If you don’t own a set of GrillGrates then the good news is that you have the perfect item to add to your wish list!  These are affordable, very handy and would be a welcome gift for any griller.

I bought a set to use on my Weber Jumbo Joe and I love them.  Let me walk you through a quick review of why I love these things.

What Are GrillGrates?

GrillGrates are interlocking anodized aluminum panels that contain ridges to hold your food and perforations in the base that allow grease to drain away.  GrillGrate panels can be used on any style of grill.

There are three benefits to using GrillGrate panels.

• Infrared Grilling
• Grill Marks
• No Flare Ups

Let’s look at these benefits one at a time.

 Infrared Grilling

The GrillGrate panels absorb the convective heat from your grill and re emits it as infrared energy.  While the best infrared grills use special burners to emit infrared energy the same effect can be achieved on normal grills with these panels.

Grilling with infrared energy lets you grill hotter and faster without drying out the meat.

Crazy Grill Marks

The panels are made from aluminum which is extremely efficient at transferring heat.  When you place a steak onto a hot GrillGrate panel the meat is instantly start searing along the ridges of the panel.  The base of the GrillGrate protects your food from the direct heat of the flame.  This lets you leave your meat undisturbed long enough for the grill marks to form.

When it comes to grill marks these aluminum panels work ten times better than cast iron or stainless steel grates.

I have always used aluminum foil when grilling fish…no longer.  After I grilled these fish fillets on the GrillGrates I can’t imagine grilling fish any other way.

Prevent Flareups

If you have ever grilled on a Weber Genesis then you understand the magic of Flavorizer bars.  GrillGrates provide essentially the same benefit of Flavorizer bars but you can put them on ANY grill.

For those of you who are not familiar with Weber Flavorizer bars the basic concept is that dripping grease gets vaporized on a hot metal surface before it can come into contact with a flame.

The smoke from vaporization adds a great flavor to the meat thus the name “Flavorizer Bars”.  In addition to adding flavor you also eliminate problems related to flare-ups as dripping grease is no longer hitting the flame directly under your food.

The base of the GrillGrate is perforated which does allow excess grease (or marinade) to work its way onto the flame.  However, when that grease starts to flare the flame is blocked from your meat by the base of the GrillGrate.

I have grilled piles of burgers and steaks directly over the charcoal with GrillGrates and never had an issue with flare-ups.  Yes, you can grill lean steaks like sirloin directly over the charcoal with no problems but things change quick when you break out Choice Ribeyes.

By eliminating flare-ups you get to use use more of the grill surface when grilling over direct heat. When you are working with a small grill like the Weber Jumbo Joe space utilization is at a premium.

You know that whole routine about keeping a portion of your grill as a cool zone so you can move your food in case of flare-ups? Forget about it!

If you want to see how the professionals grill ribeyes with GrillGrates then read Grilled Ribeye Steaks: How to Cook a Thousand Dollar Winner.

Makes Grilling Easier!

If you research how to grill tri-tip you are going to find a bunch of different techniques that are centered on the concept of searing the meat for some period of time combined with a period of indirect cooking.  People argue over whether to do a reverse sear or to sear first and then go indirect.

I simply lit two thirds of a chimney of Kingsford and placed them under a GrillGrate panel.  I placed a seasoned tri-tip on the GrillGrate and rotated after seven minutes, flipped at 14 minutes and took it off the Jumbo Joe at 30 minutes (142F internal).

The base of the GrillGrate protected the tri-tip from direct flames which let me cook at “Direct Medium” heat the entire cook.  EASY!  Oh, and did I mention this lets you lay down some grill marks?

 

Make Grilling Fun!

I was actually excited to grill some boneless skinless chicken breasts because it gave me the chance to goof around and throw down more ridiculous grill marks.

You can purchase GrillGrates that will fit just about any grill, not just the Weber Jumbo Joe.

There are many configurations possible and it can be a little confusing figuring out which ones will fit your grill.

I am so excited about GrillGrates that I am going to give a set away!  All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment in the field below.  A random winner will be selected on April 30^th and I will send them the same two panel configuration that I use on the Weber Jumbo Joe.

This configuration produces a grilling surface 13 inches long and 10 inches wide that should work on any Weber charcoal grill out there except for Smokey Joes.

Update 4/30/13…Thank you to everyone who dropped by and entered!  The winner is…

Russ M!

Congratulations Russ!

Update 9/26/14…I have been using the same two panels on my 22.5 inch kettle and on my Weber Genesis 1000.  I still love them and consider GrillGrates as the best upgrade to my grilling game since I switched over to Weber kettles.

What we now know as a Weber kettle grill evolved from an invention by George Stephens in the 1950s.  George’s original charcoal grill was a metal buoy that had been chopped in half, placed on a stand and modified with bottom air vents.

George’s initial design was a massive success and fundamentally transformed how America grilled.  The original design has been modified over the past 60+ years but the heart of the grill has remained the same.  The rounded bowl with a lid and precision air control has been an unbeatable design that is now an iconic part of American backyards.

If you ever been curious about how these grills are made then take a peak at this factory tour!

If you are serious about grilling then a Weber charcoal grill is an amazing cooker that you will love for years on end.

Why are Weber Charcoal Grills Special?

Weber kettles are more expensive than any comparably sized charcoal grill   A pretty common question among people new to grilling is, “Why spend $100 on a Weber when the other brand only costs $40?”  The answer comes down to Performance and Construction.

Grill Performance

The defining performance characteristic of a Weber charcoal grill is the ability to precisely control the temperature of the grill.  You can use a Weber charcoal grill for searing ribeye steaks at 600F or slow smoking baby back ribs at 225F.

A Weber kettle has multiple adjustable air inlets at the base of the kettle and an adjustable outlet on the lid of the grill.  This design allows you to precisely control the flow of air through the charcoal bed which in turn allows you to control the temperature of the grill.

The rounded shape of the kettle also means the charcoal grate can be kept a significant distance away from the cooking grate.  The exact distance varies between the different sized kettles but is usually about five inches. This helps greatly with temperature control since the hot coals are not immediately below the cooking grate.

Grill Construction

The body and lid of a Weber kettle is made of porcelain enameled steel.  Porcelain enameled steel will not rust or suffer burn through. As long as you do not crack or chip the enameling the body of a Weber kettle will last longer than you.

You will eventually have to replace the grates and legs for your kettle but the heart of the grill lasts forever.  Compare that to the thin metal $40 grills at Wal Mart that you are going to be throwing away every year or two.

Five Worst and Five Best Kettles

While all of the Weber kettles are perform well there are some differences in details between the models that set them apart.  In fact, Weber has some charcoal grills that should be completely avoided.

The Five Worst

This is a list that will make a few Weber fanatics angry.  That’s okay, I am willing to stand behind this and am very comfortable steering you away from all of these grills.

Weber Smokey Joe Silver/Gold

The 14 inch Smokey Joe grills have been loved by many people who want a small grill for their patio or a portable charcoal grill for camping and tailgating.  The reason why this lovely small grill is on the “Worst List” is because when the 18 inch Weber Jumbo Joe was introduced a few years ago it made the Smokey Joe grills completely irrelevant.

If you want a small, portable charcoal grill then the Jumbo Joe is 100 times better in every single way.  If you buy a Smokey Joe now and find out about the Jumbo later then you will be very sad to learn that you could have gotten a much better grill for just a little more money.

Weber Original Kettle 18 inch

The Original 18 inch Kettle has two major problems.

The first problem is that while it looks like a full size grill it is actually a little too small.  This kettle has the same general dimensions as the portable 18 inch Jumbo Joe. While an 18 inch kettle is a great size for a portable camping grill it is too small for use as a serious backyard grill.

The first time you try to smoke a couple of slabs of ribs or a full packer brisket on an 18 inch kettle you will understand why size matters.

The second problem with the Original 18 inch Kettle is the ash removal system.  This kettle has the One Touch Cleaning system that helps sweep ashes out of the kettle and it works very well.  The problem is that when the ashes leave the kettle they are supposed to fall onto a shallow metal saucer where you can collect and dispose of them.  Instead, the ashes fly everywhere. Eventually the metal saucer ALWAYS gets lost or damaged.

You will find that the best way to get the ashes out of this grill is to take out the grates, turn the grill upside down and then pull out a shop vac to clean up the mess.  That sucks.

Weber Original Kettle 22 inch

This grill has the same awful ash removal system as the Original 18 inch kettle.

Weber Premium 22 Jumbo Joe

The Weber Premium 22 Jumbo Joe is a weird grill that Weber created to sell through Wal-Mart.  It has the same crappy ash catcher design as the Original 18 and Original 22 and is mounted on very short tripod legs.

This grill makes absolutely no sense.  Even if the ash system didn’t bother you why would you want to buy a grill where you had to constantly bend over to use it??

Weber Ranch Kettle

The purpose of the MASSIVE 36 inch Ranch Kettle is to be a showstopper.  The grill is beautiful to look and will draw a crowd. The Ranch is seriously impressive to behold.

The Ranch is also over priced and impractical.  For the price of a Ranch you could buy two 26 inch kettles and have more cooking area, greater flexibility and plenty of money left over.

If you buy a Ranch you are going to need a huge deck or a special area for storage.  You are also going to need to get a shovel to clean out the ashes and find a custom upholstery shop to make a cover.

A Ranch kettle is like a condominium at the beach.  Fun to see and dream about owning but usually a pretty bad investment.

The Five Best

Any one of these grills will make you happy.  The right one for you will depend on which features you value and how many people you are feeding.

18 inch Weber Jumbo Joe

If you want a small charcoal grill then there simply is not ANYTHING better than the Jumbo Joe.  The Jumbo made my list for one of the best charcoal grills under $200.

The 18 inch grate on the Jumbo is an impressive size for a small grill and the locking lid latch truly makes this grill portable.  The lid lock mechanism also doubles as a “Slide A Side” lid holder.

I have ranted at length about the Jumbo at length on this post of Why I Love the Jumbo Joe.

Weber Original Premium 22

The Original Premium 22 is the grill that will be the best buy for most people.  The 22 inch cooking grate on this grill has plenty of space and there is an enclosed ash catcher assembly that makes disposing of ashes EASY.

The 22 Original Premium is the best balance between price and features.  There are nicer kettles than this one but if you are on a budget then this one will treat you just fine.

The two important upgrades that are missing from this grill are a side lid holder and a side table for food prep.

The 22 inch kettles can be confusing so the folks over at BBQ Guys shot a great video that shows the difference between them.  The one on the far left is the one with the awful ash catcher.

Weber Master Touch 22

The Master Touch 22 has multiple upgrades over the Premium 22.  The Master Touch upgrades include:

• Side mounted lid holder
• Gourmet Grate System with removable center insert and hinged sides.
• Charcoal Baskets
• Second Tier Warming Rack

The Master Touch is also a few inches taller than the Premium making it a little easier to work with.  Out of all of the upgrades my favorite is the lid holder. Having somewhere to easily place the lid is really nice.

The only drawback to this grill is that it does not have a side table.

Weber Performer Deluxe

The Performer Deluxe is the ultimate 22 inch kettle.  The Performer Deluxe has all of the upgrades found on the Master Touch (except, oddly, the warming rack) and comes mounted on a spacious cart.

This is no ordinary cart.  The cart on the Performer Deluxe comes with:

• A large side table for food prep
• A built in charcoal storage bin
• An electronic cook timer
• Tool hooks
• A propane ignition system to light your charcoal

While all of these upgrades are nice it is the propane ignition for lighting the charcoal that makes this grill stand out.

There are two other versions of the Performer grill available but neither of them have the propane ignition system.  To learn more about the other Performer grills you can read this post about the Weber Performer Premium vs Deluxe.

Weber Original Premium 26

The 26 inch Weber kettle is the most overlooked and underappreciated grill that Weber makes.

The grate on the 26 inch grill provides 40% more grilling area than you get with a 22 inch charcoal grill.  If you want a massive charcoal grill then this is a grill you need to consider.

This grill comes standard with the enclosed ash removal system and side lid holder which are the two most essential upgrades for any kettle.

The two downsides to the 26 inch kettle is that it does not have a side table and the heavy lid can be awkward to handle.

Other Brands to Consider

Char Broil Kettleman

The Kettleman from Char Broil is fundamentally different than a Weber kettle as the Kettleman is designed to grill hot and fast with infrared radiation.  The charcoal for a Kettleman is located directly below steel panel which, when heated, emits infrared radiation to grill your food. The benefit of an infrared grill us that food stays juicer as it is being heated by infrared radiation instead of hot blowing air.

You will not get precision temperature control with a Kettleman but if you like the idea of infrared grilling then it is worth a look. Another approach to infrared grilling on a charcoal grill is to simply add a set of GrillGrate panels to a Weber kettle.

PK Grills

The PK Grill brand started in Texas about the same time that the Weber kettle was being developed in Illinois.  The company went out of business in the 1970s but was brought back to life about 20 years later.

PKs are extremely high quality charcoal grills made of thick cast aluminum and will NEVER rust.  The fan base for PK Grills is smaller than Weber but they are just as fanatical.

The biggest drawback to PK grills is their cost.  If you would like to learn more about this brand then check out this article on PK grills.

Warranty, Maintenance and Parts

Weber kettles come with a generous warranty.

• Bowl and Lid: Ten year warranty
• One Touch Cleaning System: Five year warranty
• Plastic Components: Five year warranty
• All Remaining Parts: Two year warranty

Taking care of these grills is pretty easy and you can see how to clean the kettle in this video.  If you are worried about the paint that is peeling inside the lid of your grill the video covers that as well 🙂

I have owned a lot of different kettles over the years as my collection has evolved and have had a blast learning about theses beauties.

I hope you found my insights useful and I promise that when you buy one of these grills that you will love it.

FYI….here is an awesome list of Weber charcoal grill accessories that you can get to have even more fun with these grills!

If you want to get some extra gear to have even more fun with your kettle then you have come to the right place!  Keep on scrolling and you will find 18 great Weber charcoal grill accessories to choose from!

Tools for Charcoal Management

Sure, you can just dump a bunch of charcoal into your grill and start cooking but there are some nice tools out there that make it easy to be strategic in how you arrange your coals.

Stainless Steel Charcoal Baskets 

Charcoal baskets are used to place your charcoal exactly where you want it.  You can place the baskets on the sides of the grill to create a multi-temperature zone setup, you can just use a single basket for slow indirect cooking or you can place them together for a central high heat zone.

The stock charcoal baskets that Weber sells are crap.  Get the heavy duty ones made from stainless steel.

Slow N Sear 2.0

The Slow N Sear is an oversized charcoal basket with a built in water reservoir. The Slow N Sear 2.0 is designed to allow long smoking sessions (~8 hours at 250F) with a single load of charcoal.  The water reservoir lets you maintain a moist cooking environment and will need to be refilled every few hours.

You can also use this to create an ultra high heat environment that is great for searing steaks.  Here is a little “unboxing video” for you!

BBQ Vortex

The Vortex is a stainless steel cone that lets you easily focus the heat from your charcoal while simultaneously creating a circular indirect heating zone.  Many folks swear that the Vortex is the ultimate tool for grilling the perfect chicken wing.

There are several ways of using the Vortex.  The video below does a nice job showing multiple techniques for playing with this thing.

Get a Better Grate

The standard grate that comes with a Weber kettle doesn’t last very long and is nothing to get excited about.  Luckily there are some wonderful alternatives than using the standard grate!

Gourmet BBQ System

The Gourmet BBQ System is a Weber product that adds some pretty cool functionality to your grill.  This is a hinged grate with a removable center insert.  The center insert can be replaced with a bunch of different accessories like a wok, sear panel, griddle, poultry roaster etc.

All of the accessories are sold separately.

Here is a look at the Gourmet BBQ System and the accessories that you can use.

Craycort Cast Iron Grates

If you want to get a little cast iron action going on your kettle then you can always upgrade and buy a set of Craycort grates. The Craycort system consists of four modular cast iron inserts that can be swapped out for other optional inserts like a griddle.

There is something special about cooking on cast iron…just makes me feel happy!  Here is a video from the BBQ Pit Boys showing you how much they like the Craycort system!

You can also purchase a stainless steel grate for your kettle directly from SnS Grills!

GrillGrate Panels

Of every accessory on this list the GrillGrate panels are my absolute favorite!

These panels sit on top of the existing cooking grate and transforms your kettle into an infrared cooker that will have almost zero flare-ups and gives the world’s greatest grill marks.

Seriously…GrillGrate panels will fundamentally change how and what you grill. 

Take a look at this short video from Chef Tom at All Things BBQ.  About a minute into the video he starts grilling burgers made from ground brisket which have a pretty high fat content.  You can really start to appreciate the absence of flare ups compared to traditional grilling.

And let’s talk about grill marks.  If you are serious about getting grill marks then there simply is no substitute for GrillGrate panels.  Check out the full video review below to see how easy it was to make this perfect steak.

Add a Rotisserie!

At some point in your grilling career you have to spend some time learning how to use a rotisserie.  There is something magical about standing around a kettle while a big piece of meat is spinning over the coals.

Rotisserie Ring

Weber offers a rotisserie ring for the 22.5 inch kettle, including the Master Touch and Performer models, and a few manufactures make them for the 18.5 inch kettle as well.

There are different ways to configure your charcoal when using a rotisserie but I like to use an indirect setup with a foil drip pan directly under the meat.  Here is a fun video from Weber showing you how to use a kettle rotisserie to make a pretty amazing Prime Rib!

RiboLater

The Ribolater is an amazing, goofy and FUN invention that lets you grill so much more with a rotisserie than you ever thought possible.

The Ribolater is a four tray Ferris Wheel that attaches to the spit rod of the kettle rotisserie.  You can fit a slab of baby back rib onto each tray or load up the trays with chicken wings, meatballs, hamburgers….just about anything!

Here is a short film showing the RiboLater in action for chicken wings!

Rotisserie Basket

If you don’t feel like shelling out the cash for a RibOlater then at least take a look at getting a rotisserie basket.  A rotisserie basket lets the food tumble as the rotisserie turns for even cooking.

I wouldn’t recommend using the basket for ribs but you can sure use them to cook some great chicken wings!

Accessories to Add Space

Sometimes when you are using a Weber kettle things seem to get a little cramped and you just need a little more space.  These tools can help with that problem!

Grill Side Table

You need some place to put your platter of burgers when you are grilling.  Someplace to put your meat thermometer and a roll of paper towels.  Unless you already have a Performer Series, what your kettle needs is a side table!

The folks at BBQ Dragon make a side table that clips onto the side of your kettle.  You should keep the load on the table to under 10 pounds to make sure the kettle doesn’t  tip over.

Here is the video to give you a closer look.

Slide A Side Lid Holder

The other major headache with a standard kettle is that you need some place to put the lid when you take it off to flip your burgers or turn your steak.  Yes, there is a hook underneath the lid that you can use to hang it on the side of the kettle but it sucks and no one uses it.

The answer to this problem is to get the Slide Aside lid holder!  This gadget slips onto the side of your kettle and provides a handy place to hold the lid!

 

Elevated Grate

Sometimes you need a little more space INSIDE your kettle.  If you keep finding yourself wishing you had a place to keep your toasted buns warm or maybe you just need a place to stash some bratwurst then you should look into getting the grilling expansion rack!

The expansion rack sits on top of the regular grate and has just enough room to get the job done!

Gadgets to Light Your Charcoal

Getting the charcoal lit is one of the biggest frustrations people have when using their Weber kettles.  There is a reason that lighter fluid is so popular despite the harsh chemicals and unpleasant smell and after taste.  Here are a few tools that make lighting the charcoal EASY!

Looftlighter

The Looftlighter is a super heated hot air gun that can light your charcoal in one minute.  By “super heated” I am talking about an air stream that is heated to 1,100 F!  There is an outer safety casing around the main heating chamber that cools quickly after use to reduce the chance of an accidental burn.

Here is the video of the Looftlighter in action.  The video only takes a minute and is impressive!

Propane Grill Torch

Another option for quickly lighting your charcoal is to use a propane torch!  The concept is pretty simple with this guy.  Use a specially adapted torch body on a disposable propane bottle and fire those coals up!

The torch works about as fast as the Looftlighter.  Here is the video of the torch in action.

Chimney of Insanity

You can use a regular chimney to light your coals or you can have a little fun and use the Chimney of Insanity!  I have to admit that one of the reasons I like this thing is that it sounds like something that would have been used in The Princess Bride 🙂

The Chimney of Insanity gets your charcoal lit FAST by using a blower fan to accelerate the process.  The folks over at BBQ Dragon say they can get the coals lit and ready to grill in about three minutes. Please note that the blower and chimney are sold separately.

Here is a look at the chimney in action!

Three More Great Kettle Accessories!

Here are three more fun ideas that I couldn’t fit into a particular category so I just lumped them together here.  Hey…that happens sometimes!

Kettle Pizza

The Kettle Pizza insert is designed to turn your kettle into a wood fired pizza oven.  There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to figuring out how to cook pizza at such high temperatures but once you figure out that you need to go light on the toppings and how often to rotate the pie you will be good to go!

Arteflame Kettle Insert

The Arteflame kettle insert is a 1/4 inch thick steel plate that converts your kettle into a monster griddle.  The insert has an optional center sear grate if you want to put sear marks onto a steak. 

The griddle is amazing for cooking breakfast staples (pancakes, bacon, eggs, etc) as well as putting an amazing crust on smashburgers or even cooking up fried rice!

BBQ Dragon Smoking Stone

The Smoking Stone from BBQ Dragon is a 1/4 inch ceramic plate that can be used as a heat deflector for low and slow barbecue or as a high heat baking surface for making the perfect pizza.

Here is how to use the Smoking Stone for Low and Slow barbecue.

Here is how to use the Smoking Stone at High Heat for pizza.

There has been enough interest in the Genesis Silver line of grills (A, B and C Models) that I decided to go ahead and publish a complete parts list for these grills.  The original post from 2014 about the restoration I did for a two burner Silver A is included after the parts list.

Parts List For the Genesis Silver Grills (A, B, C)

Production of the Genesis Silver Series stopped in 2005 but there are still a ton of these grills in use.  All of these grill have burner tubes that run from left to right and employ the cross over ignition system.

Genesis Silver A Parts

The Silver A is a two burner gas grill that I flat out love.  The grill is just like a terrier: Cute, Compact and Powerful.  The Genesis Silver A is no longer available but Weber’s new Spirit grills are amazing alternatives.

• Flavorizer Bars
• Burner Tubes
• Grill Grates
• Drip Tray
• Catch Pan and Holder
• Igniter Kit (Red Button)
• Igniter Kit (Black Button)

Genesis Silver B Parts

The Silver B is a full sized three burner gas grill that does not have a side burner.  The Silver B was the most popular grill in the Silver series.

• Flavorizer Bars
• Burner Tubes
• Grill Grates
• Drip Tray
• Catch Pan and Holder
• Igniter Kit (Red Button)
• Igniter Kit (Black Button)

Genesis Silver C Parts

The Genesis Silver C is a full sized three burner grill with an extended frame that housed a side burner.

• Flavorizer Bars
• Burner Tubes
• Grill Grates
• Drip Tray
• Catch Pan and Holder
• Igniter Kit (Red Button)
• Igniter Kit (Black Button)

Parts That I Can’t Find

While most of the parts for the Silver Series are readily available there are some that I have not been able to find.  These include:

• Replacement Lid Assembly
• Replacement Frame Body
• Replacement Side Tables (Fixed or Swinging)

How I Fixed A Genesis Silver A Grill

For you folks that prefer videos instead of text here is a great instructional video on how to repair a Genesis Silver that shows just how easy the process is.

And now, on with my little story from a few years ago 🙂 

I was surfing Craigslist last weekend and saw a listing for a Weber Genesis Silver for $25.  I shot the folks an email and they called me back to let me know that the grill grate needed  to be replaced and the burner tubes were shot.  An hour later I had this classic Weber gasser sitting in my front yard.

This is a little two burner Weber Genesis Silver A.  My brother-in-law has one of these and I have always enjoyed cooking on his.  I was excited to finally have one of these little classics for my own collection 🙂

When I picked the grill up I saw that it came with the heavy duty cast iron grates.  This was a pleasant surprise as I have never owned cast iron grill grates and I hadn’t realized that Weber made them for the Silver A.  The grates were severely rusted but did not need to be replaced.

I scraped massive amounts of surface rust off the grates with a couple different sized wire brushes.

I did not do a rigorous rust removal procedure.  If you want to go nuts and get ALL the rust off of your cast iron then you can hook those bad boys up to a battery charger.  I did rub the grates with some Crisco and baked them in an oven for a couple of hours to lay down an initial seasoning layer.  They came out looking okay..not incredible but definitely usable.

Now, about those busted burner tubes.  It turns out that the two burner tubes were in pretty nice shape.  What was busted was the cross-over ignition tube.  The cross-over tube had crumbled away with just the ends stuck into the two burners.

I used some Liquid Wrench, a pair of needle nose pliers and patience to pull the last of the cross-over ignition tube out of the two burners.

One side came out easy.  The other side took a day of soaking.  That’s okay…I had plenty of time.  I knew I had plenty of time because I had called Weber customer service and told them what I was up to and that I needed a new cross-over tube.  They sold me the part for $5, waived the shipping fee, and told me that it would be here in five days.  On a serious note, when you are dealing with rusty grill parts I really, really, really recommend using Liquid Wrench instead of WD-40.  It makes a difference.

In order to replace the cross-over tube you need to loosen up the burner assembly.  This sounds daunting but really only requires removing two butterfly nuts.  It takes three minutes and no tools; no big deal.

The back burner tube did have quite a few clogged gas ports.  I fixed this by gently cleaning each port with the sharp end of a pair of tweezers.

This did the trick and ended up giving a real nice flame pattern.

Everything got put back together and for a total investment of $30 I have another sweet little Weber grill in the collection!

All of this fiddling around with the cross-over tube got me into a grumpy old man routine because Weber isn’t making things like they used to.  More specifically, the newest Weber gas grills (ex: Weber Genesis S-330) do not utilize a cross-over ignition system.  You might be wondering why anybody would ever care about a stupid metal tube.  I care about the stupid metal tube because at one point in time Weber acknowledged that sometimes stuff breaks.  By “stuff” I mean the grill ignition system.

If you have stayed with me to this point then let me pause and say, “God bless you.”  Okay, now back to ranting.

The ignition system on all gas grills eventually break.  The Weber systems last longer than most but in the end they all break.  So what happens when the ignition system breaks?  How do you light the grill?  On older Weber gas grills the answer was pretty simple.  Light a match or lighter, stick in through the hole on the front of the grill body and light the front burner.  Once the front burner was lit the cross-over ignition tube would carry the flame to the other burners and you could light them by opening the gas flow to the burner tubes. This is a simple solution to a routine problem.

What do you do when the ignition system breaks on a new Weber gas grill like the Weber Genesis S 330 that does not have the cross-over system?  Every burner on this grill has it’s own ignition switch.  Take a close look at the front of this grill.  Do you see a hole to manually light a burner.  Nope…neither do I.

To manually light a burner on a new Weber gasser you have to remove the grill grate and Flavorizer bars.  What a pain in the butt!  Come on, Weber…just give us a solid cross-over system a drill a little hole in the front!  This design worked great for 25 years.  Why change something that worked great?

Enough with a bunch of crazy ranting about a $5 piece of tubing. If you find yourself with an opportunity to grab a Weber Genesis Silver then jump on it!  The entire line of Silver grills (two and three burner) were excellent grills.  They are easy to work on and replacement parts are readily available.

 

 

2021 has rolled around and it is time to look at the current electric smoker offerings from Masterbuilt.

Trying to figure out the differences between the Masterbuilt electric smokers is a nice way to get your head to explode.  Masterbuilt has two sizes of electric smokers, 30 and 40 inch, and they dress them up with different features and branding to end up with about sixteen to twenty different products (MES 130B, MES 140B, MES 230G, MES 340G, etc).

Combine this with the fact that excess inventory is still available from older designs and you now have about thirty different model numbers to sort through.

The confusion is real.

Rather than try to detail the differences between every single model, let’s take a look at the high level design features of these smokers so you can buy the best one for you and avoid the few stinkers in the lineup.

The Temperature Controller Is Critical

Masterbuilt offers their smokers with three types of temperature controllers:

• Analog Electric
• Digital Electric
• Digital Electric With Bluetooth Connectivity

You want to buy a smoker with a Digital Electric or Digital Electric with Bluetooth temperature controller.

You do NOT want to buy a smoker with an analog temperature controller.

What is Wrong With an Analog Temperature Controller?

An analog temperature controller has a dial that can be turned to “High, Medium, Low” settings.  You can not set a specific temperature with this controller.

If you want to smoke ribs at 225F then you need to dial the controller to somewhere in the Low/Medium range and wait 30 minutes to see where the temperature settles.  Then you will need to adjust the dial up or down and wait another 30 minutes and see where you land.

Once you get the temperature exactly where you want it you can take a permanent marker and mark the spot on the controller for next time.  Of course, if the weather is different (windy, cold) then you are going to need a different amount of power and will have to go through the whole dance again.

Do You Want Bluetooth?

Personally I would NOT buy a Bluetooth enabled smoker.

The current Bluetooth smokers have some nice design features including a built in meat thermometer, a viewing window on the front as well as some bright LEDs to help you see inside the smoker.  You can download an app to your phone and use the Bluetooth connection to monitor the internal meat temperature, smoker temperature and change the temperature if desired.

I am turning into a grumpy old man and the idea of downloading apps and syncing a smoker with my phone is not something that I ever want to do.

Another reason that I wouldn’t buy the Bluetooth smokers is because of the window on the front door.  All that window is going to do is get filthy and make you feel like you need to get down on your hands and knees and scrub it clean.

Seriously…that window gets absolutely covered in smoke and grease and will just look ugly after a few serious smoking sessions.

But hey, if you like apps and gadgets then go for it.

Double Walled Construction With Side Loading Wood Chip Design

All of the Masterbuilt electric smokers with digital controls come with double walled construction and a side loading wood chip tray.

The double wall construction has a layer of insulation between the walls.  The insulated double walls let this smoker operate efficiently and hold steady temperatures even in cold weather.

The side loading wood chip tray is a patented feature only available on Masterbuilt smokers.  You can use the tray to add more wood chips to your smoker in the middle of a cook without having to open the smoker door and losing all of the heat.

30 vs 40 Inch Electric Smokers

Which size smoker you want to buy is the biggest decision you need to make.  For most people I believe the best choice will be a 40 inch model.

The “30” and “40” in the names of these smokers refer to the approximate height of the smokers in inches.  This makes the MES 30 smokers about 2.5 feet tall and the MES 40 options about 3.3 feet tall.

While the height differences are interesting they are not very important.  What is important is the differences in the WIDTH of the smokers. The cooking grates on the 30 inch models are 14 inches wide while the grates on the 40 inch models are 20 inches wide.

The difference between a twenty and fourteen inch cooking grate is massive.  A full packer brisket will easily fit into a 40 inch model. You will have to cut the brisket in half to fit it onto the grates of a 30 inch model.  Same goes for a full slab of pork spare ribs.

There is no way around it…the 30 inch smoker is small.  It is great if you just need something for making beef jerky or smoking summer sausage but if you want to get serious about barbecue then eventually you are going to wish you had the 40 inch smoker.

Masterbuilt Pro, Adventure and Signature Series Electric Smokers

There are four brands of Masterbuilt electric smokers that were literally designed to create confusion in the marketplace.

• Masterbuilt: This is the product line that can be purchased from Masterbuilt, Amazon and Wal Mart.
• Pro Series:  This is a product line that is only sold through Home Depot.
• Signature Series:  This is a product line that is only sold through Lowes.
• Adventure: This is a product line sold through Ace Hardware, Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods and a few other places.

The differences between these product lines are almost non-existent and come down to branding and a few insignificant cosmetic features.

These brands were created to try to stop consumers from doing price comparisons on their cell phones while they are in the big box stores.  If you are in a Home Depot and see a Pro Series smoker that you like then there is no way for you to check Wal Mart or Amazon for a better price since Home Depot is the only outlet for the Pro Series.

Slow Smoker Kit Accessory

If you buy a Masterbuilt smoker that has the side loading wood chip tray then you need to know about the Slow Smoker Kit that is sold separately as an accessory.

One of the few problems with electric smokers in general is that they typically have small wood chip trays that need to be refilled every 30-45 minutes.

The Slow Smoker Kit fixes this problem by having a high capacity wood hopper that is loaded directly over a heating element.  The kit attaches to your smoker where the side loading chip tray enters and gives you hours of uninterrupted smoke time.

When you use the Slow Smoker Kit you control the temperature of the smoker with the control panel on the main smoker.  There is no temperature control on the Slow Smoker kit. It is either On or Off.

Another nice trick you can do with the Slow Smoker kit is use it for cold smoking.  The Masterbuilt digital smokers normally have a temperature range of 100-275F. While that range is great for most things it is too hot for cold smoking cheese and other foods where you just want to add smoke but don’t want to cook them.  

By turning the Slow Smoker kit on but leaving the primary smoker off you can cold smoke with ease.  If you really want to make sure you have low temperature for cold smoking then you can fill the water tray with ice cubes.

Other Brands of Electric Smokers to Consider

Masterbuilt makes the best selling electric smokers but they are not the only game in town.

Char Broil has a couple of good models to choose from and they are the closest in quality to Masterbuilt that I have seen.  Char Broil also has a smoker with “SmartChef Technology” that can sync with your phone but the functionality isn’t that great.  Prices bounce around all of the time but on average the Char Broil smokers are more usually expensive than Masterbuilt.

Smoke Hollow makes some nice digital electric smokers that are budget priced.  The Smoke Hollow smokers don’t have Bluetooth or integrated meat thermometers but they are solid on basic functionality.

Pit Boss has recently started selling electric smokers but the initial reviews have not been that good.  The folks at Pit Boss are pretty aggressive when they enter a new market though so I suspect they will get things turned around pretty fast.

Two brands that I absolutely do NOT recommend looking at are Cajun Injector and Bradley.

Just don’t do it.

Please.

Pit Boss has come out with a new pellet smoker that is designed to look like an old time whiskey still.  While the design is cute I really can’t think of any reason why anyone should buy this product instead of a Pit Boss vertical cabinet smoker or their more traditional barrel style smokers.

Let me walk you though the basic details of this smoker and then we can look at why it really isn’t a good choice.

Whiskey Still Design Specifications

This is a pretty basic smoker that, despite the novel outside design, doesn’t have many features.

• Cooking Area: 757 square inches spread across three cooking grates
• Cooking Grates: Three 18 inch diameter grates.
• Hopper Capacity: 15 pounds of pellets
• Temperature Range: 150-350F in 25 degree increments
• Digital Meat Probe: Included
• Warranty: 5 years

Why I Don’t Recommend the Grill

The major problem with this smoker is capacity.  The 18 inch grates just are not that large and most folks will only want to use two of them.  Here is a look at how much Pit Boss says you can fit in this smoker.

Pit Boss says that with the Whiskey Still you can smoke:

• Three chickens: Presumably that is one chicken per grate.
• Three pork shoulders: Presumably that is one shoulder per grate
• Four slabs of ribs: Presumably that is ????

I suspect that the usable capacity is actually lower than this.  Here is a look at the base of the smoker.  You can see that the bottom grate is directly above the grease tray which in turn is directly above the pellet burn pot.

Here is how all of the grates and burn pot assembly look together.

There is no way in heck that the bottom grate will be seeing the same temperature profile as the top and middle grates.  The best use for that bottom grate is to hold an over sized water pan to add moisture and help collect grease.  I suspect that folks will eventually end up only using the top two grates for cooking.

Other than capacity there are a couple of other features about this design that I don’t like.

Accessing the food from the side panel door will be awkward.  Let’s say that you have a big pile of country style ribs smoking away on the top grate and you want to brush them with a little sauce. You are going to have to open the side door and breath in a big pile of smoke while you try to reach the ribs on the back side of the grate.  There is no easy way to access any food that is on the back half of the grates.  This isn’t a deal breaker but it is annoying.

Another feature that is lacking on this smoker is a proper working side table.  You are going to want someplace to put your tongs, paper towels, etc and this smoker doesn’t have it.

Pit Boss makes plenty of full sized smokers that work great and have plenty of capacity.  If you want a Pit Boss Pellet smoker then buy one that is functional, not the one that is cute.

Another Opinion

I got an email from a reader, Al W, who had some different opinions about this smoker and was gracious enough to allow me to post them here.  Here are a few thoughts from Al.

1) I think the vertical design of this smoker is a step in the right direction. As we all know, heat (and smoke) wants to travel straight up – not sideways. This is why we end up with convoluted designs like reverse-flow offset barrel smokers which try to obtain uniform horizontal distribution of something that wants to go vertical.

2) The close proximity of the bottom grate to the grease tray is in all likelihood a non-issue. Any direct effect the firepot might have on the lower rack would be by radiant heat. As there are two metal panel components between the firepot and the rack there would be very little if any radiant heat reaching the bottom grate. In addition, the forced convection aspect of all pellet burners further promotes uniform temperatures by circulating large amounts of air (relative to natural convection smokers) through the smoker at all times. I have a Traeger pellet grill which has a similar design (i.e., two metal panels between the firepot and the grate) and have never noticed any type of ‘hotspot’ directly above the firepot.

3) I have in the past used a Brinkmann Smoke ‘n Pit round vertical smoker which has a similar design relative to the door and racks. I agree that access to the rear portion of the racks is limited. Another problem I had with those racks was that if the food item was slid to the front of the rack (as during loading or unloading) the rack would sometimes tip as the portion of the rack in the door opening is unsupported.

4) As the owner of the aforementioned Traeger grill, I don’t think the term ‘a big pile of smoke’ is applicable to any pellet burner.

5) An issue I would have included in the review is that the controller is super low – maybe a foot off the ground? The controller on my Traeger is about twice that high and I feel even that is annoying and inconvenient. Actually, the whole smoker would be easier to use if those legs were a foot or two longer.

I’m not for or against the Whiskey Still Smoker, just wanted to put my two cents in.

Thanks for the input, Al!

 

A Denver steak isn’t something that you see very often in the grocery store.  The thing is though, with such a great name, it sounds like a steak that ought to be tried.

Waiter: “What will you have, sir?”

Me: “Bring me a Denver steak!”

What is a Denver Steak?

The Denver steak is a relatively new steak in the American market.  In the 2000’s the beef industry undertook a study to see if they could butcher the low value Chuck section of a steer in such a way as to produce high value products.

This study was highly successful and was used to train butchers how to harvest three new steaks that could be sold at premium prices.  The three new steaks that were developed were the Denver, Flat Iron and Teres Major.

The Denver is the least tender of the three new steaks developed from the Chuck but it still packs plenty of flavor. The name of this steak has no real significance as it was picked purely for marketing purposes.

This steak is typically about an inch thick and has a nice degree of marbling.

I couldn’t find any Denver steaks locally and ended up buying them online from the fine folks over at Porter Road.  If you are not familiar with Porter Road then the short version is they are a butcher shop in Nashville that buys whole animals that have been humanely raised on small farms in Tennessee and Kentucky. 

It is a nice shop and they carry all of the specialty cuts that are hard to find locally.

How to Cook This Steak

Since this steak is on the lower side of the tenderness scale I recommend cooking it with low heat followed by a finishing sear.

You can do a reverse sear on your grill or even a gentle braise in your oven.

I went the Sous Vide route.

I seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper then cooked them sous vide at 130F for two hours.  The steaks came out of their bag, were patted dry and then seared in a cast iron pan with a little peanut oil for 90 seconds per side.

 

The grain structure wasn’t obvious when the steaks were raw but once they were cooked I could easily see which way it was running.

As always, to maximize tenderness make sure you slice against the grain of the steak.

Overall we enjoyed these steaks but I will not be going out of my way to find them again.

The Denver is absolutely better than a sirloin but nowhere near as good as a ribeye.

My local stores have a steady supply of the other newly developed steaks from the Chuck (Flat Iron and Teres Major) and I will be sticking with those when I am looking for steaks that are delicious, tender and affordable.

Are you trying to figure out whether to buy a New York Strip or a Ribeye?  No worries, I have you covered!

The New York Strip vs Ribeye battle is pretty straight forward and comes down to how much you like fat.  Let me show you the big difference between these two great steaks so you can pick the right one for you.

Both of these steaks are premium cuts that are delicious.  There is no wrong answer here and, while most people prefer Ribeyes, there are plenty of folks who love the Strip more than anything.

These steaks typically cost about the same on a per pound basis for equivalent grades of beef.  The steaks pictured above were Choice Grade Angus that cost $9.99 per pound.

Ribeye is More Tender Than New York Strip

Both of these steaks come from areas on the steer that don’t do much heavy lifting (Rib and Short Loin) and as such can be expected to be tender and nicely marbled.  That is what makes both of these steaks premium cuts.

Although these are both premium steaks the ribeye is consistently a more tender steak than a strip.

The ribeye will also have significantly more internal fat marbling than a New York Strip resulting in a different flavor profile.  Whether you like the fatty profile of the ribeye or the meaty leanness of the strip is a personal preference but most people prefer the flavor of the ribeye.

New York Strip is Healthier than Ribeye

Below is the nutritional content for a 3 oz serving of each steak that has been trimmed of excess fat.

Ribeye Nutritional Value

• 190 calories
• 4 g saturated fat
• 23 g protein

New York Strip Nutritional Value

• 160 calories
• 2.3 g saturated fat
• 25 g protein

You can see that the Strip has fewer calories and saturated fat while delivering more protein than ribeye.  This isn’t too surprising given the visible difference in fat content between these two steaks.

Even if you take the health factor out of the equation there are a lot of folks who prefer the strip because they don’t like all of the massive fat deposits found all over the ribeye.  If they are going to pay for a premium steak then they want to get meat and not fat.

Grilling Comparison

Both of these steaks are amazing when simply seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked to medium rare.  I love to grill these steaks over charcoal but they will still be excellent if pan seared or are cooked under a broiler.

These steaks can be grilled either directly over high heat or with the reverse sear method.

Both of these steaks are sold with differing thicknesses and can be served boneless or with the bone attached.  This makes providing accurate cooking times difficult since I don’t know if you are dealing with a half inch thick strip or a two pound, bone in ribeye.

In general, cook these steaks to an internal temperature of 130F and they will be awesome. Note: When I buy a whole eight pound New York strip roast from Costco I will skip the grill and simply smoke it until Medium Rare.

Here is what slices of a finished New York Strip will look like.

And here is what you will get with the ribeye.

You can see a difference in the fat content of the two finished steaks.  Some people love the fatty flavor of the ribeye while other folks refuse to put the extra fat in their mouth.

 

Related Steak Posts

Sirloin vs Ribeye

Porterhouse vs Ribeye

My local butcher happened to have a 12 pound beef belly on hand the other day and there was no other option than it coming home with me.

I spent some time pondering what to do with this massive pile of beef and decided to cut it into four sections and have a little fun!

Here is how I used two of the belly sections to make some seriously great barbecue!

Brisket Style Beef Belly

The brisket and belly on a steer share a lot in common.  They have great fat content, are located next to each other and benefit from a long slow cook.    I figured it kind of made sense to try treating the belly like a brisket and see how it did!

I seasoned two of the belly slabs with a brisket rub and put them on the smoker with some hickory at 250F.

After four hours the bellies reached an internal temperature of 185F. 

I took one of the bellies off, sliced it into one inch cubes and tossed them in a foil pan with  some Head Country Hot barbecue sauce.  This was covered and returned to the smoker for another hour to make some beef belly burnt ends.

The other belly stayed on the pit until it was probe tender, about another two hours.  The belly had reached an internal temp of about 203F at that point.

The second belly was rested, sliced and served along with the burnt ends to make a pretty awesome “brisket style” platter.  Oh yeah!

Horizon Smokers are made in Oklahoma by one of the guys that founded the Oklahoma Joe line of smokers back in the day.  Many people think that Horizon makes some of the best offset smokers available.  I had a chance to put my hands on their 16 inch Classic and Ranger offsets and walked away scratching my head a little.

These are nice smokers but Horizon pulls a cheap move that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Keep reading and I’ll show you what I am talking about.

16 Inch Smoker Specifications

Classic Offset Smoker

The Classic is a traditional offset smoker that looks like an offset should.

• Smoker Cooking Grates: Two 15×15 inch expanded sheet metal grates (450 square inches)
• Grill Cooking Grate: One 12×15 inch expanded sheet metal grates (180 square inches)
• Weight: 380 pounds
• 16″ diameter x 32″ long horizontal cooking chamber
• 16″ diameter x 16″ long firebox
• MSRP: $825 + shipping

This grill is a heavy duty version of the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland and Longhorn offset smokers.

Ranger Offset Smoker

The primary smoking chamber on the Ranger is slightly larger than the Classic (40 vs 32 inches long).  Additionally the Ranger has a vertical smoking chamber added to the left side of the pit.

• Smoker Cooking Grates: Two 15×17 inch expanded sheet metal grates (510 square inches)
• Grill Cooking Grate: One 15×15 inch expanded sheet metal grates (225 square inches)
• Vertical Cooking Grates: Three 15 inch diameter expanded sheet metal grates (530 square inches)
• Weight: 650 pounds
• 16″ diameter x 40″ long horizontal cooking chamber
• 16″ diameter x 48″ tall vertical smoking chamber
• 16″ diameter x 20″ long firebox
• MSRP: $1585 + shipping

Build Quality

The build quality on these smokers is excellent and they come with a lifetime warranty against burnout.

These smokers are made from 1/4 thick steel and feature full welded construction. These things are not held together by nuts and bolts like an Oklahoma Joe Highland.  The welds are clean, neat and you can tell that they were done by a craftsman.

If you buy a Horizon it will last you a heck of a long time.

What Aggravates Me About These Smokers

My basic issue with the 16 inch Horizon smokers is the combination of design and cost.

Take a few minutes and watch this video showing the upgrades that this gentleman purchased for his Classic model.  Please remember that, before any upgrades, when you factor in cost, shipping, tax, etc that the base model is going to cost you a little over $1,000.

Did you see the heat diffuser plate that he bought?  If not, then go back and watch the video.

Let’s talk about that heat diffuser.

• It is a cool design.
• It works extremely well to even out the temperature inside the cooking chamber.
• It is NOT included in the purchase price of the Classic or the Ranger.

The folks at Horizon invented that diffuser because the basic design of their cooker creates an extremely uneven cooking environment.

• There is no baffle between the firebox and the main cooking chamber.  This means that the you will have a serious hot spot on the right side of the grill.
• The opening for the outlet smoke stack is a few inches above grate level.  This keeps the left side of the grate cooler since the hot air doesn’t need to flow through it to escape.

Maybe I am just having a bad day.

Maybe I have unreasonable expectations.

But if I am going to drop a thousand bucks on a smoker then I want it to come with the equipment needed to make it operate like it should.

At this price point there is no reason for the heat diffuser to not be included.

Horizon vs Old Country

If you are really interested in stick burners then do a head to head comparison between the Horizon Classic and the Old Country Pecos.

Both smokers are made of welded 1/4 inch steel and have the classic look you want.

The Pecos has:

• A heat deflecting baffle at the fire box outlet
• The smoke stack outlet at grate level.
• A charcoal tray that makes an awesome heat diffuser.
• Slide out cooking grate with 630 square inches of cooking space.
• A price tag of about $500.

(Here is the full review of Old Country BBQ Pits.)

The Old Country Pecos is larger, better designed and costs about half of the Horizon.  The biggest problem with Old Country Pits is that they can be hard to find.  The Pecos is sold through Academy and finding a store that has one is hit or miss.

A major reason for the price difference between these smokers is that the Pecos is made in Mexico while the Horizon is made in Oklahoma.

While a “head to head” between a Made in Mexico and Made in the USA may not be fair from a price standpoint I do want to point out that Horizon’s are being sold at a premium price.

And again, if you are going to sell at a premium price then you ought to include the dang heat diffuser!!

Bottom Line

The Horizon 16 inch Classic and Ranger are fine smokers.  You won’t be disappointed if you buy one.

I just wish the folks over at Horizon hadn’t cheaped out with the diffuser plate.