Honestly, I've become a big fan of the new
gourmet gratesThey're thicker than the standard weber grates. That means more durable, and better heat retention (better grill marks)
The inserts are pretty cool (wok, sear grate, griddle), and the $35 price tag isn't outrageous.
I've owned two sets of craycorts, and i LOVE them in my 26, but in a 22 (especially the performer), they're a hassle.
Everytime you want to load the grill up, you need to remove 4 sections AND the main ring. What a pain.
With the gourmets in a performer, you don't even need to remove the entire grate to add/light fuel - just remove the middle section.
I've also owned the
STOK cast iron grates. They function well in a performer. The spacing and shapes are a bit weird, but they're not terrible.
You'll get some good grill marks, but the workable space overall will make it difficult to get consistent marks on multiple cuts of meat. THe porcelain finish on the STOK grates also creates cleaning and seasoning issues.
Any marinated foods will likely make a hell of a mess of the stok grates, and cleaning them is a pain due to the ring, its crevices, and the odd shape and spacing of the bars.
Charbroil makes a cast iron grate as well, but the bars are too 'sharp' for me. They produce tiny line marks and are prone to sticking to softer meats like chicken and fish. Plus the pattern of the grid produces unappealing marks (in my opinion)
EDIT: there's now a list of the best cast iron grates for the weber charcoal grill here:
http://weberkettleclub.com/blog/2018/09/17/cast-iron-grates-for-weber-charcoal-grills/