Weber Summit Charcoal or Weber Performer Deluxe (w Slow n Sear) AND WSMS??

[jfmorris]

All, thanks so much for all of your advise and knowledge so far, thought this was all leaning towards the WSCG until jfmorris post, that got me back to rethinking the 2 cooker option and all the accessories .... still undecided at this point, and happy to know ebay is a place to watch for good deals. Again thanks so far for everyone's feedback, really appreciate all of you!

I've seen some recommend the 26" kettle. My son in law and daughter are planning a home purchase, and I've been discussing this very issue with him. He had been talking about either getting a Performer Deluxe like I have, or building a custom table for a BGE. I've about convinced him to get a 26" kettle and build a custom table for it, as I don't think he will be smoking in sub freezing weather too often down here in Alabama, to where the Kamado will buy him a lot. He's seen me using the Performer with the SNS for a couple of years, and knows how well it works.

I cannot stress how nice it is having that table to use while cooking. I use my Performer table even when cooking on my other grills, as their side tables (or front table on my offset) pale in comparison. If I went with a 26", I would have to build a custom table for it to sit in I think, with casters. For most cooks, I personally find the 22" Performer more than adequate - I can smoke 2 butts (3 or 4 if I put some down at the charcoal grate level and rotated them mid cook), a 14-16 pound brisket, or 5 slabs of ribs. With the Grillgrates allowing use of the full cooking grate I can cook 4 chickens at once (split or spatchcocked), or a mess of burgers or chops or wings.

The main time I find the 22" kettle confining is when I am cooking stuff like burgers or dogs or wings for a large group. For example, I recently did chicken kabobs for 60 people, and I ended up using the Performer (with the grillgrates installed), the Genesis II E-401 *AND* my old offset in grill mode (24x36 inch grate there). For a cook of that magnitude, I don't think 26" versus 22.5" kettle size would have mattered. Where I think the 26" kettle would help you is if you want to smoke larger briskets (20 pounders), 3-4 butts, and so on. And if you had a WSM to supplement the kettle, that would not matter.

My next cooker will be a WSM 22", as that will give me a ton of smoking capacity when I need it, beyond what the Performer gives me, with a level of ease of use not offered by my offset.

If it helps, I got my 2007 model Performer Deluxe *WITH* a cover and a full set of Grillgrates for $100, used, a couple of years ago. It was in pristine condition, and part of the reason it was such a good deal is that the friend I got it from had to get rid of a cooker before his new Yoder arrived (SWMBO commanded him that a max of 5 cookers was allowed on the patio). So good deals are out there if you can find them.

[jfmorris]

Razor yes - I started with the Performer with Grillgrates, and the offset, which has a 24x36 grate, with the full set off my Genesis II E-410, which was an almost perfect fit. That way I could do charcoal direct grilling, without burning anything up (the offset has poor temp control as a grill). We ended up firing up the Genesis II as well (without Grillgrates), as we had way too many kabobs and party time was approaching.

[Beefchop]

This is the one thing I'm missing - a good table next to my equipment.

[Craigar]

jfmorris I have both the 22 and the 26, and if I had it all to do over again I would opt for a second 26. Don't get me wrong, the 22 is great and you can't go wrong with it combo'd with the SnS. I just prefer the 26 for the extra space.

[FireMan]

WSCG, if ya can’t swing it then 26” w/SnS. There will be no regrets with the summit.

[CaptainMike]

I have quite a collection of cookers and use them all regularly. With that said, my WSCG w/SnS is my go to when I'm not using the Santa Maria grill. I've done moderate sized briskets 2 at a time, hot and fast anything, Friday pizza night, tandoor style cooking, and baked bread in it. Temps can get to 0 here and it keeps on chugging. That thing does it all and I can't recommend it enough. If it fits your budget, you won't regret it. Ever. Add a digitally controlled fan to it and you're done.

[JeffJ]

Why an either or? How about getting all 3 of them? MCS and all that...

[FireMan]

I stand corrected. Yassir!

[Mosca]

Can I say WSCGS and WSMS? I love my kettle, but I’d replace it with the WSCGS in a second. Pop the extra $300 or so for the dedicated smoker, and you’ll be cured of MCS, for a few years anyhow.

[mountainsmoker]

I would definitely go for the Summit if you can swing it.

[eschmid2]

Hi Everyone, thanks for all of your advice! So here is my plan after reading all of your feedback ... start out with a WSMC 22.5" and get a digital controller with fan (thermoworks signals with fan looks very nice). Step 2: Hold out for a deal on the WSCG without table hoping to find something for < $1000 including shipping (if anyone seens anything online please let me know!), I've already set an email alert on eBay. If I have to wait for a while that's ok as all your comments have made me realize that the WSCG is worth the wait. Appreciate all of your feedback! Thanks, Eric

[glitchy]

This thread is causing a huge MCS flare up. I absolutely do not need another grill, but I'd love to have a WSCG.

[JeffJ]

Yep. Same here. I recently sold my electric smoker and moved my Weber Performer to my parents' place "up north" to make room for my OKJ. Nevertheless I've been lusting after the Summit ever since it was introduced and still want one. Bad.

[Jon Liebers]

most definetly the Weber Summit given the choices you've outlined.

[Beefchop]

A belated vote for the 22" Weber Performer package (or the 26" if you can swing that with a table) and the 18" WSM.

BTW, I ran my WSM stock for 10+ years and it cooked like a champ. Overnight cooks (12 - 14 hours) on one load of fuel with very little fire maintenance or management on my end. No fan or temp control equipment. But that's summer/fall in south Louisiana and moderate weather in Maryland, so YMMV.

[Razor]

Do you even need to use briquettes during summer/fall in south Louisiana?

[Beefchop]

Razor you need something to keep the mosquitoes off your meat!

[Greygoose]

I run my Jumbo Joe w/ sns and a PBC
the Jumbo is perfect fer me and my honey
Have smoked chicken thighs and reverse seared some great beef on the lil rascal
If I’m gonna smoke some thing bigger than some thighs etc I luv the PBC and can smoke just enough,,,ribs,brisket,butt,chicken or lots more if I want to feed the neighbor hood
My Delta Heat gasser has drifted to a short and sweet quick ( not even a beer ) git’er done mode

[JeffJ]

jfmorris touched on it up-thread - having multiple cookers is really nice. Sometimes you'll finding yourself cooking multiple dishes and it's not necessarily that space is an issue, it's temps - one dish is optimal at one temp and the other is better cooked at hotter temps. For as versatile as the WSCG is I don't think it can pull off multiple temps at the same time.

[jfmorris]

Yeppers - so many times I've been smoking a butt or brisket (12+ hours) for tomorrow, but we needed to eat something quick today (burgers, chicken, etc). July 4th is a good example - I'll run a big charcoal grill for chicken and brats, while doing smash burgers on the flat side of the grill grates on my Genesis.

[drobinson]

You are right----the Performer w/ slow n sear and the Smokey Mountain can and do it all. I have used both for a long time. You can't go wrong with Weber----they last forever. I am on my third Weber kettle (Performer). I bought my first Weber kettle in 1970. Bought the Smokey Mountain in 2008.