The Best Charcoal Grill to Buy in 2022: Tested and Reviewed

Whether you’re looking for a propane grill for your backyard barbecue party or a portable charcoal grill for your next family camping trip, Weber has you covered. From here, you’ll want to clean and oil your cooking grates and preheat them for several minutes before placing food on the grill. As you cook your food, control the grill’s temperature by using the upper and lower vents. For the hottest fire possible, you’ll want to open both vents all the way, or for a lower temperature, close the upper vent to a half or quarter. With a variety of options available, Weber grills are worth it when you’re looking for a reliable grill, season after season. With gas grills, charcoal grills, pellet grills and smokers all offering many advantages, here’s what you need to know to find out which Weber grill is right for you.

Is there a portable grill that works as well as a full-sized one? Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. 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. These are not paid ads, they are a curated selection of products we love. Since then Weber, like many others, has outsourced manufacturing of more product lines.

Shop small, portable options for tailgating or camping, or browse a full range of sizes for expert grilling in your backyard. Certain models double as smokers or have integrated thermometers. Others have side tables or are designed to be especially easy to clean. It’s your grill and your food, so decide what’s most important to you. We tested six kettle-style charcoal grills because when it comes to grilling, simpler is just better. After a handful of cookouts over the last few weeks, there were two clear winners.

Versatile and increasingly popular, a Weber pellet grill can reach temperatures high enough to grill, sear, smoke and even bake to give you more cooking options. Fueled by wood pellets, infuse whatever you’re cooking with delicious woody flavor, from BBQ ribs to pulled pork and more. When deciding what size grill you want, think about how many people you expect to be serving on a regular basis and how much cooking space you’ll need. Also, keep in mind that smaller grills are more portable—whether you’re moving your grill across the yard or to the park—while larger grills are heavier and harder to transport.

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. Once your briquettes are fired weber q up and ready to go, you then dump them into the base of the kettle grill. After you pop the cooking grate over the red-hot briquettes, you’re ready to start cooking. For instance, the grill is equipped with cast iron cooking grates, as well as a convenient side drawer for adding charcoal.

weber charcoal grill

Grilling cooks food quickly using high heat, while smoking uses indirect heat and lower temperatures to cook food slowly. If you like to switch up your cooking style once in a while, you’ll love The Original PK Grill & Smoker. This model delivers the best of both worlds, and it’s perfect for both casual grillers and professional chefs. When you’re done cooking, the Weber grill has a one-touch cleaning system that lets you sweep ash and debris into the removable ash catcher for disposal.

However, it takes longer to heat up and is a different cooking experience from traditional charcoal grills. During our tests, we were only able to get our hamburgers to cook to rare, and our chicken did not sear and crisp up as well as it did on all the other grills. Because of this, the Napoleon is definitely not a grill for charcoal beginners.

Cooking a variety of meats allowed us to observe grill marks, crispiness, and doneness. After the grills had fully cooled, we cleaned each, following the manufacturer’s instructions as closely as we could. We assembled each grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I timed each build and noted any confusing directions or hard-to-finagle parts. Assembling each grill also allowed us to assess the quality of the materials.

With the 18-inch Weber Original Kettle Grill, you can still get the full weber qing experience for under $100. Perfect for those looking to save space, Weber electric grills are compact, durable and built to last. All you need is access to a power outlet to create mouthwatering dishes that rival those cooked on gas or charcoal Weber grills. Deanna McCormack has reviewed dozens of products for The Spruce and thoroughly tested her portable grill out in her backyard and a beach campsite. You’ll also want to wipe down the inside of the lid and bowl using a mild soap.