She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Hinged sections on opposite sides of the grate let you access the entire charcoal bed below. The Napoleon grill we tested had hinges on opposite sides of the grate, too. But the PK Grill had a hinge on only one side, which proved inconvenient. All the grills we tested featured simple, thin-wire grates that worked well, with no notable sticking.
This Weber’s plated steel cooking grate is hinged so that it’s easier to load charcoal, even while cooking, onto the heavy-gauge steel grate below. With this method, the coals take about 10 minutes to light and another 10 for the grill to get hot. The secret to heat control with this grill is the top and bottom dampers that form convection during cooking. That control and responsiveness, combined with its heat-retaining design, results in intense, high heat for searing or a low-and-slow smoke.
It’s not just the nostalgia talking; for value and performance, the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill really delivers in both areas. If you’re looking for a gas grill with fewer hands-on requirements, the Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill or its Smart counterpart are excellent choices, as well. It performed on par with competitors when it came to smoke flavor in our long-smoke tests, and it left a nice char and browning in our short-smoke experiments.
Assembly is dead simple, and the construction and materials are sturdy. Add its solid warranty and well-regarded customer service, and the Weber Kettle Premium Grill is the best value going. Our outdoor kitchen design experts have helped thousands of customers transform their backyards at no extra cost.
But taking a close look at the cooking surface area can make or break your tailgating or camping adventures. After all, why not invest in a high quality pick that grills more yummy food in less time? With over 4,000 five-star ratings, the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill is the best of both worlds for its lightweight build that can quite literally go anywhere without issue. Its medium-sized, rectangular cooking surface is a real pro, holding up to six burgers at a time. It’s a portable grill with full-size performance, thanks to its enamel cast iron grates and a single, circular burner that ensures even heating across the cooking area.
However, its grates sit a full 7 inches higher than the Weber model’s, so it was less tiring to work on. The Napoleon grill’s four legs, versus the Weber grill’s three, make this grill more stable and allow for a nice, big shelf underneath. No matter what you slap on it, the Weber can cook it—hot and fast or low and slow. I’ve thrown weber q pork, burgers, steaks, chicken, veggies, and even some pineapple on the Weber with fabulous results. You can even use the Weber to slowly smoke more traditional barbecue by adding a little wood to the fire. Because the grills we tested include gas, charcoal, and electric models, we put them through separate testing scenarios.
In our tests, this looked like caramelized steaks with light grill marks and tender ribs with a defined smoke ring beneath a dark bark. We monitored the grills’ temperatures using the built-in thermometer where available and a probe thermometer where not, and adjusted the vents as necessary. After 45 minutes, we flipped the chicken parts and applied barbecue sauce every five minutes until the cook time reached an hour flat. Then we had a taste, paying special attention to moisture in the breast meat. Kamado grills, which have a unique egg-shaped exterior, are better insulated than other grills, helping to keep moisture and smoke within the unit for more flavorful food. The Broil King Keg 5000 Kamado Grill is a versatile option that’s made from double-walled steel for superior insulation, and it features two removable side shelves for food prep.
I’ve never had the same quality of heating or longevity that I get from a Weber,” says Catherine Ward, our Taste of Home prep kitchen manager, who owns four of these amazing charcoal grills. 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.