From an aesthetic standpoint, it’s hard not to like this classic-looking grill. It has changed very little since the actual original Weber… and why should it? Just to look at it is to conjure up memories of family cookouts and good times — even if you’ve never owned one. The Weber Original Kettle is no more difficult to use than any other charcoal grill.
It features a modest 250 square inches of cooking space, but it has all the features you need to whip up a delicious meal. Weber makes charcoal grills for every budget, ranging from around $50 to over $2,000. The most popular weber genesis 2, the Original Kettle, can be found for between $100 and $450, with the differences coming in diameter, ash management, colors, and cooking grates. Since Weber Grills released the iconic Weber Kettle Grill in 1952, they have become the biggest name in BBQ.
Then, I called my friend and resident AoM meat-cooking consultant, Karl Engel, and asked him to show me the ropes on how to cook with it. To get reacquainted with the Weber Kettle Grill as a grown man, I first went down to my local Home Depot and bought the classic model for myself. Once the victuals were hot and sizzling, they were eagerly placed inside soft Wonder Bread buns, slathered with ketchup and all the other weber genesis 2 fixins, and devoured with gusto. After enjoying the sound of a newly birthed charcoal fire, we’d stand around the grill and watch the flame slowly get smaller and smaller, and the charcoal get whiter and whiter. And, if you already know charcoal, but you’re looking for a better experience than what you’ve got now, you can’t go wrong with a Weber. Overall, it’s well-designed, well-built, and deserving of the Weber name.
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. Over the course of two days, we put three charcoal grills through a battery of tests designed to demonstrate their qualities and highlight their differences. We cooked burgers on high heat to see how well the grills seared meat and how even and intense a heat they could generate across the whole grate surface.
When you’re done cooking, the Weber grill has a one-touch cleaning system that lets you sweep ash and debris into the removable ash catcher for disposal. It’s true that great charcoal grills don’t have to cost a lot, but there are many high-end models with superb weber q construction and compelling features. For most of us, price is a key element in all purchasing decisions. Whatever your charcoal grill budget may be, I strongly advise getting a model that has an ash removal system, such as Weber’s One-Touch removable ash bucket.
In an effort to revamp the Ducane brand, Weber introduced the “Ducane Stainless” exclusively through Home Depot, the “Ducane Affinity” and the “Ducane Meridian” through multiple channels. “Grilling is all about high heat and using direct heat to cook each side of the meat, so you don’t need to use the lid. If I were grilling weber genesis 2 steaks, I might use the lid to get some oven-like cooking while I’m grilling the meat. In that case, I’d put the lid on and open up its vents,” Karl told me. 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.
You can also raise the Nexgrill’s adjustable charcoal tray basket to its highest position. For one, the screws are not much bigger than those that hold eyeglass frames together. When you think about the ash catcher’s job—to capture hot ashes and embers—the tiny screws don’t inspire much confidence. After much discussion, we also decided not to insist on a built-in cart, with side tables, on our charcoal contenders.