We moved the remaining coals to one side of the coal grate and added half a chimney’s worth of freshly lit coals. In effect we were testing whether the grills could function as ovens—a really nice feature in the hot summer months, when you may not want to warm up your kitchen. The first bite of tender, fall-off-the-bone meat makes taking it low-and-slow worth every moment. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking multiple items at once, and easily adjustable dampers for precision heat control. There’s nothing quite like the smell and taste of a charcoal grill in the summer.
From burgers to chicken to slow-smoked ribs, this Weber model’s time-tested design produces great results—at a terrific price. SAVE TIME WITH LESS SCRUBBING- No one likes cleaning up, but it’s a fact of life. Luckily, stainless steel is much easier to clean and maintain than nickel plated steel. This means you spend more time chillin’ and grillin’ than cleaning the grill grate. The Slow N Sear from SnS Grills converts a Weber kettle into a slow smoking machine. You can hold “Low and Slow” barbecue temps for about 10 hours on a single load of charcoal.
Use these hooks to hang your grilling utensils like your tongs, grill forks, and spatulas. Kit for your Weber kettle-With this rotisserie ring kit, you can roast chiken on your grill like a pro. One of the fun parts of falling in love with your kettle is finding new ways to make it even better. Here are some of my favorite Weber charcoal grill accessories that would be great upgrades and welcomed gifts. I’ll continue to use my gas grill for weeknight dinners, but turn to the Weber when hosting things that I want to feel more like an event. In doing so, hopefully my kids will absorb the same Dad-imbued, charcoal-infused summertime impressions that waft through one’s memory for a lifetime.
Cleaning this grill is easy thanks to Weber’s One-Touch cleaning system—a lever-controlled tool that forces ashes down into the ash pan or catcher for easy cleanup—and the enclosed ash catcher. Assembly is pretty straightforward and additional assistance is available through the BILT app. All s come with a limited 10-year warranty covering rust and burn-through of the body . Smoking is a process in which meats are cooked at a much lower temperature for an extended period. Testing charcoal grills requires a lot of hands-on cooking, and your results will obviously vary based on your technique and ingredients, among other factors.
Despite the distance from the heat, meat still seared well on this grill because it ran so hot. It took over an hour to get this grill from 400 degrees Fahrenheit to the 300-degree range. And, yes, I totally love those few features; not having to hand-scoop the ash is a blessing, and the lid hook will save you from dents and scratches. Plus, the size-to-weight ratio is fabulous; there’s a lot of grate space, but it’s light enough to move it around to wherever I feel like grilling. Heat control is relatively easy with both top and bottom vents. There’s a learning curve, of course, when it comes to controlling heat on a charcoal grill, but once learned, it’s plain sailing from there.
It’s difficult to fit many racks of ribs on a standard 22-inch Weber. The Rib-O-Lator solves this and acts as a horizontal rotisserie for whatever you’re cooking. Broadrick says that consistency has elevated the charcoal grill into something more.
At $129, Weber’s original, kettle-style charcoal grill continues to stand the test of time. In our high-heat searing tests, Weber delivered the best balance of seared exterior and medium-rare interior steak. The Weber kettle grill gave us tasty chicken too, with crispy chicken skin.
Between them, I’d say it largely depends on your budget and what style of grill you prefer for other meats like burgers or steak. We fired up models from Weber, Nexgrill, Napoleon, KitchenAid, Char-Griller and others to find out which charcoal grill is king of the cookout. For the same reason, don’t let your charcoal grill sit out in the rain, as the resulting lye will quickly corrode any metal it touches. Instead, bring your grill into a garage, put it under an awning, or tent it with a grill cover . The Weber grill has three legs—an inherently stable design, because having three points of contact means the legs will automatically “find their level” even on bumpy ground.
While we found both Weber grills to cook flawlessly, the upgrades on the premium model make the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill our top charcoal grill of 2022. This high-tech model offers 560 square inches of cooking space, and its reversible cast iron grates can be used for both smoking and searing. This charcoal grill can hold up to 13 burgers at portable bbq a time, and you can monitor the internal temperature using the built-in lid thermometer. This Performer Deluxe grill has an electronic charcoal ignition system and a removable timer that mounts to the side work table. Additionally, there’s a convenient charcoal storage bin integrated into the design, as well as the brand’s one-touch cleaning system.
The grill grate on a Napoleon is made of a thicker and flatter cast iron, which is an upgrade from the usual lightweight, stainless steel grates you see on most charcoal grills. However, it takes longer to heat up and is a different cooking experience from traditional charcoal grills. During our tests, we were only able to get our hamburgers to cook to rare, and our chicken did not sear and crisp up as well as it did on all the other grills.