As the chicken cooked we monitored the grills’ temperatures, using the built-in thermometer where available and a probe thermometer where not. The goal was a steady hold at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and we adjusted the vents to get as close to that as we could. After 45 minutes, we flipped the chicken parts, slathered on a coating of barbecue sauce, and closed the lid for another five minutes. We repeated this step twice more, rounding out the cook time at an hour flat. Then we had a taste, paying special attention to the breast meat—a long cook can dry it out.
The resulting chicken was tasty, and the grill features really well-made cast-iron grates across its 365 square inches of cooking area. The lid houses a temperature gauge and a handy hinge that makes it easy to add charcoal. A potential downside is that charcoal grills are a bit slower to get started. “You have to set up the chimney, start the coals and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you can cook,” she explained. And scrub the grates every time — otherwise your food will taste like soot and you will not get great grill marks. Spark your passion for charcoal grilling with the Kettle that started it all.
The other day as I was cooking burgers in a far more antiseptic fashion on my gas grill, I started waxing nostalgic about these Weber Grill-related memories of mine. I decided I wanted to try cooking on one myself, to see if it was as good as I recalled. The PK Grills company has recognized the need for an update, and in February 2017, it launched the PK360, a bigger, slicker design with front access vents and a better lid attachment. It still has no significant backstop for the grates, however, and no bottom tray for catching ash—which means it just kind of pours out on the ground.
At $75 to $95 for a grill equivalent to the plain $100 Weber Original Kettle, they’re not much cheaper, and the quality just isn’t there. If the ash catcher weber genesis 2 is even slightly warm, the ash inside is still a fire hazard. Indirect grilling can produce a great roasted chicken—the Weber’s is a textbook example.
Weber’s scaled-up version of their classic two-wheel kettle is crafted of premium-grade steel and clad in heavy-gauge, rust-resistant porcelain enamel in slate blue. Features include a spacious cooking surface, convenient hinged cooking grate, painted metal worktable, lid holder, removable LCD cook timer and built-in thermometer. Touch-N-Go electronic gas ignition system lights charcoal briquettes with the push of a button . Includes two charcoal fuel holders and a weather-protected charcoal storage container. Charcoal grill has a one-touch cleaning system with high-capacity, removable ash catcher. Storage includes a lower wire shelf and three hanging hooks for mitts and tools.
It’s only $50 more, and to me, that’s money well spent considering how much easier it is to discard ashes, one of my least favorite things about operating my previous Weber. The built-in thermometer and dampers also enhance the cooking experience and justify the weber genesis 2 cost. According to McManus, you absolutely want a charcoal grill that comes with a lid as you greatly limit what you can make without one. Also look for ones that leave plenty of room underneath for cooking taller foods when closed, like a 14-pound turkey.
These units come with a 10-year warranty on the lid and bowl. This means that the buyer is entitled to free replacements if either of those components should burn or rust through during the first decade of use. Weber’s One-Touch cleaning system, present in both units, is covered for a 5-year period.