stevez wrote:Other than needing more fuel, it seems to work pretty much the same as the 18". Keep in mind the new 18" models have most of the same feature upgrades as the 22" (built-in blast shield, thermometer, heavy duty legs and improved side door), so feature and functionally wise, they're pretty much identical.

But the only feature that really matters is the 18 vs 22" If were to get the 18" model I'd get the original as it is cheaper.

for an extra 100 bucks that extra room is well worth it..from my experience you will always need more room at some point..better to have it and not need it 100 percent of the time

elakin wrote:those prices seem awfully high. i got my WSM maybe five years ago for about $150. has the price really doubled since then?

Yes. Last May the MSRP for the WSM was $249. I did a fairly thorough search of retailers on the north side of Chicago at the time and found the best price was $199. The Amazon price around that time was usually $199 also, but if you look at past threads (like the one I liked to above), you'll see that it had a temporary price drop to $179. But most retailers were selling it for $200-$250.

LTH,

New model WSMs are available at Russo Ace.

WSM 18.5" - $269
WSM 22.5" - $329

Ace Hardware
5848 W Montrose
Chicago, IL
773-777-2606
Ask for Greg

Enjoy,
Gary

Hi,

That is a deal, because my local Ace had the big guy at $499.

Regards,

New model WSMs are available at Russo Ace.

WSM 18.5" - $269
WSM 22.5" - $329

Just got the 22.5 incher in the mail yesterday from Amazon for $399 (no tax/shipping). Darn! I'm soothing myself by remembering that with sales tax the price gets closer, plus after sizing up the box that my lovely UPS deliveryman plopped in my living room last night (it's HUGE) it would never have fit in my car anyways. Still, would have been nice to buy from a local guy. Those prices are great!

.
In addition to the two WSMs above....

Weber 26" Charcoal Kettle grills at Russo Ace are currently $299.

Cathy2 wrote:Whenever I have flipped through Weber catalogs, I always had the sense the WSM was someone's pet project and a bit of an orphan in their product line. ... The WSM is certainly a niche market for them, though I sense it has gathered traction over the years.

I passed a billboard the other day featuring a number of Weber products including the Weber Smokey Mountain. It certainly has lost its hidden in the back of the catalog status.

Regards,

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere (I can't seem to find it), but on the new WSM models (specifically, the 18.5), would I need an extra charcoal grate for preventing lump from falling through as is recommended for the older model? I recall reading somewhere that the new model had an "improved" charcoal grate, but maybe I was imagining that.

Thanks.

I have the new 22" model and used to have an older 18.5" model. I don't notice any difference in the distance between the ribs of the grate. I happen to use a second grate on the bottom, but that's just because I had a few extra grates. I don't think it is imperative to have the second grate - don't feel like to delay cooking on it until you have a second grate.

Drugstore.com has the new Webers for $395 for 22" and $260 for 18.5". There is currently 25% cashback from Bing.com (search Weber and you'll see it in the results) so 22" for $296 and 18.5" for $195.

Shipping is free.

Darren72 wrote:I don't think it is imperative to have the second grate - don't feel like to delay cooking on it until you have a second grate.

Not imperative, but a second charcoal grate set crosshatched helps one get the most out of lump charcoal.

I've noticed the charcoal grate on my WSM 22, which does not have two (crosshatched) charcoal grate, has started to warp from the heat. This has not happened on my WSM 18s, some of which had seen extensive use over the years or my Weber kettle, all of which have two (crosshatched) charcoal grates. I'd guess the lack of warping is attributable to having two grates, though the WSM 22 charcoal grate simply may be (slightly) warping due to larger diameter.

As Darren says, do not let the lack of two charcoal grates delay cooking with the WSM 22.

Enjoy,
Gary

I never thought about using a second grate crosshatched to prevent fallout...
what a grate! (great) ug idea...
Thanks
PS, My hubby can't get over how good we're eating since we've gotten Gary's book and our WSM-
he thinks I'm the queen of creative, and i think I've talked about 3 friends into the Gwiv "program" as well...
2 of whom had gorgeous smokers just sittin in the backyard doing nuttin' (one WSM, one off-set)