Has anyhone heard a rumor....

[ABCbarbecue]

If it sticks around, I'm sure I'll end up with one at some point.  I think it could replace my Performer for daily use, and I could be wrong, but I DON'T think it could replace my 22 WSM.  At least once a year I load it up with around 50lbs of pork butts for a large party.  I know they claim more "cooking area" than a 22 WSM with an elevated rack, but I'm not talking about a 1" thick T-bone.  I need some vertical clearance.  If I get a look at one in person and decide I can jamb that much pig in it......I'll have one sooner than later and will remove the performer and WSM from my stash.

Actually, there is a video on YouTube showing two large pork shoulders smoking quite nicely on that upper rack while a large brisket cooks underneath.  I think the cooking space claim is legit.

[Tommy B]

I personally am not a buyer but am interested to see how it fares.
Another thing we are not taking into consideration is this isn't a kettle replacement. They are NOT going to mass roll these out to every home depot and lowes across the country. I believe they said they are going to roll it out in select independent BBQ stores etc. These are going to be presented at BBQ stores next to Eggs, kamandos etc. These aren't going to be in walmart next to a $20 square knock off grills. I don't think Weber has the intention of being the every mans grill. They may sell 1,000 kettles to 20 of these summit charcoal cookers but that is to be expected.

[AZRaptor]

I personally am not a buyer but am interested to see how it fares.
Another thing we are not taking into consideration is this isn't a kettle replacement. They are NOT going to mass roll these out to every home depot and lowes across the country. I believe they said they are going to roll it out in select independent BBQ stores etc. These are going to be presented at BBQ stores next to Eggs, kamandos etc. These aren't going to be in walmart next to a $20 square knock off grills. I don't think Weber has the intention of being the every mans grill. They may sell 1,000 kettles to 20 of these summit charcoal cookers but that is to be expected.

And from Weber's perspective this makes a ton of sense. At this stage of the game, Weber isn't going to expand it's brand and market share in the charcoal kettle market, they already command the top spot in that arena. For the company to grow it's about expanding into new markets. This does that.

One of the reasons I think we are seeing the reactions we are seeing is because their build up campaign seemed to be targeting the existing charcoal grill community and not the kamado grill/smoker community. They hyped the product to the wrong audience.

In the end, people who don't see the value in it won't buy it, but I suspect those who walk into a BBQ store to look at a BGE and see this sitting next to it will give it serious consideration. Easy ash removal, lighter to move around, no danger of cracking it and making it useless. I foresee the Summit Charcoal Grill being a successful product for Weber, and just like they sell a bunch more Spirit and Genesis grills than Summit gassers, they will sell a ton more traditional kettles than they will SCGs.

I do suspect the SGC will outsell the Ranch Kettle.

[firedude5015]

@AZRaptor , I agree. Weber is simply reaching for a part of the market they don't command. It is a very interesting cooker, but the price point is not designed for tightwads like myself.
I do see it being successful in the intended market. Maybe in 20 years I'll own a 2016 SCG lol

[Jtayres]

I agree with you, Troy. But that's the market weber is targeting here. That's my point and why I am concerned.

The Phaeton was a $90k luxury sedan VW tried to sell 10 years ago. They thought people would buy a $90k VW.

They were wrong. Folks who had $90k to drop on a German car bought a BMW Mercedes or Audi. They didn't see the allure of a luxury VW, and traditional VW buyers were not about to spend that much on a VW.

I disagree with this argument.

I don't think of Weber as a budget brand. If you take a look at what wal mart, target, or Kmart sells in their grill section that is budget. Weber is constantly more expensive then those grills often with less gadgetry.

Just like how you can get into a BMW in the moderate price range (32,850 starting for the 2 series) you can do the same with Weber and their kettles. But a performer with gas assist is going to set you back more than what most people spend on their charcoal grills. I remember telling a friend I was buying a new charcoal grill for 400 bucks and he thought I was crazy.

I think Weber is similar to BMW with their commitment to a quality build and trying to build brand loyalty opposed to just selling cheap crap. Not that VW builds crap, but they do not command the same type of cult-like loyalty that BMW or Weber do.

As far as the price goes, Weber is already in that price range with the gas summit. I think it makes sense to be there with the charcoal grills too. The thing that is missing now is the charcoal genesis .

[OoPEZoO]

I'm not sure the asking price is totally crazy either.  I had considered buying a XL Primo a few times over the last few years.  Some of the things that were holding me back were the hassle of getting to the fuel, lighting that fuel, and cleaning out the ash.  All things that Weber has had nailed down for years.  That XL Primo sitting on a cart retails for $2000.  The basic grill without a stand is $1300.  If this thing cooks as well as it advertises, and we already know how well the one touch system and gas assist work......I think it will be a serious hit.

I sincerely hope they sell a decent cover for it and not the useless garbage Weber is currently selling.  I bought two brand new covers last year, one for my Genesis and one for my Performer.......after less than one season, they are both completely shot.  Multiple holes, cracks everywhere, almost impossible to install/remove under 60 degrees.  I would have been better off with a blue tarp and a handful of bungees.  If they pull that crap on a $2000 grill, they are going to have some serious pissed off customers.  As is, I will never buy another Weber cover unless I see a design change back to the old style covers that lasted 10yrs or something comparable......but thats a different rant

[LaTuFu]

I disagree with this argument.

I don't think of Weber as a budget brand. If you take a look at what wal mart, target, or Kmart sells in their grill section that is budget. Weber is constantly more expensive then those grills often with less gadgetry.

Just like how you can get into a BMW in the moderate price range (32,850 starting for the 2 series) you can do the same with Weber and their kettles. But a performer with gas assist is going to set you back more than what most people spend on their charcoal grills. I remember telling a friend I was buying a new charcoal grill for 400 bucks and he thought I was crazy.

I think Weber is similar to BMW with their commitment to a quality build and trying to build brand loyalty opposed to just selling cheap crap. Not that VW builds crap, but they do not command the same type of cult-like loyalty that BMW or Weber do.

As far as the price goes, Weber is already in that price range with the gas summit. I think it makes sense to be there with the charcoal grills too. The thing that is missing now is the charcoal genesis .

You make some fair points about Weber's positioning against other brands in large retailers.

You're definitely wrong about VW not having a cult-like loyalty out there, however.  There is a very large and brand loyal VW contingent out there.  Don't get me started about the still thriving, darn near psychopathic in their loyalty air-cooled subset.

[addicted-to-smoke]

no one ever says, "i realize its triple the cost of similar products, but I just like the way it looks and feels"

maybe not about grills.

but gibson wouldn't be around if guitar players didn't feel that way. 

that's exactly what they say, which is complete horse feces.

It doesn't make sense to say people state a preference for Gibson and then declare that the reason they provide isn't real.

It's not real for YOU, which is of course quite different.

[pbe gummi bear]

I agree with you, Troy. But that's the market weber is targeting here. That's my point and why I am concerned.

The Phaeton was a $90k luxury sedan VW tried to sell 10 years ago. They thought people would buy a $90k VW.

They were wrong. Folks who had $90k to drop on a German car bought a BMW Mercedes or Audi. They didn't see the allure of a luxury VW, and traditional VW buyers were not about to spend that much on a VW.

I disagree with this argument.

I don't think of Weber as a budget brand. If you take a look at what wal mart, target, or Kmart sells in their grill section that is budget. Weber is constantly more expensive then those grills often with less gadgetry.

Just like how you can get into a BMW in the moderate price range (32,850 starting for the 2 series) you can do the same with Weber and their kettles. But a performer with gas assist is going to set you back more than what most people spend on their charcoal grills. I remember telling a friend I was buying a new charcoal grill for 400 bucks and he thought I was crazy.

I think Weber is similar to BMW with their commitment to a quality build and trying to build brand loyalty opposed to just selling cheap crap. Not that VW builds crap, but they do not command the same type of cult-like loyalty that BMW or Weber do.

As far as the price goes, Weber is already in that price range with the gas summit. I think it makes sense to be there with the charcoal grills too. The thing that is missing now is the charcoal genesis .

I've always thought of Weber as more like GM or Ford at their core. You could argue that the higher end Weber grills are Cadillac. It's cheap, gets the job done, and part of the consumer base is very passionate. However, the majority of their millions of users don't care. They are familiar with the brand and just use theirs casually. The question is can they sell this Kamado to the higher end marketplace. There's plenty of growth for this segment of the industry and I think the SCG will be successful.

[Jtayres]

I disagree with this argument.

I don't think of Weber as a budget brand. If you take a look at what wal mart, target, or Kmart sells in their grill section that is budget. Weber is constantly more expensive then those grills often with less gadgetry.

Just like how you can get into a BMW in the moderate price range (32,850 starting for the 2 series) you can do the same with Weber and their kettles. But a performer with gas assist is going to set you back more than what most people spend on their charcoal grills. I remember telling a friend I was buying a new charcoal grill for 400 bucks and he thought I was crazy.

I think Weber is similar to BMW with their commitment to a quality build and trying to build brand loyalty opposed to just selling cheap crap. Not that VW builds crap, but they do not command the same type of cult-like loyalty that BMW or Weber do.

As far as the price goes, Weber is already in that price range with the gas summit. I think it makes sense to be there with the charcoal grills too. The thing that is missing now is the charcoal genesis .

You make some fair points about Weber's positioning against other brands in large retailers.

You're definitely wrong about VW not having a cult-like loyalty out there, however.  There is a very large and brand loyal VW contingent out there.  Don't get me started about the still thriving, darn near psychopathic in their loyalty air-cooled subset.

I have owned both VWs and BMWs, I remember every time I had a VW I swore I would never buy another but that's a different story. I understand that VW's have some very loyal customers, who will buy Jetta after Jetta or Tiguan after Passat.  They also have fans of the hot hatch backs GTI etc. But I think they have more people that will pass through VW ownership like myself or family and friends that I have known. Meanwhile I know several people that once they got a BMW, they never bought anything but BMW again. Once I got my first 1987 E30 Bmw I never went back. I have had 3 more BMW's since then and current still own two.

But all of this is a digression...

[LaTuFu]

Agreed about the digression.  But those same people exist in the VW world, not just the BMW world.  They're in GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda, too.

[Winz]

I want a Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center


"I realize its triple the cost of similar products, but I just like the way it looks and feels" 


There, I said it....   


Winz

[Bbqmiller]

I want a Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center


"I realize its triple the cost of similar products, but I just like the way it looks and feels" 


There, I said it....   


Winz

I second that - I am waiting to hear back from a local place that will hopefully have it by the weekend. I want to check it out in person.

[SixZeroFour]

Well, after the initial knee-jerk reaction to the aesthetic changes and after re-reading all the info and watching the AR video I am slowly coming around on this Summit. 

The biggest feature (which I foolishly didn't catch) is absolutely how little charcoal this thing uses...  3.25cups for 12-18hrs of smoking time is downright amazing! Thank you @BC for pointing this out to me so kindly when in fact he should have just called me a fool

Dear Six...


I still feel the price is pushing it a bit, but if it truly is that much of a miser on the charcoal it would help pay for itself fairly quickly if you do a ton of charcoal cooking. On a long smoke you'd save $5-10 per use in fuel alone... that adds up quick.

You know, this all could have been avoided if Weber would have just sent me one to demo

[crowderjd]

The Amazing Ribs video softened me quite a bit as well.  I still won't be buying it in the near future.  Also, just a couple more thoughts a day in.  The more I look at it, the more I like the look of the "lower end" model...On the higher end model, something just feels off.  The proportions of the cart to the grill, and two pillars on the table side with just one pillar on the grill side just doesn't look right to me.  Finally, it seems so long with the charcoal starter knob at an unusual place as well.  I think it would be awesome and functional, but I just LOVE the look of performers.