If your coals still have some life left in them, keep the grill covered and away from water; you can use them during your next grilling session. We noted similar temperature performance from the Nexgrill, along with similar rib results. Cooking ribs low and slow on the Nexgrill required just 4 hours, 30 minutes. Its rack weber charcoal grill came out well too, though like the Napoleon, its bark was more pronounced than what the Weber produced. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
I’ve used the charcoal snake to smoke on my kettle many times. It’s a fun rewarding experience, though to be perfectly honest I now never smoke on this grill because I tend to always smoke on my Kamado Joes. The bowl and lid are protected against burn-through and rust-through for 10 years. The one-touch cleaning system comes with a 5-year warranty, also covering burn-through and rust-through, plus you get 5 years on the plastic bits, not including fading or discoloring. The Weber Original Kettle is no more difficult to use than any other charcoal grill. In fact, it’s probably easier than most, given how roomy it is.
In our medium, indirect-heat chicken tests, the Nexgrill delivered flavorful, juicy meat as a close second to the Weber. And this updated model, when we used the charcoal snake method, demonstrated temperature control almost as good as the Weber. The legs and ash catcher slot effortlessly into built-in sockets and lock into place with idiot-proof spring pins—not a bolt or screw in sight. Weber even supplies a simple plastic tool to help you attach the thermometer without digging out a wrench. The Weber kettle is round, so you can spin the grate to adjust heat exposure.
Our favorite charcoal grill is the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22” Charcoal Grill. We also recommend the Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill 22” and PK Grills Original PK300 Grill & Smoker. Stack your charcoal briquettes in two rows of two weber gas grill deep along the inner wall of the grill. Throughout, we also tested accessories such as spatulas, tongs, grill brushes, and sheet pans, and picked our favorites. Doing so also helped us identify a few design strengths and flaws of the grills.
The thick cast-aluminum body holds and reflects heat efficiently, and it’s extremely sturdy and inherently rustproof. The shallow rectangular shape keeps the coals close to the grates, and its flat base works better for indirect grilling than sloped, round grills. It also has two vents each on both the top and bottom, allowing for better control over heat output. It was also impressively easy to assemble, and the built-in cart and shelves (there’s no cartless option) would be welcome on a patio that doesn’t have a worktable of its own.
That said, the Napoleon model’s four legs felt just as stable, and more stiff, on a garden-variety concrete patio, and also allowed Napoleon to install a big, square shelf underneath the grill. The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, which is far less useful. Up top, the Weber model’s lid vent is a simple disc of aluminum; you just flick it left or right to open or close the vent holes. Unlike the lower vents, this gets hot, so make sure to use a spatula or your tongs. Unless it was not an option (like with the PK Grill model), we opted to test versions of these grills without built-in carts or side tables. They can add unnecessary bulk and cost to a type of grill often chosen for being compact and cost-efficient.