Weber Jumbo Joe 18" Review
A proper kettle shrunk to 18 inches with a lid lock that turns the lid into a carry handle. It cooks like a kettle because it is one, which is not true of most portables.
- Real kettle geometry, real lid, real damper
- Lid lock becomes a carry handle
- Enough area for a genuine cook
- Very cheap
- Single bottom vent, coarser control
- No ash catcher
- Short legs, needs a heatproof surface
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Why this over a folding portable
Most travel grills are open trays with no lid, so they can only do direct high heat. The Jumbo Joe has a domed lid and a working damper, so you can cook indirect, roast a chicken and control the fire. At 240 square inches it will do roughly six burgers, which is a real cook rather than a novelty.
Sizing note
The smaller Smokey Joe is 14 inches and genuinely tight. If you are carrying it any real distance the Smokey Joe wins on weight; for a car boot, a campsite or a small balcony, the Jumbo Joe is the better cooker for very little extra money.
Buying one in the UK
Weber UK does not list the Jumbo Joe, and when we checked in October 2026 we could not find a UK retailer selling it. In the UK the nearest equivalent is the 37cm Smokey Joe Premium. See our best portable charcoal grills for the models you can buy here.