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Has The Masterbuilt Gravity DETHRONED The Weber Kettle As GRILL King?

Smoking Dad BBQ

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The Weber Kettle is one of the most iconic charcoal grills ever made… but has the modern smart charcoal grill Tech in the Masterbuilt Gravity series finally passed it by?

In this video I compare the Weber Kettle head-to-head against the Masterbuilt Gravity Series to see which charcoal grill actually delivers the best mix of BBQ flavor, temperature control, smoking performance, grilling ability, cooking space and overall versatility.

We test:
🔥 Low and slow BBQ using the snake method vs digital gravity-fed charcoal
🔥 Lump charcoal vs briquettes for smoke flavor and heat performance
🔥 Crispy chicken skin, steak searing and rib capacity
🔥 Real-world BBQ usability, airflow and heat control
🔥 Whether “smart charcoal grills” are actually worth it

Along the way we’ll also look at what the BBQ community REALLY thinks about:

Weber Kettle mods and accessories
Gravity smoker reliability
Offset smoker flavor comparisons
Overnight cooks
Briquettes vs lump charcoal
Old school BBQ vs modern BBQ technology

By the end, you’ll know whether the Weber Kettle is still king… or if the Masterbuilt Gravity Series has finally dethroned it.

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Today’s video was produced with free product/sponsorship from - Masterbuilt and Weber as I did not purchase either of the grills used to complete these tests.

👉🏼 Did this video help you? Sharing this video with friends, groups, social media etc. helps others find me and is greatly appreciated! 🙏

Products Featured In This Video:

Masterbuilt Gravity Series XT / 800
Weber Master Touch Kettle 22”
Kingsford Briquettes
Lump Charcoal
Snake Method BBQ Setup

Topics Covered:

Weber Kettle vs Masterbuilt Gravity
Best charcoal grill
Best smoker grill combo
Gravity fed charcoal smoker
Lump charcoal vs briquettes
Weber Kettle smoking
Masterbuilt Gravity review
BBQ flavor comparison
Offset smoker flavor from a gravity grill
Old school vs smart BBQ
Snake method vs gravity smoker
Charcoal grilling and smoking

#weberkettle #masterbuiltgravity #charcoalgrill #bbq #smoker #webergrill #masterbuilt #grilling #bbqlife #smokingdadbbq

20 Comments

@tommycanuck8184 4 months ago Pinned

Hi James, thanks for the review. I’ve just bought the 800 about two months ago after a lot of research and investigation. Over the years I’ve owned a WSM, a cheap offset, propane box smoker and two Weber kettles. I still have the Weber kettles after nearly 30 years. I thought I would make a few comments in response other people’s comments and how I reached the decision to buy the Masterbuilt 800.

As noted by others, I was concerned about the build quality. Masterbuilt has had quality control issues with the switches on their doors and their fireboxes have burned out. Doing some research, I found that there are work arounds in the online communities. Also they’ve been in the market for over five years now and some of the dealers I’ve spoken to say that they aren’t seeing the same issues as frequently.

I really wanted a set and forget functionality of a pellet grill but the taste of charcoal and wood. James’ review helped sell me on the Masterbuilt. I’ve never thought that pellet smoked food tastes the same. Like James, I live in Southern Ontario and some of the aftermarket, USA made mods for the Weber are now too expensive or not available at all in Canada.

I have smoked for years on my Weber kettle and have had great results but I usually return to the snake method with briquettes. I get too much temperature variations with lump as different brands burn hotter than others. I don’t want to babysit my kettle during a longer cook.

My other comment is that someone wanted a comparison to the Weber Searwood. They aren’t available in Southern Ontario for the time being. I’ve tried with specialty bbq dealers (specifically Weber dealers) and the only thing they have on the floor is the problem-plagued Weber Smoque. One dealer told me that he could order a Searwood in for me, but the selling price would be more than the MB XT.

I’ve had nothing but great cooks with the MB 800 but it is a charcoal hog. That and you have to keep it clean to avoid grease fires. I may get the LSS mods one day if the tariffs ever go away. James thanks for the great review.

@bernardsbbq 4 months ago

Most importantly, the kettle does not need an electrical power outlet.

@boethius1975 4 months ago

That master built is great, but the kettle will never be obsolete.

@pabcast2175 4 months ago

See me in 10 years see who's grill is still working.... I'll keep my Webers

@raymond5152 4 months ago

Appel vs Pear comparison.. a Weber kettle is an icon. a legend. it can never be dethroned. When a “bbq” requires electricity, for me it has nothing to do with bbq anymore

@MrPanthers23 4 months ago

My 26" kettle, and a SNS does everything i need. Slow smoking, indirect high heat cooking, and if course searing steaks, this works great.

@tvideo1189 4 months ago

Wonderful comparison of a watermelon vs. a cantaloupe.

@patrickhenry236 4 months ago

I will say this as I have two family members that have the Master Built, and I have 5 kettles of various sizes and a WSM. The Master Built occasionally has control errors, is susceptible to grease fires, requires more work to clean properly, and internal parts can wear out.
Kettles don't have those issues. On top of that, even for my 37" Ranch kettle they are far more portable. I can load any in the back of my truck by myself and take anywhere. Kettles do cook with convection. That is the name of the game when it comes to charcoal and wood. Natural convection is not the same as fan powered, but it is still there. The aforementioned ranch kettle has given me the closest result to a custom offset smoker in terms of finished product. Finally, the parts that wear out are very low cost to replace.

My takeaway is the "problems" the Master Built supposedly solves are issues by people who don't know how to operate a kettle, or they want the pellet easy bake oven experience. Those aren't problems, they are preferences. I run lump or briquettes in my kettles without issue. I also run wood chunks or splits in them as well. If I had to narrow down the one issue I see with the video though is the treatment of only one size of kettle presented, or the cost per square inch. For the price of one 1000 series you can get a 22" Kettle and a 22"WSM or 26" kettle with it. Another option is three 22 inch kettles depending on the model for the same cost. Capacity is something to consider, but it must be considered by price per square inch to evaluate properly. End result, if someone likes the gravity series, know what you are getting and what to expect. If it fits your needs, enjoy the food off of it but remember technology is not a replacement for skill or effort. Safe grilling everyone.

@DirtbagLexi 4 months ago

You can absolutely use lump charcoal in a kettle with a slow n sear for smoking, just dial in the vents and monitor the temperature with a grill grate thermometer.

@jonathanbenke5053 4 months ago

Snake method is common, but so is the minion method with lump charcoal. I don’t think you are being fair…

@akm03051 4 months ago

The kettle will always be king, simplicity is what wins in a grill! In 10 years, that master touch will be destined for the scrap yard while the kettle will have many more decades of life left in it.

@JBSmoke1 4 months ago

The Weber kettle will not fade in the foreseeable future. It's a great starter cooker for beginners, and a great cooker for advanced BBQ cooks. It doesn't need power. It's a straight forward simple cooker that will always deliver the goods when managed right.

@herb7877 4 months ago (edited)

EXCELLENT presentation ! I started with the Weber kettle 30+ years ago. And then progressed thru several WSM ‘s and several gas Weber grills and even added a KJr.. have used several brands of briquettes & lumps. After numerous years and cooks I found each has their pluses & minuses. I do a fair amount of cooking for our good sized rv camping group so portability is a factor on some of my decisions. The WSM is my go to most of the time . When only 2-3 couples the KJr is in play. Both will smoke & grill very well. I don’t find the Kettle doing as well, and rarely use it anymore. BUT like the golfer looking for the perfect aide, putter,or driver I like to experiment around. After a lot of experience I’ve been able to please the group with just about everything though. I don’t dare show up without something! A good craftsman doesn’t blame his tools.

@greggeorge5170 4 months ago

Kettle always wins!

@kenb6102 3 months ago

This is definitely intriguing. But, I already have a Weber Kettle which I absolutely love. The two best things about it are the amazing flavor it produces, and the versatility. I have made practically everything in the BBQ world on it, with excellent results. The only disadvantages are the small size, which is fine because I'm usually just cooking for two, and the manual temperature control. However, the more I use it, the less I care about precise control, and I have noticed no difference in the quality of the end product. When you get right down to it, the temperature that matters the most is the internal temperature of the meat when you pull it. Another thing, and this is huge, is that there is absolutely nothing electrical, mechanical, or electronic to go wrong with it. You have convinced me to give lump charcoal a try though. I have always used briquettes.

@ChuckReynolds 4 months ago

should've talked about the 26" weber kettle.

@keithtuttle9154 4 months ago

I’m nearly 2 years into my Masterbuilt experience and have come to enjoy it as an option to my natural gas grill. Both have their strengths, my family have enjoyed anything smoked when I choose the MB. What can’t be understated IMO is the versatility of the gravity series, I’ve produced some amazing beef jerky with it.

@sethpettman5491 4 months ago

Hello James 👋 we have a mutual friend Angie, we go to church together 🙂 she told me about your channel which is awesome being that I LOVE to BBQ! I really enjoyed this comparison, but was going to mention a few things about the weber kettle. I've had the performer for many years now and there are a few things to note that help the weber succeed. For chicken, usually wings or thighs for me I find ripping hot/indirect is the best method, about 45 mins. I usually add some cherry or apple wood and heres the key piece I've found, put your lid vent over the food to pull the smoke overtop. If its over the coals, you lose smoke and heat. Hope this helps any of the new kettle heads out there 🙂

As for the comparison I can very much appreciate the masterbuilt and the strengths it has but I can help think you could get the same results on the kettle. Being that these are two different tools they need to be used a bit differently. I dont think you can use tge same strategy for both units and expect similar results (well maybe grilling) Low and slow will definitely not give you that crispy skin on a kettle unfortunately. That being said I've done a spatchcock chicken a few times and it always comes out crispy but needs to be cooked at a higher temp to achieve this because of the lack of air movement 👍

Anyhow, love the channel. New sub here and looking forward to watching more 🍻