Scored on 339 verified owner verdicts, from 1,163 comments read across 4 communities
TL;DR
A beginner-friendly charcoal smoker that holds low-and-slow temps for hours with little fuss and lasts years. Capacity suits ribs, a couple of butts or a brisket; cleanup is the main knock.
76% of 339 verified owners recommend the Weber Smokey Mountain 18, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
1,163 comments reviewed · scored on the 339 clearest verdicts
76%
Recommend
256 owners
12%
Neutral
43 owners
12%
Don't recommend
40 owners
Last 6 months:62% recommend(39 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 20pts vs older reviews
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
78%
158
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer). They line up with what owners say on Reddit and forums — within a few points — so we count them here. When YouTube comments skew too far from other trusted sources, we leave them out.owner comments
74%
171
Other forums
70%
10
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
75%
4
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
1
Affiliate blogs here say 75% recommend, while the owner-based score is 76%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. Affiliate blogs is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Easy to use, forgiving, and beginner-friendly · 25 · 7%
Holds steady temperature for hours, nearly set-and-forget · 16 · 5%
Too small to fit large briskets or full racks of ribs without trimming · 6 · 2%
Who it's for
A great fit if
First-time smokers wanting an easy, forgiving charcoal smoker
Backyard cooks feeding a family of four
Cooks wanting rock-solid temps for long overnight cooks
Buyers prioritizing durability and simplicity over gadgets
Look elsewhere if
Cooks doing full untrimmed briskets or big-batch ribs
Anyone needing more capacity (step up to the 22")
Those unwilling to seal a leaky access door
Synthesized from what Weber Smokey Mountain 18 owners say — not a spec sheet.
Common questions
Will a full packer brisket fit on the 18 inch?
Not without trimming it down. Weber lists 481 square inches of total cooking area across two grates on an 18 inch body, and owners cut briskets shorter, bend racks of ribs, or separate the flat from the point to get the lid closed. Pork butts are the kinder fit, and one owner loads four of them for an overnight cook.
How does the 18 compare with the 14 and the 22?
Weber puts the 14 inch at 286 square inches of cooking area, the 18 at 481 and the 22 at 726. The 18 stands 41 inches tall with the lid on and takes up 19 by 21 inches of ground, and a cover comes with it. Owners who wanted untrimmed briskets are the ones who wish they had bought the 22.
What does the water pan actually do?
Weber's own description is that it helps regulate the temperature inside the smoker and adds moisture to the heat. It is porcelain-enameled and included, as is the charcoal chamber, which Weber says holds fuel together so it burns efficiently and keeps ash out of the dampers. Owners report holding 225 to 250 degrees for eight to twelve hours without fiddling.
Does the access door leak smoke?
It is a recurring complaint. Weber's fuel door is aluminum, and owners call it flimsy, describe one bending until it would no longer seal, and reach for felt or gasket tape to close the gap. Weber sells the 18 inch door as a replacement part, and on the warranty table it falls under remaining parts at two years rather than the ten that covers the bowl, lid and center ring.
Can it hold temperature through an overnight cook?
That is the strongest thing owners say about it, and 76% of 339 owners recommend it. Several describe setting 225 to 250, leaving it alone after the first couple of hours, and finding it still in range eight to twelve hours later, pork butts included. Wind is the exception, with one owner in an exposed spot unable to hold temperature past six hours.
How long is the warranty on this smoker?
Weber splits it by part. The bowl, lid and center ring are covered for ten years against rust through or burn through, plastic components for five years excluding fading and discoloration, and everything that remains, the aluminum fuel door included, for two years. Owners routinely report six, ten and fifteen years of use, well past the shorter terms.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
1,163 reviewed · 234 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I usually find a slight acrid taste to the food so I'll give this approach a try (assuming cleaner smoke).”
YouTube— neutral
“I’ve had my WSM 22” for a few years and absolutely love it, but I totally struggle with smoking on both levels.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“the 18 is an engineering masterpiece for several reasons”
YouTube▲ recommend
“Best $40 I've spent”
YouTube— neutral
“I LOVE mine, but IMO, there’s a design flaw.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Problem with the 18” is its diameter isn’t large enough to accommodate a rack of ribs.”
YouTube— neutral
“I have the 18 inch and it works great. But I find when I do ribs or brisket it’s really tight to fit the meat on the rack.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“The water pan is worthless.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“I learned on a Weber Smokey Mountain 18 and it has been serving me well for over a decade.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Weber has become proud of their name... I bought a different branded "tower" smoker from Academy for significantly less and got a number of years of use from it.”
YouTube— neutral
“The 18 I find is not deep enough for this.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I'm still using it today”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I've been running my WSM for about 14 years.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I have been using a Weber Smokey Mountain (18”) for about 15 years now. I have made a lot of tweaks on it over time, new side door, new gaskets, etc and it is still very difficult to regulate temperature.”
YouTube— neutral
“I've had the 18" for almost 20 years.”
YouTube— neutral
“Turns out that I really only needed 4-5 lit coals in the chimney to start the WSM. Anything more than that, I was reaching temps of 350-400 and I had to restart the whole thing over”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I don’t regret my decision one bit.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I currently use a Weber Smokey Mountain 18" with a blower to control temps, but it's so much work to set up -- and I'm tired of having to trim 8" off my briskets or cut racks of ribs in half so they'll fit.”
YouTube— neutral
“This the first smoker i bought. Loved everything i cooked on it. Only down side was getting the temp high.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I opened the lid and had black tar seeping off the lid! No way in hell are you getting that off with a wire brush since it’s a thick tar.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“i got huge regrets and now im fully invested again”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I recommend the 18 over the 22.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“My door is tending to leak a lot of air, and it's making my smokey mountain spike in temp a lot.”
YouTube— neutral
“What did happen is I essentially baked a brick, and it was a bitch to break loose.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“Weber Smokey mountain 18”. Fireboard 2 for temps. No fan or anything.
It’s a new smoker. Needs more buildup to seal it up. I need a door because a lot leaks out the door.”
