Weber motorises charcoal airflow with the Performer Premium Smart

Weber is bringing part of the automation found on modern smokers to a charcoal kettle. The 57 cm Performer Premium Smart uses a Wi-Fi-enabled LCD controller and a fan that adjusts airflow into the coals. Temperature can be set and monitored through the Weber Connect app. Rapidfire Assist helps the barbecue preheat after the fire starter has been lit. There are two built-in probe ports and one food probe is included. Manual dampers remain, and the barbecue can still be used without the smart features. It is therefore still a proper charcoal barbecue, built into a cart with storage, a Weber Works side table and a lid holder. What really changes is the management of oxygen. The fan may reduce the number of adjustments during a long cook, but it does not decide how much charcoal to load, how to arrange it or when the fire is clean and ready. Those choices still affect runtime, heat output and smoke quality. Weber’s UK listing currently shows a price of £719, a 57 cm grate, one included probe and a ten-year limited warranty. Buyers elsewhere in Europe should still check local availability, pricing and app support. Our provisional view: an interesting option for cooks who want to keep charcoal flavour and fire craft while delegating airflow monitoring.