Weber Charcoal Grills

A potential downside is that charcoal grills are a bit slower to get started. “You have to set up the chimney, start the coals and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you can cook,” she explained. And scrub the grates every time — otherwise your food will taste like soot and you will not get great grill marks.

We moved the remaining coals to one side of the coal grate and added half a chimney’s worth of freshly lit coals. In effect we were testing whether the grills could function as ovens—a really nice feature in the hot summer months, when you may not want to warm up your kitchen. “That means everything from the quantity and type of charcoal to the design of the grill can impact your final result.” The first bite of tender, fall-off-the-bone meat makes taking it low-and-slow worth every moment. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking multiple items at once, and easily adjustable dampers for precision heat control.

A trap door lets you empty ash easily and without making a mess. The adjustable vent on the lid allows you to fine-tune airflow to the flame to control cooking temperatures. There’s even a place to hang the lid when you’re flipping burgers. The true original Weber grill, the Weber Original Kettle Grill, can be purchased for under $100, making it our top pick for best budget grill.

This grill gave both our burgers and chicken a really nice sear. During our testing, hamburgers cooked to medium, while it took the chicken about 32 minutes to come up to temperature. With the ultimate grilling machine, weber q mastering the art of grilling for special occasions and creating delicious, everyday meals is as simple as lighting a fire on your charcoal grill. Ace Hardware has everything you need to become a grilling pro.

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. Then we slow-grilled cut-up chickens to see if our contenders could hold a low temperature evenly across the whole grate. Finally, we roasted whole chickens indirectly to see if the grills could create browned skin and perfectly cook meat without charring. Sam Sifton, editor for the Cooking section of The New York Times , joined us for these tests. Spark your passion for charcoal grilling with the Kettle that started it all.

There are certainly fancier and more expensive grills to use for cooking, but for a balance of affordability and quality, you can’t go wrong with this classic. portable bbq If you have minimal outdoor space, this electric cutie is just right. The porcelain-coated cooking grates are rust-resistant and easy to clean.

Or maybe it’s the smell of the smoke and the sound of the sizzle. Whatever the reason, grilling is one of life’s simple pleasures. And a reliable grill that won’t let you down is key to making the most of the experience. Over 50 years ago, Weber was founded simply to make a grill that cooked a better steak. That desire for “more” and “better” goes into everything they do.

But poor instructions can make assembly slow, frustrating, and full of retraced steps. And a simply bad design can make assembly needlessly difficult. Plus, poorly finished parts can have dangerously sharp edges—sometimes sharp enough to cause a nasty cut.

weber charcoal grill

Both models shared a similar overall design, but the Weber model was comprehensively superior. With simple instructions and a minimal need for tools or acrobatics, Weber has clearly refined its engineering to maximize simplicity. The legs and ash catcher slot effortlessly into built-in sockets and lock into place with idiot-proof spring pins—not a bolt or screw in sight.

There are many other standout features to keep in mind while comparing different charcoal grill models. The difference between the two was largely in the crispiness of the skin, with the Weber producing the superior results. weber genesis 2 Meat from the Nexgrill was delicious, with just a bit more flavor than the Weber. Between them, I’d say it largely depends on your budget and what style of grill you prefer for other meats like burgers or steak.