The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, but it’s far less useful. Throughout, we also tested our “necessities”—accessories such as spatulas, tongs, grill brushes, and sheet pans. We learned a lot about them (and we have a guide to what we learned), but they also helped us identify a few design strengths and flaws of the grills.
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. It’s a relatively large grill, which means it’s a versatile grill. You can arrange weber charcoal grill your coals for two-zone cooking, roasting, searing — anything you like! 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 look at this grill, and you know you’re dealing with a classic.
And because he’s an independent retailer, he was able to speak freely about what he sees as the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various designs. Grilling with charcoal takes a little more time and attention than grilling with gas, but the payoff is that delicious smokey flavor you just can’t get from a propane flame. After spending two days cooking 40 pounds of burgers, BBQ, and whole chickens, we recommend the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22″. Thanks to more than six decades of continuous refinement, it’s the most versatile, most user-friendly, and best-performing charcoal grill we’ve tested. To my childhood mind, firing up a had existential significance. It felt like an important, manly task because in my home, like I’m sure in many homes across America, my dad was in charge of it.
Weber’s Genesis line offers high-quality grills without super-premium prices, and its EX-325S is designed for easy grilling so you can enjoy each and every party. We tested the smart and more basic model, and while both gave us an impressive performance, the addition of the app gave us a more modern experience. Cooking over charcoal takes longer than cooking with a gas grill, and we typically need to add more fuel during cooking to keep our grills above 350 degrees F for the full duration. Our favorite bird from this batch was the one cooked on the Weber, though it was a tough call. The bird cooked on the Nexgrill cart-style grill came in right behind, a close second in terms of flavor and texture. The Nexgrill Cart-Style Charcoal Grill is a compelling alternative to the Weber, especially if you prefer a cart-style backyard cooker.
The Nexgrill definitely gets hot enough to create a nice sear, but you do have to work a little harder than you do with the Weber to avoid overcooking your meat. You can also raise the Nexgrill’s adjustable charcoal tray basket to its highest position. We tested several brand-name models to find out which is the best charcoal grill for your next cookout. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, an odorless, deadly gas. After much discussion, we also decided not to insist on a built-in cart, with side tables, on our charcoal contenders. Most manufacturers offer them as an option, but they can tack on hundreds of dollars to the grill price.
It still has no significant backstop for the grates, however, and no bottom tray for catching ash—which means it just kind of pours out on the ground. And at $750 at the time of writing, it was beyond our price consideration. weber charcoal grill From burgers to chicken to slow-smoked ribs, this Weber model’s time-tested design produces great results—at a terrific price. The vents in the grill’s bowl and lid allow you to control the airflow into your grill.
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. The grill grate on a Napoleon is made of a thicker and flatter cast iron, which is an upgrade from the usual lightweight, stainless steel grates you see on most charcoal grills.
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.