However, for about $200, we think a lot grillers will be happy with the Weber Original 22-Inch Kettle Grill. For five or more people, look for a grill with at least 550 square inches of cooking area. For one or two people, look for weber charcoal grill a grill with approximately 200 square inches of cooking area. It also has a rail system, letting users raise and lower its coal basket at nine different heights, and adjustable tripod legs to level it out on uneven surfaces.
Here at BestReviews, our goal is help you make sense of your shopping choices. We work with industry experts to identify the most important features for the products we’re evaluating, and we then test out some of the top items to see firsthand how well they work. And because we buy our own products, you can trust that our recommendations are always completely unbiased. weber bbq Efficient grill that has built-in side tables for small families or gatherings. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her four years as a product tester, she’s tested hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more.
At $139, Weber’s original, kettle-style charcoal grill continues to stand the test of time. In our high-heat searing tests, Weber delivered the best balance of seared exterior and medium-rare interior steak. The Weber kettle grill gave us tasty chicken too, with crispy chicken skin.
They’re versatile too since they can use either traditional charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal as fuel. Our last test is grilling barbecued ribs, specifically baby back pork ribs. This style of cooking requires strict temperature control over a period of multiple hours. Ideally, a quality charcoal grill (or any smoker) will keep its fire humming along close to 225 degrees F for as long as possible. Lidless charcoal grills may be good for simple grilling, like cooking burgers and shrimp over direct heat, but you need a lid to successfully roast turkeys and smoke ribs. The average full-size grill is around 400 to 500 square inches—plenty of room to make enough food for a backyard gathering.
You can get by grilling burgers and hot dogs with a compact, inexpensive charcoal grill. Interior temperatures had a greater swing, jumping up to 300 degrees F during periods of cooking. While its ribs came out tender and juicy overall, the exterior bark had a few burnt spots. None of the hood thermometers built into these grills mirrored the temperatures recorded by our own thermocouples and data software.
A front door allows easy access to the charcoal during cooking and the double-lined hood is a nice feature to help hold in heat. The Professional Cart Grill has an interesting rotisserie design, too, that uses a special charcoal basket weber bbq across the back for a dedicated rotisserie fire. With charcoal grills, I test for effective air control by smoking low and slow at 225°F, roasting in the mid-range around 350°F, and letting ‘er rip with a blazing, red hot fire.
In the early 1960s, gas grills entered the market and gained popularity, and gas eventually became the fuel of choice for most residential grillers. However, charcoal still runs a close second, and lately we’ve seen an uptick in its popularity. Due to their comparably simple construction, they tend to cost less than a similarly sized gas or pellet grill. Another powerful draw of these grills is the intense smoky flavor they create in the food they cook.
If your model doesn’t have one, it’s a good idea to buy one separately, so you can cook more effectively and efficiently. Gas grills are very common, and Weber has a variety of convenient gas models. Weber’s gas grills run on either natural gas from your home’s line or propane from a tank. The main advantage of a Weber gas grill is that it doesn’t require as much prep or cleanup time as a charcoal model.
This 18-inch ceramic grill has thick walls that lock in smoke and moisture, and you can use it to grill and smoke food thanks to its tower-style vent and built-in lid thermometer. Of course, there are several other benefits to charcoal grills. They’re typically more affordable than propane, natural gas, and pellet grills, and they also burn hotter, allowing you to get a beautiful crispy crust on your food. Plus, because charcoal grills typically have a simple design, they’re less likely to break down, and when they do have problems, repairs are usually straightforward. 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.