Do you Collect or Use?

[hoss8640]

So, I am going through the posts and see that there are many users that have quite the collection and that some have restored older kettles. My question now is, do you use them or just collect and let them sit? I might have found an older 1980ish model that I would like to restore and use. Am I wrong in doing so??

[MrHoss]

I do both. The only thing prettier than a Kettle is a Kettle loaded with food, a little bbq sauce on the lid and pushing smoke.

[Idahawk]

Welcome aboard

" Am I wrong in doing so "

Hells no , it's what they are made for    I do take some precautions on the really old or rare units I own , like using an internal ash pan and being careful to not bank coals on the side of the bowl


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[WNC]

I'm a cooker! I've got an '83 and an '85 and cook on them both. For me it would have to be a real special kettle for me not to cook on it. And even then it would've have to have never been cooked on. Even if it was gem and someone else had cooked on it before I'd cook on it.

Like if I found something really rare and it had never been cooked on, I MIGHT not cook on it, but if had been used I'd cook on it.

[MaxBobcat]

Does this answer your question?   

[jcnaz]

I am going to cook on my '63 Wood Dale. I will foil the ash pan first though...
and remember to wear gloves to lift the lid!

[wrehfield]

Got a few I have not cooked on. Only two of us and I have a hard time getting past the 18.5. BUT I am NOT cooking on my Ivory.

[1buckie]

Good question........I'll cook on any of them, but like Idahawk says, precautions with the older, more rare, or even more pristine models......
Just an opinion, but there are very, very few kettles that should only be museum pieces......people will have various degrees of "No, I won't ever cook on that one" so the break point does vary depending on owner, kettle & rarity......

[mirkwood]

Hi hoss8640 and welcome to the WKC. So far I have cooked on my "oldest" working kettle
(A '95 Blue Master Touch 22.5) during the West Coast meetup last month, I just picked up
a '71~'75 3 wheeler that once I get her cleaned up and in working order, she will be put back
into service so maybe she can return to her cooking glory. Every working kettle I have access to
except one, not mine just keeping it safe, gets used at some point during the year.
I guess as others have pointed out, it all depends on how rare and special a kettle is to you as to
whether it's a cooker or a looker..   

[1911Ron]

I cook on all of mine, I'll rotate thru them from time to time, some need to be rehabbed mostly minor issues on most of them.

[Johnpv]

I don't have the space to collect, or the cash flow right now really.  So my kettles are all for heavy use kettles.

[LightningBoldtz]

Yes and, I have a 1995 NFL Edition Master-touch grill that I just cannot use as a normal cooker.  It is a 1 of 10 made and I only bring it out on special occasions, in 20 months I have cooked on it once.  All my other grills are older and they are cookers for sure.  I am sure at one point I might make my NFL Kettle a cooker but not at this point.

[Scott Zee]

LB, You cooking bear at the Chicago meet on that one??

[mirkwood]

Yes and, I have a 1995 NFL Edition Master-touch grill that I just cannot use as a normal cooker.  It is a 1 of 10 made and I only bring it out on special occasions, in 20 months I have cooked on it once.  All my other grills are older and they are cookers for sure.  I am sure at one point I might make my NFL Kettle a cooker but not at this point.

Now I'm not really into football but I would assume that a NFL licensed product of this type would be pretty darn collectible
and the closer to pristine it is the higher the value it would have in both the Weber and NFL areas, does that sound about
right LB?   

[LightningBoldtz]

@Scott Zee I am bring the Lions grill and , yes I am cooking on it.

@mirkwood It is interesting collectable vs valuable and rare, If this grill was a Bears, or Packers or Cowboys grill, I think in the condition it is in I could get close to $2000, considering it is the Lions who has never win a thing, the value is not so high.