Performer questions before potential purchase

[G19]

Okay so back 30 years or so I used a 22" original kettle and loved it.  I currently use a 18-1/2" WSM and a POS gas grill which I am looking to replace.  The Performer has caught my eye mostly because of the table.  Been doing  lot of reading here and my mind is turning with my options.  How well does the gas ignition work for a chimney?  I really have no issues using my chimney with a paraffin cube.  I do struggle with the $399 purchase over the $249 basic because I would rather take the savings and get something like the Slow 'N Sear.  When I used my old kettle I just pushed the pile of briquettes to one side.  Weber's solution of the two fuel baskets has me scratching my head if I will like it or not.  The table looks much better for sure on the premium and deluxe but again some head scratching on the extra $100-$150 cost.  The 2 digit timer is a total waste and in my opinion a big miss on Weber's part and I already have Weber's charcoal storage container.

Looking forward to hearing some first hand users comments.  Thank you for your time and information. 

[Troy]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE the gas assist.
The timer, meh.
The table, LOVE.

The gas assist doesn't work all that well with the chimney. You can invert the metal cone inside the chimney and it will work much better with the gas assist.
The gas assist works wonderfully with the slow'n sear.

My advice, pick up a performer off of craigslist. Use the savings to buy cool accessories.

[1911Ron]

If it were me i would search Craigs list and the like for a used Performer and then put the savings towards the Slow and Sear.

[G19]

Performers on Craigslist in my DFW area has been non-existent but maybe one will come up.  On your gas assist are you using the small bottles or have you converted to a 20 lb bottle?

[Loonysup]

I went through this dilemma several months ago and ended up with the performer.  Now that I have it and have cooked on it nearly every night since I got it, I can't believe I even debated the purchase as long as I did.   The table is a necessity (at least in my setup) and the gas assist with the chimney is a great combo.   Believe it or not, the timer was actually my biggest surprise.   I figured I would never use it and I use it all the time. 


David

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shoestringshop]

If it were me i would search Craigs list and the like for a used Performer and then put the savings towards the Slow and Sear.

what he said!

[demosthenes9]

@G19

JUMP ON THIS NOW !!!!!!!!



http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/5532978755.html




It doesn't have the gas assist, but you can worry about that later.

[pbe gummi bear]

^^^ Jump on that performer! I like the Gas Assist but tbh it's an overrated feature. I'd consider going without it IF were to buy a new performer. But all of my performers have been secondhand and came with it.

[ramsfan]

First, if you are going to buy a Weber 22 grill, then go with a Performer. To me, that's a no brainer. I hold the opposite view than most people, I prefer to buy my equipment brand new. I absolutely cannot stand equipment that is damaged, abused, neglected, not properly maintained, dirty, etc. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with buying used stuff, but my philosophy is if you are planning to keep it for many, many years to come, then buy a brand new one. Get the best model available with the most features offered so you can enjoy it for many future years to come. Don't deny yourself something that will give you great enjoyment for the next ? years simply to save $100 or $150. In the long term, it will be worth it.

[captjoe06]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE the gas assist.
The timer, meh.
The table, LOVE.

The gas assist doesn't work all that well with the chimney. You can invert the metal cone inside the chimney and it will work much better with the gas assist.
The gas assist works wonderfully with the slow'n sear.

My advice, pick up a performer off of craigslist. Use the savings to buy cool accessories.

This.  I'm the least handy guy I know and If I was able to clean up a Performer to looking and functioning like new in mere hours, you can too.  And The thrill you get when you see the results of your work will satisfy you much more.   If you're completely loaded and don't care about money, grab a new one, there's no shame in it.  But if you follow the advice in the WKC restoration/cleaning guides you'll be astounded at what you can accomplish by checking craigslist daily and scoring a beauty.

[G19]

@G19

JUMP ON THIS NOW !!!!!!!!



http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/5532978755.html




It doesn't have the gas assist, but you can worry about that later.

Thanks - never showed up in my searches but I guess because of his spelling.

[G19]

@G19

JUMP ON THIS NOW !!!!!!!!



http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/5532978755.html




It doesn't have the gas assist, but you can worry about that later.

Thanks - never showed up in my searches but I guess because of his spelling. 

[addicted-to-smoke]

Oh yeah, gotta search for this string,  "Weber | Webber"

[addicted-to-smoke]

Okay so back 30 years or so I used a 22" original kettle and loved it.  I currently use a 18-1/2" WSM and a POS gas grill which I am looking to replace.  The Performer has caught my eye mostly because of the table.  Been doing  lot of reading here and my mind is turning with my options.  How well does the gas ignition work for a chimney?  I really have no issues using my chimney with a paraffin cube.  I do struggle with the $399 purchase over the $249 basic because I would rather take the savings and get something like the Slow 'N Sear.  When I used my old kettle I just pushed the pile of briquettes to one side.  Weber's solution of the two fuel baskets has me scratching my head if I will like it or not.  The table looks much better for sure on the premium and deluxe but again some head scratching on the extra $100-$150 cost.  The 2 digit timer is a total waste and in my opinion a big miss on Weber's part and I already have Weber's charcoal storage container.

Looking forward to hearing some first hand users comments.  Thank you for your time and information.

Hey G19,

A Performer is my main machine. I appreciate not having to scrounge for the cubes and lighter, although most people are better organized than I am. I use my Weber chimney with gas assist all the time. What I do is take a second to position the chimney so that the flame is "all enclosed" under the chimney. Seems to work fine although I haven't tried Troy's suggestion of modifying the chimney.

>> Only use the gas for a few minutes; let the chimney do the main work as usual. <<


But I wouldn't say no to that gas-less copper Performer at that price!

When I used my old kettle I just pushed the pile of briquettes to one side.  Weber's solution of the two fuel baskets has me scratching my head if I will like it or not.

Banking the coals will eventually damage the kettle. It may take a couple decades but rust will form on the inside (around here, a 10 yr old grill is considered "new"). There's only so many times the porcelain enameled paint will put up with that kind of heat. After that, you keep grease inside and hope it progresses slowly, especially since Performer kettle bowls aren't the same as the rest due to the table tabs.

The charcoal baskets are a $15 accessory you can try today with any lesser kettle. Not only do they create a small gap to help protect the bowl but act as charcoal carriers to dump used coals back into the chimney for the next cook (shake out ash first). I felt like such a dork either using tongs to grab them one at a time or by the handful when they're already in a freakin' basket, assuming you use them! They are easily modified to become a larger heat zone as well when combining them; there are pictures here and there about that.

Like you, I'm not sure why or when I'd use the timer; I don't use one now. "Cook to done, not to time" is sage advice anyway.

The charcoal bin is nice for your working bag of charcoal. The table is either great or meh, honestly. I have my Performer next to deck railing, so I can never stand on the other side. That's never good for any kettle IMO. What this also means (in my situation) is that when I dump the chimney, ash falls on the table. I can never keep it clean. When I'm at my dad's house and use his Performer, this isn't an issue because we wheel it out to the driveway and I can stand off to the side when dumping hot coals.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

@G19

JUMP ON THIS NOW !!!!!!!!



http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/for/5532978755.html




It doesn't have the gas assist, but you can worry about that later.

Thanks - never showed up in my searches but I guess because of his spelling.  There is no contact info though.

Just click on the reply button!   This is one hell of a deal.