We fired up models from Weber, Nexgrill, Napoleon, KitchenAid, Char-Griller and others to find out which charcoal grill is king of the cookout. Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Weber sells one for its 22-inch kettle for about $40, usually.
A front door allows easy access to the charcoal during cooking and the double-lined hood is a nice feature to help hold in heat. The Professional Cart Grill has an interesting rotisserie design, too, that uses a special charcoal basket across the back for a dedicated rotisserie fire. We were underwhelmed with the performance of the Napoleon 22-inch grill, which is most likely a result of the grill needing more briquettes to really work well. The kettle on this model is pretty deep and you can adjust the cooking grate to two different levels. We wouldn’t advise cooking with the grate at the highest level if you’re looking for a nice sear since it’s too far off the heat.
Cart-style grills have a handle and wheels that make them easy to move around, and the Char-Griller Patio Pro BBQ Grill is a compact and budget-friendly option for your deck or patio. It features a modest 250 square inches of cooking space, but it has all the features you need to whip up a delicious meal. This portable charcoal grill can hold up to five hamburgers at a time, and the lid’s glass-reinforced nylon handle stays cool during use. Reviewers say this product is an unbeatable value, as it’s easy to tote around to various events and delivers the same caliber of high-quality food as full-size Weber grills.
The Rib-O-Lator solves this and acts as a horizontal rotisserie for whatever you’re cooking. Broadrick says that consistency has elevated the charcoal grill into something more. “At this point, the Weber Kettle is more of a platform than a stand-alone product,” portable bbq he says. Out of dozens of community-driven updates and upgrades, these are the best Weber Kettle add-ons that money can buy. The Napoleon Freestanding Charcoal Kettle Grill took the longest to set up, clocking in at an hour and five minutes of build time.
“That means everything from the quantity and type of charcoal to the design of the grill can impact your final result.” The durable, dual-walled insulated steel and unlimited potential of the Summit® Kamado S6 Charcoal Grill Center lands it in a class of its own. It quickly reaches desired temperatures, maintains heat for all-day smoking, and the gas ignition makes lighting charcoal as easy as pushing a button. With an extra-large 24” cooking area, Summit® Kamado is ready to handle any size feast.
Our R&D department develops high-quality, fairly priced grilling equipment. Performance — Because the temperature of charcoal is largely determined by the amount and location of fuel within the grill, we measure performance by the versatility and simplicity of cooking systems. Dual-zone setups and adjustable racks or charcoal baskets are a big plus in performance. Our rib experience with a few of the other grills was far from ideal.
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. For a lower price point and a little less grilling space, check out the Weber Original Kettle 18-Inch Charcoal Grill.
For the indirect-cooking test, we cooked a whole chicken at as close to 500 °F as we could get (emulating Barbara Kafka’s famous oven-roasting method). We moved the remaining coals to one side of the coal grate and portable bbq added half a chimney’s worth of freshly lit coals. In effect we were testing whether the grills could function as ovens—a really nice feature in the hot summer months, when you may not want to warm up your kitchen.
With a push of a button, coals are lit and the smell of barbecue will soon embrace the neighborhood. Whether smoking, grilling, or even baking, the Summit® Charcoal Grilling Center is the answer to any craving and the ultimate backyard kitchen. Finish mixing salad on the side table while grates heat in preparation for the main course.
Throw your hands up for the love of charcoal and ridiculously good food. 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, weber genesis 2 and toast to the Performer charcoal grill. 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.