Lost in China I have two of those Char Baskets that came with my Weber Performer (22"). They only make one size, and I do see on the description page for the 26" Kettle that it comes with 2 of them.
I used those a good bit before I had a SNS, and I often at that time used them either in the center, side by side, to create a hot central zone for 2 zone cooking, or off to the two sides of the grill, creating a central indirect zone in the middle of the grill. I've in fact used just ONE of them for indirect smoking, like with the SNS, but you have to keep adding fuel to it, as they are MUCH smaller than the SNS. You will get longer cooking times just banking the coals to the side of the charcoal grate, maybe with some bricks to hold them back, or by using a charcoal snake. I used to do a 2x2 snake with wood chunks on top with my 22" kettles, again, before having the SNS.
The biggest issue really is the capacity of those baskets. One large Weber chimney of charcoal is more than BOTH baskets can hold, versus being about a 22" SNS worth of coals.
It sure doesn't hurt to play with them in both kettles, and they are still good for setting up 2 zone cooking - I just find them NOT good for long smokes where you want to fuel up and not touch the fire for 7 to 8 hours, like I can do with the SNS. I sure can see having both the 22" and 26" kettle available dramatically increasing your cooking capacity, and allowing you to do something like low and slow on one grill, and hot and fast on the other.
I used those a good bit before I had a SNS, and I often at that time used them either in the center, side by side, to create a hot central zone for 2 zone cooking, or off to the two sides of the grill, creating a central indirect zone in the middle of the grill. I've in fact used just ONE of them for indirect smoking, like with the SNS, but you have to keep adding fuel to it, as they are MUCH smaller than the SNS. You will get longer cooking times just banking the coals to the side of the charcoal grate, maybe with some bricks to hold them back, or by using a charcoal snake. I used to do a 2x2 snake with wood chunks on top with my 22" kettles, again, before having the SNS.
The biggest issue really is the capacity of those baskets. One large Weber chimney of charcoal is more than BOTH baskets can hold, versus being about a 22" SNS worth of coals.
It sure doesn't hurt to play with them in both kettles, and they are still good for setting up 2 zone cooking - I just find them NOT good for long smokes where you want to fuel up and not touch the fire for 7 to 8 hours, like I can do with the SNS. I sure can see having both the 22" and 26" kettle available dramatically increasing your cooking capacity, and allowing you to do something like low and slow on one grill, and hot and fast on the other.
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