With open minds and lots of raw meat, we tested seven promising charcoal grills under $500. And to learn more about how we tested and what we looked for, scroll to the bottom. There’s nothing quite like the combo of enjoying the great outdoors while smelling the delectable aroma of fresh-grilled foods. A Weber charcoal grill makes the perfect addition to tailgate parties, camping adventures and backyard entertaining. When purchasing a new charcoal grill or smoker, understanding the different styles of Weber charcoal grills and what each type can do is important. No matter your grilling experience, use this convenient charcoal grill buying guide to select the charcoal barbecue grill that’s right for you.
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. A heavy duty rotisserie for the Ranch would certainly be lots of fun! I’m curious if two “Slow ‘N Sear” XLs would turn weber charcoal grill the Ranch into a serious smoking machine. The Slide a Side lid holder clips onto the side of your grill and creates a side slot where you can easily slide the lid so you don’t have to put it on the ground. This is my all time number one favorite accessory for my kettle.
It’s a high quality, stainless steel accessory that instantly upgrades Weber kettles and many other round, charcoal-burning cookers by enhancing two-zone separation and intensifying sear power. Toss in some wood chunks and smoke ribs low and slow on the opposite side over smokey, indirect heat. In addition to the enhanced performance for low-and-slow smoking, Slow ‘N Sear creates a super sear zone when filled with red hot charcoal. 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. While not an amazing grill by any means, it’s easy to use and offers a better grilling experience than what you’d get with a cheap portable grill . With a price tag well below $100, this is also the kind of grill you could have shipped to a vacation destination and wouldn’t have to feel bad leaving behind.
In our testing, the Weber Premium was hands down the easiest grill to control temperature on, with the flames inside the kettle responding expertly to any tap of the vents. During our cooking tests on the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill, hamburgers cooked to a medium rare temperature and our chicken ended up juicy, with a solid sear on the outside. Other grills we tested either ran hotter and overcooked the hamburgers, or they weren’t hot enough and barely seared or cooked the meat. For instance, the grill is equipped with cast iron cooking grates, as well as a convenient side drawer for adding charcoal. It even has a built-in wooden side shelf where you can keep tools and serving dishes.
Given the enormous variety of products and designs, there is no one-size-fits-all test. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Whether you’re grilling a big batch of burgers, a delicate whole fish, or a ton of cherry tomatoes, the grill basket’s got your back. This simple, inexpensive tool will help you take on grilling’s biggest challenges with none of the stress.
What you will have to do after each use is remove unused charcoal and ash that falls to the bottom. Buy a wireless digital meat thermometer, you’ll be much happier over the long run. One feature you also don’t get with the Original Kettle is a thermometer in the lid. The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
This results in you getting upset – or in my case mad – inevitably scratching the legs slightly near their base . However, one of the blades on the one-touch cleaning system broke and rather than replacing it, I opted to buy a new one. Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click. Ribs cooked on the Nexgrill had lots of bark but were juicy and tender inside.
Many condo and apartment dwellers want a small grill that fits on their modest patio, but they often encounter restrictions on using charcoal and likely need to look at alternative fuels. Portable charcoal grills for tailgating and camping are popular and effective. This is typically accomplished by piling or corralling your charcoal fuel on one side to create a hot direct cooking zone over the fire and a moderate indirect zone on the opposite side. A two-zone setup helps you avoid charred chicken and exploding sausage, plus it gives you the option to gently roast or sizzle and sear at the same time. For a long while, charcoal grills were the primary tool of backyard grillers.
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 bowl and lid are protected against burn-through and rust-through for 10 years. The one-touch cleaning system comes with a 5-year weber charcoal grill warranty, also covering burn-through and rust-through, plus you get 5 years on the plastic bits, not including fading or discoloring. There’s a hook inside the lid for hanging on the bowl which helps prevent damage to it, and a special handle just for rolling the grill around.
The pan is not as deep as the Weber Premium’s pan, so it requires more frequent cleaning, which can only be done when the grill is entirely cooled off. The lid sets this grill apart from a traditional Weber kettle, which features an unattached kettle top. We enjoyed the ease of being able to hinge open the lid on the Blackjack for a quick flip of our meat during our tests.