will last another 30 years

^^THIS^^

100% accurate.  Check out the step-by-step in the link below.  If you've never cleaned your grill before, you'll be shocked at how clean it can get.

http://weberkettleclub.com/weber-grill-restoration-interior-and-exterior-kettle-cleaning/

[bbqking01]

I would keep the kettle you have unless it's in bad shape.  Such as rust holes or something really bad.       
Those kids would starve at my place!

um..yes starve they would..lol.


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[BBQ Jack]

My old kettle was an EE. Each time I tried to move it the legs would drop off as the legs were twist lock and were always loose. My new kettle that I bought two years ago has clips on the legs and they never fall off. A simple change that makes a big improvement. Not sure how they got way with selling those twist lock kettles. It was a POS design. The new kettle is just as solid as the old one. It was great value on sale at HD for $89.

[jacko1962]

I found the older kettles are made with better steel and tighter tolerances on the lid fit. I have a 92 red performer that is starting to pop some rust paint chips. I could put a newer colored kettle on it but I would perfer to find a 90 kettle in nice shape and mount it.