I tried out a new production Jumbo Joe, and it displayed the same problem as well. If you think about the one-touch system, those blades, which have relatively sharp and rough edges, scrape the bowl back and forth amid ash, grit, drippings…effectively an abrasive paste, with no damage to the bowl. I’ve cooked on my red LE for years without the one touch system wearing through the porcelain coating. I’ve also cooked on my new performer deluxe, which also has the one touch system, and the bowl cleans up to almost as good as new with no damage to the interior finish.
There is something different about how the lids are manufactured that makes the finish so delicate. Regardless of the reason for this, I won’t be recommending new manufacture Weber kettles for the time being.