Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right . The Weber grill has three legs—an inherently stable design, because having three points of contact means the legs will automatically “find their level” even on bumpy ground. That said, the Napoleon model’s four legs felt just as stable, and weber genesis 2 more stiff, on a garden-variety concrete patio—and also allowed Napoleon to install a big, square shelf underneath the grill. The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, but it’s far less useful. Sign up to receive new product news, exclusive offers, grilling tips & recipes, and more from Weber and its affiliates / subsidiaries!
Charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal are easier to ignite and keep lit than ordinary firewood. And if you plan to cook low and slow we suggest adding a few chunks of hardwood to your charcoal pile. This brings about more smoke flavor in barbecue meat like pork ribs, pork butt and beef brisket. Next, we light each grill’s snake at one end of the chain with five lit briquettes .
From Bluetooth speakers to patio furniture to gas and charcoal grills, here’s what we think you need for backyard entertaining and cooking. The 22-inch Napoleon Rodeo Charcoal Kettle Grill (model number NK22CK-L) is considered one of the better Weber clones available (the pros at AmazingRibs.com, among others, rate it highly). In our cooking tests it performed well, though not quite as well as the Weber. In particular, we weber charcoal grill didn’t find its unique heat-diffusing plate—a shallow metal dome that sits in the middle of the coal bed—to be as effective as we would have liked. However, at 34 inches at the grates, it’s nearly counter height, and a full 7 inches taller than the Weber, so it was less tiring to work on. The Napoleon’s four legs, versus the Weber’s three, make this grill more stiff and stable, and allow for a nice big shelf underneath.
A digital probe thermometer like this one provides accurate grill temperatures. If that is important to you, start looking for good-sized ash pans and convenient levers to return and forth, which will drain ash out of the grill body. If you grill regularly, go for demanding build substances, like cast iron and also heavy-gauge steel. But continue reading afterward, because we have done the research and published a fantastic short-list of the top grills on the market, at price points to match every wallet. It’s a beautiful process and is what gives charcoal-grilled meat the extraordinary flavors which make us mad for more. This helps to create a crackly, caramelized exterior, all while leaving you with a lush pink, tender inside to meats like steak.
If you want a charcoal grill to last decades, then this is the brand for you. Depending on the size of your bird, total cooking time should be between 60 and 90 minutes. The best approach is to use an instant read thermometer to confirm that the thickest part of each breast is 160 to 165 degrees F.
The main difference between the standard and more premium models is a home for the lid; the premium model (about $10 more expensive) has a hinge that holds the lid when not in use. For more grill content, check out our guides to the best charcoal grills, pellet grills and gas grills. You can create an indirect heat zone by placing briquettes, or lump charcoal if you prefer, only on one side of the charcoal grate. You leave the other side empty then cook food above the cool spot. The trouble is that it’s tricky to control the grill’s heat level this way. It’s harder to do that with a Weber Kettle, at least without lots of practice.