grills New Grill

crazy8

crazy8

Well Im thinking next year I may want to get a new grill. I have one now it it works, but Im looking to upgrade. I want something that will serve all my grilling needs and the two I am looking at are...

Char-Griller Smokin Pro 1224
OR...
Weber Performer

Both have great features but I am leaning towards the Char-Griller I think. I like the attachment on the side for doing indirect heating and smoking plus the price is unbeatable and the cheaper it is the happier the wife is...lol So does anyone in here have experience with either of these grills or any input on any of them. Any help with this would be much appreciated.
 
My suggestion would definitely be the WEBER. They are proven and very versatile. The Char Griller looks kind of cheap, especially for an "all in one".
Tell your wife that unless she wants to do ALL of the cooking, you need this!!!! LOL
I'm sure you'll be very happy with either one, as long as you have fun with it, that's all that really matters!
Good luck!
 
Yeah I do like the Weber a lot to. I mean for me this is some of the high points for me...

1. Charcoal bin (thats just cool and handy)
2. Hinged grate to add charcoal/wood
3. Containers in the grill that actually hold the charcoal for easy management and cleaning
4. A propane starter to light the charcoal
5. Plenty of working space

I know Weber to be a solid name/product. I think the only thing that was keeping me from doing it is the cost. Maybe if my taxes are good to me this year I will treat myself. My wife tells me already "It doesn't matter how much or how little you spend on stuff, you always have some way to justify it." lol Yeah Im pretty good at saving money on things but man that grill sure would be awesome.

On the topic of charcoal. Are they all pretty much created equal? I know my brother likes using the real coal stuff. I guess it comes in a green bag and up here can only be found at a Menards. My understanding is its raw coal like what you see being transported on the trains and not turned into briquettes.
 
My amateurish observations/opinions.
-I've found that the shape of the Webber will provide more even cooking (assuming a 2-stage fire). However it's size will give you less cooking area. This might be alright if you're not trying to cook for a whole lot of people.
-The Char-Griller has a lot more area and, as a result requires more coal to heat up if you just want to cook a small meal. The attachment on the side is very nice though and expands the cookinig possibilities.

If you're looking for versatility (Grill, BBQ, parties, etc.) I would go for the Char-Griller. If you're looking to be a "grill master" stick with the Webber. Personally if I want to BBQ I like to use my UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker). It has that "homemade" taste to it. They're really easy to make and usually can be done for 50 bucks or so.
 
Happy 1000 crazy8!

I don't use a charcoal grill, but the sweet thing about the gas starter is that no lighter fluid is necessary!
If you could get straight coal, that would be awesome. I've heard that Kingsford sometimes has a Lighter Fluid smell to it, pure coal would not.
I have a friend with that exact same WEBER, and she loves it.

Aschaps has a pretty good review of both.
 
Yeah I thought of making my own but being a newly wed who is also a new home owner (as of Feb of this year) I don't know if I have all the tools it would require or the funds to get the tools. Although I may be able to talk to my wife's brother in-law for the tools. Perhaps if I did something like that you kind of get the best of both worlds, something cheap yet cool, and something versatile.

I LIKE to be able to cook for larger groups/family and I do from time to time but most recently it has been just for my wife, the two teen boys and I. If it helps, I would like to experiment a little. I want something I can throw on a rack of ribs and try out my new sauces/rubs/etc. but also be able to hammer out a pack of chicken breasts, hot dogs, and burgers. Now that you have pointed out some of the other fine points with the Weber Im starting to think that may be the most logical choice to as far as heating and charcoal consumption. My wife's brother in-law has a big standard Weber grill that he just crams with burgers and it seems to do quite well.
 
Wow I didn't even notice the 1,000. Thank you so much....I.....I....don't know what to say. I didn't prepare a speech or anything. Thank you all for providing such an amazing pepper forum with equally amazing people. I couldn't have done it with out you fine folks...lol

Well maybe I need to start leaning towards the Weber than. It was my first original love but like I said, I saw the price tag and said "ouch". But uncle sam treats me decent come tax time so that is right around the corner. ;)
 
Congrats on you 1K Crazy8!!

With regards to the difficulty... Check out this link on building one cheap. I used this one because I didn't have means of welding. Its a fun weekend project and it'll really pays off if you like to entertain guests. When I throw BBQ parties I torture my guests with anticipation and the smell coming from the smoker while I keep their appetites in check with snacks off the grill.

http://www.grillingcompanion.com/how-to-build-a-smoker-part1/

Hope this helps and happy grilling! :beer:
 
I'd say the Weber works out pretty well for these cats....buy the 'thang already and make me one of these sammiches. :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP0Ha2gldU
 
@aschaps Thank you very much for that link. I will have to consider this as an option.

@texas blues Its funny you post this video. I have not seen this specific one but have seen a number of the BBQ Pit boys videos. As soon as I saw the Weber that I was looking at I thought to myself.."Hey that looks a lot like that dudes grill from the videos." Lone behold, it is...lol If its good enough for them than its good enough for me. :D
 
Hey crazy8. Haven't had time to read all the responses, but I would go with Weber hands down. I switched from gas back to a simple Weber w/ charcoal and am so glad. Make sure to replace the grate with a cast iron one. There is a link around here of a guy that makes custom cast iron grates. I got one and it is very much worth it. I hope to eventually "graduate" to the Weber you are considering.
 
I had the char griller and I can and I have cooked some damn fine BBQ - The side firebox works well and would be my preference over a Weber and besides its a lot cheaper I bet. I like the indirect cooking and the adjustable heaight charcoal tray. Lots of room to do two 8lb Butts easily or a few slabs of ribs. Over all a very nice grill. The weber I found was not enough cooking area for indirect cooking - I liked the Weber for grilling not Q-ing or smoking.

My .02
 
I love my Weber Performer. It is a perfect design. I wouldn't change a thing, except sometimes I could use a bit more cooking area. Untrimmed spares get a little close to the heat, but if you use a rack and trim them you can fit 4 easy. I've even seen 6 racks going at once. I have plenty of room by the garage so I have another weber kettle that I can use if I need more room. It's also nice to have nother place to get a chimney started when you're slow cooking.

I stock up on blue bag Kingsford when it's on sale, but even better is quality hardwood lump and briquettes. Right now, I'm using Trader Joe's hardwood briquettes.
 
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'nuff said. :lol:
 
Man that looks good. Well I guess I'm really torn now...lol Guess Ill just have to see what happens from here.
 
In all honesty I wouldn't bother with either of those unless your using it as a "Grill" ONLY and if that's the case I would just go with a santa maria style grill that will last a lifetime and not turn into a rust bucket in a few years and will need to be replaced several times throughout your life.

If you plan on doing any "smoking" of ribs, pork butt, or brisket I doubt either grill has thick enough steel (1/4 minimum suggested 3/8) to hold and maintain heat for more than 30 min at a time. Of course they don't put that on the website because they know it's not something they want to disclose. Although you can use it as a smoker you will be fighting yourself trying to keep a specific temp for the duration of the smoke especially if you try and do a brisket or a pork butt that require several hours before it's as tender as a baby's butt!! I usually smoke a brisket for at least 12 hours and because my smoker holds temp for so long I only add fuel about 3 times and only open the smoker once or twice for the duration of the cook.

Again you can make do with either and probably smoke whatever you want, but if you've ever had competition BBQ that was cooked at the exact temp for the duration of the cooking time you will appreciate spending a few extra bucks on a good solid smoker that will last a lifetime.

I searched for about 6 months before I got lucky and found an almost new combo cooker made by Kingfisher for $400. It's 3/8" thick treated steel and holds temps amazingly well. I've had it almost 5 years now and because good smokers are made to last a lifetime it looks exactly the same as when I got it.

36_bbq_grill_smoker_f_4.jpg
 
Lawd have mercy. Why? Why must this torture continue? That Kingfisher is beautiful. That's my other way of justifying a high priced item to the wife.."I know its kind of pricy babe, but its a one time cost and it will last forever. Ill never need to buy another one again." lol. Yes I have done it before...lol
 
haha well I wish I was smart enough to have know that before I purchased several smokers / grills. The 10 years before purchasing my current smoker I went through about 3 grills a char griller offset smoker and 2 barrel smokers. All in all they did work, but eventually the bottoms fell out of the barrel smokers, and the grills slowly fell apart. One at the legs, the other at the bottom etc etc. Not to mention the constant struggle to keep them at temp and I actually had to spend a lot more money on coals and wood. However I like to cook outside a lot so I would use them at least 10 times a month.

It's like they say you get what you pay for.
 
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