WeberSmokey Joe Bag, Black

Great Weber quality grill. No bottom holes for ashes or embers to fall out of. Has a nice lid holder when using the grill. The handle also locks the lid in place when storing. Easily cleans up. Great for RV or camping trips

Spent a long time thinking before I finally decided to go with gold.I do like the silver because:-ash tray: convenient to dump ash, leaving the grill clean. A big plus for convenience. I hate to deal with the ash.-ventilation at bottom: increased airflow, assurance to start the fire and reduced cooking time.I like the gold model because:-handle: securely lock the lid, easy to transport even with hot or warm charcoal.I'm a little bit concerned about the ventilation on the gold model.Eventually,I got gold and I'm happy with my choice. Here are the results:-Portability: I realized, after a few use, that portability is why we buy grills at this size. Note that without side handles, the only way to move a hot or warm grill, is to use the handle. I've been using smokey joe on a few short trips and realized how important that it. I cannot wait a long time for the grill to cool down entirely before moving it. Even at home, with the handle, it's easier to move between my garage and backyard. The handle can also be used to lock the lid while cooking, that's also convenient.-Ventilation: I use a weber starter anyway to start the fire. No issue at all. Cooking with the lid on and with side ventilation open works just fine, in fact, since charcoal is closer to food now, it cooks very quick. I didn't have problem in the past with a lousy cheap grill without ventilation at all, and now, with smokey joe, I'm happy enough with the side ventilation.-Ashtray: yeah, I do miss the fancy ash tray. But on the other side, no need to worry about ash while moving it around.Overall build: Smokey Joe is a well designed, solid build grill. It's heavier than I thought, the legs are now made of steel instead of aluminum as previously reported. Surface is well coated and easy to clean, but I still put aluminum foil at the bottom to save a little effort. While you can spend 30+ dollars to buy a wonderful grill that you will enjoy and will last, why buying the 15 dollar cheap ones from you know where. I expect to enjoy the smokey joe for the next 10+ years, so the TCO is actually lower, isn't it.I'm now a happy camper, and hope this review will help to cut down the hours of thinking between gold and silver.

I originally bought this small/portable grill for a desert camping trip. I already have the 18" Weber charcoal grill, and I've been using their grills as far back as I can remember.This little grill worked great for supporting my cast iron skillet, which cooked-up (3) pounds of bacon for a group of 12 people. It took a few (5) rounds, sure, but it did the job, and on a single load of coal. Nothing is more annoying than stopping 1/2 way during a grill session to add more coal. I was surprised that I didn't need to, considering the size.I didn't bother trying to use this on the extremely windy days out in the desert, which (for the sake of this review) I wish I had. We had propane stoves which worked surprisingly well (even in the heavy wind), despite some of the negative reviews I read about those products on here. This is definitely not a 3-season camping grill, so I didn't have those types of extreme-weather expectations to begin with, and won't down-rate it as such.Being a bachelor, this lil' grill has pretty much replaced my 18" grill here at home. It requires much less charcoal, gets hot much quicker, and works more appropriately with the Weber Chimney coal-starter contraption.The most important lessons-learned after years of owning Weber Charcoal grills: Never leave the Cover-vents open (if outdoors) during rainy season. Even if the grill doesn't get directly rained upon, the moisture build-up in the air will cause the cooking-grill to rust, and you will want/need to replace it. They are cheap, so it's not a big deal, but it can be prevented!I generally replace mine every year or 2, regardless, but the legs, grill pit, and cover components tend to last for years and years. I've had the same 18" grill for about 6 years now, and see no signs of rust to the legs, grill pit, or cover areas. Weber makes some pretty awesome grills!

I have always wanted this small one for the on the go. It's perfect for camping or tailgating. I love the securing the unit and the way it holds the lid. It's the perfect size for a small family Great Job.

I have owned a Weber Smokey Joe Grill in the past and enjoyed the convenance and portability. But I was foolish enough to loan it out to friends from time to time and eventually it vanished. Today, many years later, I find myself thinking back on that grill and how much I enjoyed it. So I decided to add another one to my grilling arsenal. I ordered the Premium edition and when it arrived the ceramic coated base had an impactdent of substantial size. So I arranged to return it and promptly ordered another one. Two days later, the second one arrived this time with a heavily damaged lid! Fortunately, I hadn't sent the first grill back as of yet so I combined the two into the complete, undamaged product that I expected. Now the damaged components are in one box and are going back.And for that reason, I am giving the product four stars out of five. But I also want to clarify that the damage isn't the result of Amazon's shipping. In both instances the damage was packaged in a Weber USA factory box with no visible wear and tear. I've had this same problem in the past with Weber grills arriving damaged, seemingly at the factory. Afterall, it's strange to open a solid and sound box containing a Genesis side burner buried deep within a larger box and the unit looking like a truck had run it over! Apparently ordering from them is a crap shoot, which I find annoying, but they do back their products and I have had no problems in the past with calling their CS and getting damaged parts replaced promptly. I love Weber products and still wouldn't consider any other brand for the price point.