Weber Charcoal Grill While we found both Weber grills to cook flawlessly, the upgrades on the premium model make the Weber Original Premium Kettle Grill our top charcoal grill of 2022. There’s a built-in lid thermometer and dampers on the lid that allow you to monitor and adjust the inner temperature. The ritual of charcoal grilling meets the convenient features and the wow factor of the Master-Touch®. Equipped with a hinged Gourmet BBQ System cooking grate, you’re also able to purchase additional inserts, like the wok or griddle, to cook smoky chili or breakfast outside on the grill. Built to Last- Charcoal Weber Grills feature a tried and true design and solid engineering. Weber believes in the quality and craftsmanship of their grills, and offer the warranty to back it up. If you want a charcoal grill to last decades, then this is the brand for you. Our home tester used this to cook up barbecue classics like chicken wings and ribs, and she was highly pleased with its performance. Other aspects she liked were that the grates became more nonstick as the testing went on and the warming rack proved itself to be the perfect bun warmer. When Weber-Stephen rolled out its now iconic charcoal kettles in 1952, they lit a fire in backyards coast to coast and barbecue grew into a national pastime. In the early 1960s, gas grills entered the market and gained popularity, and gas eventually became the fuel of choice for most residential grillers. However, charcoal still runs a close second, and lately we've seen an uptick in its popularity. 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. With new features such as a convenient hinged lid and charcoal ring for efficient fuel consumption, the Master-Touch Premium is your answer to grilling. I’d say it’s too large, not really portable, doesn’t break down too well and because of its shape isn’t the easiest to pack too. If you’ve never cooked with charcoal before, the Original Kettle is an excellent grill for discovering this style of barbecue. First, you’ll find ample space on the steel cooking great for a whole lotta food. You could readily cook half-a-dozen steaks at once or enough burgers to feed a baseball team, including the relief pitchers. And because he’s an independent retailer, he was able to speak freely about what he sees as the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various designs. Under Weber's leadership, Ducane marketed propane and natural gas grills through big box home improvement and specialty outdoor product stores. In an effort to revamp the Ducane brand, Weber introduced the "Ducane Stainless" exclusively through Home Depot, the "Ducane Affinity" and the "Ducane Meridian" through multiple channels. The grill was produced using two sheet metal half-spheres normally used as parts of buoys built in his shop. The Q-Series comes in propane, electric and natural gas options at a variety of BTU levels. Its body is rust-proof cast aluminum and its grates are enameled cast iron. There are a few models under the Q line, but prices generally only climb with higher power levels and for options that come with fold-out side tables. Whatever grill you choose, do not rely on the built-in dial thermometers, which can be off by 50°F to 100°F (10-38°C). These dials are usually located in the lid, not down on the grill surface where the food is—and you're not eating the lid, so its temperature is irrelevant. If you don’t install the three-leg assembly supporting the kettle correctly the first time, there’s no going back. Removing and reassembling certain parts will cause them to loosen, and sooner or later when you try to move the grill around your backyard, it will start to fall apart or even collapse. With its illustration-only manual, Weber doesn’t make this critical assembly easy—nor does it warn you of the consequences if you don’t get it right the first time. I prefer the weber, coated cast-iron grates to the plated steel grates the Original Kettle comes with, but there are worse things, and the plated steel still cooks relatively well. Cooking with charcoal is a pleasure, and this is one of the purest expressions of the craft. Other than a couple of convenience features, this is just straight-up grilling. By 1962, the wheels were changed from thin white wheels to a thicker black 6? metal wheels with painted whitewalls. It was also around this time that the legs were changed from steel to aluminum. All of the products below have been tested and are highly recommended. Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club.