Weber
Weber Smokey Mountain 18
The Weber Smokey Mountain is the legendary bullet-shaped charcoal water smoker that has been the 'first real smoker' recommendation for decades. Two stacked grates and a water pan turn out competition-quality BBQ for under $500.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓It's the most-recommended charcoal smoker on r/smoking, full stop - decades of competition wins and a massive knowledge base (Virtual Weber Bullet) back it up
- ✓Once dialed in, a full Minion-method charcoal ring holds 225-275°F for 8-12 hours with barely any vent fiddling - real overnight-brisket territory
- ✓The water pan acts as a heat sink and humidifier, making it very forgiving of beginner mistakes and keeping meat moist
- ✓481 sq in over two stacked grates fits two pork butts plus a rack of ribs, plenty for a family and guests
- ✓The porcelain-enameled body is the same buy-it-for-life quality as the Weber kettle, with a 10-year warranty on the major parts
- ✓It produces genuine charcoal-and-wood-chunk flavor that pellet smokers can't fully replicate
- ✓The side door lets you add fuel and wood mid-cook without dismantling anything
- ✓Resale value is famously strong, and the aftermarket (gaskets, hinges, fan controllers like the FireBoard) can modernize it over time
Cons
- ✗It's a smoker, not a grill - it tops out around 350°F and can't sear, so you still need a grill alongside it
- ✗There's no automation - you manage temps with three bottom vents and charcoal quantity, which takes a few cooks to learn
- ✗The stock lid thermometer is famously inaccurate, so nearly everyone adds a digital grate probe
- ✗Accessing the bottom grate or the charcoal ring means lifting the entire hot middle section off - awkward with food on
- ✗The door is thin stamped metal that leaks smoke until you bend it into shape or buy the aftermarket Cajun Bandit door
- ✗Water pan management (filling, emptying greasy water) is a messy extra chore each cook
- ✗In cold or windy weather the thin steel loses heat and burns noticeably more charcoal than insulated cookers
- ✗At $399 for a manual smoker, gravity-fed and pellet units at similar prices offer set-and-forget convenience it can't match
Compare the Weber Smokey Mountain 18
The Weber Smokey Mountain 18 is one of 3 sizes in this line.
See every size, to scale →Related grills
More from Weber →
Weber
Weber Spirit E-210
The Spirit E-210 is the compact half of Weber's best-selling gas grill family - the current Snap-Jet generation of the 2-burner that thousands of small-patio owners have run for decades. The formula hasn't changed because it works: a porcelain-enameled cookbox that won't rust through (and is warrantied for 10 years against it), cast iron grates, Flavorizer bars that turn drippings into flavor instead of flare-ups, and burners that light on the first click years in. At 48 inches wide it fits patios and townhome decks where even the 3-burner E-310 feels bulky, and the 2025 refresh added per-burner Snap-Jet ignition and Weber Works rails for accessories. The honest limits: 26,600 BTU across two burners means preheating takes a while, a hard steakhouse sear takes patience, and two burners make real indirect cooking cramped - a whole chicken works, a brisket doesn't. Owners also note the current generation's lid can drip rainwater into the grease tray if stored uncovered. Against value rivals like the Char-Broil Performance, you pay roughly double up front and get a grill that routinely outlives three of them; used Spirits famously hold resale value.
Weber
Weber Spirit E-310
The Weber Spirit E-310 is a compact 3-burner propane gas grill and one of the best-selling backyard grills in America. The latest redesign adds Snap-Jet ignition and a more modern cart.
Weber
Weber SmokeFire EX6
The Weber SmokeFire EX6 is Weber's WiFi pellet grill, notable for reaching 600°F to sear and using a steep-walled firebox for direct grilling. The 2nd-gen revision fixed many early reliability issues. Note: this model is no longer sold new as of 2026. Its current equivalent is the Weber Searwood XL 600. (SmokeFire line discontinued 2024, replaced by Searwood; no new-stock retail, used units ~$350-700)
The Weber Master-Touch 22 is the upgraded version of Weber's iconic charcoal kettle, adding a hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate, a built-in thermometer, and a Tuck-Away lid holder. It's a benchmark backyard charcoal grill.
Weber
Weber Q 1200
The Q 1200 has been the default answer to 'best portable gas grill' for over a decade, and the review volume backs it up - it's one of the most-reviewed grills Weber sells. Unlike the thin folding camp grills it competes with, the Q is a real grill shrunk down: a cast aluminum cookbox that retains heat like a full-size Weber and porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that lay down legitimate sear marks on steaks and burgers. OutdoorGearLab has ranked it their top tabletop portable for years, and r/grilling threads about balcony and tailgate setups almost always land here. Honest limitations: one U-shaped burner means no two-zone cooking, so thick cuts and bone-in chicken take lid management and patience; 189 sq in feeds about four people; it drinks 1 lb canisters, so most owners buy the adapter hose for a 20 lb tank; and the low-profile grease tray will flare if you never clean it. The regulator's low-flow safety lockout (weak flames after a bottle swap) is the most common owner complaint, fixable with the well-known reset ritual. Against a Blackstone 22 you're trading griddle versatility for real grill marks and a lid.
The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22 is the iconic charcoal kettle that started backyard grilling in America, upgraded with a built-in thermometer, hinged grate, and sealed One-Touch ash catcher. It's the single most-recommended first grill on Reddit.