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Nearly 2 million years ago, our ancestors were pretty primitive.
But the principles were the same as today’s barbecues.
Cooking meats, over a fire and adding wood chips if you want that smoked flavour.
Today’s more traditional barbecues actually originate from the Caribbean.
The Taino would add spices and baste their meat for flavour then, cook it over a fire pit on a grate.
It was called Barbacoa, which literally translates to grilling on a raised wooden grate.
The first mention of this method of cooking was in 1526.
The barbecue is one of America’s favourite pastimes and has been a huge part of our achievements such as winning the Revolutionary War and building the first bridge over the Missouri River.
Many celebrations had a barbecue at the heart of them, including the wedding of Abraham Lincoln!
The first documented barbecue joint in Texas was in Bastrop and can be seen in the 1878 edition of the Brenham Weekly banner.
We are a country that loves our meat so, choosing the right barbecue is a right of passage.
Weber has become synonymous with the Barbecue and has been delivering the best and most innovative products since George Stephen Snr tinkered with a metal bouy at his work, added some legs, vents and a lid creating the first-ever Kettle.
He eventually bought the metal works and that became the company you know today.
George understood something, that nothing brings people together more than cooking over an open fire, outside.
Since the Kettle, Weber has gone on to create multiple models but two stand out.
The original Kettle and the Weber Smokey Mountain. But, which of these fantastic barbecues should you buy?
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle Difference
The Weber Kettle is a brilliant and versatile grill, shaped like a dome it comes with a lid, four air intakes and an exhaust vent. It is a charcoal grill with one grate.
Its main purpose is to grill your meat but, you can smoke meats in the Kettle.
It’s brilliantly portable and a great addition to any outside kitchen.
If you are looking to smoke more and cater for a larger crowd of friends then the Weber Smokey Mountain is a fantastic smoker which also grills.
With a dedicated smoke chamber and a water pan, you can reach a more stable temperature using the WSM.
This means you can cooking low and slow with ease, giving you deliciously juicy ribs, brisket and pork butt.
Its dual grates allow you to cook multiple types of meat so you can cater for more people and offer more variety.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle Accessories
Weber grills are known as the original and the best.
They have a cult following and one of the great things about buying either the Kettle or the Smokey Mountain is the abundance of information available on forums, in book stores and amongst friends.
As you would expect from an industry leader there are multiple accessories that can make your barbecue experience even better.
The Weber Smokey Mountain range of accessories include:
- iGrill 2 is an app-connected thermometer that revolutionises your grills. Although this thermometer can be used across the whole barbecue range, it is particularly useful for WSM low and slow smokes. It allows you to monitor the temperature of your smoke from beginning to end and can alert you when your meat reaches the ideal serving temp. It can also let you know if your WSM has lost heat or is running too hot. The connectivity means you have a little more freedom when smoking. You could even head out to the shops to grab a few beers!
- Rotisserie chicken is one of life’s real pleasures, and Weber has created a brilliant rotisserie to help you produce this delicious feast. You can also use it for pork or lamb.
- Chip Blends are a great way to experiment with your smoker and Weber have some great options. From whisky wood chips to their seafood blend, there are loads of options to try.
The Weber Kettle range of accessories include:
- Wood Planks are a brilliant way of creating a smoke flavour while grilling your meat. Just drop the plank on your grill and place your meat on the plank.
- Char Baskets are designed to sit on top of your charcoal grate. They can help you deliver direct and indirect heat with ease, giving you more versatility when grilling.
- Cleaning Kits are a brilliant way to prolong the life of your Kettle. Weber has created a range of kits that include grill brushes, abrasive sponges, grate cleaner and other useful bits to keep things sparkling and reduce clean up time
Because of the popularity of both the Weber Kettle and Smokey Mountain, there are lots of aftermarket options available too. It’s worth researching the best covers too!
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle For Beginners
Both the WSM and Kettle are simple to use, so fantastic for beginners. Choosing whether you want to buy the WSM or the Kettle will come down to how often you want to smoke and how many people you want to cook for.
If you are a beginner looking to start your grilling journey and you want the ability to try out the occasional smoke, you may want to start with the Kettle. If you dream of becoming a king of the pit and you want to show off your new skills to your friends, then the WSM would suit you perfectly.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle Temperature
If you are serious about smoking then the Weber Smokey Mountain really is the best choice. The Kettle is brilliant for smoking hot and fast but to get the low and slow method right will mean you are almost always over the grill. The WSM is designed to hold its temperature and once you stabilise it, you will be able to leave it to do its thing for much longer.
A Lower temperature is simple in the WSM and while it is possible to hit a low temperature in the Kettle, you run the risk of spikes. You will have to constantly make adjustments to adjust heat direction. For beginners, this could be too confusing and make the smoke experience less enjoyable.
If you want to cold smoke, this is also something that can be achieved in the WSM with relative ease.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle Price
If you have never owned a smoker before, then trying to decide between the much cheaper Kettle and the WSM could be tough.
You can pick up a Weber Kettle for around a hundred dollars. If you plan on doing more grills than smokes and also are cooking for your family and maybe the odd guest then the Kettle is an excellent choice.
If you want a much larger cooking area and are looking to get serious about smoking, the WSM is well worth the investment.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle Ease Of Use
Weber designs brilliant barbecues and smokers. One of the reasons they are known as the number one manufacturer is because of their simple, user-friendly designs.
The Kettle is a fantastic starting point for anyone new to the barbecue. It is really versatile and you can use it to smoke meats. You will find it tricky to use as a smoker compared to the Smokey Mountain.
The WSM has such a massive fan club because it is so easy to use. It takes little time to master and there are plenty of YouTube tutorials specific to the brand. Beginners and professional pitmasters can enjoy this smoker.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle For Smoking
Smoking is achievable in both the Kettle and the WSM. It stands to reason that the superior choice for smoking is the dedicated smoker. So choosing a WSM is the right choice for anyone who wants to smoke their way through meats, cheeses, garlic and any other food they can find! With the dual grill design, you can also cook far more food than the Kettle.
Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Kettle For Grilling
The Kettle was designed with grilling in mind. It is built around this method of cooking and outperforms many other barbecues. Its history proves it is one of the finest grills you can buy. Its versatility is second to none and as mentioned, it gives you the ability to try smoking too.
The Weber Smokey Mountain is more smoke focussed however, it has exceptional grilling capabilities and if you are looking to cook for lots of friends or big family occasions, the Smokey Mountain gives you far more grilling capacity. We love both the Weber Kettle and the Smokey Mountain for different reasons. The history of the Kettle makes it such an iconic piece of barbecue history to have in your garden. The WSM really breaks the mould when it comes to smokers. If you still can’t decide which is right for you, why not just go for both!
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.