Weber Go-Anywhere vs Weber Smokey Joe 14
160 sq in at $89.99 against 147 sq in at $54.99. Nearly the same cooking area for $35 less, and only one of them has an ash catcher.
We pick the Weber Smokey Joe 14 Charcoal Grill
The Smokey Joe wins on almost every count that matters here. It cooks on 147 sq in against the Go-Anywhere's 160 (a difference of 13 square inches) for $54.99 against $89.99, and it lists an ash catcher the Go-Anywhere does not. Both carry Weber's full ten years against rust-through on bowl and lid, and both give you the complete kettle damper system over a small fire.
What actually differs
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13 square inches, $35
The areas are close enough to call equal in use. Our reviews score them 7.84 and 8.07. The Smokey Joe gains on price and ash; the Go-Anywhere claws some back on packing.
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Ash removal, which is the chore
Weber publishes an ash catcher for the $54.99 Smokey Joe and none for the $89.99 Go-Anywhere, so spent ash leaves the dearer grill by hand. On a charcoal grill used often, that is the difference you feel.
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The Go-Anywhere earns its keep on shape, not size
Folding legs clamp over the lid to lock it shut, the tools pack inside, and the rectangular box with its char-rail holds a hot end and a cool end more naturally than a 14-inch bowl. For a car boot or a motorcycle pannier, that geometry is the point.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Go-Anywhere scores higher in 3 categories, the Weber Smokey Joe 14 in 3 categories.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 7.9 Better by 0.2Weber Smokey Joe 14 7.7Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 7.9Four 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.
Why the Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 7.7
Lid and bowl dampers give the full kettle control system, over a fire only 14 inches across.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 8.1Weber Smokey Joe 14 8.3 Better by 0.2Why the Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 8.3Ten years against rust through on bowl and lid, five on plastics, two on the rest, over porcelain enamel.
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 8.0 Better by 0.2Weber Smokey Joe 14 7.8Why the Weber Go-Anywhere scores 8.0Porcelain-enamel over steel with comfort-grip handles, though the grate is plated steel, the same commodity fitted to the cheaper Jumbo Joe.
Why the Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 7.8
Porcelain enamel matches the big kettles, but it stands on a short wire tripod, and Weber names the grate two different materials.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 9.5 Better by 1.4Weber Smokey Joe 14 8.1Why 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 Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 8.1
The Tuck-N-Carry lock holds the lid for travel and while cooking, but at 17 in tall it wants a table to cook at.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Go-Anywhere 6.5Weber Smokey Joe 14 9.5 Better by 3.0Why the Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 9.5At $54.99 the bowl and lid carry the same ten years Weber puts on kettles costing several times more.
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 6.0Weber Smokey Joe 14 7.3 Better by 1.3Why the Weber Smokey Joe 14 scores 7.3Porcelain wipes down and the catcher lifts away, but the feature list names no One-Touch sweep to push ash into it.
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 | Weber Smokey Joe 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 7.9 Better | 7.7 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.1 | 8.3 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.0 Better | 7.8 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.5 Better | 8.1 |
| Value (12%) | 6.5 | 9.5 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.0 | 7.3 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.8 | 8.1 |
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
You want a flat packable box that locks itself shut and carries its own tools.
Check price →You want the most kettle for the least money: same warranty, an ash catcher, $35 cheaper.
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.