Weber Jumbo Joe 18 vs Smokey Mountain 14
240 sq in on one 18-inch grate at $89.99 against 286 on two 14-inch grates at $289 from Weber. One sears and banks coals; the other is built for long cooks.
We pick the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18
The Jumbo Joe, unless low and slow is most of what you cook. At $89.99 it puts 240 sq in over an 18-inch fire that sears direct and banks for indirect. The Smokey Mountain 14 adds 46 sq in across two grates, a water pan and a fuel door. Weber lists it at $289; we found it around $219 at Amazon and Walmart in July. Either way, that money buys a cooker that does not sear.
What actually differs
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Fuel at shin level, or through a door
On the ground, every coal the Jumbo Joe gets mid-cook goes in at shin level, over a bowl 19.7 inches tall. The 14's door lifts away, so fuel goes in without lifting the cooking section.
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Each has one chore that never goes away
The Jumbo Joe has no sweep, so a cold bowl gets tipped over a bin. The 14's chamber keeps ash off its dampers, but its water pan needs emptying after every cook.
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What comes in the carton
The 14 ships with a cover, water pan, charcoal chamber and lid thermometer. The Jumbo Joe's carton holds a bowl, lid, grate, wire legs and an ash pan.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores higher in 1 category, the Smokey Mountain 14 in 4 categories. One is level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.1Smokey Mountain 14 8.5 Better by 0.4Why the Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.5Four dampers, a water pan and an enamelled barrel give real control, though a 14-inch fire has less mass to steady it.
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 8.2Smokey Mountain 14 9.5 Better by 1.3Why the Smokey Mountain 14 scores 9.5Ten years against rust through on bowl and lid, with aluminium at the door, so cover is longest where a smoker dies.
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 7.4Smokey Mountain 14 8.0 Better by 0.6Why the Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0Porcelain-enamelled steel throughout, but the grates are plated steel rather than the cast iron Weber uses elsewhere.
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 7.6Smokey Mountain 14 7.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 7.5The thermometer and removable fuel door help, yet a small charcoal chamber means the cook checks in more often.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.6 Better by 0.6Smokey Mountain 14 8.0Why 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0
A cover and a decade of rust cover are included, though Weber's own listing has climbed well above street price.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 6.8Smokey Mountain 14 8.0 Better by 1.2Why the Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0Enamel wipes clean and the chamber keeps ash off the dampers, but the water pan needs emptying every cook.
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 | Smokey Mountain 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.1 | 8.5 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.2 | 9.5 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.4 | 8.0 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 7.6 | 7.5 |
| Value (12%) | 8.6 Better | 8.0 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.8 | 8.0 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.8 | 8.3 |
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 have a small space and $90, mostly cook burgers, sausages and chicken, and have a table to stand it on.
Check price →Low and slow is most of your cooking, and paying more for a cooker that will not sear is fine by you.
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.