I’ve got a big green egg, a Traeger and an 18 inch weber kettle but looking to upgrade the charcoal game. I know Weber has a cult following, but does anyone have an SNS grill which seems to be an improved version of the Weber kettle. Wondering about the quality of the build and if it is a new and improved version of the Weber or should I stick with a Weber 22” kettle?

I view the Weber kettle-type grill as arguably the best value on the market place. Its design is simple, uncomplicated and effective, grilling shouldn't be complicated. Love mine, added a Santa Maria grill that sits on top and been pleased for years.

Craycort makes cast iron grates that fit Weber kettles. I put one on a Smokey Joe and love how it cooks now. Heavy for a portable grill but it only gets carried in and out of the garage.

Bought a new Weber Kettle when I bought this house 25 years ago. It gets used pretty much 4 days a week from late Spring through the Fall for everything from quick burgers to smoked brisket. Last year I had to replace it because it wouldn't roll anymore, one lid hook had broken off, and it just became generally grungy after all those years. I replaced it with an upgraded 22" Weber Premium Kettle with the ash catcher. The ash catcher is such a luxury I don't know why I didn't upgrade sooner. Never occurred to me to buy something else.

They are quite similar and you can't go wrong either way. I have stopped using charcoal years ago but still try to keep up with all the new things being done with them. SnS grills are 100% manufactured in China but it is a quality product. Not everything from China is junk but China is still China. Weber does some manufacturing here and some in China. With some research you can probably find a Weber product made here in the states.

I do believe all the SnS add ons like the Slow N Sear insert are also compatible with any Weber of the same size.

I suggest a Weber with the ash catcher and propane burner for lighting the charcoal.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
I suggest a Weber with the ash catcher and propane burner for lighting the charcoal.

I agree except for the propane.
I love a Weber Chimney.

I have cooked exclusively with charcoal and wood my entire life. At our cabin we used to have a Weber for budget reasons, but have since upgraded to a BGE, which I also have at home.

I'm going to need someone to explain to me why I would use a Weber when I have a perfectly good BGE sitting right there. Ignoring a time when I want to cook indirect on one, direct on other at exact same time. Not being a smart ass, really seeking to understand what I'm ignoring in this equation.

I just looked on Weber's site and didn't see the grill with small propane burner to light the charcoal so must have discontinued it. I better take care of mine.

I don't know anything about the SNS grill, but my 22" weber has been grilling awhile now, I am waiting on a new charcoal grate now, the old one finally gave up one too many of the wires, when this grate rots out, it will probably be time for a whole new grill

quote:

SNS grill

Had a propane starting Weber for many years, it made the trip from Kentucky to California and back to Cincinnati sat out in the winters for several years, still used even on snow days.

Grate finally gave out and there wasn't a replacement for that model but the rest of it
was still good to go....

those SNS look good on the web page and get decent reviews, looks like they have plenty of accessories and add-ons available.

Might be a better foodie style chef grill.

I agree with Corsair about Weber being the value option at turning charcoal into tasty food. I have the 18”, 22”, and 26” grills and the 18” Smoky Mountain smoker. I have a Smoky Joe somewhere as well.

We started with the 18”, but the kids got bigger. We bought the 22” for “camping” with out 5th wheel toy hauler and to answer Georgeair’s question portability is why you buy a Weber over a BGE.

The 22” we have has the ash catcher and the hole in the middle of the grill grate into which fits a Lodge cast iron pan. Lots of possibilities there. The 22” is in Florida and is great, except the kids kept getting bigger and started having friends over.

Back in MI, the growing kids, and now their friends; the 18” is way to small, the 22” is great on with the 5th wheel and at home in Florida, but the 26” must be greater, right? It is! I finally have room to do all the fancy cooking zone stuff you read about, six racks of ribs, and I have a second grate I can stack on the first one. This lets me grill hot dogs, brats, and burgers all at the same time, or chicken for 15 people.

The Smoky Mountain was my cheap way to get into smoking food. A wireless thermometer, an automatic fan to control temps, and it’s great.

Of course this doesn’t answer the question about an SnS. If I were in the market for a 22”, I’d be tempted by the $299 model.

Fuck AI.

I'd be hard pressed to buy any charcoal that's not a Weber.

I'm a Weber snob starting with my 18.5 inch Smokey Mt. smoker and my 26" kettle with ash catcher. Consider a 26" kettle, I do indirect grilling a lot and have a 24" half-round pan on one side of the grill to catch the grease. It's lined with foil and makes the cleanup a breeze.
There's a lot more surface on a 26 vs a 22 than you think.

I have a Weber Performer 22" and a basic 22" One Touch kettle, and you'd be hard pressed to make me give them up in favor of a comparable non-Weber product. I will say, I prefer the older generation table on my Performer to the current version.

I grill, smoke and rotisserie on them year-round.

Back in a former life, I assembled, prepped for sale, sold and delivered hundreds of barbeque grills (charcoal, LP and natural gas) and at the price point we were dealing with at our store, Weber was the king of the hill.

Weber for charcoal, Reqtec now now for smoke.

Used to have a Trager (bought new four summers ago) but quality from top to bottom - to include the electrical components and auger - have gone down the drain.

Metal so thin the lid needed a 15 lb weight to keep it closed due to warpage, the wi-fi died, and one on the wheels stopped rolling. The in the second summer of ownership i had to to replace the electronics inside due to fan, lights, and auger all failing - the wifi worked with the new controller but alas, stopped working after about 3 months. And the grill was always covered when not in used and brought under an awning when it rained. YMMV

When we moved to middle of Tennessee, i left the Trager in San Diego and purchased a new Reqtec here. Quality of the Reqtec metal, finish and sturdiness is 1,000x better all around. And temp control of the unit is much, much more controlled and stable.