In the mid-1950s, his father told him that he had to make a choice, says Kempster, either he sells grills or he works at the metal company; he couldn’t do both. So without much financial backing, Stephen took a chance, struck out on his own and began to grow his burgeoning business. Stephen marketed this first grill as “George’s Barbecue Kettle.” It sold for $29.95—the equivalent of around $270 today.
At $119, 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.
A built-in thermometer on the lid allows you to monitor the grill’s temperature, while a hinged grill grate makes it easy to add coal or reposition embers for enhanced fire management. And when dinner’s done, an improved ash catcher makes cleaning up the charcoal mess even easier. Read on to see how well the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22” Charcoal Grill performed under fire.
The resulting chicken was tasty, and the grill features really well-made cast-iron grates across its 365 square inches of cooking area. The lid houses a temperature gauge and a handy hinge that makes it easy to add charcoal. A potential downside is that charcoal grills are a bit slower to get started. “You have to set up the chimney, start the coals and wait 20 to 30 minutes before you can cook,” she explained. And scrub the grates every time — otherwise your food will taste like soot and you will not get great grill marks. Spark your passion for charcoal grilling with the Kettle that started it all.
In addition to 314 square inches of cast iron grill space, this porcelain-coated steel grill also has a removable 133-square-inch warming rack and two folding metal trays. The grill’s body is made from 22-gauge steel with a double wall insulation and porcelain-coated interior that can cook at 200 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. There’s also adjustable top and bottom dampers, an easy-to-dump ash pan and locking wheels for moving it in your yard. Our design features an edge that allows you to scrape food up against it to aid in lifting. It also prevents food from rolling off the griddle and into the coals. The griddle plate allows you to lift up the hinged portion of the cooking grate to give access to your coals to better control the heat.
Each bite tasted of the charcoal-imparted flavor of smoke. Three tiny screws are all that keep the Napoleon’s ash catcher and bottom weber q vent attached. Throughout, we also tested our “necessities”—accessories such as spatulas, tongs, grill brushes, and sheet pans.
It’s only $50 more, and 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. According to McManus, you absolutely want a charcoal grill that comes with a lid as you greatly limit what you can make without one. Also look for ones that leave plenty of room underneath for cooking taller foods when closed, like a 14-pound turkey.
As the chicken cooked we monitored the grills’ temperatures, using the built-in thermometer where available and a probe thermometer where not. The goal was a steady hold at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and we adjusted the vents to get as close to that as we could. After 45 minutes, we flipped the chicken parts, slathered on a coating of barbecue sauce, and closed the lid for another five minutes. We repeated this step twice more, rounding out the cook time at an hour flat. Then we had a taste, paying special attention to the breast meat—a long cook can dry it out.
The steak on that grill needed an additional five minutes to get to a temperature of 135 F, the minimum for medium rare. They’re bulkier, the assembly is more involved and you’ll likely need more fuel to keep the larger space at a high temperature. Our results, however, were almost as good as with the kettle-style Weber, so if you’re interested in a cart-style charcoal BBQ, this is your best bet. Simple construction means there aren’t too many parts to assemble or too many features to handle while cooking. A vent on the lid controls airflow and a well-designed ash tray beneath the Weber grill facilitates easy cleanup.