Are you talking about the Weber "smokey Joe" ? I have one of those also.
That's what I have. The classic Weber grill... round... black...
Maybe there is a little charcoal taste sacrifice, but not enough to deal with the mess!
Not worth the sacrifice! And no mess, really... I just dump the ashes in my garden. It's good for the soil and keeps away garden pests.
I used to have a gas grill and got rid of it. You always run out of gas when the store is closed... and the little gas tubes always got clogged with spider webs. Bah...
I'm talking about the cheap-o $3.99 Wal-Mart specials. Use the grill a few times & out it goes
I've had them too. They work great too, especially for camping or the beach. And when they die you just chuck em.