Weber Jumbo Joe 18 vs Smokey Mountain 22
240 sq in at 19.7 in tall for $89.99 against 726 sq in at 48.5 in for $549. A carry-around kettle for four to six against Weber's largest smoker, sized for 10 to 12.
We pick the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18
Buy the Jumbo Joe first. It costs $89.99, sears direct, banks coals for indirect chicken, and teaches the damper control both cookers run on. The Smokey Mountain 22 is a second cooker for hosts. Weber sizes it for 10 to 12, and nothing on it sears. Its own review says to buy it for the guest list, not for ambition.
What actually differs
-
Three times the grate, six times the price
726 sq in against 240 is about three to one. $549 against $89.99 is about six. You pay most per square inch for the cooker you light least often.
-
Latched to carry, or booked to assemble
The Jumbo Joe's Tuck-N-Carry hoop clamps lid to bowl, so it rides as one piece. The 22 comes as stacked sections, and Weber's flat $99 assembly booking is most tempting at this size.
-
Ground level and chest height
On the ground the Joe's grate sits barely above the ground, so it wants a table or tailgate. The 22's upper grate sits near chest height, and its coals sit behind a door at the bottom of a 48.5-inch column.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores higher in 1 category, the Smokey Mountain 22 in 3 categories. 2 are level.
-
Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.1Smokey Mountain 22 9.3 Better by 1.2Why the Smokey Mountain 22 scores 9.3The widest fuel bed in the range sits under one enameled water pan, and mass is what keeps a charcoal cook still.
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.
-
Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.2Smokey Mountain 22 9.0 Better by 0.8Why the Smokey Mountain 22 scores 9.0Ten years covers the enamel, but three legs and every fastener under the tallest column in the line get 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.
-
Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 7.4Smokey Mountain 22 7.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Jumbo Joe 18 scores 7.4Enamel is the same as the big kettles, yet a wide bowl on short wire legs rocks on gravel or soft grass.
Why the Smokey Mountain 22 scores 7.5Weber scaled the barrel up and added one nylon handle, leaving plated steel grates and the same slim legs.
-
Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 7.6 Better by 1.1Smokey Mountain 22 6.5Why 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 22 scores 6.5
Reaching coals under a loaded 48.5 inch column is a two-person lift, and one dial reports the whole cook.
-
Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 8.6Smokey Mountain 22 8.5Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why 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 22 scores 8.5At $549.00 this buys 726 sq in against 481 for the 18, with cover, pan and chamber all included.
-
Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Jumbo Joe 18 6.8Smokey Mountain 22 7.5 Better by 0.7Why the Smokey Mountain 22 scores 7.5Enamel wipes down easily, yet the largest water pan in the range comes out dirty after every single 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 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.1 | 9.3 Better |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.2 | 9.0 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.4 | 7.5 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 7.6 Better | 6.5 |
| Value (12%) | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 6.8 | 7.5 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.8 | 8.2 |
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 your first charcoal cooker, feed four to six, and can stand it on a table or tailgate.
Check price →You feed 10 to 12 at holidays and long weekends and want a packer brisket laid flat rather than curled.
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.