The 363-square-inch cooking area can easily handle a pair of whole chickens or about 10 to 13 burgers, depending on how large you make your patties. Any more than that and the grill can get overloaded, making it difficult to cook everything evenly and to flip the patties. Superior Heating and Temperature Control- The circular shape of Weber Grills creates weber q a convection heating system which cooks evenly and consistently. Hot and cold spots are a relic of the past with the charcoal grills Weber offers today. Their heat dampening system allows for excellent temperature control and longevity of fuel. Since Weber Grills released the iconic Weber Kettle Grill in 1952, they have become the biggest name in BBQ.
To clean the grates, build a fire, heat up the grill, and then take a bristle-free wire brush (metal bristles can fall out and end up in your food, and you don’t want that) and scrape. Every few cooks, I like to use a Shop-Vac to remove any greasy ashes stuck in the bottom of the grill. As a preventative, you’ll want to oil the meats and veggies before they go on to prevent sticking and extra scraping. A heat shield just beneath the heat-resistant glass-reinforced nylon lid handle prevents you from burning yourself.
None of the other models performed consistently great on everything the way the Weber kettle did. The bowl and lid are protected against burn-through and rust-through for 10 years. The weber q 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.
This grill has enough room for a three-zone charcoal fire—and a handful of beer-can chickens, multiple racks of ribs, or (at least) 20 burgers. It’s also a great grill for slow cooking a whole pork shoulder and then some with or without Char-Griller’s optional side fire box. The lack of a simple lid hook feels like a design oversight and removing and replacing the ash catcher isn’t as smooth as it should be because the damper handle gets caught on the legs. There’s no function for pushing the ashes into the catcher, either, so it has to be done manually with a grill brush or other tool. I also worry about longevity, mainly because the handles, ash catcher, and lid damper are identical to the same parts on the worst grill we tested.
With this method, the coals take about 10 minutes to light and another 10 for the grill to get hot. 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.
Up top, you’ll find a single vent offset from the center of the lid to help you control the out-flow of smoke. Right at the peak of the dome is a nylon handle with a heat shield to keep you from burning yourself when you lift the lid. The thick wire handle of the ash catcher can be a little hard to move at first, but it does loosen up with use. Just make a habit of emptying it every time you clean the grill and you’ll be fine. Spider Grills Pella manages to make the charcoal-fueled Weber a wood-pellet grill in an elegant and easy way.
However, unless you’re closely watching the grill at all times, your food can easily burn or overcook. After you’re done grilling (and things have cooled down), you should always empty your ash tray. This is located below the kettle or barrel of the grill, and many models include a handle that dumps the ash. Do not put hot ashes in a trash can, or scatter them over grass or in wooded areas until they are entirely cooled. Finally, make sure to empty your ashes, and keep that grill covered when not in use. It scored incredibly high for performance, with testers praising it for its attractive Maillard reaction grill marks during the steak test.
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. Down below is the steel charcoal grate upon which you place your fuel. Temperature is controlled with vents at the bottom of the bowl, and one up top on the lid. One look at this grill, and you know you’re dealing with a classic.
The Char-Griller Super Pro is a versatile steel barrel charcoal grill with a whopping 850 square inches of total cooking area, if you count the top warming rack. The main grates are made of heavy-duty cast iron and resemble the grates of some weber charcoal grill of the best gas grills we tested this year. Like the Char-Griller Classic, the Super Pro can also be converted to a proper smoker by attaching an optional side fire box, and the enameled steel body does a great job of retaining heat.