The Original and Still the Best of Its Kind

Preface

If you have ever owned a Weber or know someone that has, you probably have heard stories of people keeping and using their Webers well past the first ten years. This is not total fantasy. My uncle has had his now for upwards of twenty. It is larger and a little heavier, but the fact that he still has it says something about the company's product, even now. It seems in the past 7 or so years there has been a push, or a least a move of some type, toward gas grills. There are a couple of reasons for this, health, fuel, and otherwise. I see this as unfortunate. Yes, there are health ramifications to cooking over coals, but if one lives a healthy life, exercises, eats lotsa fiber, and doesn't drink to excess, the occasional risk of cooking over coals is drastically reduced. This is all aside from the fact that the taste is unmatched! Webers have a very efficient design complimented by a great paint job and great accessories. They are sturdily built, assuming you construct it properly, and have great longevity to them. I say this for those of us that won't be knocking them over, using corrosive solvents on them to clean, or allowing the family great dane to knock it over and menace it. I am pretty sure that this is where I need to write my review of this grill, it is about 18" across and is about waist high (I'm 6'5"). My experience with this little Weber, as opposed to the larger round one about 30"(?) across has been just as rewarding as my experience with other Webers. Let me tell you why. . .


Quality of Construction


There are no hinges to rust, wear out, or weaken the structure as a whole due to usage. It is really quite ingenious they way they have made this come together, its so simple and yet so ergonomic. All this little grill consists of is a lowish profile cover and a deep bowl shape bottom half. On the lower half are three arc welded "slots" to put the little legs into that are situated outside of a set of three long slots for ventilation. Not that long ago these vents were the same size as on the top of the unit, three quarter size holes stamped out of the metal. This is clearly the production method; a couple of discs of steel pressed and stamped, not unlike older metal hubcaps. If one follows the directions closely, it should only take about 5-10 minutes to put this together and get going. My total time from opening the box to throwing the steaks on was along the lines of 25 minutes, allowing for the coals to get to temperature of course. It is really as simple as putting the legs on, attaching the little wire part at the bottom, putting the wheels on, and setting up ash catcher, simple! The legs are of a light metal, a composite of some type I would imagine. The grill body is of a relatively light gauge metal. The body is strong, and will hold a surprising amount of weight, but care should be exercised when securing the legs. It is possible when doing this to bend the lower half of the grill body slightly. This won't affect the ability of the grill to cook, but will affect the structural integrity of it. Just as a hollow cardboard cylinder can hold a lot of weight lengthwise, if you put the smallest kink in it and you will lose that very integrity and the cylinder will collapse. Now that was just an example, the grill won't collapse, but over time that little bend will start to bend more, slowly flake off paint, eventually oxidize and tear. So, if this is avoided (the bending that is), the grill will last much longer. My summary of this would be that it is of classically reliable manufacture and for $60 or so, you get more than you pay for as far as construction quality.


Ease of Use and Aesthetics


Does aesthetics really play a part in the purchase of a grill? Of course it does as it would in any other consumer product purchase. Obviously if you have a nice place, decent furniture, and a nice deck or backyard you wouldn't want a nasty looking grill marring the landscape. What I am speaking of is the classic mini drum or full 55 gal. oil drums you see by the side of the road that Joe Bob just made in his garage shop, the $19 jobs you get at the grocery store that rust instantly without the presence of water, or even the ungodly rusted out where's-the-fondu-cause-I-can't-let-go-of-the-seventies hibachi. Short of the big charcoal side by side deals that will run you $400 or more, this little grill just looks good. The paint job was outstanding for something so cheap, and hey, you can't go wrong with black (it's certainly better than harvest gold or avocado). The little handles, though plastic, aren't ugly and appear rather tough. The same goes for the little wheels, not for off-roading, but they will do visually. All in all, you could put this anyplace and it would look good.

This grill is very well engineered. One might not associate that description with a grill, but its true. Up until not that long ago, the vent on the bottom was the same as the top, a disc of metal with a tab bent into it. Believe me, when that grill is full steam the last thing you want to do is burn your hand trying to find that little tab. Now they feature a wrought(?) piece of stainless steel in the form of a handle that sticks out far enough as to not get terribly hot. This provides very easy access to effective vent control. The vent on top is still the flat disc with a tab, but that is easier to manipulate, even hot. If you allow your coals to burn to ash, cleaning can be very easy, you just dump them out or spray them out. If you allow chunks of briquettes to build up over time collecting grease as they go, you only do yourself a disservice, because it ends up being very hard to clean. The only drawback to spraying the ashes out is that you are introducing water to the inside of the grill and as the pivot point for the bottom vent assembly is directly in the center of the bottom, you virtually guarantee yourself a modicum of rust. If you pull you grill under an awning or roof/garage, there is no real reason this grill should rust in the first several years, excepting you folks on the oceans. The top grill is easily put on and taken off, as is the bottom. The ash catcher is virtually useless, but I have never run into someone who used it as a means of disposal. Usually, I have found, most people use it to keep from burning their deck. Anyway, it's really a joy to use.


Summary


It doesn't take a genius to put this grill together, nor do you need to be Paul Prudhomme to use it effectively. This grill is straight forward in construction and overall use. This is addition to the fact that it even comes with a mini cookbook with a lot of great ideas for grilling and a discount card to send of for a larger cook book. I have heard people suggest some grills are better for certain foods. I only have one thing to say: Sell your Mercedes S-class, put away the platinum card, and stop thinking about the next consumer product you are going to buy! A grill is a grill, period. If you want a smoker, buy one, but that doesn't mean you can't smoke stuff on this grill. Experience pays. I worked in full service restaurants as a cook, then later as a chef, between the ages of about 14 to 21. All it takes is time and I can personally attest that you can do ANYTHING with this grill. For about $60, I cannot think of a better option for an all around grill on the market. That coupled with the knowledge of so many people I know owning them for years and years without a single problem, I can't honestly say that I would feel good about buying anything other than Weber. If you need a grill and don't want to spend a fortune, this grill is the one for you. ENJOY!!


Please note:

This grill is not particularly large. If you have a big family, or grill for large groups on a regular basis, you may want to consider the next size up. Same quality build, same ease of use, and the same outstanding features that have made Weber a household name. Don't quote me, but I believe the larger grill goes for about $85.