Weber 847001 (NG) Grill Review

When I relocated last year to a house with a deck and everything I was sitting out on the deck one afternoon with the little Weber Smokey Joe cookin' up a burger and slurgin' a brewski and the ol' Smokey was lookin' mighty puny there in the middle of all that deck space.

Weird, because it looked just fine on my dinky little apartment balcony just a month or so before this..... d;-)

I figured it was time to upgrade. Now, I'd had a Weber Kettle at the old house, but the ex took possession of that one as I didn't have the space for it at the apartment. It was probably 15 years old when I inherited it back in '93 and it's still goin' strong. We did the BBQ thing at the ex's last summer for Shorty's b-day and I got reacquainted with my old grill that day. My point is... did I have a point or was I just rambling again as I do quite frequently? Oh yeah! These Weber Kettles will last for ever if you treat 'em right.

With that in mind I went grill huntin'. There was never really any doubt about brand, it was merely which model it would be. I looked 'em all over and decided on The Performer. Aka Weber model # 847001.

Here's what ya get:

• 22.5" porcelain-enameled bowl and lid
• 2 Char Basket charcoal holders
• Heavy duty, hinged cooking grate
• Touch N Go gas ignition system
• Thermometer built into the lid
• Thermoset Plastic food prep table
• Hinged Charcoal storage basket under the table
• Removable ash catcher

Okay I wasn't too concerned with the Touch N Go ignition. I'm sure it works just fine, but I'll never use it. I still have my old chimney and a stack of newspaper, and until that runs out and the chimney disintegrates I'm usin' em. The charcoal baskets are nice when you want to control where your coals are placed with a minimal amount of fuss. Direct heat? Set the baskets close together. Indirect heat? Spread the baskets to the distance you want.

The charcoal storage basket is a big plus. Keeps all your charcoal (and newspaper for lightin' the chimney) in one place and out of the elements. Just tilt it down to get your firestartin' periphernalia out and tilt it back up to close it. The ash catcher is a big improvement over the 20 some-odd year old kettle I used to have with the little aluminum bowl catcher under it. This ash catcher mounts right up to the bottom of the kettle bowl. Twist to remove and dump the ashes, twist it back on and you're good to go grill another rib-eye or three.

There's also a bit of storage space under the grill on a metal rack. Great place to keep the chimney and wire brush. Cooking utinsels hang on built in hooks on the front. There's a lid holder on the side of the kettle for convenience. For ease of movement, there are two wheels on the kettle end and 2 smaller castors on the table end. Just roll it to your favorite cooking spot and light 'er up.

After the first year of use, the Performer has done just that: Performed, and performed quite well. If you like to barbeque but hate the taste of propane, Weber is the only way to go!