In our medium, indirect-heat chicken tests, the Nexgrill delivered flavorful, juicy meat as a close second to the Weber. And this updated model, when we used the charcoal snake method, demonstrated temperature control almost as good as the Weber. The legs and ash catcher slot effortlessly into built-in sockets and lock into place with idiot-proof spring pins—not a bolt or screw in sight. Weber even supplies a simple plastic tool to help you attach the thermometer without digging out a wrench. The Weber kettle is round, so you can spin the grate to adjust heat exposure.
The bowl and lid are both made of steel that’s coated with porcelain enamel. You’d be super hard pressed to find a more affordable grill with 22 inches of grilling space, engineered weber bbq from decent materials, for the same price, with a long warranty. Cooking with a Weber Kettle Grill certainly takes more time and attention than using a gas grill.
A quality charcoal grill should be simple to set up, ideally requiring just one person and limited tools. It should also be simple to light, maintain or adjust heat, and create zoned cooking. The Nexgrill Cart-Style Charcoal Grill is a compelling alternative to the Weber, especially if you prefer a cart-style backyard cooker. That design gives you a handy side tray and more cooking surface room. In fact, at 572 square inches, this updated larger grill has even more cooking space than the previous version, which offered 390 square inches.
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. 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 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. The Nexgrill definitely gets hot enough to create a nice sear, but you do have to work a little harder than you do with the Weber to avoid overcooking your meat.
That said, the Napoleon model’s four legs felt just as stable, and more stiff, on a garden-variety concrete patio, and also allowed Napoleon to install a big, square shelf underneath the grill. The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, which is far less useful. Up top, the Weber model’s lid vent is a simple disc of aluminum; you just flick it left or right to weber gas grill open or close the vent holes. Unlike the lower vents, this gets hot, so make sure to use a spatula or your tongs. Unless it was not an option (like with the PK Grill model), we opted to test versions of these grills without built-in carts or side tables. They can add unnecessary bulk and cost to a type of grill often chosen for being compact and cost-efficient.
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. None of the hood thermometers built into these grills weber portable grill mirrored the temperatures recorded by our own thermocouples and data software. We tested several brand-name models to find out which is the best charcoal grill for your next cookout.
Overall, it’s well-designed, well-built, and deserving of the Weber name. There are many appealing, well-thought-out features, despite it being a basic grill. 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. Let me qualify that statement; you can absolutely smoke meat in this grill, but it is a bit of a chore. Our outdoor kitchen design experts have helped thousands of customers transform their backyards at no extra cost.
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. 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.