Hi All,
I'm going to purchase a kettle at some point in the next few weeks and intend on it being my go to appliance for basic smoking and grilling. I currently use a basic open top charcoal BBQ for grilling and a homemade UDS for smoking. I'm a happy novice at all types of cooking.
I was thinking about going for the Weber 57cm Bar B Kettle. It looks like it will fulfil my needs and I'm not completely sure what the upgraded models (e.g. The performer) would give me to justify the extra cost.
Two questions I have where it'd be great to get other opinions;
1) are the more expensive Weber kettle models generally considered worth the increased cost and if so, why?
2) should I be considering alternative kettle brands? There are kettle barbecues at half of the price that look identical to a novice like me. Instinct tells me there's a good reason for the price difference but at the same time I want to make sure I'm not paying more just for a name.
Cost is moderately important to me though I'm not stuck to a specific budget. Value supersedes cost.
Thanks for any help
Matt