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.
Because of this, the Napoleon is definitely not a grill for charcoal beginners. In our testing, the Weber Premium was hands down the easiest grill to control temperature on, with the flames inside the kettle responding expertly to any tap of the vents. During our cooking tests on the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill, hamburgers cooked to a medium rare temperature and our chicken ended up juicy, with a solid sear on the outside. Other grills we tested either ran hotter and overcooked the hamburgers, or they weren’t hot enough and barely seared or cooked the meat. Starting a charcoal grill is definitely not as easy as starting a gas grill, so it’s important to understand how to do it correctly. You’ll need to purchase a bag of briquettes, and either lighter fluid or a handy charcoal starter.
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, portable bbq 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.
Grilling with charcoal takes a little more time and attention than grilling with gas, but the payoff is that delicious smokey flavor you just can’t get from a propane flame. After spending two days cooking 40 pounds of burgers, BBQ, and whole chickens, we recommend the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″. Thanks to more than six decades of continuous refinement, it’s the most versatile, most user-friendly, and best-performing charcoal grill we’ve tested. No matter what you slap on it, the Weber can cook it—hot and fast or low and slow. I’ve thrown pork, burgers, steaks, chicken, veggies, and even some pineapple on the Weber with fabulous results. You can even use the Weber to slowly smoke more traditional barbecue by adding a little wood to the fire.
Built-in thermometers like those tend to be slow to respond and they’re often inaccurate, because they sit inside the grill lid and measure heat levels at the top of the grill cavity. We measured the temperature of the grill surface, as well as the internal temperature of the chicken, with an external thermometer to ensure that any built-in temperate gauges were accurate. For the most part, the built-in thermometers were accurate, with the exception of the Cuisinart gauge, which barely registered any temperature throughout our testing process.
Stack your charcoal briquettes in two rows of two deep along the inner wall of the grill. In no time you’ll be reaping the rewards of an easy meal with true smoky flavor. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions.
It’s compact yet big enough to cook an entire elaborate meal for a family, a simple spread for a party, or even a whole Thanksgiving turkey. The authenticity of charcoal grilling started with the Original Kettle® Series grills, invented by Weber? His idea was that the rounded cooking bowl with a lid was the key to success. The ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl are uniquely designed to retain the charcoal’s heat, while dampers are easily adjusted for precise temperature control.
Michael Sullivan has been a staff writer on the kitchen team at Wirecutter since 2016. Previously, he was an editor at the International Culinary Center in New York. He has worked in various facets of the food and restaurant industry for over a decade. Add the extra money you pay for the Napoleon grill over the Weber kettle that it emulates, and the Weber model’s superiority is even starker.
I also like to nestle a water pan at the center of the charcoal grate. It’ll serve as a heat reservoir and helps to smooth out temperature swings. The substances used, and the way they stand up to heavy usage and extreme heat will establish the caliber of a charcoal grill. Porcelain-coated and chrome-plated will perform the job for less, but these thinner substances won’t always stand up to intensive usage over time. There is a lot to be said for the convenience and ease that gas and electric grills provide, but the authentic experience of charcoal is simply unmatched.
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.