11 Best Charcoal Grills Of 2022

“Once the ceramic shell is heated up, it stays hot for a long period of time and gets the most out of a charcoal fire,” he said. We placed two steaks on each grilling grate near the center and seared for five minutes before flipping them over and searing for another five minutes. In a good, reliable grill this will give you a steak with a seared outside and a medium rare to medium center.

A few others drove the price up to $80, which I was glad to pay. If you’re interested, read this information I posted about deciphering old Weber gas grill serial numbers in the Weber Gas Grill forum at The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board. In the early 1980s, Weber introduced a portable grill weber charcoal grill called the Hot Shot Table Top Gas Grill, the same grill we know today as the Go-Anywhere Gas Grill. We have no information to indicate that the early versions of these grills had serial numbers or were date coded. With this type of grill, charcoal is poured into a vertical hopper.

weber charcoal grill

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good gas grill—in fact, you can read about my favorite gas grills right here—but I’ll take cleaning a charcoal grill over a gasser any day of the week. For the low-and-slow, whole-grate test, we let the same batch of coals burn down to the white-ash stage with the lid open, which took about 20 minutes. We then reoiled the grates and distributed a whole cut-up chicken—two each of breasts, thighs, drumsticks, and wings—skin side down.

We filled it up to the top with briquettes and then put newspaper underneath, which we lit on fire and then allowed the coals to heat up for exactly 15 minutes. Once your briquettes are fired up and ready to go, you then dump them into the base of the kettle grill. After you pop the cooking grate over the red-hot briquettes, you’re ready to start cooking.

Their well-known designs, tried and true cooking systems, and outstanding customer service have helped them become the company people know and love. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide portable bbq the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master. In 1964, Weber upgraded the metal handle on the lid to a wooden one. By 1962, the wheels were changed from thin white wheels to a thicker black 6″ metal wheels with painted whitewalls.

In addition to its sturdy construction, Weber’s classic kettle grill addresses what can make charcoal grilling such a headache—ash removal and temperature control. The cooking area is 147 square inches — it fits six burgers at a time — and the porcelain-enameled lid and bowl come in six different colors. The air control required for charcoal grills actually makes them dang good smokers, too.

Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure portable bbq complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. Charcoal grilling is an art, and Weber has done a great job of making that art form mobile.

On this page I explain how I use my kettle grill and I also have a YouTube Channel where I’ve posted videos showing how I setup my kettle grill for different types of cooks. I also provide demo cooks so you can see how well my setup works. So if you’re having trouble getting your kettle grill to do what you want it to do, read on or visit my YouTube Channel. The pros and cons of charcoal grillsThe number one biggest benefit to cooking with a charcoal grill is the flavor it gives food.