Weber Charcoal BBQs, Grills & Smokers for Sale

When you invert the assembly to screw it to the grill, the inner collar can slip down unnoticed and prevent the screws from attaching to the grill body. That happened to us twice before we figured out what was going on. If it had been full of hot ash, we would have had a real problem.

The line of coals should curve in a semicircle along the inner wall of the Kettle. Next place another layer of paired briquettes on top of the first layer. If you have any smoke wood chunks or chips, drop them on top of the coal chain. Choose various spots close to the beginning of the snake, where you’ll ignite it.

weber charcoal grill

In our research, most proved to be cheap knockoffs that weren’t worth the minor savings. We resolved instead to find a kettle that could compete with the Weber on performance, price, and value. But we also opened our search to include charcoal grills of different designs. The fact that the kettle shape dominates the charcoal-grilling field doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the ideal. But what really sets the Premium version apart from the standard 22-inch kettleis the enclosed ash catcher, which makes cleanup easy and eliminates concerns about stray embers. Assembly is dead simple, and the construction and materials are sturdy.

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.

Unlike BBQ smoking, or even gas grilling to a certain extent, charcoal isn’t aset-and-forget style of cooking. You need to monitor surface temperatures, meat internal weber charcoal grill temperatures, and to ward off any appearances of cold spots or flare ups. 393 square inches for cooking grates, porcelain enamel steel wiring, 205…

We were underwhelmed with the performance of the Napoleon 22-inch grill, which is most likely a result of the grill needing more briquettes to really work well. The kettle on this model is pretty deep and you can adjust the cooking grate to two different levels. We wouldn’t advise cooking with the grate at the highest level if you’re looking for a nice sear since it’s too far off the heat. The grill grate on a Napoleon is made of a thicker and flatter cast iron, which is an upgrade from the usual lightweight, stainless steel grates you see on most charcoal grills. However, it takes longer to heat up and is a different cooking experience from traditional charcoal grills. During our tests, we were only able to get our hamburgers to cook to rare, and our chicken did not sear and crisp up as well as it did on all the other grills.

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, 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.

A water pan helps smooth out temperature swings while apple smoke wood adds extra flavor. A wax fire starter works well for this, but you can also use a few lit briquettes. The charcoal snake method is a very effective way to cook low and slow on your Weber Kettle. Place the probe clip right on the grill at food level, on the opposite side of the fire. And remember that the affordable backyard cooker has been around for decades, which means you can find plenty of useful aftermarket accessories for it.

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.