Though you only have to endure setup one time, build time is definitely relevant if you’re picking up a charcoal grill for a last-minute barbecue. The Weber Original Premium Grill took 15 minutes to assemble, while the Weber Original Grill took only 10 minutes. The Weber grills were the only grills that didn’t come with a hardware pack. You can easily set up either Weber grill by yourself and it only requires you to use a hammer or screwdriver for attaching the handle and wheels. The rest ranged in setup time from 27 minutes to over an hour, with varying levels of difficulty and number of persons needed to complete the task.
They spent weeks cooking outside to properly test a grill’s temperature control, heat retention, and post-dinner cleanup. They also assessed how easy it is to set up out of the box, and if any features help or hinder getting your barbecue experience. In our testing, the Weber Premium was hands down the easiest grill to control temperature on, with the flames inside the kettle responding expertly to any tap of the vents. During our cooking tests on the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill, hamburgers cooked to a medium rare temperature and our chicken ended up juicy, with a solid sear on the outside.
Pile up coal on one side to sear steaks or set up 2-zone roasting, Build a nice even bed of coal for general cooking. The tight seal between the lid and body makes the dampers very effective and provides excellent heat control. Now they are secured to the body with spring loaded pins, which also enable them to be easily removed.
With more than 800 square inches of cooking space, a stainless steel smokestack, and a heavy-duty matte-black body, the Char-Griller Classic will make you feel like a true grillmaster at your next cookout. Under the lid it looks more like a gas grill than a charcoal portable bbq grill thanks to 549 square inches of porcelain-coated cast-iron grates plus a secondary steel rack for warming or indirect cooking. This grill has enough room for a three-zone charcoal fire—and a handful of beer-can chickens, multiple racks of ribs, or 20 burgers.
The two Weber grills both cooked our hamburgers to medium rare, while the Oklahoma Joe’s, Cuisinart and Char-Griller all ran slightly hotter and cooked our test hamburgers to medium. We cooked burgers on the Napoleon grill with the cooking grate at its highest level, which was pretty far away from the briquettes. Each grill did a great job searing the chicken leg quarters while still leaving them juicy on the inside. The Oklahoma Joe’s Kettle Grill and Weber Original Kettle Grills gave the chicken skin the deepest sear. This high-tech model offers 560 square inches of cooking space, and its reversible cast iron grates can be used for both smoking and searing.