The air acts as an insulator keeping warm air in and cold air out. It also comes with a new and innovative lid damper, that acts like all other Weber lid dampers, with the addition of a hinge, allowing it to flip open acting similar to a built in chimney starter. 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. Weber even supplies a simple plastic tool to help you attach the thermometer without digging out a wrench. Finally, after all our tests were done, we did routine maintenance—emptying the ash catchers, brushing the grates, and washing out the grills.
It’s easy to clean, there’s little setup, and it’s lighter than its gas counterparts. With a price tag well below $100, this is also the kind of grill you could have shipped to a vacation destination and wouldn’t have to feel bad leaving weber genesis 2 behind. We assembled each grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I timed each build and noted any confusing directions or hard-to-finagle parts. Assembling each grill also allowed us to assess the quality of the materials.
It’s about waist level in height for almost everyone, so it’s quite comfortable to cook on. The 363-square-inch cooking area can easily handle a pair of whole chickens or about 10 to 13 burgers, depending on how large you make your patties. Any more than that and the grill can get overloaded, making it difficult to cook everything evenly and to flip the patties. Perfect for those looking to save space, Weber electric grills are compact, durable and built to last. All you need is access to a power outlet to create mouthwatering dishes that rival those cooked on gas or charcoal Weber grills. It can do many things a Kettle is capable of, in a smaller, shorter form designed for grilling on the go.
To test the indirect heat, we cooked raw beer brats and bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Cooking a variety of meats allowed us to observe grill marks, crispiness, and doneness. After the grills had fully cooled, we cleaned each, following the manufacturer’s instructions as closely as we could. The pop-up stand takes little effort to operate, and the wheels make moving the grill from the car to the cooking spot a simple task. The Traveler requires assembly, a job that took us about 15 minutes, and given its heat retention, it cooled quickly, making it easier to pack after cooking. We suggest taking out the grill grates to scrub them, though, as cleaning them made the entire setup shake.
Direct heat is best for relatively small, tender pieces of food that cook quickly, such as hamburgers, steaks, chops, boneless chicken pieces, fish fillets, shellfish, and sliced vegetables. Direct heat sears the surfaces of those foods, developing flavors and texture, and it cooks relatively thin foods all the way to the center. Indirect heat is best for larger, tougher foods that require longer cooking times, such as roasts, whole chickens, and ribs. Indirect heat cooks the surfaces of food, too, but in a much more even way.
Those designs offer attractive versatility, but they’re also expensive, and kamados especially have difficult learning curves. And Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ noted that wood pellets simply don’t produce the searing heat you need to make perfect burgers or steaks. We also compared how each of these grills performed in our grilling tests and evaluated other parts of the user experience, such as vent control and assembly. What really sets the Premium version apart from the standard 22-inch kettle is the enclosed ash catcher, which eliminates concerns about stray embers and makes cleanup easy.
However, some models are designed with electronic Touch-N-Go ignition switches that make lighting up charcoal even easier. When purchasing a new charcoal grill or smoker, understanding the different styles of weber qs and what each type can do is important. No matter your grilling experience, this convenient guide can help you select your Weber charcoal grill. The premium CRAFTED stainless steel grate that lets you transform your grill into a griddle, pizza oven, and more.
This is pure meditation after a busy week – and precisely what the charcoal grill provides. While there are many kettle-style grills out there, don’t be fooled by those knock-off brands. Weber kettle grills are made with superior construction and built to last for years. The porcelain enamel coating is fired onto the bowl and lid at 1500° F, fusing the finish to the steel. Just clean with soapy water when necessary, and your grill will look like it’s new. The lid thermometer is the largest one Weber has ever offered that now includes key grilling temperature zone indicators further eliminating any guesswork at the grill.
What many don’t realize is the kettle grill is also an excellent smoker! In addition, there is a solid collection of Weber Kettle Grill accessories, including rotisserie, covers, ash tools, charcoal rakes, and a wide selection of grilling tools, cookware, and utensils. With the coals piled in the center of the charcoal grate, you have a small area of direct heat, but a lot of area around the perimeter for indirect heat. This is a convenient arrangement for slow cooking or warming several small pieces of food, such as bone-in chicken pieces. You want to find a grill made of quality materials to ensure longevity, heat dispersal, and heat retention. Weber uses a variation of enamel-coated metal for the body of most grills, which is suitable for all of those factors.