We also drop a few chunks of smokewood on top of the snake (aka fuse). On cart-style grills, we modify the snake to run in right angles to match their rectangular-shaped fireboxes. The best charcoal grill for steak searing weber charcoal grill in our lineup was the Weber Classic Kettle. The steak had nice grill marks while keeping a medium doneness on the inside. The worst was our Tacklife review unit, which didn’t hold much heat and didn’t sear while cooking.
Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Weber sells one for its 22-inch kettle, usually for about $40. The Weber grill has three legs—an inherently stable design, because having three points of contact means the legs will automatically “find their level,” even on bumpy ground.
Then, I called my friend and resident AoM meat-cooking consultant, Karl Engel, and asked him to show me the ropes on how to cook with it. After enjoying the sound of a newly birthed charcoal fire, we’d stand around the grill and watch the flame slowly get smaller and smaller, and the charcoal get whiter and whiter. If a rounded barbecue like a BGE can have one, surely this could, too? At least you get a small shelf down in the legs, but I’d love a handy spot to rest my sauces, rubs, tools, thermometer transmitter, drink, and so on. Weber has a lot of confidence in its products, and they back it up with an exceptional warranty.
With an extra-large 24” cooking area, Summit® Kamado is ready to handle any size feast. The innovative design and unlimited potential of the Summit® Charcoal Grill lands it in a class of its own. Sear the perfect steak, grill a whole chicken, or transform your grill into a smoker, creating mouthwatering ribs.
As with all charcoal grills, your briquettes or lumps rest near the bottom of the bowl on a grate that keeps them off the base of the pit to allow airflow. 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. The main cooking grate is actually three separate pieces that can be lifted off of the grill for access to the charcoal tray—which has holes big enough to brush ash through. Below, a slide-out ash tray/shelf/drawer runs the entire width of the grill. Retailing at around $200, this grill is well-priced considering the upgrades from the original.
The classic kettle-style charcoal grill is the granddaddy of backyard barbecues. In fact, you might be tempted to break out a nice pair of loafers and light up a pipe standing in front of one. Once the grills were sufficiently hot, we tested the high heat grilling capabilities by cooking lamb chops and marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts. To test the indirect heat, we cooked raw beer brats and bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Cooking a variety of meats allowed us to observe grill marks, crispiness, and doneness. After the grills had fully cooled, we cleaned each, following the manufacturer’s instructions as closely as we could.
Brand-new grillers may struggle with maintaining an ideal temperature, but the efficiency and quality of the design will please experts and those looking to make the switch from gas grilling. It’s also ideal for large families or anyone who regularly cooks for a crowd. The only real learning curve to cooking on a charcoal grill is fire management, but the built-in thermometer makes that easier. Maintaining a consistent temperature is crucial, and the Weber does this better than any other in its price range. You can thank the porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, which are heat retention pros, for that.