Top vent and thermometer location

[Partagas]

Not sure if this has been discussed before but i just helped my brother put together his new performer, and the top vent and therm location is different from mine. In my older performer the therm is in the 6 oclock position and the vent is on the 3 oclock. So the thermometer is off the fire and the vent directly over the food. Perfect right?
Well, Weber changed this not sure when, but now the thermometer is in the same plane as the vent. Meaning that if i i have my fire to the left and my food to the right and want the vent over the food the thermometer ends up right over the lit coals! WTH? Not sure what the logic is in this design change. I have attached some pictures (not mine) for reference.


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[HoosierKettle]

Neither spot is too good but I agree the new location couldn’t be worse. This is something I would like to see Weber change.


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[HoosierKettle]

You could cook indirect using the baskets on each side and that would help. Maybe that was their logic. Baskets each side and flip grate to add coal. It would work fine but most people including me bank to one side. I do bank both sides once in awhile.


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[jhagestad]

I agree that it's not a good design change.  Lots of people will add another thermometer closer to the vent to rectify the issue (while leaving the other one alone).

Another thing I'm not a fan of is the positioning of the lid handle relative to the top vent. I prefer the alignment running the length toward the vent as opposed to perpendicular.  But I'm not losing sleep since I don't own any of the new ones!

[Marzipan]

when you say close to the vent...how close on top or beside or below?

[jhagestad]

Like this close


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