I received this grille as a father's day gift. When the box(huge) came my wife didn't want want to hide it so when I got home that night 'surprise". I inherited the original Weber kettle grill from my dad, who bought it around 1980 and I have faithfully used it all these years(2010). I was hoping for a gas grille for the convenience. With the ease of putting it together and learning about how AWESOME this grille really is,I am so happy that I am a proud owner of the Weber Performer. The grille is quality built like the original I used for 30 years. The features of the grille are all functional and well thought out. I don't even have to worry lugging the charcoal from the garage and back every time. The baskets that hold the burning charcoal are ingenious, I can move them around according to the food I am cooking. The "doors" on the grill grate make it even easier to move the baskets while grilling. The propane fired "one touch" lighter is a cinch to light my baskets of charcoal. the work table is large enough to fit utensils, platters and various other items vital for grilling. Yes, I believe that Weber has designed an as close to perfect charcoal grille that is humanly possible to mankind
This is a fantastic grill, with all the features of a gas grill, but the flavor benefits of charcoal. Everything you need is there including a push button ignition lighter. The table is larger enough, the grill is more than ample and you can grill direct or indirect with easy charcoal addition for slow cooking. The ash can is another
great feature, and is easy to empty and hold probably enough for 4-5 uses. The easy to use propane tanks screw right on, and last for about 12 starts. Some people connect a hose to a bigger tank, but I find the disposable canisters more convenient. There really are no negative I can find, and would highly recommend to any bbq nut.
great feature, and is easy to empty and hold probably enough for 4-5 uses. The easy to use propane tanks screw right on, and last for about 12 starts. Some people connect a hose to a bigger tank, but I find the disposable canisters more convenient. There really are no negative I can find, and would highly recommend to any bbq nut.
I cannot say enough good about this product. I purchased it on Amazon back in 2005 and it has survived harsh PA winters, a 700 mile move to IN and still gives me a great consistent performance (pun intended) I must admit it took me a while to figure out how to manipulate the temp, but that is the fun of cooking with a live fire. If you are looking for a quicker way to enjoy a charcoal prepared meal this is the way to go. nothing has gone bad on this product. The only issue has been a self caused crack in the table surface (which was quickly replaced for FREE by weber customer service). One thing that you must remember is that when you purchase a weber, you are not purchasing a grill only, but you are getting a wonderful customer support team that backs it up. I will never purchase any other brand of grill.
I love this grill. My family and friends will attest to that. We use it almost every weekend and some weekdays during the Spring and Summer months. It makes charcoal grilling fast. There are two minor complaints:
1. The knob that controls propane for heating coals broke after a year. But after calling Weber they shipped a replacement which I installed, all at no charge. So not too bad.
2. There is only one level for cooking, so you have to be careful to control the temperature. It took a little bit to master, but this grill will get very very hot and quick by default, leading to food burning. The trick is to heat up less coal then you would normally use, and slowly feed more coals in as time goes on while you are cooking.
1. The knob that controls propane for heating coals broke after a year. But after calling Weber they shipped a replacement which I installed, all at no charge. So not too bad.
2. There is only one level for cooking, so you have to be careful to control the temperature. It took a little bit to master, but this grill will get very very hot and quick by default, leading to food burning. The trick is to heat up less coal then you would normally use, and slowly feed more coals in as time goes on while you are cooking.
