Weber Traveler Compact vs Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 14
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Quick take: The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 14 costs $10 less; the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 14 offers more cooking space (286 vs 240 sq in).
| Spec | Weber Traveler Compact | Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$299 | ~$289 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Gas Grill | Charcoal Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 240 sq in | 286 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Porcelain-Enameled Cast Iron split grates | Porcelain-Enameled Steel |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | 1 | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 34 x 21.5 x 34.75 in folded | 14.7 x 14.7 x 31.4 in |
| Weight | 37 lbs | 23 lbs |
| Warranty | 5 years cookbox and lid, 3 years burner and grates, 2 years other parts | 10 years on bowl, lid and center ring; 2 years on remaining parts |
Pros & cons
Weber Traveler Compact
- ✓37 lbs and 34 inches folded genuinely fits a small car, which the 43.6-inch Traveler does not
- ✓Split grates accept a Weber griddle insert in one half, so it grills and griddles at once
- ✓Same five-year cookbox warranty as the full-size Traveler despite costing $100 less
- ✓Still 240 sq in — twelve burgers — which is more than most tabletop portables at this price
- ✗11,000 BTU over 240 sq in recovers slowly when a full load of cold food goes on
- ✗Single burner, so no real two-zone setup
- ✗Still 37 lbs, which is not a backpack or a bicycle grill
- ✗1 lb disposable cylinders are the default fuel and add up over a season
Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 14
- ✓At 23 lbs and under 15 inches wide it travels — no other true water smoker in the line is trunk-portable
- ✓Porcelain-enameled bowl, lid and center section carry Weber's 10-year no-rust-through warranty, the same coverage as the bigger bullets
- ✓Two stacked racks give 286 sq in in a 14.7-inch footprint, which is more usable meat area than a kettle of the same diameter
- ✓The water pan does the same temperature-buffering job as on the 18 and 22, so 225–250°F is easy to hold without a controller
- ✓Cheapest entry into the WSM design, and Weber parts availability means grates, doors and gaskets are stocked for years
- ✗The small charcoal ring limits unattended burns to roughly 6–8 hours — a packer brisket will need a refuel
- ✗286 sq in fits about two pork butts or two slabs of ribs; a full rack of spares has to be cut to fit
- ✗No built-in thermometer worth trusting and no probe ports — budget for a separate dual-probe thermometer
- ✗The access door is small enough that adding fuel mid-cook is fiddlier than on the 18 or 22
- ✗$289 is close to the 18-inch's $419 street price, so the per-square-inch value is poor if portability is not the reason you are buying