Weber’s Smokey Mountain Cooker and their iconic Kettle barbecue are both charcoal barbecues, however, they serve different purposes.

This blog explains the differences between the two barbecues to help you decide which is best suited to your needs.

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is available in three sizes, the 37cm, the 47cm, and the 57cm. The Smokey Mountain Cooker is a bullet-style smoker and is designed and purpose-built specifically for low and slow smoking. It splits into three parts, the bottom section with a charcoal grate and ring, the middle section, which houses two cooking grates for increased capacity and a water bowl to aid temperature control and circulate steam within the smoker, and the lid.

There is a door for quick access to the coals and a grommet that allows a wired meat probe to be used with the Smokey Mountain, meaning a Weber iGrill or Weber Connect smart thermometer can be used alongside the barbecue. All of the Smokey Mountain barbecues come with a cover included.

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is designed to keep low temperatures and circulate smoke within the barbecue and is ideal for long smokes such as brisket and pulled pork as well as shorter cooks such as smoking sausages or a chicken.

For low and slow smoking, briquettes are ideal as they burn for a longer period than lumpwood charcoal. Set your briquettes up using the minion method or the snake method to help keep the temperature low and the coals burning for longer. Wood chunks are placed amongst the burning coals to create the smoke that flavours the food.

Weber Kettle

The Weber Kettle encompasses a range of barbecues, such as the Original Kettle, Master-Touch, and Performer, with varying features. However, the core design and purpose of the barbecues remain the same.

Whereas the Smokey Mountain Cooker is designed specifically for low and slow smoking, the Weber Kettle barbecues are designed for roasting and grilling. You are able to smoke on a Weber Kettle barbecue, however, due to the way the barbecue holds heat, and the size of the cooking chamber compared to the Smokey Mountain Cooker, cooks such as a brisket or a large pork butt would be difficult to achieve.

Weber Kettle barbecues have a charcoal grate, with charcoal rails or briquette baskets to separate your coals, the cooking grate sits directly above the charcoal grate. Some Kettle barbecues have hinged cooking grates to allow easy access to the coals whilst cooking, and GBS grates allowing for the use of Weber’s GBS accessories.

To smoke on a Weber Kettle, you can set your charcoal up using the minion or snake method as with the Smokey Mountain Cooker. A drip tray can be used as a water pan to help keep the temperature down and your meat moist. For the best results stick to shorter smokes, such as chicken, ribs, or smaller joints. Due to the proximity of your meat to the coals, larger and longer smokes will not achieve the same results as in a purpose-built smoker like the Smokey Mountain.

Weber’s Master-Touch Premium includes additional features to aid low and slow smoking. These include a charcoal ring and heat diffuser as well as the standard briquette baskets included with the Master-Touch range. These help with temperature control and protect your cooks from the direct heat of the charcoal, resulting in deliciously tender smoked meat.