This helps maintain even cooking temperatures while also reducing the risk of leaking as you cook. Its cooking grates are porcelain-coated, which ensures fantastic heat retention and distribution during cooking. Porcelain enamel is also very durable and robust against peeling, so the grates are unlikely to degrade over the first few years of use. Although primarily a hybrid cooker, it’s still a great charcoal grill. If you adjust the pan to cook at the lower end of its heat range then it can still cook great grilled food. For the unfamiliar, offset smokers are built with a side smoker (or ‘offset’, if you will) that houses the coals while it cooks.
Meat from the Nexgrill was delicious, with just a bit more flavor than the Weber. Between them, I’d say it largely depends on your budget and what style of grill you prefer for other meats like burgers or steak. Clean the grates before or after each use by brushing them free of cooked-on gunk and wiping them with a wet rag.
Maybe an electric grill isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, but since Weber is behind the Pulse, it’s a worthwhile grill to consider. The Pulse reaches up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, with the ability to control it through an app. The grill features a dual grilling weber charcoal grill zone, which can hold up to 12 burgers. Like the charcoal version of the Summit, the gas model is as feature-rich as it gets. It carries everything from the Genesis and adds burners, BTUs and some very handy automatic lights on the hood for nighttime grilling.
Traditionally, you place hot coals directly below the Weber’s cooking grates, which means you’re cooking with direct heat. They’re also able to keep temperatures inside their cooking chambers low for hours on end. The ideal heat level is 225 Fahrenheit or as close to it as possible. These are the precise conditions that, over time, transform tough cuts of meat into gloriously tender treats like smoked brisket and baby back ribs. It can cook low and slow as a barbecue smoker — and when set up properly, it roasts poultry like a champ too.
When it came to assembly, the only direct comparison we could make was between the Weber and the Napoleon. Both models shared a similar overall design, but the Weber model was comprehensively superior. With simple instructions and a minimal need for tools or acrobatics, Weber has clearly refined its engineering to maximize simplicity.
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 portable bbq 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.
But those judgments would have to wait until we got our hands on the things. After weeks of research, reporting, and discussion, we settled on three charcoal grills to test. Retailing at around $200, this grill is well-priced considering the upgrades from the portable bbq original. To me, that’s money well spent considering how much easier it is to discard ashes, one of my least favorite things about operating my previous Weber. The built-in thermometer and dampers also enhance the cooking experience and justify the cost.
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.