Riverside Garden Centre, Hertford: October 2009

Overview

Currently there are two types of Weber Performer available;
1. The Weber Charcoal Performer (RRP: £299.99 / Our Price: SOLD OUT)
2. The Weber Performer with Gas Ignition* (RRP: £349.99 / Our Price: 279.99)

* The Performer with gas ignition system is designed to speed up the coal lighting process – just turn on the gas (propane) and press the ignition button. After around 10 minutes, the coals are lit and you are ready to cook. No lighter fluid, firelighters or additional lighting aids are necessary. This combines the charcoal taste that every barbecue fanatic looks for, but with the ease and simplicity of gas cooking and no unpleasant aftertaste that lighting aids give.

Both have identical features (with the exception of the gas ignition lighting system incorporated on the latter model) of which are detailed in the Description chapter, however, at this stage I wish to stress that for 2010 Weber have decided to do away with the Charcoal Performer and concentrate on the Gas Ignition model as standard with a few minor adjustments to aesthetics and usability. These are outlined fully in the New For 2010 section. As always, Weber continue to develop their range with enjoyability, convenience and cooking results in mind and this is reflected in the updates they have made.

Description

The Performers have been designed around the phenomenally successful Weber kettle design with key additions including transport trolley, work table, lid holder, charcoal storage facility and integrated thermometer with all the quality you have come to expect from Weber. Below you should be able to find all the information you need if you are considering buying a Weber Performer.

Bowl and Lid
The bowls and lids are constructed from steel with a porcelain enamelled coating inside and out for excellent heat reflection and rust free durability. The lid includes a heat resistant glass reinforced nylon handle and the dual purpose removable thermometer not only shows the barbecue temperature when in its cradle but it can also be removed and poked into food to test whether the food is cooked! The heat and rust resistant swivel vent allows you to adjust to allow for perfect airflow, or shut off completely so that the flames go out.

Cooking Grates
Heavy duty, steel plated cooking grates offer a total cooking surface of around 2500cm² (54cm diameter). These have hinged sides so you can easily insert the charcoal briquettes without removing the entire grate.

Side Table
The side table is a simple but great addition to any barbecuing experience. At grate level it is easy to transfer meat and other foods to and from the grill as well as storing all your condiments/marinades etc. The table is a subtle granite-look heat resistant plastic measuring roughly 65x52cms and comes with built in tool holders – very handy if you are always misplacing them! Covers the Char-Bin keeping briquettes dry.

Steel Cart
The Weber performer is built on a heavy-duty steel black frame with a handy wire bottom storage shelf. It comes with two all-weather crack proof main wheels and two lockable caster wheels for easy mobility. This barbecue also comes with a weatherproof CharBin™, exclusive to the Weber Charcoal Performer and Weber Performer with Gas Ignition. This is a convenient method of storing around 10kg of charcoal and as it is on a tilt system means that access cannot be simpler.

Ash Catcher System
The Performer comes with a high capacity ash catcher system that makes clean up a doddle. Once you have finished cooking close the slide vents at the top and the lack of oxygen will quickly kill the fire and stop the remaining coals from burning any further. Once cool, give it a shake to dislodge the excess ash, and sweep across Weber’s patented One Touch leaver to push the ash into the catch pan. Remove the ash catcher and dispose of the contents. The remaining coals can even be re-lit and used for your next session!

Gas Ignition System (Only available on the Weber performer with Gas Ignition)
Attach the bottle (patio gas – available at petrol stations, garden centres, and DIY stores – or Weber’s own 445g cartriges), pour in the briquettes and press the ignition button. Within ten minutes, the coals will be white hot and ready to cook on. This system is the answer traditional barbecue’rs have been looking for. Perfect charcoal infused taste with no hassle and no mess that charcoal barbecues bring. As no additional lighting aids are needed, you won’t be left with chicken a la lighting fluid.

Key Features at a glance:

Gas powered charcoal lighter with push button lighter (Only on Performer with gas ignition)
57cm diameter porcelain enamelled bowl and lid
Dual purpose thermometer built into lid
Triple plated heavy duty hinged cooking grates
Tuck-away lid holder
Tool hooks x3
Charcoal Fuel holders for indirect cooking
Crack proof all-weather wheels
Aluminium (Non-rust) vents and removable ash catcher
Long lasting glass reinforced heat resistant nylon handles
Large built in table area (Approx 65x52cms)
Built in tilting charcoal bin for easy storage/access
Weber cookbook included
10 year limited warranty
Two charcoal dividers for indirect cooking

Dimensions:

Height 102cm
Width 128cm
Depth 72cm
Weight 47kg
Benefits
Built to last for life
Almost mess free
Quite possibly the most convenient charcoal barbecue on the market
Excellent cooking results from Weber’s Direct/Indirect cooking methods
As the majority of the BBQ is built from aluminium, it won’t rust.
Large cooking area
Built in charcoal bin
Plenty of workspace

Drawbacks

Steel plated cooking grates can rust over time if not properly cleaned and maintained
Inflated price tag for which essentially is a One Touch Gold with side table

Our Verdict

In essence, this is just a Weber One Touch Gold 57cm with a work table attached to it, so is it worth the additional £140-190? Well if you can justify the initial cost, these barbecues are designed for life so think of it more of an investment than splashing out. In addition to the table, the performers also come with a number of improvements on the One Touch Gold including a removable dual purpose thermometer, tuck away lid holder, robust trolley for easy manoeuvrability and storage, tool holders and a host of other benefits that will earn their keep.
The Performer with gas ignition is about as close to the convenience of a gas barbecue as you will ever get while maintaining the principals of a charcoal barbecue and cheaper than Weber’s bottom end gas grills.

New for 2010

Due out in February 2010, the new Weber Performer (with Gas Ignition as the standard model) holds its original design but with a few improvements and tweaks in colour:

New ergonomic handle with added heat shield limits the potential of it getting warm (a slight design flaw with the 2009 models)
Fixed lid-mounted thermometer
Black ash catcher
New-style wheel cover
Stylish tool holder with ‘Performer’ logo
Silver cart frame
Larger elegant looking control panel blends in with design
Dark grey Thermoset work surface
Charcoal measuring cup included

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