This 18-inch ceramic grill has thick walls that lock in smoke and moisture, and you can use it to grill and smoke food thanks to its tower-style vent and built-in lid thermometer. Of course, there are several other benefits to charcoal grills. They’re typically more affordable than propane, natural gas, and pellet grills, and they also burn hotter, allowing you to get a beautiful crispy crust on your food. Plus, because charcoal grills typically have a simple design, they’re less likely to break down, and when they do have problems, repairs are usually straightforward. We tested the 22-inch Weber charcoal grill in black, but Weber also offers an 18-inch version of its original kettle design. There are certainly fancier and more expensive grills to use for cooking, but for a balance of affordability and quality, you can’t go wrong with this classic.
In her spare time, you’ll find her planning her next trip, reading historical fiction, and seeing as much art as she can squeeze into a weekend. Ribs cooked weber portable grill on the Nexgrill had lots of bark but were juicy and tender inside. Stack your charcoal briquettes in two rows of two deep along the inner wall of the grill.
That’s because Weber offers so many models that choosing the right one for your yard can be a challenge. Its lid dampers allow you to easily control the temperature of the grill, and there’s enough room inside the bowl to manipulate your charcoal for precise cooking. When you’re done, empty the ash catcher before stowing the grill away (and keep in mind that cleaning it can get messy).
They’re versatile too since they can use either traditional charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal as fuel. Our last test is grilling barbecued ribs, specifically baby back pork ribs. This style of cooking requires strict temperature control over a period of multiple hours. Ideally, a quality charcoal grill (or any smoker) will keep its fire humming along close to 225 degrees F for as long as possible. Lidless charcoal grills may be good for simple grilling, like cooking burgers and shrimp over direct heat, but you need a lid to successfully roast turkeys and smoke ribs. The average full-size grill is around 400 to 500 square inches—plenty of room to make enough food for a backyard gathering.
Although cooking on charcoal requires a little more skill and labor, you don’t need a PhD to start the fire. Yes, you do have to remove ash but, unlike with gas grills, most of the grease that drips off food will burn up on the hot coals, rather than collect at the bottom. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gas grill—in fact, you can read about my favorite gas grills right here—but I’ll take cleaning a charcoal grill over a gasser any day of the week.
At $139, Weber’s original, kettle-style charcoal grill continues to stand the test of time. In our high-heat searing tests, Weber delivered the weber bbq best balance of seared exterior and medium-rare interior steak. The Weber kettle grill gave us tasty chicken too, with crispy chicken skin.
A top-of-the-line gas grill crammed with features for a complete grilling experience. Its package makes it easy to handle and bring along for a trip to a friend’s house. Its size makes it best for one or two people, though, so if you need a bigger cooking surface, look elsewhere.