Leaky grills are harder to control and get rated accordingly. To dial in my target cooking temperatures accurately, I use multi-channel digital thermometers with temperature probes clipped to the cooking surface. Charcoal grills usually don’t have as many bells weber gas grill and whistles as gassers, but I assess whatever goodies are included, particularly ash removal systems. This multi-level charcoal grill from KamadoJoe features a thick-walled, heat-resistant ceramic shelf that locks in smoke and moisture when cooking.
If you prefer meat that’s more well done, you can extend the cooking time, or sear and finish cooking in an oven. Weber grill cooking grates are made of stainless steel, plated steel, or porcelain-enameled cast iron. An updated version of the popular Spirit series that offers state-of-the-art components, including the Infinity ignition system that’s known for reliable starts. To ensure we included grills that are right for everyone, we broke down the grills by style—kettle, barrel, and kamado—and had portable and hybrid-fuel options. Our final picks are highly rated by grillers, and they all come from reputable brands that stand behind their products with solid customer service and warranties. More features can help with lavish fare, like seafood, steak, or brisket.
Their portable grills come in both charcoal and gas varieties, and all boast a compact, lightweight design. However, because of the smaller size, Weber portable grills don’t offer much cooking capacity. Otherwise, you’ll need to cook your food in several batches. The briquettes can be somewhat expensive, so operating a charcoal grill is often more expensive than running a gas grill.
A. While the Weber electric grills are meant for outdoor use, they shouldn’t be used in rain or snow for safety reasons. It’s possible for an electrical malfunction to occur if the grill gets wet, which could lead to electrocution weber portable grill or fire. When you’re ready to buy a Weber grill, check out our top five recommendations in the product list above. For general advice on how to choose a Weber grill, our shopping guide has plenty of helpful tips.
If your favorite recipes require on-the-fly adjustments, like changing the grate height and temperature, find a charcoal grill with the features to accommodate. Next, we light each grill’s snake at one end of the chain with five lit briquettes (tumbleweed fire starters work, too). We set all air vents on each grill (top and bottom) to the halfway-open position. Lastly, we place one rack of ribs on each grill for indirect cooking, with the meat not sitting directly above the coals. Simple construction means there aren’t too many parts to assemble 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.
A front door allows easy access to the charcoal during cooking and the double-lined hood is a nice feature to help hold in heat. The Professional Cart Grill has an interesting rotisserie design, too, that uses a special charcoal basket across the back for a dedicated rotisserie fire. With charcoal grills, I test for effective air control by smoking low and slow at 225°F, roasting in the mid-range around 350°F, and letting ‘er rip with a blazing, red hot fire.
Our rib experience with a few of the other grills was far from ideal. At times, the inside of this grill hit temperatures as high as 400 degrees F. And sadly, the ribs it produced came out burned, charred and overdone.
The fire and heat from the newspaper ignites the bottom coals, then the fire builds up. When the top coals are covered with gray ash, you’re ready to go. Recently, they changed the company name to SnS Grills and introduced their very own Slow ‘N Sear Kettle Grill. If you add the cost of a Slow ‘N Sear insert to a Weber Performer (and you should) the Slow ‘N Sear Kettle is about the same price. This makes it a solid package deal that’s definitely worth the consideration of folks on the lookout for a new charcoal burner. Speaking of Slow ‘N Sear, this company was built on their innovative charcoal insert, mentioned above.