Weber Jumbo Joe 18 vs Original Kettle 18
Both carry a 240 sq in grate in an 18 in enamel bowl. The Jumbo Joe is 19.7 in tall at $89.99; the Original Kettle 18 adds legs, wheels and One-Touch for $129.00.
No single winner. Here is how to choose.
It depends on whether the grill travels. The cooking is identical: one 18 in bowl, 240 sq in of plated grate, lid and bowl dampers, rated for four to six. The Jumbo Joe latches into one piece for a tailgate or campsite at $89.99. If it will live on a patio, the Original Kettle 18 puts that grate at standing height and sweeps its own ash for $129.00.
What actually differs
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19.7 inches against 36
On the ground, the Jumbo Joe's grate sits at shin level, so every flip is a crouch. Set it on a sturdy table and the gap closes. The kettle's legs are that table, built in.
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Ash: a sweep or a tip
The kettle's One-Touch lever pushes ash into its catcher, and Weber covers that system for 5 years. The Jumbo Joe's pan catches what falls, but clearing the bowl means lifting the grate and tipping the grill.
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Carry it, or roll it
The Tuck-N-Carry hoop clamps lid to bowl, so the Jumbo Joe lifts by one handle. The kettle tips onto two wheels and rolls across a patio slab, but drags on grass.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores higher in 2 categories, the Original Kettle 18 in 3 categories. One is level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.1Original Kettle 18 8.1Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.1The Original Kettle 18's bowl, grate and dampers, so the same two-zone fire; the thin plated grate stores little heat for searing.
Why 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.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.2Original Kettle 18 8.6 Better by 0.4Why 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 Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.2
Porcelain bowl and lid carry ten years, but the plated grate, nylon handle and wire legs sit on much shorter cover.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 7.4Original Kettle 18 8.3 Better by 0.9Why 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 Jumbo Joe 18 scores 7.4
Enamel is the same as the big kettles, yet a wide bowl on short wire legs rocks on gravel or soft grass.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 7.6 Better by 0.2Original Kettle 18 7.4Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 7.6The Tuck-N-Carry lock carries and holds the lid, but at 19.7 in tall every coal adjustment means crouching unless you supply a table.
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 Jumbo Joe 18 8.6 Better by 1.7Original Kettle 18 6.9Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.6At $89.99 it matches the Go-Anywhere's price with 240 sq in against 160, and undercuts the same-sized $129.00 kettle.
Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 6.9
At $129.00 against $149.00 for 363 sq in, the bigger Weber kettle buys far more grate for each extra dollar.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 6.8Original Kettle 18 8.4 Better by 1.6Why 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 Jumbo Joe 18 scores 6.8
No sweep feeds the ash pan, so clearing a cold bowl means lifting the grate out and tipping the whole grill.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Jumbo Joe 18 | Original Kettle 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.1 | 8.1 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.2 | 8.6 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.4 | 8.3 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 7.6 Better | 7.4 |
| Value (12%) | 8.6 Better | 6.9 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.8 | 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
You grill at tailgates, campsites or on a balcony table, and want a full kettle grate that packs as one piece.
Check price →The grill stays home on a patio, and you would rather stand to cook and sweep the ash than kneel and tip it.
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.