Weber Performer Deluxe GBS Charcoal Barbecue 57cm
What’s the story?
This kettle-style charcoal barbecue is dual-fuel only in the sense that it features gas ignition, from a small canister. Lighting the coals is as simple as pushing a button… but you absolutely can’t cook on gas here, so it doesn’t work like the other hybrids in this test.
The round grill is a generous 57cm in diameter – thus the name – and can be replaced with a range of accessories from Weber, such as a pizza stone.
Is it any good?
Assembly was pretty easy, with just a couple of stubborn bolts; the construction is simple, thanks to the large kettle, and the design is impressive. On the left there’s a place to stow the lid, the grill has hooks so you can hang it up too, and the grill’s sides even flip up to allow access to the coals.
Lighting is easy and fast: you only need to use the gas for 5mins, then leave the coals for half an hour to turn white. Makes you wonder why other hybrids need the gas on for three times as long.
There are two semicircular charcoal baskets that can sit in the middle of the grill for direct cooking, or at both sides for indirect cooking. I did make a rookie error with their positioning at first, so one lit and one didn’t, but a look back at the manual made the mistake clear.
The single circular grill offers less cooking area than the others on test, but it feels like enough. And the results were, in a word, delicious.
I was curious as to how long that small gas canister would last, so I weighed it before and after lighting – and found I’d used 30g. The canister holds 445g, which equates to about 15 barbecues. Canisters are £30 for a pack of three, so budget 67p for the convenience of using gas to get your barbecue going.
Weber has a reputation for great kettle-style barbies and the attention to design detail is outstanding. Everything has been thought through and is simple and practical. If you’re happy cooking on charcoal, you won’t regret getting the Weber Performer Deluxe GBS.
£649 / go.stuff.tv/weber57
Key specs
● Charcoal grill with gas lighter
● 57cm diameter cooking area
● 122x111x76cm, 45.8kg
STUFF SAYS Gas is only for lighting the coals on this one, but it’s brilliantly designed ★★★★★