I’ll continue to use my gas grill for weeknight dinners, but turn to the Weber when hosting things that I want to feel more like an event. In doing so, hopefully my kids will absorb the same Dad-imbued, charcoal-infused summertime impressions that waft through one’s memory for a lifetime. One thing that I noticed while putting the grill together was that the materials just seemed chintzier and more flimsy than those on the Weber Kettle Grill my dad owned.
After much discussion, we also decided not to insist on a built-in cart, with side tables, on our charcoal contenders. Most manufacturers offer them as an option, but you pay a premium of about $200 on average. They’re handy, no doubt, but if your patio or deck already has a table or countertop, you’re paying for something you don’t need and giving up valuable living space, too.
She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Clean the grates before or after each use by brushing them free weber charcoal grill of cooked-on gunk and wiping them with a wet rag. Oil the grates after heating them, before you cook anything—it’ll help keep food from sticking.
The smell of smoldering charcoal and caramelizing meat. You can’t go wrong with the standard Kingsford briquettes. The Weber Charcoal Kettle has been the king of the backyard BBQ since the 1950s.
Stack your charcoal briquettes in two rows of two deep along the inner wall of the grill. To find out which are the best bets for your next backyard barbecue.
“Once the ceramic shell is heated up, it stays hot for a long period of time and gets the most out of a charcoal fire,” he said. The thickness of metal that the grill is made from is measured as the “gauge.” As the gauge number increases, the material thickness decreases and this makes comparing grills easy, explained Lilly. “Thicker metal makes for a longer lasting grill and better insulation,” he said. In the case of kettle models, we arrange coals in a semicircle around the grill’s inner wall.