Weber Smokey Joe Grill - good enough for me (an amateur)

To begin this review, I'll flashback to one fine summer afternoon in the not too distant past. My sister wanted to get a "barbecue occasion" together at my parents' house. But, alas, my parents had long ago dispensed with their old, rusty grill. Fortunately, I had my new Weber Smokey Joe Grill (TM) on hand. I shined it up, placed it in the front seat of my car, and braced for another wonderful "family fun day".

Once again, my new Weber grill saved the day. As an amateur barbecuer, I like this particular grill for various reasons:

1. It is inexpensive.
2. It is easy to assemble.
3. It is portable.
4. It is relatively easy to clean.
5. It is solidly constructed.
6. It is large enough to cook food for two or more people.
7. It comes with an instructional booklet.

(1) The grill cost me about $30, after sales taxes. I don't barbecue a whole lot, and thus have no need for some top-of-the-line BBQ Master 5000. (I'm sure if you really get into the science of barbecuing, you could probably spend about $1000 or more just on the machine.) I assume I will probably get to use it once every couple of months over the next five or six years. This comes out to less than $1 per barbecue (can you tell I'm an accountant?).

(2) The only assembly required was that of screwing the three "legs" and the bottom "catch pan" to the bottom of the grill. No tools were required, and it is possible to get it running in less than five minutes after opening the box.

(3) As I mentioned in my allegory above, it is possible to fit the grill directly on the car seat, or even in the trunk. You can bring it just about anywhere, from the beach, to the stadium parking lot, to even your parents' house. One note: it is probably best to place the grill on a table while barbecuing, it only stands about two feet tall.

(4) There are only five parts to the grill: the top lid, the grill, the small bottom grill that holds the charcoal, the bottom "bowl", and the "catch pan" below the "bowl". All parts are made of metal, and are relatively easy to empty or rinse.

(5) As I mentioned, all of the parts are made of metal and the entire grill appears to be solidly constructed. It is not flimsy and will not tip over easily, even though it is small.

(6) I am able to fit four regular-sized hamburger patties and at least four large hot dogs on the grill, and can cook them all at once. I believe that the grill is about 14 to 15 inches in diameter. In my case, it has proven that two rounds of cooking are more than enough to feed everyone present.

(7) I think that the instructional booklet was helpful to me, giving out basic barbecuing tips, and getting me started in the right direction. I was able to successfully avoid getting burnt or exploding anything in my first few experiences. It also explained the difference between "direct" and "indirect" methods of barbecuing, something I was unaware of.

Anyway, the Smokey Joe Grill from Weber has proven to be of great benefit to me. I'm sure its small size may prove inadequate for serious barbecuers and for those who want to entertain large groups of people. But for someone like myself, it is convenient, and it works perfectly fine.