Oh what a big hood you have!

A friend of mine dropped me a hint several months ago that Weber was readying a 26 3/4 inch kettle.  This week, the beast has been exposed!

I first found notice here, and then found it listed on Amazon for $299 with a list price of $349.  Wow.  This new kettle fits between the standard 22 inch and the super monstrous 36 inch Ranch Kettle.  I have always admired the Ranch Kettle, but the $1000 price point is a little unrealistic to me.  The 26 3/4 looks to be a happy medium.

Not that I need another kettle, but I am really curious to see this thing up close.  On busy summer nights, I often have both of my kettles fired up.  Perhaps one larger kettle means less use of charcoal for the same amount of cooking?  Yup, that's the argument I am going to make.  Buying a new grill now will mean less use of charcoal in the future.  Now if I can just work the math to show how long my charcoal savings will pay for the grill, I am in.