And to learn more about how we tested and what we looked for, scroll to the bottom. Looking for a charcoal grill that you can bring to the big game or on your next outdoor adventure? Then you should consider the Weber Smokey Joe portable charcoal grill.
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 fact, it’s probably easier than most, given how roomy it is. Temperature is controlled with vents at the bottom of the bowl, and one up top on the lid.
No matter your grilling experience, use this convenient charcoal grill buying guide to select the charcoal barbecue grill that’s right for you. The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″ is our pick as the best charcoal grill for most people. In our tests it outperformed the other grills in cooking, ease of assembly, and user-friendly details. We got good results in one or another respect with the other models, but they didn’t perform consistently great on everything the way the Weber did. It’s compact yet big enough to cook an entire elaborate meal for a family, a simple spread for a party, or even a whole Thanksgiving turkey.
This grill ran red-hot and was nearly impossible to slow down the temperature on no matter what we did to make airflow adjustments. The Char-Griller has a noticeably deeper kettle — the deepest of the entire pool we tested. Despite the distance from the heat, meat still seared well on this grill because it ran so hot. It took over an hour to get this grill from 400 degrees Fahrenheit to the 300-degree range.
You can arrange your coals for two-zone cooking, roasting, searing — anything you like! Up top, you’ll find a single vent offset from the center of the lid to help you control the out-flow of smoke. Right at the peak of the dome is a nylon handle with a heat shield to keep you from burning yourself when you lift the lid. The Original Kettle portable bbq is a practical barbecue for straight-up grilling — searing and finishing steaks, chops, fish, veggies, and more. Plus, its generous size and ample room under the lid make it easy to roast large items over a longer period. Up higher, food cooks on the food grate, and you top it all off with the dome-shaped lid to trap the heat and smoke.
Our editors selected these deals and items because we think you will enjoy them at these prices. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. The Art of Manliness participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. We only recommend products we genuinely like, and purchases made through our links support our mission and the free content we publish here on AoM. To get reacquainted with the Weber Kettle Grill as a grown man, I first went down to my local Home Depot and bought the classic model for myself. The Weber Charcoal Kettle has been the king of the backyard BBQ since the 1950s.
We noted similar temperature performance from the Nexgrill, along with similar rib results. Cooking ribs low and slow on the Nexgrill required portable bbq just 4 hours, 30 minutes. Its rack came out well too, though like the Napoleon, its bark was more pronounced than what the Weber produced.
The steak on that grill needed an additional five minutes to get to a temperature of 135 F, the minimum for medium rare. From Bluetooth speakers to patio furniture to gas and charcoal grills, here’s what we think you need for backyard entertaining and cooking. When it came to assembly, the only direct comparison we could make was between the Weber and the Napoleon. Both models shared a similar overall design, but the Weber model was comprehensively superior. With simple instructions and a minimal need for tools or acrobatics, Weber has clearly refined its engineering to maximize simplicity. The legs and ash catcher slot effortlessly into built-in sockets and lock into place with idiot-proof spring pins—not a bolt or screw in sight.