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Weber-Stephen Products LLC, commonly known as Weber, is an American company that makes charcoal, electric, and gas outdoor grills and related grill accessories. For over 120 years since 1893, Weber has made some of the world’s most trusted grills.
We’ll be taking you through a comparison between the Weber Master Touch vs Premium so that you know which is best suited to your grilling habits. Their catalog of charcoal grills consists of the following units:
- Original Kettle Charcoal Grill (18″, 22″, and 26″)
- Master-Touch Charcoal Grill 22-Inch
- Performer Charcoal Grill 22-Inch (Normal, Premium, and Deluxe)
- Summit Charcoal Grill 24-Inch (grill and grilling center)
- Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker (14″, 18″, and 22″)
- Ranch Kettle Charcoal Grill 37-Inch
Differences Between Weber Master Touch And Weber Master Touch Premium
The Master Touch series is the Weber Company’s mid-range charcoal grill. They have all the essential Weber-grill capabilities, a few enhanced features, and coveted gourmet grilling functionality. The superior operation and unmatched gourmet grilling performance are what make the Master-Touch the Weber Company’s most popular charcoal grill.
This article will compare the original Weber Master Touch grill to the new, improved Master Touch Premium grill to decide which one offers the best value for money.
Weber Master Touch vs Premium
| Weber Master Touch | Weber Master Touch Premium | |
| Price | $229 | $349 |
| Body | Enamel-Coated Stainless Steel, Aluminum Lid, Triple-Plated Steel Grill | Enamel-Coated Stainless Steel, Aluminum Lid, Triple-Plated Steel Grill |
| Size | 22-Inch (13 Burgers) | 22-Inch (13 Burgers) |
| Weight | 32 Pounds | 32 Pounds |
| Features | Gourmet BBQ Grill Grate, Ash Catcher, Vents, One-Touch Cleaning, Dual Charcoal Baskets, Lid Thermometer, Cool-Touch Handles, Removable Lid | Gourmet BBQ Grill Grate, Ash Catcher, Vents, One-Touch Cleaning, Dual Charcoal Baskets, Lid Thermometer, Cool-Touch Handles, Diffuser, Precise Accuracy iGrill, Fixed Lid |
Weber Master Touch
The Weber Master Touch vs Premium is a comparison revealing two similarly matched units. From their looks to overall performance, these are two grills that beat out all the competition. So let’s take a closer look at what makes the Master-Touch Weber’s best-seller and grill suited to beginner and experienced chefs alike.
- Price
At $229 for the Weber Master Touch, it’s hard to find another similarly priced grill that offers matched performance and features. However, when comparing Weber’s most popular grill to competing models from manufacturers like Cuisinart and Nexgrill, that’s roughly half the price of most charcoal grills.
- Body
You can expect the highest-quality manufacturing from the Weber Master Touch. It’s constructed from long-lasting stainless steel utilizing a tuck-away rust-proof aluminum lid.
The grill is triple-plated, granting it superior heat retention and a grilling surface that nothing sticks to. In addition, a porcelain-enameled bowl and lid enable all-weather grilling while granting your grill an outstanding aesthetic.
- Size
The Weber Master Touch comes in a single 22-inch (57-cm) size. The 22-inch size gives it a primary cooking space of 363 square inches and a total cooking area of 443 square inches. To make sizing easier to understand, the Weber Master Touch allows you to cook 13 to 14 burgers simultaneously.
- Weight
The Weber Master Touch weighs around 32 pounds (15 kilograms). Thirty-two pounds makes it a lightweight grill that’s easy to move around, perfect for outdoor grilling. In addition, two large wheels make wheeling the Master-Touch effortless and stable enough for one person to move by themselves.
- Features
Weber’s Gourmet BBQ grill utilizes triple steel layers and a hinged design to improve grilling functionality and performance. Nothing sticks to the steel grill grate. The hinge allows you to remove the grate and fit a range of accessories like a pizza stone or Ebelskiver pan instead, vastly improving the variety of cooking possibilities.
A removable rust-proof ash catcher ensures that there’s never a mess while grilling. Weber boasts that their grill is a one-touch cleaning product. The highly polished, enamel-coated surface couldn’t be easier to clean, while the Gourmet grilling grate also takes a light wipe down in most cases. Vents double as a one-touch cleaning system, shifting ash around so that it falls into the catcher.
There are two charcoal baskets that you can rearrange depending on what you’re cooking. This makes switching from direct to indirect heat in a flash easy. In addition, a high-readability thermometer is built into the lid of the Weber Master Touch, supplying reasonable accuracy that you can rely on.
The handles of the Weber Master Touch are glass-reinforced, providing durability and a surface that’s cool to the touch. Even the detachable id’s handle is coated with heat-resistant plastic. It is also vented, and there’s a convenient lid holder supplied. Smoking is a little easier with the Master-Touch standard, thanks to the detachable lid.
Weber Master Touch Premium
The Weber Master Touch Premium is the definitive grill for those who want to take their BBQ to the next level. It’s affordable, stylish, and offers many cutting-edge features that other grills don’t have. From the diffuser for smoking to the optional iGrill, the expansion possibilities for this unit are great. So let’s see what makes it such a strong contender for the best grill overall.
- Price
As a grill with a similar design and far more features, the Weber Master Touch Premium is slightly more expensive than the standard model. It arrives at around $349, which is $120 more than its entry-level counterpart. However, this still puts the Master-Touch Premium at under $500. The value for money blows the competition out of the water, but not everyone will need the additional functionality.
- Body
Both the Weber Master Touch and the Master-Touch Premium are manufactured from durable stainless steel. The bowl and lid are both enameled, allowing all-weather operation. A triple-plated grill grate grants evenly distributed heat and a rugged cooking surface that’s sure to last without being easily marred.
From the onset, both models look very similar to each other. However, it’s only when you look closer at the features and (optional) attached accessories that you notice the more advanced grill.
- Size
The Weber Master Touch Premium comes in a single 22-inch (57-cm) size, identical to the Master-Touch standard. The 22-inch size gives it a primary cooking space of 363 square inches and a total cooking area of 443 square inches, equal to its counterpart. To make this easier to grasp, the Weber Master Touch Premium allows you to cook 13 to 14 burgers simultaneously.
- Weight
The Weber Master Touch Premium weighs around 32 pounds (15 kilograms), identical to the Master-Touch standard. Thirty-two pounds makes it a lightweight grill that’s extremely easy to move around. In addition, all of the additional features have been integrated without changing the size or heftiness of Weber’s outstanding grill.
- Features
Like the standard model, the Weber Master Touch Premium is made from high-grade aluminum, coated with weather-proof enamel. The grill is made from triple-layered steel as well, and you get a high-quality removable ash catcher.
Cleaning is just as easy, with the vents clearing out leftover ash effectively. The unit takes nothing more than a wipe-down to clean in most cases. The two large wheels and stationary leg are the same stabilizing system used by the original Master Touch.
Unlike the standard model, the Weber Master Touch Premium’s vented lid isn’t removable. As a result, there’s no lid holder featured.
The heat-resistant lid handle is also positioned at the lid opening instead of atop your Weber. It does, however, have a spring mechanism that allows you to keep the lid standing open at 90 degrees. As a result, it’s slightly more cumbersome to smoke in this model, but it’s still fairly effortless, thanks to the functional design.
The same two charcoal baskets are provided to facilitate switching between direct and indirect heat. There’s also a thermometer built into the lid, just like the Master-Touch Premium for those who haven’t yet bought the iGrill accessory. Accuracy can’t be compared to the smart system, but it’s still better than most competing grills.
The Master Touch Premium comes with a diffuser to use your grill as a meat smoker. While smoking is possible without the diffuser unit, it does vastly improve ease-of-use and smoking performance. A stainless steel diffuser is seated atop the charred ring, ensuring that a steady low temperature is maintained, which is exactly what you need to smoke meat, fish, or vegetables to perfection.
The Weber Smart Connect Grilling Hub is another upgrade for the Master-Touch Premium that isn’t available with the standard model. Purchase Weber’s Grilling Hub for a step-by-step grilling assistant.
This kit transforms your Weber into a smart grill. It provides remote wifi, temperature and timing notifications, flips and serves indicators, and countdowns. In addition, two meat probes sense the temperature of whatever you’re cooking, delivering the results straight to your smartphone or tablet.
Weber Master Touch vs Premium – Which Is The Best?
When it comes down to the final verdict between the Weber Master Touch vs Premium, the best option depends on your budget and cooking habits. If you’re the type of person who pays fine attention to temperatures while using the full scope of possibilities of all your grill has to offer, then there’s no better grill than the Master-Touch Premium.
However, if you’re constrained by a limited budget or can’t see yourself splashing out for an optional upgrade, the more affordable Master Touch grants industry-leading performance that few other grills can compare to.