Weber Master-Touch 22 vs Performer 22
Same 363 sq in bowl, Char-Rails, hinged grate and lid dial. The Performer adds a 40.25 in cart with a table and shelf for $449.00; the Master-Touch is $289.00.
We pick the Weber Master-Touch Charcoal Grill 22
Buy the Master-Touch unless you have nowhere to set a tray. Both put the same 363 sq in bowl, Char-Rails, hinged grate, lid thermometer, Tuck-Away holder and enclosed catcher on the fire. The Performer's extra $160 buys a painted steel table, a wide bottom shelf and a Weber Works rail. The Master-Touch keeps that money and adds a grate built for GBS inserts, which the Performer's review never claims.
What actually differs
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The table is the whole $160
Strip both to the cooking parts and the lists match line for line. What the Performer adds sits beside the bowl: prep space at working height, a shelf for the charcoal bag, a rail for clip-on tools.
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Only one grate is sold for inserts
The Master-Touch grate is Gourmet BBQ System, so its centre takes a sear insert, wok or griddle, each bought separately. The Performer's hinged plated grate makes no such claim.
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24 inches wide against 40.25
The Master-Touch stands on three legs in a kettle-sized patch. The Performer needs a table-width spot 28 in deep, and 47.5 in of headroom with the lid up.
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Same warranty, but more of the Performer sits on the short term
Both cover bowl and lid for 10 years, One-Touch and plastics for 5, the rest for 2. On the Performer, that 2-year bucket holds the frame, table, shelf and wheels you paid extra for.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Master-Touch 22 scores higher in 2 categories, the Performer 22 in 2 categories. 2 are level.
Level overall: within a tenth of each other.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.9Performer 22 8.9Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why 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 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.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.4 Better by 0.5Performer 22 7.9Why the Weber Master-Touch 22 scores 8.4Bowl and lid get ten years, One-Touch five; the hinged grate, rails and Tuck-Away holder, more parts than the Original, get two.
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 Master-Touch 22 8.3 Better by 0.1Performer 22 8.2Why 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 Performer 22 scores 8.2
Hand-applied porcelain enamel on bowl and lid is excellent; the grate is plated steel and the side table is painted steel.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 8.9Performer 22 9.1 Better by 0.2Why 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 Master-Touch 22 scores 8.9
Tuck-Away holder, lid dial, Char-Rails and a hinged grate, standing 2.5 in taller than the Premium; only the Performer adds a table.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Master-Touch 22 6.7Performer 22 6.9 Better by 0.2Why 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.
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 8.9Performer 22 8.9Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why 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 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.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Master-Touch 22 | Performer 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.4 Better | 7.9 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.3 Better | 8.2 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 8.9 | 9.1 Better |
| Value (12%) | 6.7 | 6.9 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 8.9 | 8.9 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.4 | 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 run two-zone fires on a 22 in kettle, may want GBS inserts later, and already have an outdoor table.
Check price →Your kettle stands on a lawn with no surface nearby, and the tray, tongs and sauce need somewhere off the grass.
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.