Similarly, you’ll probably have to scrape stuff off the lower charcoal grate, though possibly not after each use. It’s a fairly large grill with lots of primary cooking space. Grilling for a large family or a crowd of guests is no problem. We love this grill, and it always appears highly in our roundup of the best charcoal grills available. Although it’s not a purpose-built smoker, it is certainly possible to do some smoking on your charcoal grill with the help of the charcoal snake method and some good temp control via the vents.
If you like to switch up your cooking style once in a while, you’ll love The Original PK Grill & Smoker. This model delivers the best of both worlds, and it’s perfect for both casual grillers and professional chefs. For a lower price point and a little less grilling space, check out the Weber Original Kettle 18-Inch Charcoal Grill.
Depending on the season and how your charcoal grill is set up, your experience cooking and grilling will likely be very different from ours. For example, a kettle-style charcoal grill left in the July sun all day will run a lot hotter than it will in the cooler spring months. We tested the 22-inch Weber charcoal grill in black, but Weber also offers an 18-inch version of its original kettle design. 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. In cooking performance, the Weber was the best and most hassle-free grill in our tests. For the indirect-cooking test, we cooked a whole chicken at as close to 500 °F as we could get (emulating Barbara Kafka’s famous oven-roasting method).
After you clean the grates, oil them using a paper towel dipped in oil and held in tongs. Finally, make sure to empty your ashes, and keep that grill covered when not in use. Our last test is grilling barbecued ribs, specifically baby back pork ribs. This style of cooking weber genesis 2 requires strict temperature control over a period of multiple hours. Ideally, a quality charcoal grill will keep its fire humming along close to 225 degrees F for as long as possible. If you’re looking for the fanciest kettle grill out there, this one might just be it.
The Napoleon’s four legs, versus the Weber’s three, make this grill more stiff and stable, and allow for a nice big shelf underneath. Its construction is simple and solid, and the materials—rust-proof aluminum legs, porcelain-coated steel for the body, and a nickel-plated steel grill—are designed to last. And while the basic design has barely changed since 1952, Weber has added helpful new details over the years—this latest iteration has convenient tool hooks on the side handles, for example.
You’ll also want to wipe down the inside of the lid and bowl using a mild soap. After cooking, the best way to put out hot coals is to close the lid and shut both the upper and lower vents to cut off the oxygen supply. Closing the lid and vents will extinguish the coals, but it may take a while for the coals to cool down. If you’re weber charcoal grill looking for an affordable, all-around great charcoal grill, the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill should be your go-to choice. Our reviewer liked that it worked well for all skill levels. If you want to spend a little less, you can downsize to Weber’s 18-Inch Kettle Grill and still experience the brand’s quality.
But we also opened our search to include charcoal grills of different designs. The fact that the kettle shape dominates the charcoal-grilling field doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the ideal. The world of the charcoal grill is essentially back to basics – returning portable bbq to the original experience of cooking over an open fire. Light the charcoal with a Rapidfire® Chimney Starter, watch as the coals transform into a glowing heat source, practice controlling the temperature, and enjoy the process as the food cooks.
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. Weber even supplies a simple plastic tool to help you attach the thermometer without digging out a wrench. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver to attach the side handles, and something dense to tap the end caps of the wheel axle into place.
Cooking ribs low and slow on the Nexgrill required just 4 hours, 30 minutes. Its rack came out well too, though like the Napoleon, its bark was more pronounced than what the Weber produced. The difference weber q between the two was largely in the crispiness of the skin, with the Weber producing the superior results. Meat from the Nexgrill was delicious, with just a bit more flavor than the Weber.