Before the cooking tests, we spent a day assembling the three grills. Overall, the cooking tests were far more important to us; you typically only assemble a grill once. But poor instructions can make assembly slow, frustrating, and full of retraced steps. And a simply bad design can make assembly needlessly difficult. Plus, poorly finished parts can have dangerously sharp edges—sometimes sharp enough to cause a nasty cut. Based on our conversations with Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ and the many manufacturers at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we eliminated kamados and pellet griller-smokers for this guide.
Without getting too bogged down in the science of this, the shape allows near perfect heat distribution while also reducing flare-ups. An impressive smoker-grill hybrid that bridges the gap with barbecue perfectly. The perfect place to start for charcoal newbies and seasoned pros alike. Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.
Add its solid warranty and well-regarded customer service, and the Weber Kettle Premium Grill is the best value going. Weber makes charcoal grills for every budget, ranging from around $50 to over $2,000. The most popular Weber charcoal grill, the Original Kettle, can be found for between $100 and $450, with the differences coming in diameter, ash management, colors, and cooking grates. For more than 50 years, Weber charcoal grills have been one of the top sellers in the BBQ industry.
There’s the elevated ash catcher, which makes dumping the remnants easier than with the original model . 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. The pill-shaped Smokey Mountain drops the coalbed down a foot or two, adds a door to throw new coals on and comes with a porcelain-enameled water rack to keep things nice and humid. If you want food closer to the fire, there’s a grate beneath the top grate for charring.
They control airflow through the grill, allowing you to easily manage the cooking temperatures of your Kettle. Simple construction means there aren’t too many parts to assemble or too many features to handle while cooking. A vent on the lid controls airflow and a well-designed ash tray beneath the Weber grill facilitates easy cleanup.
The Cuisinart Kettle Grill boasts on its box that it only takes 15 minutes to set up; it actually took us 27 minutes to complete the task. Both the Char-Griller Kettle and the Oklahoma Joe’s Kettle Grill weber charcoal grill took us 45 minutes to set up. The grill is generously sized, with 725 square inches of primary of main cooking spaceand 338 square inches of secondary cooking space in the form of a warming rack.
We strive for the perfect balance of workplace and community to create a fun, enjoyable environment for all of our employees. Our outdoor kitchen design experts have helped thousands of customers transform their backyards at no extra cost. The lifespan of any grill is affected by several factors including cleaning frequency, maintenance, amount of use, weber charcoal grill weather, and the overall environment where the grill is located. There is an abundance of Weber owners who have been using the same grill for decades. Your mileage may vary, but with proper care and maintenance you can expect your Weber grill to last for many years. Highly rated by consumers, the Vortex also has a following among barbecue experts, too.
But those judgments would have to wait until we got our hands on the things. After weeks of research, reporting, and discussion, we settled on three charcoal grills to test. Retailing at around $200, this grill is well-priced considering the upgrades from the original. To me, that’s money well spent considering how much easier it is to discard ashes, one of my least favorite things about operating my previous Weber. The built-in thermometer and dampers also enhance the cooking experience and justify the cost.
Upgrades like those make coaxing out the impressive abilities of the Weber Kettle a lot easier. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Be the first to hear about special offers, events, popular new items and helpful home improvement tips.
It’s a great mid-range option for relatively new grill heads looking to stay loyal to traditional charcoal flavors without compromising on ease of use. For anyone who has struggled with starting or lighting coals in the past, this might well be the one for you. Its one-touch ‘Touch-N-Go’ ignition systems helps you light it in a simple bush of a button. Included is Weber’s now standard Gourmet BBQ System, as well as a gas-powered charcoal lighter to help make start up times much quicker.