I needed to replace an old weber grill. I had decided to acquire a model that had the lid holder and a shelf. I wanted something with a small footprint I could store in the garage when not using. I found the performer model with the folding shelf to be exactly what I was looking for. Cooks great and now I can put the cover on it and store it in the garage when I am not using it. I have owned weber products for years. I have always found weber customer service to be great and another reason to stick with weber's great products!