If you’ve never cooked with charcoal before, the Original Kettle is an excellent grill for discovering this style of barbecue. Some of the ash will fall through to the ash catcher a few inches below the bowl. For the rest, Weber has equipped the Original Kettle with its “One-touch” ash removal system.
The pan is not as deep as the Weber Premium’s pan, so it requires more frequent cleaning, which can only be done when the grill is entirely cooled off. The lid sets this grill apart from a portable bbq traditional Weber kettle, which features an unattached kettle top. We enjoyed the ease of being able to hinge open the lid on the Blackjack for a quick flip of our meat during our tests.
The enormous capacity of the Ranch® kettle charcoal grill sets the tone for a party that lasts until tomorrow. With more than 1,000 square inches of grilling space and a stainless steel hinged cooking grate for easily adding charcoal, you’re set up to grill for the masses. The Blackjack Kettle Grill also features two air vents, and it was easy to control the grill temperature with them. 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.
The fuel door is removable so that adding charcoal and wood is easy, and the dampers allow you to be in control of the heat for tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. Toast to the authenticity of charcoal grilling, classic design, and taste loved around the world—the Original Kettle. Its ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl retain heat, while the dampers can be easily adjusted for precise temperature control. 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.
The integrated water reservoir holds a quart of water and provides a humid cooking environment. The Napoleon Freestanding Charcoal Kettle Grill took the longest to set up, clocking in at an hour and five minutes of build time. While this grill does come with an included cart, which added to setup time, we also found the instructions hard to follow, and the amount of hardware included felt a bit overwhelming. If you’re going to purchase this grill, then we’d advise looking into having your local hardware store build and deliver it to you.
For over 60 years, Weber has been a leader in the BBQ industry, and for good reason. weber charcoal grills are tough, built to withstand years of outdoor cooking. The original circular design of the Weber Kettle Grill has been adopted by many other charcoal grill brands due to its superior heating ability. When it comes to charcoal grills, Weber offers a cooking experience that is unmatched by any other brand. For more than 50 years, Weber charcoal grills have been one of the top sellers in the BBQ industry.
That’s just one of the questions I’ll answer in this review of the OG of Weber grills. This roundup was written by Camryn Rabideau, product tester and grill expert for The Spruce Eats. She’s weber q done firsthand testing of the Weber Q2200, Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker, and more. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too.
One thing that I noticed while putting the grill together was that the materials just seemed chintzier and more flimsy than those on the Weber Kettle Grill my dad owned. (Weber grills are still assembled in America, but with some imported components.) The metal in the legs seems to bend pretty easily. The most significant difference that stood out to me was that all the handles on the new models have plastic instead of wood. The wood on the 1970s and 80s versions really classed things up. We didn’t have a charcoal starter on hand this time around, so we used some firestarter gel from Hasty-Bake.
What you will have to do after each use is remove unused charcoal and ash that falls to the bottom. Buy a wireless digital meat thermometer, you’ll be much happier over the long run. One feature you also don’t get with the Original Kettle is a thermometer in the lid. The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.