Weber Kettle Comparison - Original Kettle, Original Kettle Premium & Master Touch

Hi, I'm Chef Tony Matassa. Today we're checking out these three weber kettles, and although they look fairly similar, they have some different features. So we'll take a closer look at that because we get a lot of questions on that and hopefully we can answer those. To my far right we have Weber's original kettle, this is the original premium, and of course to my left we have weber's master touch kettle. We'll begin with the original.... Which is available in 18 inches as well as 22 inch models. The exterior of the kettle is Porcelain enameled steel, allowing the grill to resist corrosion, and the two exterior handles are glass reinforced nylon, wich is also perfect for resisting the elements. For temperature control, the lid features a no rust aluminum vent, allowing you to create the perfect environment from searing to smoking. Let's take a look at the inside, the cooking grids are plated steel, and each side features a handle for easy removal. Below the cooking grids, you will find the charcoal grate which separates the coal from the ashes at the bottom of the grill. The bottom of the grill features Weber's Patented One-Touch cleaning system.In addition to precise airflow control, these blades actually sweep the bottom of the grill, making cleanup hassle free. The ash falls into the collection pan at the bottom of the grill, which is easily removable. For easy portability, the Weber original kettle has all weather crack proof wheels. Next, we will take a look at the Weber Original Kettle Premium, which is available in both 22 and 26 inch models. This 22 inch grill is also available in a range of color options, which is nice. The lid features a built in thermometer, for ease of temperature monitoring. In addition, The lid handle of the Kettle Premium features a heat shield, which protects your hand from the heat rising from the grill. Of course the lid also features the vent wheel as we saw on the original kettle. Let's have a look at the inside..The cooking grates of the Weber Original Premium are hinged on 2 sides, allowing you to easily add charcoal and smoking woods without having to remove your food from the grill. The sides of the cooking grids feature handles for easy removal, and below the cooking grids you will find the Charcoal Grate and One Touch cleaning system as we saw on the Original Kettle. Below the grill, the premium kettle is set apart by the high capacity ash catching system. Simply sweep your ashes from the grill with this lever, and easily empty this container as needed. The Weber Original Premium comes with crack proof wheels, and the added feature of BBQ tool hooks on the side handles. Now let's take a look at the Weber Master Touch kettle... This is a 22 inch kettle, and it comes in black. The lid features a built in thermometer for precise cooking temperatures, and the lid handle also features the heat shield. The vent wheel comes with the addition of an easy grip heat guard, making adjustments of the vent a breeze.The side of the Weber Master Touch features this lid cradle, allowing for a convenient place to put the lid when removed, and could also function as a windbreak. The interior of the master touch comes with a removable warming rack, for expanded grill real estate, and the grids feature the hinged sections for easily adding charcoal and smoking woods to the included char basket fuel holders. In the center of the cooking grids, you will find what really brings the cooking versatility of this grill to the next level. Simply remove this piece of the grate, and you are ready to pop in any of the Weber Gourmet BBQ System accessories.For example, here is the Cast Iron Wok that is part of the Gourmet BBQ System. In addition to the Wok, Weber also offers a wide variety of other accessories in the Gourmet system ranging from a Poultry roaster to searing grate. Under the cooking grates, the included char basket fuel holders come in handy when you want to easily move and concentrate your charcoal heat source for searing, or bank them on either side of the grill for indirect cooking.Of course, below the baskets you will find the charcoal grate and the One Touch Cleaning system at the bottom of the grill. The Weber Master Touch also features the large capacity ash catcher at the bottom. For smooth Portability, it also features 8 inch rubber molded wheels. Finally, the side handle of the grill features Weber's convenient BBQ tool hooks. I hope that today’s overview has helped to clear up any questions you have between the kettles.