Weber Go-Anywhere vs Original Kettle 18
160 sq in in a rectangle that locks shut at $89.99, against an 18-inch kettle's 240 sq in, wheels and One-Touch ash sweep at $129.00.
We pick the Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill 18
For a grill that stays at home, the Original Kettle 18. It costs $129.00 against $89.99 and cooks on 240 sq in against 160. It stands 36 inches tall on wheels, and a lever sweeps the ash into a catcher. The Go-Anywhere is the better traveller, with four air controls to the kettle's two. Parked on a patio, though, its shape earns nothing.
What actually differs
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The smaller grill has the better cool side
The Go-Anywhere's char-rail pins coals to one end of a rectangle, leaving a long cool strip. Bank coals in the 18-inch kettle and the grate splits into two halves, each holding a couple of steaks.
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What happens after dinner
The kettle's One-Touch blades push ash through the vents into a catcher, and Weber warrants that system five years. For the Go-Anywhere, the only cleanup item Weber names is a foil pan.
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Up to four, or up to six
Weber rates the 18 for 4 to 6 and says its grate takes 9 burgers in one flat layer. The box stops at four, who eat in one sitting with nothing held back.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Go-Anywhere scores higher in 1 category, the Original Kettle 18 in 5 categories.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 7.9Original Kettle 18 8.1 Better by 0.2Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.1Lid and bowl dampers give the usual kettle control, but a 240 sq in grate leaves a cramped cool side once coals are banked.
Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 7.9
Four air controls and a char-rail give a usable cool strip, but a 160 sq in bed burns down inside an hour of hard work.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 8.1Original Kettle 18 8.6 Better by 0.5Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.6Enamelled bowl and lid carry ten years, the aluminium legs shrug off rust, and only the grate and small parts sit on two.
Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 8.1
Ten years on cookbox and lid is Weber's full rust cover, but the folding legs that stand, lock and carry it get two.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 8.0Original Kettle 18 8.3 Better by 0.3Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.3Porcelain enamel and glass-reinforced nylon handles are the real thing; the plated grate and wire leg brace are where the money was saved.
Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 8.0
Porcelain-enamel over steel with comfort-grip handles, though the grate is plated steel, the same commodity fitted to the cheaper Jumbo Joe.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 9.5 Better by 2.1Original Kettle 18 7.4Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 9.5Legs fold over the lid to lock it shut and the tools pack inside, which no kettle on Weber's page manages.
Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 7.4
No thermometer is listed, so dampers are set by feel, and a 5 in lid height turns away tall roasts.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 6.5Original Kettle 18 6.9 Better by 0.4Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 6.9At $129.00 against $149.00 for 363 sq in, the bigger Weber kettle buys far more grate for each extra dollar.
Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 6.5
The same $89.99 buys the Jumbo Joe's 240 square inches, so 160 here is paid for in geometry alone.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 6.0Original Kettle 18 8.4 Better by 2.4Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.4One-Touch sweeps ash into a shallow open catcher in a few strokes, and the enamel wipes down; nothing encloses the ash.
Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 6.0
No ash catcher is published, while the $54.99 Smokey Joe lists one, so spent ash leaves this box by hand.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Go-Anywhere | Original Kettle 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 7.9 | 8.1 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.1 | 8.6 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.0 | 8.3 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.5 Better | 7.4 |
| Value (12%) | 6.5 | 6.9 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.0 | 8.4 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.8 | 8.0 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
The grill goes in the car most weekends, and you want it flat, locked shut and carrying its own tools.
Check price →You cook at home for up to six and want standing height, wheels and a lever for the ash.
Check price →More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.