Lesley conducted the testing with senior staff writer Tim Heffernan, one of the original writers of this guide, and Michael Sullivan, a senior staff writer on the kitchen team. Sam Sifton, founding editor of New York Times Cooking, joined us for testing. Cooking with charcoal is a pleasure, and this is one of the purest expressions of the craft. Other than a couple of convenience features, this is just straight-up grilling. The bowl and lid are protected against burn-through and rust-through for 10 years. 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.
The Premium felt unstable and top-heavy when I attempted to roll the grill across my patio. I found myself wishing the Weber would fit the larger wheels that are on its 22-inch Master-Touch grill, which costs more, on the Premium to add stability. This roundup was originally written by Camryn Rabideau, product tester and grill expert for The Spruce Eats.
It stood out in multiple rounds of tests for excellent heat retention and quick recovery time after we opened the lid. There were also minimal flare-ups and no excessive charring or undercooked spots during cooking tests. Wake up and light the smoker, because succulent pulled pork and fall-off-the-bone ribs come to those who wait. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking multiple items at once, and dampers weber portable grill that adjust easily so that you’re always in control of the heat—and your feast. I’ve tested dozens of charcoal grills of varying brands and have yet to find one that offers the level of durability that Weber does, and that’s also the case with its Premium grill. The entire cook box is coated in a thick porcelain-enameled coating, which Weber says it bakes on at around 1,500 degrees to ensure it can stand up to intense heat.
The following day, I cooked chicken thighs over lump charcoal with soaked wood chips, a style of smoking you could do on a traditional kettle grill. To make it happen, I moved the fuel grate up a level within the grill, bringing weber charcoal grill the coals much closer to the chicken and, in doing so, swapped cooking methods from hot smoking to grilling. Instead of pouring the charcoal right on the grate—which you can do—I poured it into “Char-Baskets” [sic].
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