We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. Karl likes to spread the charcoal so that it covers about half of the kettle. Then, I called my friend and resident AoM meat-cooking consultant, Karl Engel, and asked him to show me the ropes on how to cook with it. After enjoying the sound of a newly birthed charcoal fire, we’d stand around the grill and watch the flame slowly get smaller and smaller, and the charcoal get whiter and whiter.
Ideally, a quality charcoal grill (or any smoker) will keep its fire humming along close to 225 degrees F for as long as possible. Charcoal grills are also often more affordable than their gas counterparts, making them a good option for tight budgets and beginner grillers. All you need for charcoal grilling is a lighter, a bag of charcoal and your favorite ingredients. In no time you’ll be reaping the rewards of an easy meal with true smoky flavor.
Finally, we roasted whole chickens indirectly to see if the grills could create browned skin and perfectly cook meat without charring. Sam Sifton, editor for the Cooking section of The New York Times (the parent company of Wirecutter), joined us for these tests. The 26-inch Original Kettle® Premium is the charcoal grill you want at your next party. It’s large enough to grill an entire dinner during the week, or a bunch of burgers at your next barbecue. With premium features, such as a hinged cooking grate for easily adding charcoal while grilling, and the One-Touch™ cleaning system with high-capacity ash catcher. Toast to the authenticity of charcoal grilling, classic design, and taste loved around the world—the Original Kettle.
That impressive performance begins the moment this arrives at your door. After a straightforward set-up, all you need to do is push the ignition button and connect it to the Weber Connect app on your phone. There you’ll see the ambient temperature, as observed by its very accurate built-in thermometer, and monitor the temperature of your food via the two included probe thermometers.
This is a straight-up charcoal grill that would be right at home in a Norman Rockwell painting. Broadrick says that consistency has elevated the charcoal grill into something more. “At this point, the Weber Kettle is more of a platform than a stand-alone product,” he says. Out of weber charcoal grill dozens of community-driven updates and upgrades, these are the best Weber Kettle add-ons that money can buy. We believe that everyone should have access to high-quality grills at an affordable price, which is why we purchase grills by the truckload and pass the savings on to you!
The app doesn’t allow you to alter the flame, one of the few drawbacks to the EX-325S. The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill is a classic option for anyone who loves grilling with charcoal, and you can’t beat the reasonable price for such a well-made product. Our rib experience with a few of the other grills was far from ideal. At times, the inside of this grill hit temperatures as high as 400 degrees F.