The goal was a steady hold at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and we adjusted the vents to get as close to that as we could. After 45 minutes, we flipped the chicken parts, slathered on a coating of barbecue sauce, and closed the lid for another five minutes. We repeated this step twice more, rounding out the cook time at an hour flat. Then we had a taste, paying special attention to the breast meat—a long cook can dry it out. For the high-heat, whole-grate burger test, we lit a chimney’s worth of briquets—the equivalent of six quarts, or about 90 coals of a former runner-up from our extensive briquet tests. We poured the lit coals into the grills, spread them in an even layer, and then heated the grills with the lids down and all vents fully open for 15 minutes (a standard manufacturer’s recommendation).
Much like what you read above, we’ve put together a list of our favorite Weber gas grills to help you sort through the top selections. For our tests, each grill gets a full chimney of lit charcoal and a 6-pound chicken opposite the coals for indirect heat. None of the hood thermometers built into these grills mirrored the temperatures recorded by our own thermocouples and data software. The Nexgrill definitely gets hot enough to create a nice sear, but you do have to work a little harder than you do with the Weber to avoid overcooking your meat. You can also raise the Nexgrill’s adjustable charcoal tray basket to its highest position.
To see how differences in cooking temperature would play out in the real world, we seared 1½-inch-thick sirloin steaks on both grills over 3 pounds of coal. As you would expect given the laws of physics, both fires burned at similar temperatures and produced similar steaks. When we filled the Egg to its capacity, however, things looked a little different.
The grills work similarly to a gas stove, with knobs that allow you to adjust the heat and cooking temperature. But these grills don’t impart smoky barbecue flavors to your food weber charcoal grill like pellet and charcoal grills can. A smaller version of the 22-inch Weber Original kettle, Horsman highlighted the Weber Smokey Joe grills as a more affordable option.
If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Max Good is the vice president and director of equipment reviews for AmazingRibs.com. Widely considered the leading authority on residential, outdoor cooking equipment, Max has written for Serious Eats and Casual Living, and is often interviewed for a variety of programs and publications. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice.
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 charcoal as fuel. Our last test is grilling barbecued ribs, specifically baby back pork ribs. This style of cooking requires strict temperature control over a period of multiple hours. Ideally, a quality charcoal grill will keep its fire humming along close to 225 degrees F for as long as possible. Cooking over charcoal takes longer than cooking with a gas grill, and we typically need to add more fuel during cooking to keep our grills above 350 degrees F for the full duration.
The round grate has ample cooking space for an entire Thanksgiving turkey, at least 10 burgers , or a few beer-can chickens. The new grill design resolved all the pain points for consumers back in the 1950s, Kempster explains. The enclosed dome shape sealed in the smoky barbecue flavors portable bbq and gave backyard chefs better heat control while cooking their meals. The lid also allowed backyard cooks to easily snuff out the coals when they were done cooking and prevented the barbecues from filling up with water. At the time, the popular design was an open charcoal brazier.