Removing and reassembling certain parts will cause them to loosen, and sooner or later when you try to move the grill around your backyard, it will start to fall apart or even collapse. With its illustration-only manual, Weber doesn’t make this critical assembly easy—nor does it warn you of the consequences if you don’t get it right the first time. A good example is the Slow N’ Sear deluxe (read my review here) – which is an add-on for kettle grills that essentially creates a quintessential two-zone fire (pictured below). The last Weber kettle I owned was given to me by my father and lasted 10+ years; The grill is so old that it doesn’t have newer features like a lid thermometer, handle heat shield, or lid hanger. The vents in the grill’s bowl and lid allow you to control the airflow into your grill. For grilling, you want a hot fire, so you want plenty of air to come in.
You’d be forgiven for thinking this charcoal grill was “just” a smoker, thanks to its design. With features and functions that optimize low-and-slow grilling and smoking, this handsome grill is well-worth the moderately high price. We considered how simple (or not) it was to empty the ash catch and wipe out the kettle, as well as clean the grates.
Though the basic design has barely changed since 1952, Weber has added helpful details over the years, like hooks on the side handles for hanging your spatula, tongs, or other tools. From 1999 to 2001 there was a period weber charcoal grill of tremendous growth for the business. Several additional product lines were added and delivery/setup services were expanded. In 1999 they opened a second location in Easton, PA leasing a space from a nursery company.
Our favorite charcoal grill is the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22” Charcoal Grill. We also recommend the Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill 22” and PK Grills Original PK300 Grill & Smoker. Stack your charcoal briquettes in two rows of two deep along the inner wall of the grill. Throughout, we also tested accessories such as spatulas, tongs, grill brushes, and sheet pans, and picked our favorites. Doing so also helped us identify a few design strengths and flaws of the grills.
It produced a “very nicely cooked” steak without any sticking or flare-ups. Simple construction means there aren’t too many parts to assemble or too many features to handle while cooking. A vent on the lid controls airflow and a well-designed ash tray beneath the Weber grill facilitates easy cleanup. Unfortunately, the Napoleon grill’s assembly was overly complex and potentially dangerous. The legs were also difficult to attach, exposing us to sharp edges that shaved the skin off our knuckles.
That said, the Napoleon model’s four legs felt just as stable, and more stiff, on a garden-variety concrete patio, and also allowed Napoleon to install a big, square shelf underneath the grill. The Weber grill has a smaller, triangular shelf, which is far less useful. Up top, the Weber model’s lid vent is a simple disc of aluminum; you just flick it left or right to open or close the vent holes. Unlike the lower vents, this gets hot, so make sure to use a spatula or your tongs. Unless it was not an option (like with the PK Grill model), we opted to test versions of these grills without built-in carts or side tables. They can add unnecessary bulk and cost to a type of grill often chosen for being compact and cost-efficient.
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 weber bbq many people as possible enjoy and be good at doing the same. When it comes to cleaning the lid and bowl, burning charcoal and cooking food will cause carbon to accumulate on them.
Lid thermometers are seldom accurate, and they tell you the temperature at the top of the dome when you really need to know what’s going on at the grate. Temperature is controlled with vents at the bottom of the bowl, and one up top on the lid. I do wish they had given this premium model bigger, better wheels. The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill is a classic backyard cooker that’s inexpensive, versatile, and nearly impossible to break.
The bowl and lid are both made of steel that’s coated with porcelain enamel. You’d be super hard pressed to find a more affordable grill with 22 inches of grilling space, engineered from decent materials, for the same price, with a long warranty. Cooking with a Weber Kettle Grill certainly takes more time and attention than using a gas grill.
But even within the category of charcoal grills, the price varies widely. We performed a variety of tests on popular models, including smoking baby back ribs and cooking T-bone steaks, to determine which charcoal grills hit the mark in five key categories. Toast to the authenticity of charcoal grilling, classic design, and taste loved around the world—the Original Kettle. Its ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl retain heat, while the dampers can be easily adjusted for precise temperature control.