Weber Jumbo Joe 18 vs Performer 22
$89.99 for a 240 sq in kettle 19.7 in tall, or $449.00 for a 363 sq in kettle in a cart with a side table, Char-Rails and a lid thermometer.
No single winner. Here is how to choose.
This turns on where the grill lives and what it stands on. If it travels, or you already own a sturdy table, the $89.99 Jumbo Joe cooks the kettle way on 240 sq in. If it stays on the patio and you want a surface beside the fire, the $449.00 Performer supplies one. That money also brings 363 sq in, Char-Rails, a hinged grate and a lid thermometer, in a 69-pound cart.
What actually differs
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The Joe's weak spot is the Performer's whole pitch
The Jumbo Joe's main fault is a grate at knee height with nowhere to set the tongs. The Performer answers with a painted steel side table and a shelf beneath. Its own review prices that cart at $300 over the bare 22-inch kettle.
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Feeding a long cook
The Performer's grate lifts on each side, and its Char-Rails hold the bank of coals in place. On the Jumbo Joe, adding coals mid-cook means kneeling beside a hot bowl, unless it is up on a table.
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Ten years on the bowl, two on the furniture
Both bowls and lids carry ten years. The Performer's frame, table, shelf and wheels sit in a two-year bucket, so most of the extra money buys the shortest cover. The Jumbo Joe has little beyond wire legs and a handle to wear out.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores higher in 2 categories, the Performer 22 in 4 categories.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.1Performer 22 8.9 Better by 0.8Why the Performer 22 scores 8.9The Original Kettle 22's bowl and 363 sq in, plus Char-Rails and a hinged grate that hold two zones and feed a long fire.
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 8.2 Better by 0.3Performer 22 7.9Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 8.2Porcelain bowl and lid carry ten years, but the plated grate, nylon handle and wire legs sit on much shorter cover.
Why the Performer 22 scores 7.9
Bowl and lid carry 10 years like every 22 in kettle, but the painted-steel cart, table and wheels sit in a 2-year bucket.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 7.4Performer 22 8.2 Better by 0.8Why the Performer 22 scores 8.2Hand-applied porcelain enamel on bowl and lid is excellent; the grate is plated steel and the side table is painted steel.
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 7.6Performer 22 9.1 Better by 1.5Why the Performer 22 scores 9.1Beats the Master-Touch's kit of hinged grate, Char-Rails, Tuck-Away holder and lid dial by adding a side table and a shelf.
Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 7.6
The 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.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.6 Better by 1.7Performer 22 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 Performer 22 scores 6.9
$449.00 buys the $149.00 Original Kettle 22 cooking hardware plus $300 of cart, which is steep for a table and a shelf.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 6.8Performer 22 8.9 Better by 2.1Why the Performer 22 scores 8.9The One-Touch sweep drops ash into an enclosed, wind-proof catcher, and Weber warrants that system separately for 5 years.
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 | Performer 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.1 | 8.9 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.2 Better | 7.9 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.4 | 8.2 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 7.6 | 9.1 Better |
| Value (12%) | 8.6 Better | 6.9 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.8 | 8.9 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
You cook at campsites and tailgates, or on a patio where a sturdy table already stands.
Check price →Your kettle never leaves the patio, and you want prep space, a lid gauge and a shelf for the charcoal.
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.