EmailBest Reviewed
Charcoal Grills
- Best budget charcoal grill Weber One-Touch Silver *Est. $90
- Full-featured charcoal grill Weber Performer *Est. $330
- Charcoal grill for parties and big families Char-Griller Outlaw *Est. $205
- Best portable charcoal grill Weber Smokey Joe Silver *Est. $35
- Best luxury charcoal grill The Big Green Egg *Est. $750
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Full-featured charcoal grill
- Unusual gas-assist lighting
- Weber quality and warranty
- Choice of color
- Built-in thermometer
- Plastic worktable not as sturdy as wood
- Similar to less costly Webers
The Weber Performer includes many of the accessories and features not found in the otherwise highly praised Weber One-Touch Silver (*Est. $90) and Gold (*Est. $150). In addition to standard Weber features such as a hinged cooking grate and one-touch cleaning system, the Performer offers grillers a work table, built-in thermometer, lid-catcher and storage space for utensils and extra charcoal. What sets the Performer apart from almost every other charcoal grill on the market is its unusual gas-assist lighting system. The use of gas and an ignition switch means grillers can have hot coals ready in 10 minutes with little effort. The only complaints about the grill are about its plastic worktable, which users say isn't as sturdy as wooden or metal tables, though no users have reported any specific problems. The gas ignition system uses small disposable propane cylinders for fuel.
About.com's Derrick Riches is the only professional grill reviewer to look at the Weber Performer, although we find video clips from the CBS' "The Early Show" and the "Today" show, which feature it as the best charcoal buy in segments on grilling. Amateurs are nearly unanimous in their praise of the Performer, as evidenced by posts at HomeBarbequeGrilling.com, Amazon.com, and Buzzillions.com.
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Our Sources
1. About.com
Derrick Riches is the guide to barbeques and grilling for About.com. He says the gas-assist lighting feature alone makes the Performer well worth the cost, even though it is essentially a variant of Weber's less costly kettle grills. Picks are based on Riches' evaluation of the grill's features, build quality and performance. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Top 10 Charcoal Grills, Derrick Riches
This site contains a link to a video of David Gregg of Best Magazine detailing his grill choices and going over their highlights for CBS' "The Early Show." His pick for charcoal grills is the Weber Performer, which he says is the best way of getting around the hassle of lighting coals.
Review: The 'Best' Grill For Your BBQ, David Gregg, June 28, 2005
This site reviews a wide range of barbeques, including a reasonable selection of charcoal grills from Char-Griller and Weber, among others. A list of the best charcoal grills includes the Performer. The unit's blend of charcoal taste and gas convenience is highly praised.
Review: Best Charcoal Grills, Contributors to HomeBarbequeGrilling.com
4. Today
For charcoal grills, Lou Manfredini recommends the Weber Performer in this brief guide, though mentioning its gas-lighting system is the extent of his description. No testing criteria are mentioned. The site contains a segment from "Today" in which Manfredini displays his recommended grills and highlights their features.
Review: Need to Buy a Grill? Check Out These Top Styles, Lou Manfredini, June 7, 2007
5. Amazon.com
More than 150 of the 170 user reviews on Amazon give the Performer five out of five stars. The handful who do voice complaints quibble over minor design choices, or say newer versions (from 2005 on) aren't as satisfactory as previous Performer models.
Review: Weber 2005 Model 841001 22 ½-Inch Performer Charcoal Grill, Contributors to Amazon.com
About 100 Buzzillions users give the Performer an aggregate score of 4.8 out of five possible stars. Nearly all of the comments are overwhelmingly positive. Even those who don't give it a perfect rating because of concerns about lower airflow or the need to clean the lighting mechanism often, are, on balance, satisfied. Buzzillions is a site that collects user reviews from other, usually smaller, websites.
Review: Weber 22 ½" Performer Charcoal Grill, Contributors to Buzzillions.com
Charcoal Grills Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
Weber 751001 22 1/2-Inch One-Touch Gold Charcoal Grill, Black
 from Amazon.com New: $139.70 In Stock.
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