Weber Jumbo Joe vs Smokey Joe

Choose the Jumbo Joe Premium when a 363-square-inch grate matters enough to transport a nearly full-height grill. Choose the Smokey Joe when 147 square inches fits the food and compact storage matters more. Its 17-inch closed height and locking lid make it the easier object to move, but actual carrying comfort depends on the route, load and person doing the lifting.

What each grate actually cooks

363 square inches on a 22 inch diameter. That is the same cooking surface as the full size 22 inch kettle, unchanged, which is the whole reason this grill exists. Portability got paid for somewhere else, and not out of the grate.

The Smokey Joe provides 147 square inches on a 14-inch grate. That can suit a small batch, but food shape and the space reserved for a cooler zone decide the real capacity. Indirect cooking is more constrained than on the 22-inch bowl; it is not impossible, and Weber's instructions for the exact setup should take priority over a generic claim about the diameter.

Neither grill has a warming rack. On both, the primary and total cooking area are the same: one grate, with no upper shelf included in the total.

If the grill is never leaving the yard, 363 square inches is available without paying for the travel frame, and that argument is the Original Kettle comparison.

Which one fits in a car

The Smokey Joe is 17 inches tall, 14.2 wide and 16.5 deep with the lid closed. The Jumbo Joe Premium is 38.6 inches tall, 22 wide and 24.8 deep. Do not assume either fits a particular car: measure the cargo opening and the clear space inside, then leave room for a stable, fully cooled grill that cannot shift during transport.

Bulk and grip matter alongside weight. Listed assembled weights conflict, so judge the route and handles in person if lifting ability could decide the purchase.

The Jumbo Joe Premium has two wheels and two handles, so it rolls across a firm surface before it has to be lifted. The Smokey Joe uses one handle and a locking lid. Neither design guarantees an easy carry over sand, steps or a long distance; plan the whole route, not just the space in the car.

What the lid lock does that a lid hook does not

Tuck-N-Carry is a name somebody was paid to write. It is also exactly what the part does: the lock holds lid to bowl so the grill travels as one closed object, then doubles as a lid holder during the cook. The Jumbo Joe Premium gets a lid hook instead, which parks the open lid on the side of the bowl.

Both designs keep a hot lid off grass or another unsafe surface during the cook. Only the Smokey Joe locks lid to bowl for transport; the Jumbo Joe's hook parks the lid while open. That difference matters if containing a fully cooled grill for a short carry is the priority.

Are they built the same underneath?

Both use a plated-steel cooking grate, lid and bowl vents, and an ash catcher. Weber publishes the same headline warranty durations for each: 10 years on bowl and lid against rust-through and burn-through, 5 years on listed cleaning-system and plastic components, and 2 years on remaining parts. Check current terms and exclusions for the exact model.

The shared materials and warranty terms do not prove identical real-world durability. Transport adds its own risk of chipped enamel or bent parts, so secure a fully cooled grill and keep other cargo off the lid.

What each one asks of you once the box is empty

Charcoal is the standing tax. A chimney starter, a bag of briquettes or lump, and a plan for the ash. Neither grill lights itself. Neither cleans itself. Buy a chimney starter once instead of buying lighter fluid forever. On a 14 inch bowl the chimney matters more, not less, because one load of coals is most of the fire you are going to get.

Both grills have an ash catcher, and both still need safe cleanup. Let the grill and every coal cool completely, then follow Weber's disposal and transport instructions. Do not enclose warm ash in a vehicle, plastic liner or other combustible container.

Storage is the quieter cost. The Smokey Joe lives on a shelf. The Jumbo Joe Premium is 38.6 inches tall and stores like a grill, because it is one.

Plated steel rusts where the plating wears through. Porcelain enamel chips when a bowl gets knocked around in a trunk. Both are the class behaving normally rather than a defect, and both are an argument for a cover and for never stacking anything on a lid in transit.

Size and carrying decide this

Compare current prices only after checking that the grate fits your food and the grill fits the storage and transport route. A compact grill that forces unwanted batches and a larger grill that never leaves home are both poor savings.

Who should buy which one

Get the Jumbo Joe Premium if:

• One grill has to work at home all week and travel on weekends
• Your typical away-from-home cook needs the larger grate
• You have measured a safe transport and storage route for the full-height frame

Get the Smokey Joe if:

• Your typical food layout fits the smaller grate
• Compact storage and a shorter carry matter more than grate area
• Storage is tight at home as well as in the car

If the grill is never leaving the patio, buy neither. Portability is the only reason this pair exists, and you pay for it in grate area or in bulk with no third option. Start at the charcoal grills page instead.