Revisiting the Classic Weber Kettle Grill The main grates are made of heavy-duty cast iron and resemble the grates of some of the best gas grills we tested this year. Like the Char-Griller Classic, the Super Pro can also be converted to a proper smoker by attaching an optional side fire box, and the enameled steel body does a great job of retaining heat. Overall, this is a good basic barrel grill, but assembly was frustrating and it lacks many of the features that made the Classic our pick for best upgrade. Starting a charcoal grill is definitely not as easy as starting a gas grill, so it’s important to understand how to do it correctly. You’ll need to purchase a bag of briquettes, and either lighter fluid or a handy charcoal starter. 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. On balance, gas is probably the better choice if you favor no-fuss cooking or grill often . If you’re an occasional griller or you enjoy getting hands-on with your cooking, charcoal is an economical choice that, with a bit of practice, produces superb results. Nothing beats the smoky barbecue flavor that can only be created on a charcoal grill. To make the most of your cookouts, you’ll need the best utensils at your fingertips. Get closer to achieving grilling perfection with our selection of Weber grilling tools and accessories. While a majority share of Weber-Stephen Products LLC was sold to BDT Capital Partners in 2010, the acquisition did not include restaurant operations. The Weber name is stamped on propane gas grills, smokers, electric grills and portable grills. There are sub-products under each category, each at different price points, and all with different features. Here’s everything you need to know about the most famous name in grilling. 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. It has changed very little since the actual original Weber… and why should it? Just to look at it is to conjure up memories of family cookouts and good times — even if you’ve never owned one. The Weber Original Kettle is no more difficult to use than any other charcoal grill. In our research, most proved to be cheap knockoffs that weren’t worth the minor savings. We resolved instead to find a kettle that could compete with the Weber on performance, price, and value. But we also opened our search to include charcoal grills of different designs. The fact that the kettle shape dominates the charcoal-grilling field doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the ideal. No matter what your preferred style of backyard BBQ cooking is, Weber has you covered with a complete line of gas, wood pellet, charcoal, electric and portable grills. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. We dismissed the many cheaper knockoffs of the Weber kettle, including models by Kingsford, Char-Broil, PizzaQue, and Grill Zone. They're not much cheaper than the Weber, and the quality just isn’t there. For weekend pickups of non set up service/cabana service items, items will be picked by noon on the morning of your departure. It's relatively inexpensive as far as grills/smokers go and it will essentially last a decade or longer. A good example is the Slow N' Sear deluxe - which is an add-on for kettle grills that essentially creates a quintessential two-zone fire . In this setup, the lid thermometer is measuring the temperature of the hot zone rather than the cool zone . After cooking, the best way to put out hot coals is to close the lid and shut both the upper and lower vents to cut off the oxygen supply. Closing the lid and vents will extinguish the coals, but it may take a while for the coals to cool down. There are several ways to light a charcoal grill, but the best option is to use a chimney starter. All you do is place crumpled newspaper in the bottom of the tool with charcoal on top, and after you light the bottom, your charcoal will be ready to add to the grill in around 10 minutes. For our tests, each grill gets a full chimney of lit charcoal and a 6-pound chicken opposite the coals for indirect heat. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Sarah Vanbuskirk is an accomplished writer who tested her grill out on her family of seven to see if it could live up to the rigors of feeding a large family. To find out which are the best bets for your next backyard barbecue. Nothing beats the smoky barbecue flavour that can only be created on a charcoal barbecue. Cheers to the modern version of the kettle that started it all - the Original Kettle.