With nine collections of charcoal grills, there’s a Weber to meet your needs. Built to Last- Charcoal Weber Grills feature a tried and true design and solid engineering. Weber believes in the quality and craftsmanship of their grills, and offer the warranty to back it up. If you want a charcoal grill to last decades, then this is the brand for you. Believe me, I loved my Weber 18″ One Touch Silver Grill and still use it to this day BUT you simply cannot purchase all of the accessories that you can purchase with the Weber 22 Inch Kettle Grill. You can buy the Weber BBQ System which includes a Weber Gourmet Sear Grate.
Still, you’ll have it up and running in no time, especially if you follow guide to using a charcoal grill that’s a complete A to Z that will help you master this form of cooking. The Weber 22-Inch Original Kettle charcoal grill is, as the name explains, a charcoal-fired grill. It’s a basic grill, as most charcoal barbecues are — no side burners, shelves, infrared, glowing temperature knobs, etc. The Original Kettle is a practical barbecue for straight-up grilling — searing and finishing steaks, chops, fish, veggies, and more. Plus, its generous size and ample room under the lid make it easy to roast large items over a longer period.
To see for myself, I filled my yard with highly rated grills and enlisted the help of a year-round charcoal grillmaster who also happens to be a Weber enthusiast (and also happens to be my husband). With open minds and lots of raw meat, we tested seven promising charcoal grills under portable bbq $500. And to learn more about how we tested and what we looked for, scroll to the bottom. 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 bird cooked on the Nexgrill cart-style grill came in right behind, a close second in terms of flavor and texture. We measured charcoal in a chimney by grams, and in a ratio for that grill’s specific surface area. We lit the charcoal inside the chimney, letting it burn until the smoke dissipated and the coals began to turn grayish-white, then put the charcoal into the grill. After the grill was heated up for 10 minutes, the steaks were ready to hit the grill grate. The Nexgrill Cart-Style Charcoal Grill is a compelling alternative to the Weber, especially if you prefer a cart-style backyard cooker.
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. We looked for charcoal grills with good heat retention, but that also allowed for easy airflow adjustments through dampers and vents or other functions like an adjustable charcoal tray. Functionally, it’s a turbo-charged hair dryer that speeds up lighting time significantly.
Some of the ash will fall through to the ash catcher a few inches below the bowl. For the rest, Weber has equipped the Original Kettle with its “One-touch” ash removal system. It’s a rotating group of three blades you turn with a handle projecting from near the bottom of the bowl. You can arrange your coals for two-zone cooking, roasting, searing — anything you like! While weber charcoal grill a charcoal chimney is one of the most highly recommended methods for lighting charcoal, Electric starters, such as the Looftlighter, work great (and they’re fast). BBQGuys recommends against using lighter fluid or “match light” charcoal because of chemicals and additives that can negatively influence flavor and can linger for a long time if you have a ceramic grill.
As a smoker, it burned through wood quickly, but with regular monitoring, the temperature was consistent and accurate. An automatic propane start makes this an ideal grill for beginners—you don’t need to master the use of a chimney to get the fire started. Although our testers found it a little awkward to put together without a second person, it’s a sturdy, well-built weber charcoal grill grill that you’ll feel confident about using once it is fully assembled. With four smooth-rolling wheels that lock into place, it’s easy to maneuver around your patio or yard. In the interest of avoiding controversy, let’s say different fuels have different characteristics. The merits of charcoal do lie in its smoky flavor and nostalgia-inducing scent.
We purchased the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill so our reviewer could put it to the test. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master.
With a One-Touch™ cleaning system for easy cleanup after a long day of grilling, the Original Kettle® will always be the grill built for everyone. We assembled each grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I timed each build and noted any confusing directions or hard-to-finagle parts. Assembling each grill also allowed us to assess the quality of the materials.