There’s nothing worse than getting stuck inside cooking on a beautiful summer evening.
Watching your neighbors outside grilling ribs, chicken, and hamburgers, and having barbecues with friends and family while being stuck inside cooking on a stove top is no fun.
If you’re ready to buy a grill; something that would give you that delicious, smoky, outdoorsy flavor, the Weber Performer Deluxe 22-inch Charcoal Grill may be right for you.
When it comes to charcoal grills, the Weber Performer Deluxe 22-inch is toward the top of the food chain. A durable, sturdy, and downright attractive grill, it stands as something of a monument to outdoor grilling.
Possessing a 363 square inch grilling area, it has easily enough space for me to cook for myself, my family, and my friends during outdoor barbecues. Another thing that comes in handy with this grill is its large table area which allows you to easily transfer cooked food from the grate to the plate.
Equipped with a built-in cooking thermometer as well as a removable LCD timer, this grill has everything you need to ensure that your food is cooked to perfection. In addition, its touch-n-go gas ignition system allows you to light up your charcoal with little to no fuss involved.
This is far from your typical charcoal grill. In many ways, because of its convenience and reliability, it’s like a propane grill. If you’re looking to conveniently cook tons of food for your family and friends, the Weber Performance Deluxe is the grill for you.
Key Features of the Weber Performer Deluxe 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
Possessing a 22-inch cooking grate, this grill possesses 363 square inches of total cooking area, giving you ample space to cook many pieces of meat at one time.
While there are bigger grills available, this works just fine for small to medium size backyard cookouts.
This is a very sturdy and durable grill which is capable of withstanding quite a bit of wear and tear. With a porcelain enameled bowl, it resists rust and charring over a long period of time.
Though it’s not designed for massive amounts of transportation, this grill is equipped with four lockable wheels which allow it to be scooted from place to place with ease. You certainly don’t have to be muscle-bound in order to move it around.
Possessing a one-touch cleaning system, this grill is very easy to keep tidy and maintain. By simply pulling on a lever, all of its charred dust will be dumped into its ashtray. You can then easily remove this ashtray and dispose of it in the trash.
Arguably its most useful feature is its Touch-n-Go gas ignition system. This system uses propane to light your charcoal, enabling you to use charcoal with the utmost of convenience. Of course, if you wish, you can also light the charcoal with a typical lighter.
Equipped with a large, built-in tabletop counter, this grill provides plenty of room for you to place plates, foods, condiments, and other cooking items. When compared to other grills, it offers a great deal more storage space.
Sporting a built-in thermometer, this grill can continuously tell you exactly how hot it is at all times. This makes for nuanced and controlled grilling which will result in the absolute best-cooked food possible.
Weighing in at around 99 pounds, this grill is built to sit outside through all weather conditions.
Pros
- Touch-n-go gas ignition system makes for easy starting
- Sturdy and durable construction
- Equipped with a built-in table counter
- Comes with a built-in thermometer
- Possesses a one-touch cleaning system
Cons
- Assembly can be difficult
- Ash bin is difficult to use
Weber Performer Overview Video
Weber Performer Deluxe 22-Inch Detailed Review
Design and Build Quality
As far as design and build quality go, the Weber Performer Deluxe 22-inch is a monster. With a frame made out of heavy-duty steel, it’s designed to withstand quite a bit of wear and tear, offering you years and years of use.
A heavy grill, it’s designed to stand steady in your backyard through all kinds of weather conditions. In total, it weighs in at around 99 pounds, and measures in at around 43.5 inches x 48 inches x 30 inches.
Unlike with low-end charcoal grills, this one is equipped with a built-in table countertop. This countertop provides you with ample space to place food, plates, condiments, and other important pieces of grilling equipment.
The charcoal bowl of the grill is made out of porcelain enameled aluminum, staving off an injury from fire marks, and allowing it to be cleaned and maintained with general ease. Connected to the bottom of the bowl is a handy ash catcher which will keep debris from falling out and getting all over your yard or patio.
As far as the lid of the bowl goes, it’s solid enough. Equipped with a glass-reinforced handle, it can be taken off without gloves at any time. In addition to a handle, it’s also equipped with a vent that can be opened at different levels in order to accommodate different cooking temperatures.
Overall, the build quality of this grill is superb. Built with non-rust materials, it can handle the elements of the outdoors while continuing to thrive for years and years of use. If you often have backyard barbecues, and you’re looking for a charcoal grill, the Weber Performer Deluxe might very well be the grill for you.
Ease of Assembly
One of the troublesome parts of this grill is that it’s difficult to assemble. It contains quite a few parts and can take quite a bit of trying in order to finally be put together. Perhaps the biggest trouble in assembling it is getting the screws to align and go in all the way.
Regardless of who you are, I can’t see you assembling this grill in any less than an hour. I suspect that a good estimated average would be more around 2 hours.
Ease of Use
If you’re looking for a charcoal grill that’s easy to use, this might very well be the one for you.
Containing a Touch-n-Go gas ignition system, it can get your charcoal flaming in a matter of seconds. The system uses disposable liquid propane cylinders and an electronic igniter to instantly light the charcoal. When you’re forced to use a typical lighter, it’s almost never that easy. It almost always takes several minutes.
This grill’s built-in tabletop counter allows you to easily transfer cooked food to plates and uncooked food to the grill, allowing you to keep all of your necessary items in one compact area. Unlike with many grills, you won’t have to have a table nearby in order to hold all of your items.
One of the things that make it very easy to use is its built-in thermometer, however, we always recommend having a good digital thermometer on hand. Also assisting you during grilling is its attachable and removable cooking timer.
Due to its textured and lockable wheels, this grill can be moved and set into place with absolute ease. Though it’s not great for tailgating purposes, it makes for a great backyard grill that can be moved across a patio or other hard surface.
The Weber Performer Deluxe also has 3 tool hooks mounted on the front, making it easy to keep your grilling tools nearby and handy.
All in all, the Weber Performer Deluxe is a very easy grill to use. Equipped with a number of different bells and whistles, it’s like an all-in-one outdoor cooking station. This makes it well worth its price.
Quality of the Cook
As far as overall cooking quality goes, this grill is top-notch. Regardless of whether you’re trying to grill directly or indirectly, it will accommodate you and give you hot, juicy food. As far as charcoal grills go, it does about as good of a job as possible.
Due to the adjustable vent in the top of its lid, this grill possesses excellent temperature control. The built-in thermometer also helps in giving you an approximate temperature reading of the grill.
One of the problems when it comes to cooking with this grill is that it only possesses one cooking level. Because you can’t adjust the grate up and down, you are forced to always set the meat at the same distance away from the flame. However, having the lid vent allows you to avoid any unnecessary burning, so this isn’t a huge problem.
Whether you’re looking to smoke your meat, sear your meat, or otherwise, you can do it easily with this grill. There aren’t too many other charcoal grills which offer its level of control.
So, in summary, with the exception of not being able to change grilling rack heights, this grill can do everything necessary to cook exceptional meat. I certainly have had no trouble getting my food to turn out just the way I like it.
Ease of Cleanup
For the most part, this grill is very easy to clean and maintain, Equipped with a one-touch cleaning system, you can dump out all residual ashes by simply pushing or pulling a lever to the side. Upon doing this, all ashes will be dumped into an ashtray below.
This ashtray is removable and attachable, capable of being snugly placed directly under the opening in the grill’s bowl. Whenever it has become filled, you can simply pull it off, take it to the trashcan, and dispose of its contents.
When you need to scrub down the inside of the bowl, it’s very simple. Because it’s made out of smooth porcelain enameled steel, it can be easily wiped down with a wet rag or towel.
Price
Though it’s on the expensive side, this grill provides easily enough value to make it worth its price. Durable, sturdy, and capable of cooking some truly mouth-watering food, it’s well-suited for backyard barbecues and other small to medium get togethers.
To put it simply, this grill stands up favorably next to any other charcoal grill on the market today. If charcoal is your preferred way of cooking, and you’re looking for an all-in-one outdoor cooking set, this is the grill for you.
How Does it Compare?
Let’s take a look at some of the Weber Performance 22’s competition:
Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill
For those looking for a great quality charcoal grill but don’t need all the features of the Performer Deluxe, the Weber Original Kettle might be right for you.
Check out our review here.
Char-Broil Tru-Infrared Kettleman Charcoal Grill
The Kettleman features Char-Broil’s unique Tru-Infrared heat system which provides even cooking and eliminates flare-ups. It’s definitely worth a look for those with a smaller budget.
Check out our review here.
Char-Griller 1515 Patio Pro Charcoal Grill
For those looking for a no-frills grill on a budget, the Char-Griller 1515 Patio Pro may be for you.
Check out our review here.
