Strip the cart away and the cooking half of this grill is familiar. Same 22 inch bowl, same 363 square inches of grate as the Original Kettle 22. Weber sells that kettle alone for $149.00. The 22” Performer Charcoal Grill, part 1501562, costs $449.00.
So the real question is narrow. What does the other $300 do for your cooking? A table, a shelf and two wheels are obvious. Less obvious is whether anything in that money touches the fire itself.
This is the relaunched model, in black, with no fan and no screen. The earlier Performer, part 15301001, is a different grill. None of its parts are assumed in this grill review.
363 sq inOne grate, the same area as the Original Kettle 22
40.25 inWidth with the lid down, table included
$300Price over the bare Original Kettle 22
2 yearsWarranty on the cart, table, rail and wheels
Assembled, it looks like a kettle that has been given a desk. The black bowl hangs in a frame on the left. A grey painted steel table runs off to the right, striped along its front edge. Underneath, one wide shelf spans the frame, and two wheels sit at the bowl end.
Weber prints no build time, and it points buyers at a paid assembly partner instead. Finished weight is 69 pounds. Rolling it across a patio is a one-person job. Steps call for help.
The first cook was bone-in thighs over a two-zone fire. Coals went behind the rails, all on the left. Skin went on the hot side to blister, then moved across to finish.
The table earned its keep almost at once. Tray, tongs and a sauce bowl all had somewhere to sit that was not the lawn. Nobody had to find a home for the hot lid.
Chicken came off smoky and properly rendered. Nothing about that result needed a cart. Everything about the evening felt calmer with one.
Two kinds of feature live on this grill. Some belong to the kettle and cook the food. The rest belong to the cart and organise the cook. Reading them in those two groups is the clearest way to judge the price.
- Porcelain-enameled lid and bowl: Enamel goes onto both pieces by hand, and Weber rates it against scratches and rust. This is the part with the long warranty, and the part that holds heat.
- Multiple vents or dampers: Openings above and below the coals set how fast they burn. That is your whole control system, since no electronics regulate airflow.
- Char-Rails, included: The rails sit on the charcoal grate and slide closer or further apart. Set them wide for direct heat, or bank coals to one side for indirect.
- Hinged plated steel grate: Each side lifts on its own. Top up the fire while the chicken stays put.
- One-Touch cleaning with an enclosed catcher: Turn the handle a few times and blades push spent ash downward. An enclosed catcher under the bowl keeps a breeze from scattering it.
- Lid thermometer: A dial in the lid gives a rough reading of dome heat. Food doneness still wants a probe.
- Tuck-Away lid holder: Lifting the dome off, you park it on a bracket at the bowl’s flank. The hot enamel never meets grass or paving.
- Painted steel side table and Weber Works rail: The table is real prep space. Weber Works clip-ons fasten to its edge, at extra cost.
- Bottom storage shelf: Room for a bag of briquettes and a chimney starter. Weber’s own copy calls it a shelf in one place and shelves in another.
- BBQ cover, sold separately: Weber lists its Premium Grill Cover at $64.99. Bare paint outdoors through a wet winter is the case for buying it.
Here the honest answer is that the $300 buys almost nothing. Bowl size and grate area match the $149.00 kettle exactly. Whatever a kettle does well, this does equally well. Direct searing, indirect roasting and low smoking with wood chunks are all unchanged.
The one cooking upgrade is the Char-Rails. A bare kettle can run two zones, but it relies on you to herd the coals. Rails hold the bank in place, and the hinged grate lets you feed it. Long indirect cooks become easier to repeat.
Weber’s table puts the ceiling at 600°F. That covers burgers, chops and reverse-seared steak comfortably. Anyone chasing a blistering crust might still prefer a hotter cooker.
There is no fan here. Holding a steady low fire is still a skill you learn on the dampers.
Build, handling and durability
The kettle half is built the way Weber has built kettles for decades. Both halves of the shell wear that porcelain coat. Should the enamel let rust or fire eat a hole, Weber’s 10-year cover applies.
The cart is where the build gets ordinary. The table is painted steel, not stainless, and the frame is painted too. Wheels sit only at the bowl end, so it parks steadily and drags on rough ground.
Footprint matters more than buyers expect. With the cart, it claims 40.25 inches side to side and 28 front to back. Raise the lid and you need 47.5 inches of headroom. Measure the spot first, especially under a pergola.
The grate is the other place the build shows its price. Plated steel does the job. It will not hold heat or resist wear like cast iron. At $449.00, some buyers will expect better under the food.
Running costs, upkeep and value
Day to day, charcoal is the main expense, and the cart does not change that. The One-Touch sweep keeps cleanup short, and the routine stays brief. The One-Touch parts have their own 5-year term. That is reassuring on the piece you handle most.
Value is harder. You pay $449.00 for a $149.00 kettle and $300 of furniture. The table, shelf, rails, lid holder and enclosed catcher are all useful. Added up honestly, they do not feel like twice the price of the grill they hold.
The warranty sharpens that point. The bullet list says 10 years. The table on the same page says 10 years for bowl and lid only.
The One-Touch system and plastics get 5. All remaining parts get 2, and that bucket holds the frame, table, rail, shelf and wheels. Both statements are Weber’s own, a few lines apart.
One upside is easy to miss. Weber lists a $99.99 Charcoal Heat Controller for 22 inch charcoal grills. Adding it brings the total to $548.99, against $599.00 for the Smart Performer. You can stay manual now and change your mind later.
The rest of the 22 inch kettle range fits too. Weber lists a rotisserie at $199.99 and a round griddle insert at $169.99. Char-Baskets cost $19.99, though the included rails cover most of their job. The table makes those accessories easier to use, since they finally have somewhere to rest.
- The cart costs twice the kettle and is warranted for less. You feel this in year three, if a wheel cracks or the table paint lifts. The bowl is covered for 10 years; the furniture you paid $300 for gets 2. A cover slows the weather, and a receipt helps the claim.
- There is nothing to light the coals. No gas igniter, no fan assist. You will need a chimney starter, which Weber sells at $24.99. Lighter cubes help it along.
