In the mid-1950s, his father told him that he had to make a choice, says Kempster, either he sells grills or he works at the metal company; he couldn’t do both. So without much financial backing, Stephen took a chance, struck out on his own and began to grow his burgeoning business. Stephen marketed this first grill as “George’s Barbecue Kettle.” It sold for $29.95—the equivalent of around $270 today. He used the grill frequently to cook for family and friends and sold a few of them, but it took several years and many grill iterations later for the business to take off. At the time, Weber Brothers Metal Works was filling orders for metal buoys for both the Coast Guard and the Chicago Yacht Club. So Stephen took two of the half spheres for the buoys and created a grill.
Due to their comparably simple construction, they tend to cost less than a similarly sized gas or pellet grill. Another powerful draw of these grills is the intense smoky flavor they create in the food they cook. They’re versatile too since they can use either traditional charcoal briquettes or lump portable bbq charcoal as fuel. Next, we tested each grill’s medium heat cooking capability by roasting whole chickens. The trick here is to keep the grills at a hot enough temperature to cook a chicken for upwards of two hours. The best charcoal grill for steak searing in our lineup was the Weber Classic Kettle.
The pros and cons of charcoal grillsThe number one biggest benefit to cooking with a charcoal grill is the flavor it gives food. “You can’t beat charcoal-grilled flavor,” said McManus. McManus prefers charcoal grills with grates that are easy to lift up if you need to add more coals. “Our favorite Weber has little doors that open on both ends of the grate for this,” she said.
The Smokey Joe portable grill has a lid lock that can also be used for carrying when moving the grill from the car or around the patio. Its rugged base will keep it stable on all types of surfaces. The 26-inch Original Kettle® Premium is the charcoal grill you want at your next weber genesis 2 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.
Whether entertaining on a small patio or in a big backyard, the need to grill has no limits. After dinner, fold down the side table, push together your chairs, and toast to the Performer weber q charcoal grill. The vents in the grill’s bowl and lid allow you to control the airflow into your grill. For grilling, you want a hot fire, so you want plenty of air to come in.