Rails vs baskets....

[Cookingmama]

I think this has been discussed before, if so I apologize .

What are the differences with charcoal ails and charcoal baskets?

I have a couple of sets of baskets and like them and use them often .  The rails do look like they not hold the charcoal in as well and can't be moved easily with hot coals in them, as I often do with the baskets.

[reillyranch]

I am sure someone has a picture, but rails are made of steel rods like a cooking grate.  The baskets are stamped aluminum. Both are shaped like half moons and do the same thing.  Unless you are talking about the ones you attach to the charcoal grate.  Those are made of steel rod but are fixed in position.  Where you move the baskets around the rails stay put.  At least that is how I do it. 

[Bob BQ]

I have not used the charcoal rails, but I do have the baskets that came with the SS Performers... these are taller, steel rods, and much better quality than the stamped aluminum baskets.  You can still find them on ebay and eReplacementparts .com.  I'd post a picture, but haven't quite figured out how to do that, yet 

[Morning Wood]

The Weber rod/wire baskets, as delivered with the old SS Performers, are still available. The Weber part number is 960080 with a list price of $26 per pair.

[glrasmussen]

The Weber rod/wire baskets, as delivered with the old SS Performers, are still available. The Weber part number is 960080 with a list price of $26 per pair.

You can go here and they are $9.00 each.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/wire-charcoal-basket-p-1477460.html

[Duke]

Good thread idea Cookingmama, I had no idea they still made those little wire baskets, but can't say I have a need for them because they are too small. I use one homeade basket in my 22 and 26, but use one rail in my 18. and smokey joe. I have baskets for those too, but the rail is adjustable and holds mor charcoal. Try it for offset cooking.

[Heyjude]

They both work in similar ways. The rails were designed to be in a fixed position for indirect cooking.
They were the firs way Weber designed to keep cols in one place. The down side is your coals will be up against the bowl. There has been talk that too much heat can cause the porcelain to crack.
The baskets work good as you can put them in the center and cook directly over the coals.
I have never measured how much coal fits in them. I have both the old SS wire and the newer aluminized baskets. There's pros and cons on both types. 
Overall, I prefer the baskets.. I do like the full size basket that Duke built; it holds a ton of coal! 

[mike.stavlund]

I think the newer style stamped-metal baskets hold a bit more coal than the old wire-style.  I have both of them, and use them for different things, but I do find I use the newer style baskets more (tip:  if you are ordering directly from Weber, you can get the individual baskets for much less than buying the pair of them). 

One place where the old wire style baskets excel is in their height-- they bring the coals right up under the top grate on a 22.5.  So they are great for searing stuff.  When I cook pieces of chicken, I like to push the wire-style baskets right together in the center of the grill.  I sear off the pieces briefly, then move them to the outer circumference of the kettle where I get some great indirect heat from the sides (and top) of the baskets.  Works pretty well. 

I have the plain rails as well, and use them even less often.  They are just not as convenient, especially when I often light my baskets right over the burner on my SS Performer (a beautiful black one, in case Marty wants to trade  ;-).  But the thing I use the rails for a lot is a tip I found from one of the geniuses on these boards:  the rails make a great spacer to allow you to elevate an extra bottom grate up much closer to the food grate.  This is perfect for searing steaks, cooking corn on the cob quick, and (especially) for quickly cooking thin pieces of fish.  So I think the rails are a good investment as well (though you could use fire bricks or something similar to elevate your grate).