Only very old models of Weber grills would require seasoning, and because they are very old, that surely happened a long time ago. If you purchase a new Weber grill, you don’t need to worry about seasoning it. The grill was able to achieve high temperatures as well as larger models, and was even able to sear meat. Lastly, we found it easy to assemble and attach a 1-pound gas canister. Our tester called it “pricey, but worth it” for anyone who regularly grills on the go. If you do want something a bit cheaper or smaller, we’ve also tested and recommend the Q 1200.
The new PK 300 also comes with cast-aluminum lugs and legs, so nothing is bound to fall apart or buckle like it would on a cheaper grill. It handles about five (crowded) burgers on the grate, so it’s plenty for a normal carload of people, which we find is just right. There are tons of portable grills out there, but the most basic and familiar is the miniature version of our top recommendation, Weber’s 14-inch Smokey Joe. We like the Kamado Joe (KJ) Classic II because it makes few, if any, concessions in quality, but is priced well.
I’ve thrown pork, burgers, steaks, chicken, veggies, and even some pineapple on the Weber with fabulous results. You can even use the Weber to slowly smoke more traditional barbecue by adding a little wood to the fire. This Weber’s plated steel cooking grate is hinged so that it’s easier to load charcoal, even while cooking, onto the heavy-gauge steel grate below.
The worst was our Tacklife review unit, which didn’t hold much heat and didn’t sear while cooking. The steak on that grill needed an additional five minutes to get to a temperature of 135 F, the minimum for medium rare. Every grill we tested had a hinged grate, a nice feature that lets you add or adjust the coals without lifting the whole grate off. We preferred the Weber weber q and Napoleon designs, which each have a pair of hinged sections, on opposite edges of the grate, that let you directly access the entire bed of charcoal below. We noticed no performance differences, and all worked well, with no notable sticking of the items we cooked. Our experiments ran the gamut from grilling burgers (fast, high heat) to smoking (slow, low heat).
We were really impressed with the meal created using this grill, especially the quality sear marks it left on veggie shish kebabs, hanger steak, zucchini slices, and marinated chicken breast. Though we did miss the true smoky flavor that can only come from wood and charcoal. The authenticity of charcoal grilling started with the Original Kettle® Series grills, invented by Weber? His idea was that the rounded cooking bowl with a lid was the key to success. The ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl are uniquely designed to retain the charcoal’s heat, while dampers are easily adjusted for precise temperature control. The only real learning curve to cooking on a charcoal grill is fire management, but the built-in thermometer makes that easier.
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. Wake up and light the smoker, because succulent pulled pork and fall-off-the-bone ribs come to those who wait. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking weber q multiple items at once, and dampers that adjust easily so that you’re always in control of the heat—and your feast. The Master-Touch Premium grill can sear the perfect steak, and then easily transform into a smoker for smoking low-and-slow ribs or pork shoulder. With new features such as a convenient hinged lid and charcoal ring for efficient fuel consumption, the Master-Touch Premium is your answer to grilling.
They’re all liable to leak, spill, and trash the trunk of your car, so don’t set out without a storage bin or a large, heavy-duty sealed bag to contain grease, ash, and grit. 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. 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.
A cover will protect your grill from getting stained by rain and rusting. Ribs cooked on the Nexgrill had lots of bark but were juicy and tender inside. We dismissed the many cheaper knockoffs of the Weber kettle, including models by (or branded as) Kingsford, Char-Broil, PizzaQue, and Grill Zone. They’re not much cheaper than the Weber, and the quality just isn’t there. If the ash catcher is even slightly warm, the ash inside is still a fire hazard. We backed this reporting up with comprehensive research—the in-depth, professional reviews at AmazingRibs.com being a standout source—and hands-on time with grills at the big hardware chains.