Home & Kitchen · Head-to-head
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22" vs Weber Master-Touch 22"
Which should you buy? Here's the honest call, pulled from our full The Best Charcoal Grills: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Original Kettle Premium nails the fundamentals of a charcoal grill at a fair price, which makes it the pick for most people. Step up to the Master-Touch if you want the modular grate, warming rack, and char-baskets for serious two-zone and indirect cooking.
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22"
Buy itThe default charcoal kettle for a reason: heavy porcelain build, a proper ash catcher, and a hinged grate at a sane price.
- 363 sq in of primary cooking space handles a full cookout
- Thick porcelain-enameled bowl and lid hold heat well and resist rust
- One-Touch cleaning sweep with an enclosed high-capacity ash catcher
- Hinged plated-steel grate flips up on both sides so you can add fuel mid-cook
- No warming rack or Gourmet BBQ System grate like the step-up model
- Single grate height means less fine control than premium kettles
Weber Master-Touch 22"
Buy itThe Premium kettle plus the extras that actually matter for versatility: a modular grate, warming rack, char-baskets, and a lid holder.
- 443 sq in total with a 363 sq in primary grate plus a warming rack
- Gourmet BBQ System grate accepts inserts like a sear grate, pizza stone, or dutch oven
- Char-basket fuel holders make setting up a two-zone fire genuinely easy
- Tuck-Away lid holder and One-Touch ash cleanup add day-to-day convenience
- Meaningfully pricier than the Original Kettle for gains some cooks won't use
- The modular grate accessories are extra purchases on top of the grill
Side by side
| Weber Original Kettle Premium 22" | Weber Master-Touch 22" | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Anyone who wants one grill that does burgers, steaks, and the occasional low-and-slow without overthinking it. | The hands-on griller who wants to sear, smoke, bake pizza, and run indirect cooks on one kettle. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22" - The default charcoal kettle for a reason: heavy porcelain build, a proper ash catcher, and a hinged grate at a sane price. Choose the Weber Master-Touch 22" instead if the hands-on griller who wants to sear, smoke, bake pizza, and run indirect cooks on one kettle.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Charcoal Grills: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).