From Traeger To Weber, Here Are 8 Great Grills, According To Grillmasters

Their heat dampening system allows for excellent temperature control and longevity of fuel. Since Weber Grills released the iconic Weber Kettle Grill in 1952, they have become the biggest name in BBQ. For over 60 years, Weber has been a leader in the BBQ industry, and for good reason.

weber charcoal grill

This brings about more smoke flavor in barbecue meat like pork ribs, pork butt and beef brisket. In our medium, indirect-heat chicken tests, the Nexgrill delivered flavorful, juicy meat as a close second to the Weber. Ribs were tender, juicy and done in just under 5 hours. And this updated model, when we used the charcoal snake method, demonstrated temperature control almost as good as the Weber. “Weber has always been my favorite grill maker but this is the best Weber grill I have ever purchased,” raved one buyer. Weber’s Spirit II is a no-frills gas grill that gets the job done.

Once all is done, and the timer sounds, take in the warm feeling of serving company amazing food. Charcoal grilling meets everyday life with the Performer Premium charcoal grill. The Master-Touch Premium grill can sear the perfect steak, and then easily transform into a smoker for smoking low-and-slow ribs or pork shoulder.

In our testing, the Weber Premium was hands down the easiest grill to control temperature on, with the flames inside the kettle responding expertly to any tap of the vents. Temperature control is key to successful charcoal grilling. During our cooking tests on the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill, hamburgers cooked to a medium rare temperature and our chicken ended up juicy, with a solid sear on the outside.

We measured charcoal in a chimney by grams, and in a ratio for that grill’s specific surface area. We lit the charcoal inside the chimney, letting it burn until the smoke dissipated and the coals began to turn grayish-white, then put the charcoal into the grill. After the grill was heated up for 10 minutes, the steaks were ready to hit the grill grate. None of the hood thermometers built into these grills mirrored the temperatures recorded by our own thermocouples and data software. “We’ve had the grill only a few weeks, but we’ve cooked delicious ribs, brisket, pork shoulder and a whole chicken,” reports one fan.

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. portable bbq If you have minimal outdoor space, this electric cutie is just right. The porcelain-coated cooking grates are rust-resistant and easy to clean.

The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″ is a classic for good reason. From burgers to chicken to slow-smoked ribs, this Weber model’s time-tested design produces great results—at a terrific price. A quality charcoal grill is certainly worth the investment.

When grilling things like hot dogs and hamburgers, you don’t need to put the lid on. We didn’t have a charcoal starter on hand this time around, so we used some weber charcoal grill firestarter gel from Hasty-Bake. It doesn’t evaporate quickly like traditional lighter fluid and doesn’t give your meat that gross lighter fluid taste.

“It reflects heat well, but we haven’t been able to prove it reflects heat any better than a square or a rectangle,” says Kempster, noting that the interior of kitchen ovens are rectangular. Grill efficiency lies in other design details, he explains, such as the positioning of the grates and air dampers. The durable, dual-walled insulated steel and unlimited potential of the Summit® Kamado S6 Charcoal Grill Center lands it in a class of its own. It quickly reaches desired temperatures, maintains heat for all-day smoking, and the gas ignition makes lighting charcoal as easy as pushing a button. With an extra-large 24” cooking area, Summit® Kamado is ready to handle any size feast. The innovative design and unlimited potential of the Summit® Charcoal Grill lands it in a class of its own.

We moved the remaining coals to one side of the coal grate and added half a chimney’s worth of freshly lit coals. In effect we were testing whether the grills could function as ovens—a really nice feature in the hot summer months, when you may not want to warm up your kitchen. “That means everything from the quantity and type weber genesis 2 of charcoal to the design of the grill can impact your final result.” The first bite of tender, fall-off-the-bone meat makes taking it low-and-slow worth every moment. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking multiple items at once, and easily adjustable dampers for precision heat control.