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.
Topic: Performer questions before potential purchase (Read 5727 times)