Weber Smokey Joe 14” Review

The Weber Smokey Joe 14 is a portable barbecue that is small yet powerful.

The Weber Smokey Joe has all of your grilling requirements covered, whether you’re tailgating at the ballgame or camping in the woods. It’s a portable grill that’s ideal for camping or cooking for a small party.

In our guide to the best portable charcoal barbecues for 2023, the Smokey Joe was barely defeated by the Jumbo Joe.

Constructed in the same manner as bigger Weber kettles, the Smokey Joe delivers the same high quality results that we have come to expect from Weber, one of the worlds most renowned and trusted companies.

Weber Smokey Joe 14” Overview

Because of Weber’s outstanding quality at a reasonable price, the Smokey Joe has been popular for many years.

The Smokey Joe has a 14.5 inch diameter triple nickel-plated grilling grate.

You may be asking why the diameter is 14.5 but the name reads 14, however this is just due to Weber changing the grill to better meet their marketing goals.

The diameter of the Weber Smokey Joe 14 is 14.5 inches.

To put that size in context, you should be able to accommodate three big steaks or six burgers at once.

The Jumbo Joe is very comparable, but somewhat bigger, and it has a handy grip that holds the top for transit or storage.

What we like:

• Durability The Weber Smokey Joe 14 is made to endure, and many customers say they’ve owned theirs for at least 10-15 years. You receive the outstanding quality of other popular Weber models at a fraction of the price, thanks to a comparable design and construction as the much bigger Weber kettles.
• Convenience The Weber Smokey Joe 14 is the way to go for small-capacity outdoor cooking. It’s compact, portable, and can be used almost anyplace. Take it camping, to the beach, tailgating, or just use it around the house.
• Easy to assemble There isn’t much to this small barbecue, and its simplicity works in its favor.

What we don’t like:

• There is no thermometer. While we don’t typically trust the thermometers often found in the lids of other Weber models because to their inaccuracy, the Smokey Joe’s lack of a thermometer is significant. Investing in a nice digital thermometer, on the other hand, is an excellent, rapid solution to this issue.
• Handles Handles on the sides of the grill to help with carriage would be a welcome addition to this design. If you need to move the barbecue after the coals have become hot, pull out some grill gloves to protect your hands from the hot body of the grill.

However, if you want to cook for bigger groups of people, you might consider upgrading to the Jumbo Joe or perhaps the Weber Kettle Original.

If you only intend on cooking for 2-3 people at a time or utilizing other barbecues at the same time, the Smoker Joe is an excellent portable grill.

Build Quality

One thing about Weber is that they don’t create a terrible grill. The Weber Smokey Joe 14 is no different. It retains the superb quality that we have come to anticipate from Weber.

It is made to last and comes with a ten-year guarantee. Many customers have owned their Weber Smokey Joe for many years, and it has withstood significant travel and the elements.

They are well-made and contain various elements, such as the porcelain enameled cover and bowl, that are intended to last.

Both types include a porcelain enameled bowl and lid that is baked on at over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit to fuse the finish to the steel and prevent corrosion and wear. The dampers on both the Silver and Gold models are made of aluminum, which is corrosion resistant and allows for simple management of air and heat.

The nylon handle is glass reinforced for easy removal and replacement of the lid during cooking. Both versions have a three-legged construction and weigh in at a relatively light 9.5 pounds.

Ease of Use

Quick and simple to assemble, the Weber Smokey Joe 14 will take you just minutes to put together, allowing you to get to grilling sooner.

The grill warms up quickly, and you can keep your coals hot by regulating the top vents (and the bottom vents on the Silver model). When you remove the top fully, the unrestricted air flow causes everything to become extremely heated.

It’s the small things that matter, therefore it’s worth noting that Weber provides a 31-page owner’s handbook chock-full of culinary advice and recipes that will have you experimenting with a range of various cooking possibilities.

cleaning may be a chore with any model, but we prefer the Silver model’s simpler to clean ash collector for a faster cleaning.

However, if we were doing more traveling, the Gold model outperforms the Silver in terms of portability owing to its Tuck and Carry Lid Holder.

You can even use the Smokey Joe as a smoker with a little imagination. To learn how it’s done, watch this video by Baby Back Maniac.

Weber Smokey Joe Silver

As we said before, the Gold model does not have an ash catcher, and its ashes cannot be removed until the coals and charcoal rack are removed first. This makes cleaning more difficult and cumbersome, but it may be a benefit to some since there are no ashes drifting about when cooking, as with the Silver model’s open plate ash collector.

The Silver model’s ash collector is helpful for quick cleaning, but be aware of how much the ashes fly about while cooking, since they might not only seep into your food but also block up the vent holes of the bottom ventilation.

The locking lever that locks the lid of the Gold variant is an excellent feature that may be worth the few more dollars for this model. It is quite useful while you are on the run.

So, which model is right for you?

Choose the Gold if you travel regularly and want a barbecue that is built to be carried. Get the Silver variant if you want to use your Weber Smokey Joe in the backyard rather than on the move.

Should You Buy the Weber Smokey Joe 14”?

The Weber Smokey Joe 14 is an ideal portable barbecue for small-capacity cooking. If you’re a griller on the move searching for a grill that will handle your camping, tailgating, or picnic requirements, the Weber Smokey Joe 14 is the barbecue for you.

It provides high-quality cooking at an affordable price and is constructed to endure without the need for extra bells and whistles.