Their kettle style grills are one of the most popular charcoal grills of all time, and this is due to Weber’s solid performance and dependable quality. Weber charcoal grills are portable, lightweight, and our huge selection includes all the sizes and colors available from Weber. We tested six kettle-style charcoal grills because when it comes to grilling, simpler is just better. After a handful of cookouts over the last few weeks, there were two clear winners. Smoking is a process in which meats are cooked at a much lower temperature for an extended period. A Weber charcoal smoker is a great option for larger cuts of meats like brisket and ham, while charcoal grilling may be a better option for classic grilling dishes like hamburgers, hot dogs and more.
The bottom vent functions like most kettle grills, but the top vent is styled more like a traditional smoker vent. You mainly control the temperature on this grill from the bottom vent. 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.
Those designs offer attractive versatility, but they’re also expensive—$350 at minimum, and the most popular and best-regarded styles run twice that or more. And Salvaggio noted that wood pellets simply don’t produce the searing heat you need to make perfect burgers or steaks. Our experiments ran the gamut from grilling burgers to smoking .
Just like a lot of modern charcoal grills, it has an ashtray to help speed up cleaning. It’s big enough to take on quite a lot, so you shouldn’t have to empty it too frequently. weber charcoal grill What really sets the Kettle apart from the rest through is its vents. Also called dampers, these vents sit both at the bottom and the top of the grill chamber.
For example, the SmartFire uses a motorized fan to control air flow through the Kettle. It also lets you monitor pit temperature and set a target temperature for your cook. Additionally it comes with two food probes to keep an eye on what your cooking. You’ll do that through an app on your phone that you can use anywhere you have Wi-Fi. Start by stacking one layer of briquettes in pairs along the edge of the charcoal grate.
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 charcoal briquettes form a line two coals wide and two coals deep. On cart-style grills, we modify the snake to run in right angles to match their rectangular-shaped fireboxes. Next, we tested each grill’s medium heat cooking capability by roasting whole chickens. The trick here is to keep the grills at a hot enough temperature to cook a chicken for upwards of two hours. We measured charcoal in a chimney by grams, and in a ratio for that grill’s specific surface area.
The Weber can also smoke low and slow at a rock-steady cooking temperature. For our tests, we cooked hamburgers on direct heat for four minutes on each side and then compared their level of doneness. The two Weber grills both cooked our hamburgers to medium rare, while the Oklahoma Joe’s, Cuisinart and Char-Griller all ran slightly hotter and cooked our test hamburgers weber q to medium. We cooked burgers on the Napoleon grill with the cooking grate at its highest level, which was pretty far away from the briquettes. Each grill did a great job searing the chicken leg quarters while still leaving them juicy on the inside. The Oklahoma Joe’s Kettle Grill and Weber Original Kettle Grills gave the chicken skin the deepest sear.
A built-in thermometer on the lid allows you to monitor the grill’s temperature, while a hinged grill grate makes it easy to add coal or reposition embers for enhanced fire management. And when dinner’s done, an improved ash catcher makes cleaning up the charcoal mess even easier. Read on to see how well the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill performed under fire. The premium version of the original kettle measures 22 inches wide and comes in three colors. The premium version also includes Weber’s One-Touch cleaning system, meaning that it comes with a large enclosed ash pan for easy cleanup, and it also boasts a built-in thermometer and lid hook. While we found both Weber grills to cook flawlessly, the upgrades on the premium model make the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill our top charcoal grill of 2023.
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.