Weber Ranch Kettle 37 vs Weber Summit FS38 E
Quick take: The Weber Ranch Kettle 37 costs $1,300 less; the Weber Ranch Kettle 37 offers more cooking space (1,104 vs 681 sq in).
| Spec | Weber Ranch Kettle 37 | Weber Summit FS38 E |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$2,599 | ~$3,899 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Charcoal Grill | Gas Grill |
| Cooking Area | 1104 sq in | 681 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Propane/Natural Gas |
| Build Material | Porcelain-Enameled Steel with Stainless Steel Grate | Stainless Steel Burners / Porcelain-Enameled Lid / Cast Iron Grates |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | 5 |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | Yes |
| Rotisserie | No | Yes |
| Searing | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 42 x 37.7 x 44.7 in | 70.7 x 27 x 52.5 in |
| Weight | 158 lbs | 247 lbs |
| Warranty | 10 years bowl and lid, 5 years One-Touch system, 2 years remaining parts | 15 years |
Pros & cons
Weber Ranch Kettle 37
- ✓1,104 sq in cooks for roughly forty people in a single load, which no other kettle approaches
- ✓Hinged stainless grate and removable porcelain-enameled ash catcher, both sized for volume cooking
- ✓Four dampers rather than two, giving genuine airflow control across a bowl this wide
- ✓Swivel locking casters and a heavy steel cart make 158 lbs movable on a flat surface
- ✓Three tool hooks and a Tuck-Away lid holder, so a lid this heavy has somewhere to go
- ✗$2,599 is kamado and premium-pellet money for a grill with no insulation, thermometer or controller
- ✗Burns charcoal in bulk — a full load is several chimneys, which makes it wasteful for a family cook
- ✗No built-in lid thermometer at this price
- ✗44.7 inches deep with the lid holder, so it needs garage or shed space, not a balcony
- ✗Design is decades old; there is no smart, hinged-cart or accessory-rail package at any price
Weber Summit FS38 E
- ✓Top-down infrared broiler sears from above, which browns without the flare-ups a bottom sear burner causes
- ✓Rotisserie kit and smoker box are included standard — on most competitors both are paid accessories
- ✓15-year cookbox and lid warranty is the longest Weber offers
- ✓Enclosed stainless cabinet with the LP tank hidden inside, and it converts to natural gas as a separate SKU
- ✓93,000 BTU across five independently controlled burners gives real multi-zone flexibility
- ✗No WiFi, app control or meat probe at $3,899 — those require the Smart FS38X at $5,199
- ✗247 lbs and 70.7 in wide needs a large patio and freight-style delivery
- ✗The price sits within a few hundred dollars of entry-level built-in grills that will outlast it
- ✗Porcelain-enameled lid rather than the full stainless of the FS38 S one step up