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.
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.
Reviewers say the quality of this product is great and that the grill will undoubtedly serve you well for years to come. Consumer Reports described this grill from Char-Broil as “a modestly priced weber q kettle grill with some nice features,” rating it “Very Good”. This kettle grill has a 360-square-inch cooking space, hinged lid, ashtray and what Consumer Reports calls a “large” damper.
The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″ is a classic for good reason. I love cooking outdoors over live fire and smoke whatever the weather, using various grills, smokers, and wood-fired ovens to produce epic food. My goal with this site is to help as many people as possible enjoy and be good at doing the same.
One look at this grill, and you know you’re dealing with a classic. This is a straight-up charcoal grill that would be right at home in a Norman Rockwell painting. The thick wire handle weber genesis 2 of the ash catcher can be a little hard to move at first, but it does loosen up with use. Just make a habit of emptying it every time you clean the grill and you’ll be fine.
We noted similar temperature performance from the Nexgrill, along with similar rib results. Cooking ribs low and slow on the Nexgrill required 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.
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 weber genesis 2 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.
One thing that I noticed while putting the grill together was that the materials just seemed chintzier and more flimsy than those on the Weber Kettle Grill my dad owned. (Weber grills are still assembled in America, but with some imported components.) The metal in the legs seems to bend pretty easily. The most significant difference that stood out to me was that all the handles on the new models have plastic instead of wood.
There’s nothing quite like the simple pleasure of cooking over charcoal on a nice grill like this. If you’ve never cooked with charcoal before, the Original Kettle is an excellent grill for discovering this style of barbecue. That doesn’t mean all charcoal grills are created equal, however. This is a superior grill to most on the market — it’s built to function and to last, and it’s worth every penny. And, yes, I totally love those few features; not having to hand-scoop the ash is a blessing, and the lid hook will save you from dents and scratches. Plus, the size-to-weight ratio is fabulous; there’s a lot of grate space, but it’s light enough to move it around to wherever I feel like grilling.
A vent on the lid controls airflow and a well-designed ash tray beneath the Weber grill facilitates easy cleanup. Its construction is simple and solid, and the materials—rust-proof aluminum legs, porcelain-coated steel for the body, and a nickel-plated steel grill—are designed to last. And while the basic design has barely changed since 1952, Weber has added helpful new details over the years—this latest iteration has convenient tool hooks on the side handles, for example.