During our chicken cooking tests, however, this portable grill held its temperature better than any other charcoal grill we’ve tested. The resulting chicken was tasty, and the grill features really well-made cast-iron grates across its 365 square inches of cooking area. The lid houses a temperature gauge and a handy hinge that makes it easy to add charcoal.
Most charcoal grills have two dampers, one near the bottom and one at the top, which work in tandem to direct the flow of air. Kamado grills also have two dampers, they tend to have a more airtight design, and most hold more charcoal than a conventional charcoal grill. For a while, Weber-Stephens Products claimed the original kettle grill’s round body was superior to other grills on the market. “The unique dome shape reflects the heat evenly all around, just like a kitchen oven,” according to a Weber ad from the 1970s.
With this type of charcoal grill, the grill temperature can be set, changed and displayed on a smartphone through an app-based application. A probe can send internal meat temperature readings, giving you the freedom to do other things instead of being chained to the grill. Gas-assisted charcoal grills are usually fueled by a small screw-on propane tank. “This allows you to fire up the charcoal weber genesis 2 with a quick twist of the knob as opposed to using a charcoal chimney or other lighting methods,” Lilly said. The thickness of metal that the grill is made from is measured as the “gauge.” As the gauge number increases, the material thickness decreases and this makes comparing grills easy, explained Lilly. “Thicker metal makes for a longer lasting grill and better insulation,” he said.
With little more than a metal container full of hot coals and a cooking grate, there’s not much that can go wrong. There are no gas valves to leak, no tanks to refill, and no wood pellets to soak up water and jam your smoker. All you need is a bag of charcoal and your favorite recipe.
Other grills we tested either ran hotter and overcooked the hamburgers, or they weren’t hot enough and barely seared or cooked the meat. Traditional charcoal grills use a simple metal bowl, lid, and a steel grate to create what’s essentially a second-generation fire pit. Lightweight construction and effective fuel consumption made these the go-to for cookouts and tailgates for generations. Today, modern takes on this classic design have given us a nice variety of ways to cook with charcoal.
Cookouts shouldn’t be constrained to the backyard, so grab an Isumer tabletop grill and take the party on the road. This charcoal grill is the least expensive, comes at portable bbq a price we’re pleasantly surprised by, and is incredibly compact. If you’ve never woken up to bacon and eggs for breakfast while camping, you are seriously missing out.
Toss this charcoal grill in with the rest of your camping or tailgating gear to bring the flavor of summer with you. My new Weber Smokey Joe grill was easily assembled in about 10 minutes & is the perfect size for 2 people. The Big Green Egg, which debuted in the 1970s, is a kamado grill that also burns charcoal but with a more airtight design and a bigger basin. The Egg has inspired a cultlike following and many copycat cookers.
Offset smokers, secondary cooking surfaces, and larger main grills put charcoal grills on par with the best propane- and wood-burning alternatives. Some even offer advanced features like wifi connectivity to control your grill’s temperature from a distance. These are just a small selection of things that I love to make on my Weber charcoal grill. This grill makes me happy—it looks like a classic Weber grill (the core design—inspired by nautical buoys—is timeless) but has a few updates that earn big points for user-friendliness.
Its rack came out well too, though like the Napoleon, its bark was more pronounced than what the Weber produced. Interior temperatures had a greater swing, jumping up to 300 degrees F during periods of cooking. Its rack of ribs was ready in a short 4 hours, 30 minutes. While its ribs came out tender and juicy overall, the exterior bark had a few burnt spots. The Nexgrill definitely gets hot enough to create a nice sear, but you do have to work a little harder than you do with the Weber to avoid overcooking your meat.
Our favorite bird from this batch was the one cooked on the Weber, though it was a tough call. The bird cooked on the Nexgrill cart-style grill came in right behind, a close second in terms of flavor and texture. Updated the last year 2021, the $139 Nexgrill Cart-Style Charcoal Grill is a compelling alternative to the Weber, especially if you prefer a cart-style backyard cooker. That design gives you a handy side tray and more cooking surface room. In fact, at 572 square inches, this updated larger grill has even more cooking space than the previous version, which offered 390 square inches.