New kettle Q

[resurrected]

I'm thinking of replacing the cheapo Tesco kettle.

Currently I have that and a ProQ Frontier. Looking to get a Weber but not sure which one to go for.

Majority of the time, I'm only going to be cooking for two and I'll be the only one eating meat!

But I'll be doing fish for her who must be obeyed.

So, the choice is between the Weber Premium One Touch or a MasterTouch.

Having never owned a Weber I'd appreciate people's thoughts or even other manufacturer recommendations.

Many thanks.

 

[jockaneezer]

I've got the Premium one touch 57 cm and think it's great. I bought it hardly used from a couple off ebay, they said it was too big for them. It came with the charcoal grate fences so I find it no problem cooking for two on it. I did a pork shoulder the other week and using a snake of heat beads and my maverick, it burned for 7 hours and I only lifted the lid once, held a steady 240°F temp and if the maverick indicated the temp was dropping, I just worked the lever to clear the ash and off it went again. Don't know anything about the Mastertouch though.

 

[kettlecooker]

i would say the master touch simply for the ease of cleaning, i use mine at least twice a week and it takes me less than a minute to get it sorted to go.

there are only two of us also, but i would suggest the 22", you will at some time use it to its full capacity.

i am biased, but i would say stick to weber, they are simple tried and tested kettles that are built to last and do the job.

kc.

 

[tombirmingham]

I have a weber  compact and it's 47cm, probably would feed 4 people with 4 steaks etc. It's great for firing up in the week or at the weekend, usually ready to go with a chimney starter in a quick amount of time. Would recommend it. 

I have used mine about 5/6 times and never had a problem !

 

[red robbo 69]

 
i would say the master touch simply for the ease of cleaning, i use mine at least twice a week and it takes me less than a minute to get it sorted to go.

there are only two of us also, but i would suggest the 22", you will at some time use it to its full capacity.

i am biased, but i would say stick to weber, they are simple tried and tested kettles that are built to last and do the job.

kc.

I'm not sure there is any difference in terms of cleaning. Both kettles have the same one touch cleaning system. The Mastertouch has a roll back lid and a different cooking grid, but that's about it. I have a one touch, but would be happy with either

 

[kettlecooker]

my mistake, did not read it properly, thought it said one touch, which does not have the cleaning bit, did not read the premium bit.

kc.

 

[wade]

Hi Paul

Regarding size - I have used a 47cm Weber and I own several 57cm ones and also a 67cm.

Although I found the 47cm ones fine for relatively small smokes, I found that for larger things, like full racks of meaty ribs, whole briskets or whole pork shoulders it was a little cramped inside. I would certainly not be able to smoke my Christmas turkey in one - which I do each year in the 57cm.

I am not sure if you saw the difference between the Weber Original and the Premium that I brought to the meeting but there is really little operational difference between them. The main difference is the ash catcher - The Original has a tray fixed between the legs and the Premium/Mastertouch  have a catching can directly under the bowl. The way the airflow is controlled by both is exactly the same.

The other difference is really only the accessories that come with it. To me, the main advantage of the Premium is that the cooking grate has hinged sides that allow you to add more charcoal/wood without having to lift off the grate. This feature I use almost every time I smoke.

It therefore comes down to price. The hinged grate can be bought separately for about £30-35 so if you see the Original on sale for £35 less than the Premium then you will be no worse off whichever way you go. By buying the Original and a separate hinged cooking grate you will obviously end up with a spare cooking grate though.

When I bought my Premium it came with the charcoal baskets but now they only appear to come with the clip-in wire charcoal retainers. Both work well though the baskets are quite convenient.  

The Mastertouch does have the advantage of being supplied with the hinged grate with the central removable section. I have one of these and sometimes use it with the Weber cast iron Wok or the iron plate for frying bacon and eggs (these are sold separately though). I find I don't use them often though.

Another consideration is if you expect to be using an automatic temperature controller on it in the future. They are much easier to attach to an Original than they are to a Premium/Mastertouch.

What would I go for if I was buying one now? For general garden BBQ/smoking I would probably go for the Mastertouch as it includes the more flexible cooking grate and the charcoal baskets. It would preclude me from attaching most automatic temperature controllers though without drilling a new hole in the bottom. Is is about £40 more expensive than the Premium though so price could be an issue. 

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Paul.  Wade has you covered.  For me?  I couldn't decide so I bought the 57cm original one touch and a 47cm compact.  So depend on what or how much I am cooking I have the choice.  LOVE them both!  Great pieces of kit.  Can never own too many Ques!  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[resurrected]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

 

[resurrected]

Kiska recommended this baby. I have to say it looks like a great piece of kiThe.