Weber Jumbo Joe 18 vs Original Kettle 22
240 sq in on an 18-inch bowl, 19.7 in tall, at $89.99. Or 363 sq in on a 22-inch bowl with a One-Touch ash sweep and wheels at $149.00.
We pick the Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill 22
Buy the Original Kettle 22 unless the grill has to travel. For $149.00 it cooks on 363 sq in against 240, stands 39.5 inches tall on wheels, and sweeps its ash with a lever. The Jumbo Joe at $89.99 is the same idea cut down for a tailgate. Its case rests on travel, and at home that case is gone.
What actually differs
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123 more square inches for two zones
Both bank coals to one side. On the Jumbo Joe that means sausages over the coals and chicken pieces beside them. The 22 holds a hot half and a cool half big enough for a roast or ribs.
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The 22-inch bowl is the one add-ons are cut for
Weber sells a 22-inch griddle insert and a 22-inch rotisserie for this bowl. Buy into that size and the extras follow you, including onto a cart model later.
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Six people is where the Joe runs out
Weber rates the Jumbo Joe for four to six, and burgers for six may take two rounds on 240 sq in. The 22 lays down half as much grate again, which is the margin a cookout actually uses.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores higher in 1 category, the Original Kettle 22 in 5 categories.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.1Original Kettle 22 8.7 Better by 0.6Why the Original Kettle 22 scores 8.7Lid and bowl dampers over 363 sq in run two zones well, but feeding a long cook means lifting the loaded, fixed grate.
Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.1
The Original Kettle 18's bowl, grate and dampers, so the same two-zone fire; the thin plated grate stores little heat for searing.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.2Original Kettle 22 8.6 Better by 0.4Why the Original Kettle 22 scores 8.6Ten years of rust-through cover sits on bowl and lid, where kettles die; One-Touch gets five, and the grate, dampers and wheels 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 22 8.3 Better by 0.9Why the Original Kettle 22 scores 8.3Porcelain enamel on both halves, aluminium dampers and nylon handles, over a plated-steel grate and no published steel gauge.
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 0.3Original Kettle 22 7.3Why 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 22 scores 7.3
The lid hook and tool hooks help, but no thermometer is listed and refuelling means lifting the whole grate off the coals.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.6Original Kettle 22 9.3 Better by 0.7Why the Original Kettle 22 scores 9.3Leads Weber's 22 in kettles on price: $149.00 buys the same 363 sq in fire the dearer models sell with extras attached.
Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.6
At $89.99 it matches the Go-Anywhere's price with 240 sq in against 160, and undercuts the same-sized $129.00 kettle.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 6.8Original Kettle 22 8.4 Better by 1.6Why the Original Kettle 22 scores 8.4One-Touch sweeps ash into a catcher warranted five years, but Weber never calls it enclosed, as it does the dearer kettles' buckets.
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 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.1 | 8.7 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.2 | 8.6 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.4 | 8.3 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 7.6 Better | 7.3 |
| Value (12%) | 8.6 | 9.3 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.8 | 8.4 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.8 | 8.4 |
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
Your kettle goes to the campsite or the tailgate and cooks on a table when it gets there.
Check price →Your grill lives on the patio, and you want the bowl Weber's kettle accessories are made for.
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.