After purchasing the Quality Grill Parts Heavy Duty Stainless Charcoal Baskets I was so impressed with how well they were built and the quality of the material I wanted to upgrade the grates on my 18.5 inch Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker.
I planned to cook up four racks of pork ribs for yesterday’s Pats/Texans playoff game.
Only problem was that fitting four slabs of spare ribs on an 18 inch WSM I was going to need to use a rib rack. The Weber Rib Rack for $12.99 is a nice value, purchase here. It’s well built and designed. The slots are spaced enough apart that the ribs don’t lean up against each other. When comparing them to the Char Broil ones they both had nice builds but the Char Broil one had six slots instead of five which would have placed the ribs closer together and if the ribs are leaning up against each other they won’t develop bark where they touch.
Trimmed the spare ribs into St Louis cuts which basically squares them up.
The Quality Grill Parts Heavy Duty Grate for 18.5 inch Weber Smokey Mountain did not disappoint in terms of quality compared the the charcoal baskets I bought from the company. Same over built, high quality 304 stainless construction. Comparing the build to the grates that come with the WSM it’s night and day. They cost $40 on Amazon- purchase here
Check out the short video review here-
Here are some comparison photos between the Quality Grill Parts 18.5 Heavy Duty Grate and the Stock Weber Unit-
Normally I’m skeptical of BBQ accessories, like burger formers and jalapeno popper stands. but sometimes there are tools that work.
When my Kate surprised me with the Charcoal Companion basting brush I was skeptical at first. I was going to be smoking up some pork ribs that weekend when I’d put it to the test.
Normally the last 45 minutes or so on the smoker I like to spritz or baste my ribs with a mix of apple cider vinegar, BBQ sauce, water. Often times in spray bottles the BBQ sauce clumps up and doesn’t come out evenly.
This was not the case with the Charcoal Companion basting brush. I simple squeeze and just the right amount of liquid came out and the integrated silicon brush helps to spread it exactly where you want it on your ribs.
Clean up is a snap , just toss it in the dishwasher and it comes out clean as a whistle.
It will be a regular part of my grill accessory arsenal going forward. Thanks Kate for the thoughtful gift. It’s a winner. $9.97 at Home Depot
It should be noted that the Weber unit has been used at our lobster dock since last May and the Broil King Unit just arrived.
Firstly, the Broil King cost $26.99 at the time of purchase and here are the details as listed on Amazon-
Heavy duty all stainless steel design
High density resin handle
Lights up to two pounds of charcoal without starter fluid
The venturi effect will light the charcoal within five to ten minutes
The Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter cost $14.99 and here are teh details as listed on Amazon-
Chimney starter system lights charcoal quickly and evenly
Made from aluminized steel with a stay-cool thermoplastic handle
Holds enough briquettes for a 22-1/2-inch kettle grill
Cone bottom ensures a fast start; eliminates need for lighter fluid
Measures 7-1/2 by 7-1/2 by 12 inches
Opening and using a new bag of Kingsford briquettes for uniformity.
Physical characteristics- The Broil King is shorter, it also has a slight taper to widen just a bit at the top. The Weber seems like it would have more air flow with the wire rings. the Weber also has the hinged handle which when extended will keep your steadying hand further away from the hot coals. They both are well built and sturdy.
The Broil King weighs significantly less- 2.15 lbs vs 3.5 lbs for The Weber
Filling each starter with exactly 4.6 lbs of charcoal the Weber can hold slightly more than the Broil King (not very significantly more but there is a little more space at the top, probably an additional 6 briquettes.
The extended hinged secondary handle on The Weber extends further than the Broil King- 7.25 inches vs 4.5 inches.
Conclusion:
The Weber 7416 Rapidfire Chimney Starter is a little over half the cost of the Broil King 63980 Charcoal Chimney Starter . It is heavier, it holds slightly more charcoal, it has more space for air to flow upward to start the charcoal and it has the secondary hinged handle which help to control the chimney when its full of hot coals.
Some things I like about the Broil King is that it is stainless. I’m not sure if it will hold up better than the Weber over time but at almost twice it’s cost I doubt you would get almost twice as long with it. Maybe you could though. I also like that the holes in the bottom which are shaped like flames are large enough that you could stick the end of a long lighter into completely whereas on the Weber you have to lift the chimney with one hand and light it from underneath.
For the money I’d purchase the Weber as you could almost afford two for the same price as the Broil King and I don’t see enough significant features that would make it worth almost double the price. In fact The Weber is a little heavier and can hold slightly more charcoal.
Update 3/20/16:
Tested The Broil King
Lit two crumpled pieces of newspaper and one Weber Starter Cube in the bottom of the unit at 6:06PM
6:20PM All the briquettes were glowing except for the top row. Ready for the cook.
It was easy enough to handle and the extra handle of the Weber is actually a non-factor one way or another for my use. Pouring the coals into the charcoal basket was easily controlled without the hinged extra handle on the Weber unit. The handle on the Broil King 63980 was cool to the touch and the heat deflector did its job well.
As you can see after the first use it is obviously discolored. This as we know does not effect performance but it’s worth noting that it will not be looking like the stainless out of the package unit that came shipped after it’s initial use.
After having used the Broil King unit I would say it performs well but because of the much higher cost I would buy the Weber 7416 Rapidfire Chimney Starter
4/2/16 Update:
After one week outside the Broil King Chimney that is supposedly made out of stainless steel has significant rust on it. Another problem I’m encountering is that with the slightest breeze it tips over because it is not very heavy and the weight of the handle topples it making it difficult to fill because you need to hold it with one hand while dumping the charcoal with the other arm.
I can’t under any circumstances recommend the Broil King Chimney, In fact I feel like it should be returned for the simple reason of rusting after only a week outdoors.
Northeast BBQ 