Nothing beats the authentic smoky flavor that can only be created on a charcoal grill. Shop Weber’s large selection of Charcoal grills and let the experiences, and barbecues, unfold. Basic grilling tools such as a spatula, tongs, and grill cover are always recommended. The Weber Connect® smart grilling hub and Gourmet BBQ System® grillware are also amazing additions that’ll give you the most out of your grilling experience. Lighter Cubes are your answer to fast, ash-free, and environmentally safe charcoal ignition. Even in windy or wet conditions, the cubes will light and ignite the rest of your charcoal in seconds, without the smell or taste of lighter fluid tainting your food.
We liked the original version of the PK Grill & Smoker that we tested. The thick cast-aluminum body holds and reflects heat efficiently, and it’s extremely sturdy and inherently rustproof. The shallow rectangular shape keeps the coals close to the grates, and its flat base works better for indirect grilling than sloped, round grills. It also has two vents each on both the top and bottom, allowing for better control over heat output. It was also impressively easy to assemble, and the built-in cart and shelves (there’s no cartless option) would be welcome on a patio that doesn’t have a worktable of its own. Once the grills were sufficiently hot, we tested the high heat grilling capabilities by cooking lamb chops and marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Read on to see how well the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill performed under fire. 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 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. Overall, this is a good basic barrel grill, but assembly was frustrating and it lacks many of the features that made the Classic our pick for best upgrade.
It’s also spawned plenty of copycats, most of them cheap knockoffs that aren’t worth the minor savings. From burgers to chicken to slow-smoked ribs, this Weber model’s time-tested design produces great results—at a terrific price. While the grill requires assembly, Weber “seemed to make assembly an enjoyable part of the overall experience rather than merely a task to [complete] as quickly as possible,” as one tester said. In terms of performance, it reached baking temperatures in just eight and a half minutes and took only slightly longer to reach searing temperatures. It retained heat well, dropping a maximum of 30 degrees after we opened it and recovering its temperature in one to two minutes. There’s nothing quite like the combo of enjoying the great outdoors while smelling the delectable aroma of fresh-grilled foods.
As is, it requires some effort to roll the grill through the grass into storage or when the kids need the yard for a soccer game or water fight. A minor complaint for sure, but I think it is an easy and obvious fix. I set up the grill in under 15 minutes, and three or four of those were spent taking it out of the box. It is an absurdly simple process that requires a hammer and a Phillips-head screwdriver. In the box, you’ll find 16 pieces including a plastic wrench only used to attach the handle to the lid.
On one side of the grill, pile coals two or three briquettes deep. Then, slope the coals down to a single layer across the center of the grill, and place no coals on the opposite side. When the coals are completely ashen and have burned down for 10 to 20 minutes more, after being emptied from the chimney—voila! —you have direct high heat on one weber charcoal grill side, direct medium heat in the center, and indirect heat on the opposite side. Dump the handy ash catcher and scrub the grates each time you cook. Beyond that, give it the occasional deep clean and keep water away from the ashes (lest they combine into a corrosive lye), and you should be grilling happily on one of these for a decade or longer.
And a dial or lid thermometer will also need to adjust to the change in temp which can take minutes or so. Dial thermometers are mechanical so they do not respond to changes in temp instantly like digital thermometers. – I found the key to getting a kettle grill to do what you want it to do lies in the setup. The setup I use allows me to target any temp I want, maintain that temp throughout the cook, it allows me to adjust the temp and to cook up to 10 plus hours on a low and slow without having to add coal. Sign up to receive new product news, exclusive offers, grilling tips & recipes, and more from Weber and its affiliates / subsidiaries! It’s a new experience on weber.com that allows you to customize your very own Master-Touch® charcoal grill.
Most of us want to find quality materials, with the best design, for the least amount of money, and many Webers fit that bill. Weber’s grills under $100 tend to skew that idea, though, by not delivering on the engineering, the materials, or both. So, if you want quality and longevity, you should weber genesis 2 probably go with a high-grade model. The Original’s bottom damper also serves as part of the ash management system, scraping spent ash into a detachable unit at the bottom for easy disposal. Other drawbacks were the grill’s clumsy lid and inaccurate temperatures on the dome thermometer.
Then, be sure to pick up grill covers to keep your investment protected from the elements, and grilling accessories to make the most out of your new purchase. The Weber kettle grill has been around since the early 1950s, so chances are good you’ve eaten a burger, a hotdog, or a steak cooked on one. As a kid, our family had a gas grill, while the neighbors had a Weber.