As with all charcoal grills, your briquettes or lumps rest near the bottom of the bowl on a grate that keeps them off the base of the pit to allow airflow. We looked for charcoal grills with good heat retention, but that also allowed for easy airflow adjustments through dampers and vents or other functions like an adjustable charcoal tray. The main cooking grate is actually three separate pieces that can be lifted off of the grill for access to the charcoal tray—which has holes big enough to brush ash through. Below, a slide-out ash tray/shelf/drawer runs the entire width of the grill. Retailing at around $200, this grill is well-priced considering the upgrades from the original.
The dampers are made of aluminum and the hinged grill grates are made of heavy-duty plated steel. The Ducane Products Company began as the Ducane Brothers Metal Fabricating in 1946. It moved three years later to Little Ferry, New Jersey and manufactured warm air furnaces. When grilling things like hot dogs and hamburgers, you don’t need to put the lid on. I prefer the weber, coated cast-iron grates to the plated steel grates the Original Kettle comes with, but there are worse things, and the plated steel still cooks relatively well. Because of the kettle-shape design, there’s no practical way to include a secondary cooking surface for cooking delicate items, warming buns, etc.
The steak on that grill needed an additional five minutes to get to a temperature of 135 F, the minimum for medium rare. Experience the evolution of the iconic Kettle where charcoal grilling meets low-and-slow smoking. With a push of a button, coals are lit and the smell of barbecue will soon embrace the neighborhood. Whether smoking, grilling, or even baking, the Summit® Charcoal Grilling Center is the answer to any craving and the ultimate backyard kitchen. Finish mixing salad on the side table while grates heat in preparation for the main course.
You can also raise the Nexgrill’s adjustable charcoal tray basket to its highest position. Because this grill is so popular, both Weber and other manufacturers offer a bunch of add-ons (such as charcoal baskets, pizza stones, and rotisseries) that increase its capabilities. Once we knew the Weber was our pick, we used a popular third-party accessory, the Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe charcoal basket, to smoke a rack of baby-back ribs. The grill performed terrifically, turning out tender ribs with great smoky flavor. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver to attach the side handles, and a hammer (or even just a chunk of firewood) to tap the end caps of the wheel axle into place. One person can have the grill up and running within minutes of opening the box.
Interior temperatures had a greater swing, jumping up to 300 degrees F during periods of cooking. While its ribs came out tender and juicy overall, the exterior bark had a few burnt spots. For our tests, each grill gets a full chimney of lit charcoal and a 6-pound chicken opposite the coals for indirect heat. We also compared how each of these grills performed in our grilling weber charcoal grill tests and evaluated other parts of the user experience, such as vent control and assembly. After testing and reviewing it for over 6 months, I can safely safe I’m a big fan of the Slow N’ Sear, however, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to make smoking feasible on a charcoal grill. Having said all of this, this upgrade is not necessary to smoke on the weber kettle.