Customer Reviews

Weber 827020 22 1/2-Inch Performer Charcoal Grill with Propane Gas Ignition, Green

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My parents purchased this grill recently, and the convenience of the gas ignition counters the argument of first-to-cook from the gas grill crowd. Also, nothing beats the look of the stainless steel surfaces on the cart when you're aiming to combine good looks and great cooking.

The inaugural meal was a ham cooked with the optional rotisserie attachment. The coals (natural wood charcoal, of course) were ready very quickly, and the indirect cooking method kept the ham juicy and flavorful. The thermometer in the lid was great for knowing when to add coals or adjust the vents to maintain the temperature without having to constantly lift the lid and lose the heat.

After helping prepare the meal and tasting the food afterwards, I was sold. However, the. . . price tag was too high for my wallet, so I purchased the Weber One-Touch Platinum, which was $200 less. . . this would be a 5-star product, but the high price knocks it down a notch.

My wife purchased a Weber Performer Grill with Gas Ignition as a Christmas gift for me approximately two years ago. Since that time, I got rid of my wife but fortunately I got to keep the Grill. I have been extremely pleased with the quality of the food cooked on the grill as well as the convenience offered by the amenities included in its design. With respect to the finished culinary product, cooking on this Grill comes as close to that of a full-size Texas Barbeque Pit as is possible in a grill of its size. As with all Weber products it has proven itself to be durable despite the large volume of cooking that I have forced upon it. I have not, however, been satisfied with the gas ignition system. Even after having the entire ignition system replaced by Weber, it continues to malfunction and rarely works when you attempt to light charcoal automatically. I would advise a prospective purchaser to consider purchasing a Weber Performer Grill without the gas ignition, opting instead to use a Charcoal Chimmney for purposes of lighting charcoal. A Charcoal Chimney is just as convenient and lights the charcoal more evenly than does the gas ignition system (when it does in fact work). Nevertheless, if, like me, you refuse to sacrifice true barbeque taste for the expediency of a gas grill, and you purchase the Weber Performer (with or without the gas ignition), you will find it to be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable purchases you ever make. I cook everything on it from everyday meals like Steaks and Hamburgers to Country and Smoked Hams at Christmas to full-size Thanksgiving Turkeys. I use it several times a week, all year around and I could not imagine cooking without it.

Weber has created the Cadillac of charcoal grills with the Performer. Sure gas is easy, but charcoal is what cooking out is all about;with a gas starter and built in charcoal storage it doesnt' get much easier. Lots of cool stainless steel will make you the envy of all your friends. Cook your next Thankgiving turkey on one and thank me later.

Thanks again to Weber-Stephens for making an excellenct product. This is my third Weber grill, but I still have the first. These products last a lifetime. This is the king of charcoal grills (which I think are the only kind to have). The best features for me are the charcoal storage area and the gas ingnition system, no more messing with smelly lighter fluids. Thanks, Weber-Stephens, now I can't wait for my wife to say "Honey, you can light the grill."

I've been a Weber man for years, and have burned the grates out of 3 of them - that should give you some idea on how often we fire up the grill.

We used our Performer for the first time yesterday. Does it work any better/worse than my other Weber kettle grills? Well, no - tough to improve on the basic kettle design for cooking. BUT, it is just so damn convenient!

First, the ash catcher lets you keep it on a wooden deck, and not out on the yard/concrete patio. So now I'm cooking right next to the party which is generally on the deck.

Second, Charcoal is right there in the bin, propane is right there in the tank, and the lighter is part of the grill. You walk out to the grill with your dinner. You DO NOT make three trips with the charcoal bag, lighter fluid, where the hell are the matches, etc.

Third, You start the burner under the coals, and you walk away. None of the "did the wind blow out the fire" stuff.

Fourth, those with pets will appreciate having the stainless steel table next to the kettle. I was constantly shooing the dog away from the steaks which I set down on the patio. Now, they're up on the table and out of reach.

So, like I said, it's convenient.

The ignition system on the Peformer is really worth the extra $$. We use our grill a couple of times a week - it really gets HOT (the thermometer won't even measure the temp - somewhere around 800-degrees!) so you can sear steaks just like the restaurants do. We use the natural mesquite wood. Only problem with the BBQ is that it has gotten so hot the plastic knobs on the top vent melted off and all over the top of the BBQ. They could have designed that part better.

If you own a gas grill you are missing the bbq bus. I have had this Performer unit for ten years now, and have loved it. This is the most versitle cooking machine on the planet. It takes away the biggest complaint of charcoal- the lighting. It is easy to light, a bottle of gas lasts over a year with heavy use, and whatever you cook is great. The biggest problem with gas is that it never gets hot enough unless you close the cover and then what you are doing is baking not grilling. With this unit I cook big turkeys on indirect heat, rotiserie chickens and beef( the best accessory I ever had) and grill like a pro with the cast iron grate( highly recommended) I got a few years ago.
I love to bbq and this is the one. I'll bet you that at least ten of my friends, that's about all I have, bought one after seeing mine.
I do not work for Weber or sell them or stand to gain anything from this, I just hate to see people cook bad food outdoors with a cheap( or expensive) gas grill. I hate gas. End of story.

I bought this grill over two years ago and have used it heavily since then cooking all sorts of meats, fish and vegetables. The grill area itself is large enough to create several different areas of heat so you can cook a variety of foods simultaneously.

The grill is easy to clean and still looks great. It is easy to clean; the paint and trim appears brand new. The large wheels make it easy to move around. The ash catcher works just as designed. I love the storage area and hooks. In sum, the grill is well designed.

Last month, I managed to break a part (my error). I called Weber and within a few days they shipped me replacement parts and instructions. About ... later, the grill was up and running. And I am not someone who is mechanically adept.

You can't go wrong with Weber; they stand behind their product. I really like firing up the charcoal with gas for 5 minutes and then being able to cook on coal.

I would buy this product again in a heartbeat.

I have had my Performer for going on 6 years and I cook everything on the grill from steaks to homemade pizza. Like any weber dome grill, you can control the heat and cooking temp by the amount of air you let get to the fire. It takes a little while to figure out what temp cooks what foods best. My father has one of the stainless gas webers and I like my charcoal better. After reading some of the other reviews, that claim this grill doesn't get hot enough and so on. There is a solution, Get rid of the Kingsford fake charcoal brickets and start using real wood charcoal like Cowboy Charcoal. Using the real wood charcoal, I can get my grill surface 1500 degrees plus. You get plenty of grill marks at this temp.! The other nice thing about real wood charcoal and this grill is that you can reuse the charcoal. When you are finished cooking, shut off all of the air to the grill and it will go out preserving the charcoal for the next day. It may not have enough left to cook on; however, it is a good base for lighting the new charcoal that you will add before cooking. Also, this grill works best when you use the hot side/ cool side method. In otherwords keep all of your charcoal to one side of the grill and use the hot flame for searing and then finish it off on the cool side. With the dome shape, the heat circulates through the whole grill making this much more effective than it would be with a traditional 2,3, or 4 burner gas grill. For me, grilling is not a seasonal thing, I've cooked with my performer in the snow more than once. When and if this one ever wears out, I will buy another. Happy grilling,
Tim

We gave My Father this Grill for Fathers Day this year, to replace a Weber One-Touch Grill (22 1/2") that has served us well for many years, but is on its last leggs. This grill is very good and easy to use and light and with its charcoal storage bin we don't have to worry about charcoal getting wet from the rain. With its gas ignition system we don't have to use lighter fluid any more or put up with house brand charcoal that is hard to start and slow to get going anymore. The only item that could be added with this grill is scoop for the charcoal, the char baskets that come with it are better than the dividers that the one-touch kettles come with. The Stainless steel work table that is part of this grill is a very handy feature along with the hangers for your grill tools. All in all a very Excellent Grill, and being a Weber Product I expect to get many years out this grill especially with the cover I plan to buy for it,Please note that the Grill I bought was Black in Color, not the Blue show on this page.