But what really sets the Premium version apart from the standard 22-inch kettle is the enclosed ash catcher, which makes cleanup easy and eliminates concerns about stray embers. Assembly is dead simple, and the construction and weber genesis 2 materials are sturdy. Add its solid warranty and well-regarded customer service, and the Weber Kettle Premium Grill is the best value going. No matter what you slap on it, the Weber can cook it—hot and fast or low and slow.
Another great component is the hinged grate’s circular insert where you can quickly add charcoals while cooking. You do have to take the whole grate off to re-adjust your fuel though, one of the few downsides. When grilling time is over, this again has an advantage over older kettle grills. The ash is swept into the bottom catcher for easy disposal once it’s cooled, while everything else only needs a quick wipe-down.
I’ve thrown 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. 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.
For the more fearless among us, they’ll use this as is, but if you want to be a little more careful, it’s easier to take the whole grate off. Another feature that makes the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill great is its one-touch cleaning system, portable bbq which sweeps ash into a removable high-capacity container for easy disposal. It’s intuitive to use, and any ash it misses can quickly be brushed away. Weber has improved its iconic kettle grill through the decades and its latest version is nearly perfect.
Sign up to receive new product news, exclusive offers, grilling tips & recipes, and more from Weber and its affiliates / subsidiaries! Combustion by-products produced when using this product contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. From 1999 to 2001 there was a period of tremendous growth for the business. Several additional product lines were added and delivery/setup services were expanded.
In December of 2006, they purchased an additional property along Rt. 33 in Easton, PA, to meet the growing demand for their products, as well as facilitating significantly larger indoor and outdoor showroom. Since then they have continued to expand their indoor showroom and outdoor patio. Co-founder Matt Van Horn is the president of June while the company’s other co-founder, Nikhil Bhogal, is the senior vice president, technology and connected devices of Weber. Van Horn continued to focus on the June Oven while Bhogal works with Weber R&D programs and new products. Our highly trained team is always prepared to help you with any questions you may have about grills and accessories.
All of our tests were designed and run by Wirecutter senior writer Lesley Stockton, who has over a decade of experience in professional kitchens, many of them spent on the grill station. Lesley conducted the testing with senior staff writer Tim Heffernan, who wrote this guide, and Michael Sullivan, a senior writer on the kitchen team. Sam Sifton, assistant managing editor at The New York Times, also joined in and added his extensive knowledge. The world of the charcoal grill is essentially back to basics – returning to the original experience of cooking over an open fire.