Weber Charcoal BBQs, Grills & Smokers for Sale Still, you’ll have it up and running in no time, especially if you follow guide to using a charcoal grill that’s a complete A to Z that will help you master this form of cooking. In 1992 the first generation Master Touch kettles were introduced. This would serve as a premium model charcoal grill through the remainder of the 1990s. The special plated steel cooking grate has a removable, round center. The other day as I was cooking burgers in a far more antiseptic fashion on my gas grill, I started waxing nostalgic about these Weber Grill-related memories of mine. Whether entertaining on a small patio or in a big backyard, the need to grill has no limits. After dinner, fold down the side table, push together your chairs, and toast to the Performer charcoal grill. For this review, I focused on the top-rated Gold and Platinum Medal winning models from the AmazingRibs.com database of almost 600 searchable equipment reviews. The list below spans a range of features and prices, including both newer models and well-established leaders in the field. (Weber grills are still assembled in America, but with some imported components.) The metal in the legs seems to bend pretty easily. The most significant difference that stood out to me was that all the handles on the new models have plastic instead of wood. The wood on the 1970s and 80s versions really classed things up. A few twists of the knobs, and I can have a high-heat zone, medium-heat zone, and low-heat zone at the ready. As you can see, there is a lot to like about the Weber Kettle. Having said all of this, this upgrade is not necessary to smoke on the weber kettle. If you're someone who has never smoked meat before and you look at the lid thermometer, you might panic when you see 400F on your lid thermometer. The dampers are made of aluminum and the hinged grill grates are made of heavy-duty plated steel. We measured the temperature of the grill surface, as well as the internal temperature of the chicken, with an external thermometer to ensure that any built-in temperate gauges were accurate. For the most part, the built-in thermometers were accurate, with the exception of the Cuisinart gauge, which barely registered any temperature throughout our testing process. Maybe an electric grill isn't exactly what you're looking for, but since Weber is behind the Pulse, it's a worthwhile grill to consider. Equipped with a Tuck-Away™ lid holder for convenient lid placement, taller legs, and Char-Basket™ fuel holders. Recently, they changed the company name to SnS Grills and introduced their very own Slow 'N Sear Kettle Grill. If you add the cost of a Slow 'N Sear insert to a Weber Performer the Slow 'N Sear Kettle is about the same price. This makes it a solid package deal that's definitely worth the consideration of folks on the lookout for a new charcoal burner. Speaking of Slow 'N Sear, this company was built on their innovative charcoal insert, mentioned above. It's a high quality, stainless steel accessory that instantly upgrades Weber kettles and many other round, charcoal-burning cookers by enhancing two-zone separation and intensifying sear power. Performer Charcoal Grill in Black with Built-In Thermometer and Storage Rack available in this collection. Upon extinguishing the coal and allowing the grill to cool down, you canclean the gratesusing a scraper or wire grill brush. If needed, you can take the grates off and soak them in soapy water for a few hours to loosen up burnt-on food and grease. Once they're clean, make sure to oil them using a rag or paper towel to prevent rust. We noted similar temperature performance from the Nexgrill, along with similar rib results. After weeks of research, reporting, and discussion, we settled on three charcoal grills to test. Based on our conversations with Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ and the many manufacturers at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we eliminated kamados and pellet griller-smokers for this guide. Those designs offer attractive versatility, but they’re also expensive—$350 at minimum, and the most popular and best-regarded styles run twice that or more. And Salvaggio noted that wood pellets simply don’t produce the searing heat you need to make perfect burgers or steaks. These are not paid placements, they are a curated selection of reviewed products. 3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Max Good - Max Good, AmazingRibs.com's Vice President of Product Reviews & Keeper of the Flame, is the man in charge of finding the best products for the AmazingRibs.com Equipment Reviews section. Max bottles his own barbecue sauce recipes and now sells them around the country. As with all Weber Kettles, the straightforward design made assembly easy. The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, but it’s far less useful. Throughout, we also tested our “necessities”—accessories such as spatulas, tongs, grill brushes, and sheet pans. We learned a lot about them , but they also helped us identify a few design strengths and flaws of the grills. We backed this reporting up with comprehensive research—the in-depth, professional reviews at AmazingRibs.com being a standout source—and hands-on time with grills at the big hardware chains. Because the grill became so successful after he began selling it in 1952, Stephen formed the barbecue division of the Weber Brothers factory.