Weber Smokey Mountain Sizes, To Scale
The Weber Smokey Mountain is the bullet smoker that half of r/smoking learned brisket on, sold in 14-, 18-, and 22-inch diameters — each a porcelain-enameled charcoal smoker with two stacked grates and a water pan. All three run identically; the size question is purely about how much meat you hang over the fire and how much charcoal you're willing to burn to do it.
Drawn to scale from manufacturer dimensions. Ruler marks 12", 24", and 36".
| Size | Approx. price | Cooking area | $ / sq in | Size (W×H) | Weight | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokey Mountain 14 Formerly badged 14.5-inch; Weber now rounds the names. Includes both grates, water pan, and cover. Small charcoal ring means shorter unattended burns. Weight 23 lbs per Weber spec sheet (page omits it). | ~$289 | 143 sq in +143 | $1.01 | 14.7" × 31.4" | 23 lbs | a pork butt on top, halved ribs below — or a whole chicken and sausages |
| Smokey Mountain 18 The consensus first-smoker size: 12+ hour burns on one charcoal ring. Total 481 sq in across two grates. Weight 39.1 lbs per Weber spec sheet. Cover and water pan included. | ~$419 | 241 sq in +240 | $0.87 | 19" × 41" | 39 lbs | two pork butts, four coiled rib racks, or a packer brisket (draped early) |
| Smokey Mountain 22 726 sq in total. The charcoal-hog of the family — budget more fuel even on small cooks, and a bigger stabilization window. Weight 68 lbs per Weber spec sheet. Same grate diameter as a 22 kettle, so kettle grate accessories interchange. | ~$549 | 363 sq in +363 | $0.76 | 23" × 48.5" | 68 lbs | a packer brisket laid flat, or 6+ rib racks across two grates |
Which size, honestly
The 18 is the consensus sweet spot, and the classic 'WSM 18 or 22' thread almost always lands there for a household smoker. Its 481 total square inches (two 240 sq in grates) take two pork butts, four rib racks coiled, or a packer brisket — though a big 16-pound packer will drape over the edges of the 17.5-inch grate for the first few hours until it shrinks, a quirk owners universally shrug off. More importantly, the 18 is the efficiency king: a full ring of charcoal runs 12+ hours steady, it holds temperature almost unattended once dialed in, and at 39 pounds one person can still move it. At $419 it's also squarely in 'first real smoker' money, and its resale value is famously strong — WSMs basically don't depreciate if you keep the porcelain intact.
Go 22 if your cooks are measured in whole packers, plural. Its 726 square inches swallow a brisket laid flat with room to spare, or six-plus rib racks across two grates, and caterers love it for exactly that. The honest costs, straight from long-term owners: it's a charcoal hog (the huge ring and water pan mean noticeably more fuel every single cook, even small ones), it takes longer to stabilize, it's 68 pounds and bulky to store, and at $549 you're only $50 from a 26-inch kettle or within sight of entry pellet smokers. The r/smoking rule of thumb is blunt — buy the 22 for the cooks you actually do monthly, not the hypothetical block party. People who smoke for four and bought the 22 'just in case' are the subreddit's most reliable sellers of lightly-used smokers.
The 14 is the cult miniature: $289, 23 pounds, fits in a car trunk, and produces the same quality smoke ring as its big brothers. Two 143-square-inch grates take a single butt plus a rack of ribs (cut in half), which is genuinely enough for a small household, and tailgaters and campers adore it. Its quirks are real — the small charcoal ring means shorter unattended runs and more temperature babysitting in wind or cold, and a whole packer brisket is off the menu. Where it shines is as a second smoker for sausage/small cooks, or as the apartment-balcony rig where the 18 won't fit. All three ship with a fitted cover and the water pan; none includes a thermometer probe port fancier than a grommet, and none needs anything else to start smoking beyond charcoal and wood chunks.
Full reviews of these sizes
Size questions, answered
WSM 18 or 22 — which should I buy?
The 18 ($419) unless you regularly smoke multiple packer briskets or cook for 15+. It's more fuel-efficient, holds temperature steadier with less babysitting, and its 481 sq in handle two butts or four rib racks. The 22 ($549, 726 sq in) lays a packer flat and feeds a crowd, but burns meaningfully more charcoal on every cook — including the small ones — and weighs 68 lbs. Monthly big cooks justify the 22; occasional ones don't.
Can you fit a brisket on the 18-inch WSM?
Yes, with the classic caveat: a large packer (14-16 lbs) will drape over the edges of the 17.5-inch grate for the first couple of hours until it shrinks back — owners just let it, or lean it over a foil ball. Trimmed flats and smaller packers fit outright. If flat-laid full packers are your standard cook, that's the single best argument for the 22.
Is the 14-inch WSM too small?
For one or two people, no — a pork butt, a chicken, or a halved rack of ribs per grate is a real cook, and it's the best portable/tailgate smoker Weber makes at 23 lbs. The limits: no whole brisket, a small charcoal ring that needs more tending on long cooks, and wind sensitivity. It's the ideal second smoker and a beloved first one for small households.
WSM vs a kettle with a Slow 'N Sear — do I need the bullet?
A 22 kettle smokes competently and doubles as a grill, which is why r/smoking often tells first-timers to start there. The WSM's advantages are set-and-forget stability (the water pan and tall body buffer temperature swings for 10+ hour runs) and two grate levels of capacity. If you'll smoke more than about once a month, the dedicated bullet earns its footprint; the kettle route is better if smoking stays occasional.
What's included with a Weber Smokey Mountain — do prices include a cover?
Yes — all three sizes ship complete: two nickel-plated grates, the porcelain water pan, built-in lid thermometer, and a fitted vinyl cover. There's no cart or side table at any size, and serious owners typically add only a digital probe thermometer. Prices are Weber's direct MSRP ($289/$419/$549).