Weber 1421001 Performer Charcoal Grill, Black
Editor | Jul 07, 2010 | Comments 5
- 363-square-inch charcoal grill with Touch-N-Go gas-ignition system
- Rolling steel-frame cart; work table; 3 tool hooks; lid-mounted thermometer
- 2 charcoal fuel holders; charcoal storage container; One-Touch cleaning system
- Requires disposable LP cylinder; Weber cookbook included
- Measures 28-1/2 by 50-1/4 by 40 inches
Product Description
The Weber Performer Charcoal Grill features a Touch-N-Go gas ignition system that ignites charcoal briquets with the push of a button. Organizational features enable you to keep your focus on the food, including an attached work table, a weather-protected charcoal storage container, a wire bottom shelf and three tool hooks. This grill is built to last, as demonstrated by the heavy-duty steel cart frame, heavy-duty plated-steel hinged cooking grate, no rust aluminum vent, a glass-reinforced nylon handle, two crackproof all-weather wheels, and two locking casters. Its One-Touch cleaning system with a removable black aluminum ash catcher allows for easy clean-up. Comes in black, green, and dark blue.
Weber 1421001 Performer Charcoal Grill, Black
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Filed Under: Weber Charcoal Grill
While I love my Genesis S-320, I decided I wanted to get in to charcoal grilling when time allows. Without question, I was going to buy a Weber, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with the One-Touch Gold, One-Touch Platinum (knowing I’d still buy accessories for both) or the Performer.
What really sold me was the propane ignition and the cart. Having this much workspace outside is invaluable, and I just don’t trust larger items like turkey to the tables on the One-Touch Platinum or the Weber 7413 Work Table that I would have got for the Gold. And when you compare the price of the Platinum to the Performer the only reason not to get the Performer is if you’re completely uninterested in the propane ignition.
Ordering from Amazon was the usual experience. With Prime, my Performer was on my porch two days after I ordered it via UPS. Despite being nearly 100 pounds, this doesn’t need to go through one of the local logistics companies that are usually used with big items, so that was a huge plus in my book.
After inspecting the box for damage, the first thing I looked for was where the Performer was made. As I thought (and in spite of what some have said on different grilling forums) it clearly says “Designed and engineered in the USA” right above “Made in the USA”. So, yes, the Performer is (as of April 2010, when Amazon shows this model number as “new”) made in the United States.
This being my third Weber grill, I didn’t expect the pieces to be pristine, and wasn’t shocked to see that there were a few minor paint scrapes, despite the box showing absolutely zero evidence of being mishandled. This is the same experience as when I bought my first Genesis at a local store, and my next Genesis, and… Basically, if you’re expecting every piece of a Weber grill to be scratch-free out of the box, you’re going to be disappointed, so be prepared.
Assembly was pretty straightforward. As they often are, the Weber manual was easy to follow and well illustrated. All you need to put this together is a hammer (for the wheels), a Phillips screwdriver, and a 3/8″ wrench. I put it together by myself in about 30 minutes with no problems at all. I was mildly amused (and at the same time, a bit annoyed) that the bottom of the kettle has post holes for legs. The only thing that’s different on the kettle between the Performer and One-Touch Gold is two metal flaps that let you mount it to the cart.
The Performer can use the “fat green” propane canisters that you usually see on camping equipment, as well as the type of canisters you’d usually use with a torch kit. I was quite disappointed to discover that the redesigned Performer still uses the old red-button “spark-plug” ignition, instead of the electric battery-based ignition used on all of their other grills.
That brings me to the loss of a star. There are a few other design problems with the Performer that are disappointing. The first, which I haven’t seen depicted in any picture of this item here or on Weber’s site, is that the propane tank hangs down below the control panel. It looks kind of chintzy, and frankly, at this price, it shouldn’t. The other design annoyance is with the holder for the top of the kettle. It’s almost all metal, and it’s quite rough. The first time you use it, you’re going to put some nice silver scratches on your black lid. I’m experimenting with high-temp silicone on the rough edges, to see if that solves the problem.
Another warning: At the time of this review, Weber’s site has a mix of pictures for the current Performer. Some depict the lid with a small, removable thermometer on the handle. Some (correctly) depict the more Genesis-like thermometer mounted between the handle and edge of the lid. Additionally, Amazon’s picture depicts the Thermoset surface as black, it’s really more of a grey color.
All things being equal, it’s a very nice grill. You get the sturdy cart, One-Touch cleaning system with ash catcher, hinged cooking grate, Char-Basket holders, gas ignition, and a place to keep your charcoal.
Is it a crazy-good value? Well… that’s hard to say. If you start off with a One-Touch Silver or Gold and start adding accessories, the price isn’t unreasonable. If anything, it’s like buying most of your accessories in one box. But if you don’t care a lot about the ignition or big cart, you’re probably much better off getting a One-Touch.
Rating: 4 / 5
I have been a gas griller for years — first propane and then a Jenn Air hooked directly to my house’s natural gas line. But I’ve always missed the taste of charcoal. My only hesitation was that I didn’t want to abandon the ease and convenience of flicking a switch to light a grill; charcoal by necessity involved some level of patience and work to get the coals properly lit.
No more. Weber charcoal grills have always been considered the best. This one has all the benefits of a traditional Weber grill — including a vast array of grilling accessories — but adds a touch of convenience. The LP-canister gas light assist feature is AWESOME. It eliminates the need to hassle with newspaper and a chimney, and banishes charcoal lighter fluid to where it belongs: the garbage. This grill lights coals quickly and efficiently. I don’t like that the Weber uses the old push-button igniter (instead of a battery system like more modern grills), but the gas light-assist system is so easy and convenient to use that these criticisms are easy to forget.
Another really nice feature is the integrated charcoal storage bin. It’s not airtight sealed, but since it tilts back and forth on a bottom hinge beneath the table surface, it’ll keep your charcoal reasonably dry and safe. The table is very generous, as well. It has enough room for platters of food, cooking utensils, spices, etc… The wheels and casters are smooth and allow the grill to be moved, easily and without much effort at all.
We purchased a pre-assembled grill, so I didn’t have the hassles that others have written about here. The grill looked nice — not perfect, but it’s a grill. C’Mon, you’re just going to get it filthy anyway (if you’re doing things right).
I only have two gripes with this model. First, the table surface is not smooth, likely by design. This makes it a very hard to clean surface, especially if meat juices or marinade spills onto it. Second, and by far the biggest gripe is the lid holder. The idea here is that, instead of a hook to hang the lid off the side of the kettle, the lid slides back and forth to the left, and is suspended there. Some of the customer images above show it in action. This is a GREAT feature, but it blocks access to part of the grill and makes flipping burgers somewhat difficult. I’ve found myself not using it and instead, placing the lid on the deck.
All in all, though, this is a great grill. It’s a bit more pricey than the standard Weber kettles, but the additional conveniences and features make everything worthwhile.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is my third Weber Kettle, haven’t worn one out in fact even my first 20 year old one is being used by a friend. I’ve upgraded twice and this is the best one yet. I’m a charcoal and wood griller
and the propane starter and charcoal bin along with all the bells and whistles work great. It’s well thought out and has survived 3 winters out in snow and ice. Love it.
Rating: 5 / 5
My husband had to have this grill. We have had small Weber’s and large gas grills, but this is the best of both worlds. If you like the taste of food grilled on charcoal but have trouble lighting the charcoal, this is the grill for you! It works great!
Rating: 5 / 5
I say this is ONE of the best grills ever, only because I already said that the Weber One-Touch Gold is the best grill ever in a previous review. These are both fantastic grills, but now that I have a Performer, with its added features, I will have to say it might be better than my Weber Gold. Why? Here are my reasons…
It has a gas ignition system. So I no longer have to use my Weber Chimney Starter which works great, but 5 minutes of gas burning under my pile of charcoal is much easier. Plus its one less piece of equipment I need cluttering up my garage.
It has a decent sized work area. The tabletop area on the Performer is very handy. My Gold does not have a shelf, so I keep it near a small table and use that as a work area. Thats one less piece of furniture I now have cluttering up my deck.
It has a thermometer on the lid. I love that feature! Normally I remove the lid, hold my hand over the coals, and start counting seconds to try to figure out what my temperature level is. Since I no longer have to heat up my hand to check temperature, my beer stays colder when I hold it. How can you put a price on a feature that important?
It has a wire lid holder instead of a small hook welded to the inside of the lid. I was okay with the hook lid holder but my wife always had a problem getting it lined up. I know, why is my wife even touching the grill? The Performers wire lid holder hangs the lid much higher, and is actually pretty handy if it is windy because it blocks the wind much better than the hook type lid holder which hangs the lid pretty low down on the kettle.
It has a storage area. I know the storage area is designed to hold charcoal, but I store my charcoal in the garage because when it is stored outside it tends to absorb moisture from the air. In the garage it stays nice and dry. I use the storage area to store some tools and I roll up the grill cover and store it there when I am cooking.
There is only one negative comment I have about this grill. Weber should have stayed with the 5 lb propane tanks. I am not a fan of using the 1 lb disposable propane tanks. There are two ways around this problem, the first is to get a hose and adapter so you can connect to a 20 lb propane tank. Or you can get a Propane Tank Refill Adapter and then use it to fill up the 1 lb disposable bottles from your 20 lb propane tank. That is what I do and I am able to reuse the disposable bottles over and over again.
In my opinion a Weber charcoal grill is superior to any other charcoal grill I have ever used. Maybe something even better will come along one day, but I cannot imagine what they could do because the Weber is already charcoal grilling perfection.
Now all I need is to get a Weber Kettle Rotisserie and I am all set. Fathers day is coming, are my sons paying attention???
Rating: 5 / 5