I Finally Bought The Weber Summit Kamado... Dream Grill Almost Ruined

[@dexteradams4725]

I’ve had the Weber Summit with the table for nearly 8 years. I absolutely love it!

[@tomwadek]

It's a great grill that will last for years and years!

[@mindhead1]

I picked up a WSK last year and have been very happy with it. I no longer use my 20 year old kettle which will be passed down to my son once the weather warms up. My WSK replaced a 14 year old at the time XL Big Green Egg. The BGE was excellent. I had replaced internal ceramics a few times over the years via warranty and cooked countless excellent meals for family and friends over the years. So why did a I switch? 1. Empty nest. The BGE was a little more involved to get up to temp, and this is why I kept my kettle around. Firing up the BGE was over kill for quick weeknight cooks for me and the wife. I replaced 2 cookers with one. 2. Weight. The BGE is heavy and difficult to move around. 3. Fuel versatility. BGE was lump only. With the WSK I can use lump or bricks. I was able to sell my BGE for $700 and bought the WSK on Amazon for $1050 (keep an eye out for the sales). I feel good about the trade-off. The WSK is a significant investment, but not as costly as an all decked out ceramic Kamado. And no worries about breaking ceramics. If you’re serious about your outdoor grilling and smoking the WSK is a solid option. Kettles are great, but they can’t match the temp control of the WSK.

[@tomwadek]

That is an awesome breakdown and it makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[@testtube7404]

I bought my first Weber Kettle in 2012 and still have it in very good condition. I saw all of your videos several years ago on the Weber Kettle MasterTouch Premium and I bought one and love it. I can't wait to watch your new videos on your new SUMMIT so I too can buy one to improve my BBQ game....... THANKS Tom.

[@tomwadek]

That is awesome to hear! You’re going to love the Summit.

[@darrylrichman]

Congrats! I bought an E6 3 years ago to replace my Akorn. The Akorn was a great intro to Kamado cooking, but after 5 years kinda close to the Pacific Ocean, it was starting to have issues. The Weber has been great, and I use it all the time. You're going to love it! And you'll never notice the leg sockets, it just works. The one accessory I use on most cooks is a Slow n Sear, to get 2 zone cooking. It uses less room than putting in the 2 baskets that Weber supplies, and it's taller than they are, too. I can do a rack of ribs or a prime rib low and slow without having to worry about running out of charcoal. One other tool that's useful is a grill gripper, to grab the charcoal grate so you can move to the lower or upper position. Good luck!

[@tomwadek]

Very cool! Thanks so much for the suggestions. I’m Already looking into a grill gripper. How often do you use the diffusor plate?

[@darrylrichman]

@@tomwadek I do use the diffuser regularly, but usually it's only for longer cooks: pork shoulder, brisket, beef ribs, etc. What's great about using the SnS is that, as you pointed out, it's really easy to go from low and slow to blazing, and the SnS helps with that. For example, I had a family event yesterday, so I smoked two 3 bone prime ribs. I put hickory chunks in the SnS with lump charcoal and got a nice smokey flavor. After 2.5 hours at about 235°, they were at medium rare, so I took them off and let them rest while I opened the bottom vent fully and tipped up the top vent. In 7 or 8 minutes I had a blazing fire and I could put a sear on the roasts to finish them.

[@The_Monkey_King]

Fully agree. I am not in the US, so I made my own slow n sear rather than pay an arm for shipping. 2 zone cooking on the Summit is awesome!

[@tomwadek]

@@darrylrichmanvery cool. That’s how I plan to use it. Thanks!

[@tomwadek]

@@The_Monkey_Kingthanks! Cant wait to do a brisket

[@MrFowl]

I just moved and had to carry my grill up 5 flights of stairs. Man am I glad it was the Weber and not ceramic 😅

[@tomwadek]

😂

[@abstractronnie]

Best of luck dude. Can’t wait to see what you do with it.

[@tomwadek]

Appreciate it!

[@ptn0107]

Glad you were able to finally make the purchase. That was an unbeatable price catch. I'm rocking the blue master touch until it literally falls apart. Which is probably not anytime soon. This Weber Kamado is on my grilling bucket list. Hopefully when the time comes I can find a great price on a used. By then who knows what it would be from Weber direct.

[@tomwadek]

From someone who waited (way too long lol) if you can, pull the trigger. Fantastic grill. Thanks for watching!

[@jaycee1373]

Congrats on acquiring your dream grill! Been eyeballing this one myself. Hoping one day they'll make an in between version in a cart. Dealing with Weber customer support can be extremely challenging, but they seem to always come through. By the looks of how that E6 wobbles and shakes on those 3 legs, (granted it's not on a patio or pavers, but still) it seems it would benefit by being placed in a cart, making it much more stable as well as much easier to move around. Think Summit series similar in concept to their Performer Series (vs their Master Touch). The E6 would be likened to the current Master Touch. The E6 in the same or similar cart as the current entry level 22" Performer with fold down table. The E6 with the longer table as with the Performer Premium (without the propane igniter). And finally, their flagship Summit, similar to the Performer Deluxe, with the propane igniter. Anyway, congrats again. Looking forward to you putting it through its paces. 👍

[@tomwadek]

I hear you on the cart idea! That’s a fantastic idea and I hope they’re listening!

[@ihatalgore]

I have had the e6 for about a year and absolutely love it. I strongly recommend the "adjustable rig" from the Ceramic Grill Store. While the adjustable rig was designed for the XL Big Green Egg - it works extremely well for the Summit. It adds a ton of versatility to the Summit and can be stored inside the grill (so it doesn't take up any additional storage). It gives you a lot of options to choose from in terms of how far you want your meat from the coal bed. Just my 2 cents.

[@tomwadek]

That is an awesome tip and I’m definitely going to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.

[@darrylrichman]

This is pretty interesting! Do you need the XL Woo adapter, or just the Adjustable Rig?

[@toddpower4674]

I like that summit, especially where its so light. I got a primo xl and its so heavy it hard to move around a patio.

[@tomwadek]

The weight and easy clean up are so nice. Been loving this thing.

[@edgewater210]

I enjoyed watching the review of your Weber Summit Kamado. I own the first generation of the Weber Summit Kamado and have used it for approximately 6 years. Hopefully, you will do another review after you have owned your Weber for another year or two. While I love my Summit as a grill I have discovered some things over time that I wish Weber would address. The first is that the grill is 24" in dimeter while the standard Weber Kettles are 22" or 26". There are tons of after market stuff you can buy for the 22" and 26" kettles but very little for the 24" Summit. For instance you cannot find a rotisserie for the 24" Summit. You may find that this is never an issue but take a look at the accessories you can purchase for a Kamado Joe or Big Green Egg. The Summit seems to fill a niche for Weber but unfortunately it does not command enough market share for the development of accessories.

[@tomwadek]

Thanks for your comment and I can’t agree more. It’s nuts that it’s been 5 years and Weber hasn’t invested more into this grill by adding accessories. It’s the forgotten grill in Webers lineup which is a shame because it’s fantastic!

[@katzsteel]

Love Weber too! Maybe someday one for me.

[@tomwadek]

Awesome grill. Hope you land one

[@RayHarris-z5e]

Congratulations on your E6, its a solid pit. Like you I started with the Weber Kettle and worked my way up. I own both the E6 (5 years) and the Kamado Big Joe (10 years). IMO while the E6 is a level of quality above the weber kettle it is not in the same league as the top ceramics (Kamado Joe, Big Green Egg, Primo). My E6 just doesn't hold temp or cook as efficiently as my KBJ

[@tomwadek]

I appreciate you sharing your perspective. All awesome pits! Cant wait to do a brisket.

[@grumpysgreatoutdoorsbbq]

Great informative video! Thanks for this. I’ve wanted one for my personal use (and of course to make videos with!) for awhile now too. I cook so much for events and such and I have a “few” kettles already. When (and if!) I stop cooking for other people in volume I may get one. I know I would need/want to baby it and right now, one of the nice things is that I don’t really have to baby my kettles. I take care of them very well, but I don’t baby them. You know what I mean……I don’t hug them, whereas like you, I would hug an E6. Thanks again for the informative video!

[@tomwadek]

I hear you. It’s a tough choice to make, but I’m sure you’ll get one eventually!

[@sunnyvalejedi]

It’s my dream grill as well and I’ve owned it for five years. All the benefits of a kamado with none of the drawbacks.

[@tomwadek]

Best grill I ever owned! Thanks for sharing

[@dansong.tolman2793]

Its a great grill. I removed the gas igniter snd I dont like the top vent. I live at a high elevation and do not get enough air flow sometimes. But I love it. Had it for some years now

[@tomwadek]

That's interesting, thanks for sharing your experience!

[@The_Monkey_King]

I think you make great points. Regarding the temp control, I’ve joked with my wife that the Summit is reading my mind with what temp I want. I also think that the mobility of the Summit is underestimated. I recently had to paint my deck and it was so easy moving it around. As you are a kettle user, I’m super interested for you to test side-by-side kettle versus Summit, especially for low and slow smokes. Does either produce a better smoke flavour? Subbed. Cheers!

[@tomwadek]

Great suggestion. I’m planning on doing a head head video with the diffusor plate. My summit vs master touch. Stay tuned. Thanks for the sub

[@PhysioDetective]

I have the one with the table. It’s good. It’s an expensive table for sure hahaha. But it got it 20% off so it was much less painful

[@tomwadek]

Haha, 20% off is not bad. I’ve always been curious though, how often do you find yourself using the ignition system? Thanks for sharing.

[@PhysioDetective]

@ I’m in Australia. There is no ignition system :( but I would I think. I just use a chimney 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@PhysioDetective]

Also forgot to add that the extra shelf you can buy is great. I use it like a Santa Maria for cooking char sui. I also want to try hang char sui with a tray at the bottom with charcoal around it to see if that is any good :)

[@tomwadek]

That would be interesting lol

[@SkolVikesGuy]

If you love Weber, which I do, give a Hasty Bake a shot if you ever get a chance. Similar price point to the Weber kamado and would make for a great comparison video.

[@tomwadek]

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll check it out.

[@WillieKlondike9482]

I love my Webber Kamado. I’ve had mine now for 5 years and mine has the little propane attachment no table.

[@tomwadek]

You have the OG with the hinged diffusor plate. I’m jealous lol

[@WillieKlondike9482]

@ I believe I paid between $1100 and $1300 with delivery charges.

[@impianotespaul]

Weber is way too expensive nowadays.

[@chefozf]

Hey bro, congrats! That's my favorite kamado grill ever, i can't find the ss table, can you put the link please?

[@tomwadek]

Hi there, the link is in the description. Buy The SS Foldable Side Table Here: amzn.to/42dJsva

[@Wattsonthegrill]

I only have the Weber original. But one day I do want this. Cheers!!! From BRANTFORD ONTARIO

[@tomwadek]

Cheers! I hope you get it soon. Fantastic grill!

[@Wattsonthegrill]

@tomwadek so do I.

[@fbmg8547]

Might get it next Christmas

[@tomwadek]

Awesome! Hope Santa brings you one.

[@IanFarquharson2]

I wonder if they had some qa failures lined up for Black Friday where most folk would put up with some dings and scuffs for snagging a bargain? Did you end up with two in the end?

[@tomwadek]

Amazon did send out the second one. I didn't end up assembling it because the lid came first from weber. The amazon associate couldn't cancel the delivery in time and the next day UPS picked it up for return. I think the original damage may have been shipping handling? It almost looked like someone tried to pick it up with a forklift or something.

[@celtcfan1967]

i have the original and the newer version both great grills enjoy

[@tomwadek]

Oh wow. What made you get two. That’s awesome

[@celtcfan1967]

@@tomwadek because they are so good i doo rittiserie wings on the other when cooking something else on the first i realised the weber kamado is brilliand and weber support is awesome

[@tomwadek]

@@celtcfan1967that’s the good life lol. Cheers!

[@MP-po4fp]

So I’m a huge kamado fan and have had every brand at one point and the biggest disappointment with this and other metal kamados is they are to efficient. The ceramic kamados take a lot of energy to keep that heat, especially when cooking with the double indirect method. Charcoal and wood is flavor and the more you burn through the better the food taste. So the food on the summit will never taste as good as on a ceramic kamado

[@tomwadek]

That’s an interesting theory. I’ll have to test that out. Thanks for suggesting a future video. Cheers!

[@ShubaSalad]

Is Weber still public? I thought they had positioned to go private again a couple years back.

[@tomwadek]

Ah, you are correct. They went private again in 2023.

[@southparkgeek12]

Why don't you grill on charcoal? Much more flavor. Instead of glued fuell

[@tomwadek]

I do, I like to alternate and use both but prefer Briquettes for their consistency. FOGO is my favorite

[@justinshane4905]

looks very unstable when you open and close the lid

[@tomwadek]

It was on uneven grass but on solid concrete, it’s fine. Thanks for asking

[@_TheRealGod]

I think Weber has started going downhill. Apart from the prices. They go in the opposite direction.

[@tomwadek]

they have made some weird decisions recently.

[@redstone5149]

Peaches and roses? WTF?😂