Our customer service reps are real people offering great service, backed by 8 weeks of hands-on training with all of our products. The lifespan of any grill is affected by several factors including cleaning frequency, maintenance, amount of use, weather, and the overall environment where the grill is located. There is an abundance of Weber owners who have been using the same grill for decades. Your mileage may vary, but with proper care and maintenance you can expect your Weber grill to last for many years. Ribs cooked on the Nexgrill had lots of bark but were juicy and tender inside.
We have a whole guide right here to help you get started with charcoal grilling, from arranging your coals to determining temperature and even controlling flare-ups. The best way to light your grill without the scent of chemicals is to forgo lighter fluid and use a chimney starter. To use one, load up the space on the bottom with a piece of newspaper or two, pile coals in from the top, then light the newspaper.
It’s also ideal for large families or anyone who regularly cooks for a crowd. When used as a smoker, it produced large amounts of smoke and heat, with ribs that ranked among the highest in tenderness and overall rib quality. Due to their comparably simple construction, they tend to cost less than a similarly sized gas or pellet grill. Another powerful weber charcoal grill draw of these grills is the intense smoky flavor they create in the food they cook. They’re versatile too since they can use either traditional charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal as fuel. This Weber’s plated steel cooking grate is hinged so that it’s easier to load charcoal, even while cooking, onto the heavy-gauge steel grate below.
The round grate has ample cooking space for an entire Thanksgiving turkey, at least 10 burgers (Weber claims you can fit 13, but nobody likes an overcrowded grill), or a few beer-can chickens. Retailing at around $200, this grill is well-priced considering the upgrades from the original. To me, that’s money well spent considering how much easier it is to discard ashes, one of my least favorite things about operating my previous Weber. The built-in thermometer and dampers also enhance the cooking experience and justify the cost. Once you factor in price, performance, and design, the Weber is the heavy hitter in the arena of charcoal grills. They’re bulkier, the assembly is more involved and you’ll likely need more fuel to keep the larger space at a high temperature.
So cooking on it can be a literal pain in the butt (and lower back). The Napoleon grill, which we otherwise didn’t love, is a generous 34 inches in height at the grate, making it more comfortable to work on. Because this grill is so popular, both Weber and other manufacturers offer a bunch of add-ons (such as charcoal weber charcoal grill baskets, pizza stones, and rotisseries) that increase its capabilities. Once we knew the Weber was our pick, we used a popular third-party accessory, the Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe charcoal basket, to smoke a rack of baby-back ribs. The grill performed terrifically, turning out tender ribs with great smoky flavor.
No matter your grilling experience, use this convenient charcoal grill buying guide to select the charcoal barbecue grill that’s right for you. This model is marketed as a grill and smoker, so we had high expectations for it in both categories— and it delivered. The PK300 is thoughtfully designed, with a lid that hinges open but can be removed entirely with ease, too.
All you need is a Phillips screwdriver to attach the side handles, and a hammer (or even just a chunk of firewood) to tap the end caps of the wheel axle into place. One person can have the grill up and running within minutes of opening the box. By contrast, other grills we tested had cumbersome assembly processes. The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″ is a classic for good reason. In our tests it outperformed the other grills in cooking, ease of assembly, and user-friendly details.
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.