Weber Master-Touch 22 vs Original Kettle 18
Master-Touch: 363 sq in, Char-Rails, GBS grate, 42 in tall, $289.00. Original Kettle 18: 240 sq in, 36 in tall, no thermometer, $129.00. Which one to buy.
We pick the Weber Master-Touch Charcoal Grill 22
The Master-Touch, for anyone feeding more than two. Weber rates it for six to eight against the 18's 4 to 6. Its Char-Rails keep a two-zone split where the 18's banked coals leave a cramped cool side. The 18 wins only where small is the point: a small household, a small space, and $160 kept back.
What actually differs
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Six inches of working height
The Master-Touch stands 42 in with the lid shut; the 18 stands 36. Over a long cook, that is the gap between working at a counter and bending over a bowl.
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Rails, or banking by eye
The 18 asks you to rake the coals to one side and keep them there. The Master-Touch's two rails fix that edge, so a drip pan and a shoulder get a cool side that stays cool.
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A grate you can build on
The Master-Touch grate takes circular GBS inserts for searing, wok cooking or griddling, bought separately. The 18's plated grate is a cheap part to swap and nothing more.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Master-Touch 22 scores higher in 3 categories, the Original Kettle 18 in 2 categories. One is level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.9 Better by 0.8Original Kettle 18 8.1Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 8.9The Original's 22 in fire, no hotter, but Char-Rails pin a two-zone split and the hinged grate feeds it mid-cook.
Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.1
Lid 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 Master-Touch 22 8.4Original Kettle 18 8.6 Better by 0.2Why 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 Master-Touch 22 scores 8.4
Bowl and lid get ten years, One-Touch five; the hinged grate, rails and Tuck-Away holder, more parts than the Original, get two.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.3Original Kettle 18 8.3Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 8.3Porcelain enamel, aluminium legs and glass-reinforced nylon handles are sound, but a plated-steel grate is thin dressing on a $289.00 grill.
Why 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.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.9 Better by 1.5Original Kettle 18 7.4Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 8.9Tuck-Away holder, lid dial, Char-Rails and a hinged grate, standing 2.5 in taller than the Premium; only the Performer adds 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 Master-Touch 22 6.7Original Kettle 18 6.9 Better by 0.2Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 6.9At $129.00 against $149.00 for 363 sq in, the bigger Weber kettle buys far more grate for each extra dollar.
Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 6.7
$289.00 buys the same 363 sq in as $149.00, and $60 over the Premium pays for comfort and GBS access, not cooking.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.9 Better by 0.5Original Kettle 18 8.4Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 8.9A swipe of the One-Touch lever empties the bowl into an enclosed, wind-proof catcher, warranted five years like the sweep itself.
Why the Original Kettle 18 scores 8.4
One-Touch sweeps ash into a shallow open catcher in a few strokes, and the enamel wipes down; nothing encloses the ash.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Master-Touch 22 | Original Kettle 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.9 Better | 8.1 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.4 | 8.6 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 8.9 Better | 7.4 |
| Value (12%) | 6.7 | 6.9 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 8.9 Better | 8.4 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.4 | 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 cook for a family, run two-zone fires most weekends, and want a sear insert or wok down the line.
Check price →You cook for two, have a balcony-sized corner, and want real enamel and dampers for $129.00.
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.