The pan is not as deep as the Weber Premium’s pan, so it requires more frequent cleaning, which can only be done when the grill is entirely cooled off. The lid sets this grill apart from a traditional Weber kettle, which features an unattached kettle top. We enjoyed the ease of being able to hinge open the lid on the Blackjack for a quick flip of our meat during our tests.
Those designs offer attractive versatility, but they’re also expensive—$350 at minimum, and the most popular and best-regarded styles run twice that or more. And Salvaggio noted that wood pellets simply don’t produce the searing heat you need to make perfect burgers or steaks. Our experiments ran the gamut from grilling burgers to smoking .
With the ability to fold flat, the Traveler is the ideal gas grill for folks who are always on the go. Despite its small size, its grilling surface can hold up to 15 burger patties at once, perfect for quick solo meals or family gatherings. Its convenience factors — like one-handed setup and automatic lid lock — make this the ultimate on-the-go grill.
It’s certainly true that the Weber Kettle’s fire can be tricky to control, especially when compared to pellet grills and kamado smokers. It’s simply not as fuel efficient and heat insulated as fancier grill styles like those. Still, you can buy plenty of aftermarket products designed to make life easier. First, I filled a charcoal chimney 75% full with briquettes and ignited them. Then I replaced the grill grate and dropped my spatchcooked bird on the cooler side . One downside to this grill is the ash pan, which can only be emptied by reaching into the grill and lifting it up and out of the kettle.
One other trick to note during assembly is that you will have to apply a little bit of tension to the legs when installing the wheels. I found that just pushing the leg in a little and then tapping the wheel covers on with a hammer (ball-peen, claw, or even a rubber mallet) worked. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master.
Unlike BBQ smoking, or even gas grilling to a certain extent, charcoal isn’t aset-and-forget style of cooking. You need to monitor surface temperatures, meat internal temperatures, and to ward off any appearances of cold spots or flare ups. 393 square inches for cooking grates, porcelain enamel steel wiring, 205…
For those new to cooking outdoors, the Weber makes it easy to learn to grill over a flame; you’ll look like an old hand in no time. But even if you have a gas grill or a pellet smoker , sometimes the charcoal option is simply superior. Once you factor in price, performance, and design, the Weber is the heavy hitter in the arena of charcoal grills. To clean the grates, build a fire, heat up the grill, and then take a bristle-free wire brush (metal bristles can fall out and end up in your food, and you don’t want that) and scrape. Every few cooks, I like to use a Shop-Vac to remove any greasy ashes stuck in the bottom of the grill.
They control airflow through the grill, allowing you to easily manage the cooking temperatures of your Kettle. Simple construction means there aren’t too many parts to assemble weber charcoal grill or too many features to handle while cooking. A vent on the lid controls airflow and a well-designed ash tray beneath the Weber grill facilitates easy cleanup.
If you prefer meat that’s more well done, you can extend the cooking time, or sear and finish cooking in an oven. They’re bulkier, the assembly is more involved and you’ll likely need more fuel to weber charcoal grill keep the larger space at a high temperature. Our results, however, were almost as good as with the kettle-style Weber, so if you’re interested in a cart-style charcoal BBQ, this is your best bet.