I prefer the weber, coated cast-iron grates to the plated steel grates the Original Kettle comes with, but there are worse things, and the plated steel still cooks relatively well. Because of the kettle-shape design, there’s no practical way to include a secondary cooking surface for cooking delicate items, warming buns, etc. It’s a fun rewarding experience, though to be perfectly honest I now never smoke on this grill because I tend to always smoke on my Kamado Joes. From an aesthetic standpoint, it’s hard not to like this classic-looking grill. It has changed very little since the actual original Weber… and why should it?
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 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.
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.
To test the indirect heat, we cooked raw beer brats and bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Cooking a variety of meats allowed us to observe grill marks, crispiness, and doneness. After the grills had fully cooled, we cleaned each, following the manufacturer’s instructions as closely as we could.
With this method, the coals take about 10 minutes to light and another 10 for the grill to get hot. There’s nothing quite like the combo of enjoying the great outdoors while smelling the delectable aroma of fresh-grilled foods. A Weber charcoal grill makes the perfect addition to tailgate parties, camping adventures and backyard entertaining. When purchasing a new charcoal grill or smoker, understanding the different styles of Weber charcoal grills and what each type can do is important.
When it comes to cleaning the lid and bowl, burning charcoal and cooking food will cause carbon to accumulate on them. This is normal, and if you’ve used charcoal before, you’ve seen it; it looks like peeling paint. There’s a learning curve, of course, when it comes to controlling heat on a charcoal grill, but once learned, it’s plain sailing from there. First, you’ll find ample space on the steel cooking great for a whole lotta food. You could readily cook half-a-dozen steaks at once or enough burgers to feed a baseball team, including the relief pitchers. This grill hits the sweet spot size-wise too since it’s lightweight and fairly compact, but still has plenty of room to create both a high-heat and indirect-heat zone.
This grill has enough room for a three-zone charcoal fire—and a handful of beer-can chickens, multiple racks of ribs, or (at least) 20 burgers. It’s also a great grill for slow cooking a whole pork shoulder and then some with or without Char-Griller’s optional side fire box. The lack of a simple lid hook feels like a design oversight and removing and replacing the ash portable bbq catcher isn’t as smooth as it should be because the damper handle gets caught on the legs. There’s no function for pushing the ashes into the catcher, either, so it has to be done manually with a grill brush or other tool. I also worry about longevity, mainly because the handles, ash catcher, and lid damper are identical to the same parts on the worst grill we tested.
The ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl are uniquely designed to retain the charcoal’s heat, while dampers are easily adjusted for precise temperature control. Cleaning this grill is easy thanks to Weber’s One-Touch cleaning system—a lever-controlled tool that forces ashes down into the ash pan or catcher for easy cleanup—and the enclosed ash catcher. Assembly is pretty straightforward and additional assistance is available through the BILT app. All Weber charcoal grills come with a limited 10-year warranty covering rust and burn-through of the body (other parts are covered for two or five years). The only real learning curve to cooking on a charcoal grill is fire management, but the built-in thermometer makes that easier.
His passion for charcoal grilling was instilled into him by his father who used charcoal on a basic grill to cook for his family on warm summer nights. Charcoal grilling and tending to his smoker has been a happy pastime of Bob’s, especially as he enters his retirement years. The circular cooking surface area is relatively petite, with a 22-inch diameter, but testers noted that when set up as a smoker, it can still handle two to three racks of ribs.
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, weber charcoal grill 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.