This eliminates the temptation to put the lid on the ground, which can singe a circle in your lawn. Small hooks on the grill’s side handle are ideal for hanging tongs, spatulas, or a towel. The lightweight construction and wheels on two of the three legs made the Weber reasonably easy to move or reposition on pavement. While the Weber is nearly perfect in its simplicity, I do wish they had given this premium model bigger, better wheels. As is, it requires some effort to roll the grill through the grass into storage or when the kids need the yard for a soccer game or water fight.
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…
We lit the charcoal inside the chimney, letting it burn until the smoke dissipated and the coals began to turn grayish-white, then put the charcoal into the grill. After the grill was heated up for 10 minutes, the steaks were ready to hit the grill grate. The PK Grills company has recognized the weber charcoal grill need for an update, and in February 2017, it launched the PK360, a bigger, slicker design with front access vents and a better lid attachment. It still has no significant backstop for the grates, however, and no bottom tray for catching ash—which means it just kind of pours out on the ground.
And at $750 at the time of writing, it was beyond our price consideration. Its construction is simple and solid, and the materials—rust-proof aluminum legs, porcelain-coated steel for the body, and a nickel-plated steel grill—are designed to last. And while the basic design has barely changed since 1952, Weber has added helpful new details over the years—this latest iteration has convenient tool hooks on the side handles, for example. Add that to its solid warranty and well-regarded customer service, and it’s hard to see a better value.
When you invert the assembly to screw it to the grill, the inner collar can slip down unnoticed and prevent the screws from attaching to the grill body. That happened to us twice before we figured out what was going on. If it had been full of hot ash, we would have had a real problem.
It’s also a lot compared with the Weber’s 363-square-inch cooking area. Weber’s original kettle remains its most popular grill today, but in the 60-plus years since its invention, the company has expanded. The Weber name is stamped on propane gas grills, smokers, electric grills and portable grills. There are sub-products under each category, each at different price points, and all with different features.
It’s a great mid-range option for relatively new grill heads looking to stay loyal to traditional charcoal flavors without compromising on ease of use. For anyone who has struggled with starting or lighting coals in the past, this might well be the one for you. Its one-touch ‘Touch-N-Go’ ignition systems helps you light it in a simple bush of a button. Included is Weber’s now standard Gourmet BBQ System, as well as a gas-powered charcoal lighter to help make start up times much quicker.
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.
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 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.