Revisiting the Classic Weber Kettle Grill

Because of the kettle-shape design, there’s no practical way to include a secondary cooking surface for cooking delicate items, warming buns, etc. The bowl and lid are protected against burn-through and rust-through for 10 years. The one-touch cleaning system comes with a 5-year warranty, also covering burn-through and rust-through, plus you get 5 years on the plastic bits, not including fading or discoloring. There’s a hook inside the lid for hanging on the bowl which helps prevent damage to it, and a special handle just for rolling the grill around.

weber charcoal grill

The above is the most basic arrangement for charcoal when smoking meat. With that said, I really only have one problem with the Weber Kettle and it’s with the way Weber opted to setup their lid thermometer. This durability is due large in part to Weber using nearly the same exact design since 1952. The bowl and lid are both made of steel that’s coated with porcelain enamel. At the time of purchase, the Green Weber Kettle Premium was $194.00; However, the prices of grills changes regularly as seasons change.

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. 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. weber charcoal grill Other grills we tested either ran hotter and overcooked the hamburgers, or they weren’t hot enough and barely seared or cooked the meat. For instance, the grill is equipped with cast iron cooking grates, as well as a convenient side drawer for adding charcoal. It even has a built-in wooden side shelf where you can keep tools and serving dishes.

This model has a wide variety of useful features that any grill master would love, including things like a Touch-N-Go gas ignition system and work table for food prep. Whether you’re replacing a well-loved grill or buying your very first one, you can’t go wrong with the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill. While widely viewed as the best charcoal grill you can buy, this thoughtfully-designed grill is also quite affordable, costing hundreds less than high-end models. Plus, our reviewer said it took him less than 15 minutes to put it together. The most boring product on this list may be the most necessary. Great Value for the Price- Weber offers a charcoal grill for everyone.

We noticed no performance differences, and all worked well, with no notable sticking of the items we cooked. Because of its dominance, the Weber kettle has spawned a lot of copycats. In our weber genesis 2 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.

Other than a couple of convenience features, this is just straight-up grilling. Nicholas McClelland is an expert on all the topics that will help you have a great summer, from grills to whiskey to golf. He graduated from The Missouri School of Journalism and has been testing products and writing for The Spruce Eats since April 2019. Sixty years ago, Weber Brothers Metal Works, later called Weber-Stephen Products, used to make mailboxes, fireplace equipment and a number of various other metal-based products. George Stephen, Sr., a salesman at the company, then decided the grills of the day weren’t up to snuff.

We also found the built-in temperature gauge to be accurate. This grill gave both our burgers and chicken a really nice sear. During our testing, hamburgers cooked to medium, while it took the chicken about 32 minutes to come up to temperature.