Weber Original Kettle 22 vs Original Kettle Premium 22
Same bowl, same 363 square inches, same warranty. The Premium costs more for a hinged grate, a lid thermometer and a closed ash catcher. Two of those three are worth paying for, and only if you cook a certain way.
Every figure in this table was read off weber.com on 25 July 2026, from the specification and warranty panels for part 741001 and part 14401001. Both are current models sold at full list price. Nothing here is converted, averaged or rounded, and nothing comes from a retailer listing.
| Specification | Weber Original Kettle 22"Winner | Weber Original Kettle Premium 22" |
|---|---|---|
| Primary cooking areaSee footnote 1 | 363 sq in | 363 sq in |
| Total cooking areaSee footnote 1 | 363 sq in | 363 sq in |
| Bowl diameter | 22 in | 22 in |
| Grate material | Plated steel | Plated steel, hinged |
| Bowl and lid material | Porcelain enamelled | Porcelain enamelled |
| Ash catcher | Not published | Enclosed, high capacity |
| Lid thermometerSee footnote 2 | Not listed | Built-in |
| Wheels | 2 | 2 |
| Dampers | 1 | 1 |
| Assembled widthSee footnote 3 | 22.5 in | 22.5 in |
| Assembled depthSee footnote 3 | 25 in | 27 in |
| Assembled heightSee footnote 3 | 39.5 in | 39.5 in |
| Warranty | Bowl and lid 10 years, no rust through or burn through. One-Touch cleaning system 5 years. Plastic components 5 years, excluding fading or discoloration. All remaining parts 2 years. | Bowl and lid 10 years, no rust through or burn through. One-Touch cleaning system 5 years. Plastic components 5 years, excluding fading or discoloration. All remaining parts 2 years. |
| Colour | Black | Black |
| Where to buy | Check at Amazon.com | Check at Amazon.com |
- Weber publishes the same figure for primary and total cooking area on both kettles. Neither has a warming rack.
- Weber's specification table for part 741001 has no thermometer row and its feature list does not mention one. Recorded as published rather than as a measured absence.
- Weber measures with the lid closed.
Which one, in one line
You cook over direct heat most of the time. The standard kettle. Same bowl, same grate area, same warranty, $80 less.
Ribs and pork shoulder are why you are buying charcoal. The Premium, for the hinged grate alone.
The grill will live somewhere exposed. The Premium, for the enclosed ash catcher.
Everything below is why.
Underneath, these are the same grill
Weber lists 363 square inches of primary cooking area for both, and 363 square inches of total cooking area for both. Same 22 inch bowl, same 22.5 inch width, same 39.5 inch height, same two wheels, same single damper, same porcelain-enamelled lid and bowl.
The warranty is identical down to the clause. Ten years on the bowl and lid against rust through and burn through, five years on the One-Touch cleaning system, five years on plastic, two years on everything else. Retail listings muddy this: Amazon gives the Premium a "10 year limited warranty" and the standard kettle a line of boilerplate, which reads like the cheaper grill is covered for less. It is not. Weber covers both the same way.
The Premium's extra two inches of depth, 27 against 25, is the ash catcher hanging off the back. It is not cooking room.
What the extra $80 buys
Weber lists the standard kettle at $149 and the Premium at $229, both read from weber.com on 25 July 2026. Street prices move, so check the current number before you decide.
Three things, and they are worth ranking, because only one of them changes how the grill cooks.
The hinged grate, which is the one that matters
The Premium's cooking grate flips up on both sides.
On a hot and fast cook that is worth nothing, because you never add fuel. Burgers go on, burgers come off, the fire outlasts them. On anything long enough to need a second load of charcoal it is the difference between dropping briquettes through a gap and lifting a grate covered in food with one hand while you hold tongs in the other. On a six hour cook you will do that three or four times.
If you already know you want to cook ribs and pork shoulder, this feature alone justifies the Premium and you can stop reading here.
The ash catcher, which is decided by where the grill stands
Both kettles have the One-Touch cleaning system and both sweep ash into a catcher underneath. The standard kettle's catcher is open. The Premium's is enclosed, and Weber describes it as wind-proof.
On a sheltered patio that is a nice-to-have. On an exposed deck in a breeze it is the difference between emptying a bin and chasing ash across the yard. This one has nothing to do with how you cook and everything to do with where the grill lives.
The lid thermometer, which should not sell you anything
Weber lists a built-in lid thermometer on the Premium, and lists none on the standard kettle.
A lid thermometer reads the air under the lid, several inches above the grate. That is not the temperature your food is sitting in, and it is nowhere near the temperature inside your food. It is useful for spotting a trend and that is the whole of it. An instant read probe costs a fraction of the $80 gap and answers the question the lid dial cannot, so do not let this line item carry the decision.
Who should buy which
Get the standard Original Kettle if:
- You cook over direct heat most of the time
- Your longest cook is a whole chicken with the coals banked to one side
- You would rather put the $80 towards a chimney starter and an instant read probe
Get the Premium if:
- Ribs, pork shoulder and low and slow are the reason you are buying charcoal
- You know you will be adding fuel partway through a cook
- The grill lives somewhere windy or uncovered
Common questions
Is the Premium bigger? No. Both give you 363 square inches. The Premium measures two inches deeper because the ash catcher hangs off the back, which is not cooking room.
Does the standard kettle come with a worse warranty? No. The two warranties are identical clause for clause. Retail listings sometimes imply otherwise, and they are wrong.
Is the hinged grate worth $80 on its own? On long cooks, yes. On weeknight cooking it is worth nothing at all, because you never open the fire back up. This is the entire decision in one question.
Which one holds a low temperature better? Neither has an edge. Same bowl, same single damper, same vent hardware. A kettle will hold low and slow, and it will ask you for vent adjustments the whole way. That is either the appeal of charcoal or the dealbreaker, and it is worth knowing which before you spend anything.
When the other one is the better buy
The Premium is the better buy if you cook low and slow on charcoal. Its grate hinges up on both sides so you can drop in fuel without lifting a grate covered in food, and on a six hour cook you will do that three or four times. It is also the one to get if the grill lives somewhere exposed, because its ash catcher is enclosed rather than open.