Weber Performer 22 vs Smokey Mountain 14
363 sq in on one grate at $449 against 286 on two at $289. The Performer's single grate is larger than the whole Smokey Mountain 14, and it sears.
We pick the Weber Performer Charcoal Grill 22
The Performer, if you have the patio for it. Its one grate is 363 sq in; the Smokey Mountain 14's two grates add up to 286. Included Char-Rails bank coals for indirect heat, and the hinged grate lets you feed them. That is enough for occasional low cooks. The 14 earns its place where a 40.25-inch cart cannot stand.
What actually differs
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The kettle has the bigger cooking area
286 sq in sounds generous until it is split across two round 14-inch grates. The Performer lays 363 on one, all within reach, with room for a hot side and a cool side.
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Both make you feed a long fire
The 14's small chamber needs topping up through its lift-off door. The Performer's coals sit behind rails under a hinged grate, so you lift one side and add more. Neither has a fan to hold a number for you.
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A 40.25-inch cart against a 14.7-inch barrel
The Performer wants a table-width spot 28 inches deep, on level paving for its two wheels. The 14 stands 31.4 inches tall, carries in one hand and stores in a corner.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Performer 22 scores higher in 4 categories, the Smokey Mountain 14 in 2 categories.
Level overall: within a tenth of each other.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Performer 22 8.9 Better by 0.4Smokey Mountain 14 8.5Why the Weber 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.5
Four dampers, a water pan and an enamelled barrel give real control, though a 14-inch fire has less mass to steady it.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Performer 22 7.9Smokey Mountain 14 9.5 Better by 1.6Why 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 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 Performer 22 8.2 Better by 0.2Smokey Mountain 14 8.0Why the Weber 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0
Porcelain-enamelled steel throughout, but the grates are plated steel rather than the cast iron Weber uses elsewhere.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Performer 22 9.1 Better by 1.6Smokey Mountain 14 7.5Why the Weber 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 7.5
The 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 Performer 22 6.9Smokey Mountain 14 8.0 Better by 1.1Why the Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0A cover and a decade of rust cover are included, though Weber's own listing has climbed well above street price.
Why the Weber 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 Performer 22 8.9 Better by 0.9Smokey Mountain 14 8.0Why the Weber 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 Smokey Mountain 14 scores 8.0
Enamel wipes clean and the chamber keeps ash off the dampers, but the water pan needs emptying every cook.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Performer 22 | Smokey Mountain 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.9 Better | 8.5 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 7.9 | 9.5 Better |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.2 Better | 8.0 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.1 Better | 7.5 |
| Value (12%) | 6.9 | 8.0 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 8.9 Better | 8.0 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.4 | 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 patio, cook for a family, and smoke now and then rather than every weekend.
Check price →Your outdoor space is a balcony corner and you want two racks of ribs from a cooker 14.7 inches across.
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.