The 6 Best Charcoal Grills of 2023, Tested & Reviewed

Cooking on a charcoal grill may take a bit more effort than other types of grills, but it may be well worth the extra time to add that smoky flavor to your favorite meats. In evaluating charcoal grills, we evaluated their performance with evenness of cooking, grill marks, caramelization and char, tenderness, and overall flavor. A high-performing grill should be able to reach a desired temperature and stay there steadily with monitoring. Some grills we tested had multiple damper adjustments to make this happen, while others relied primarily on the use of a lid or vent. Although starting a charcoal grill requires a little more skill and labor than gas, it’s made easier with the right tools and a quick primer. Ash must be removed once it’s cooled, but, unlike with gas grills, most of the grease that drips off food will burn up on the hot coals, rather than collect at the bottom.

As a smoker, it burned through wood quickly, but with regular monitoring, the temperature was consistent and accurate. The Weber Original Kettle Premium weber kettle bbq Charcoal Grill 22″ is a classic for good reason. In our tests it outperformed the other grills in cooking, ease of assembly, and user-friendly details.

In contrast, rectangular grates (like those on the PK Grill) can’t spin around; you have to move the food or the coals to adjust the cooking. We eliminated kamados and pellet griller-smokers for this guide. 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. The innovative design and unlimited potential of the Summit® Charcoal Grill lands it in a class of its own. Sear the perfect steak, grill a whole chicken, or transform your grill into a smoker, creating mouthwatering ribs.

Experience the evolution of the iconic Kettle where charcoal grilling meets low-and-slow smoking. With a push of a button, coals are lit and the smell of barbecue will soon embrace the neighborhood. Whether smoking, grilling, or even baking, the Summit® Charcoal Grilling Center is the answer to any craving and the ultimate backyard kitchen. With a push of a button, the coals are lit, and the essence of BBQ fills the air. The Performer® Deluxe charcoal grill performs from beginning to end.

Assembling the Weber Kettle is a super straightforward process – the manual is fairly easy to understand. If you’re more visually inclined, they also have a video that goes over the process. However, one of the blades on the one-touch cleaning system broke weber portable gas grill and rather than replacing it, I opted to buy a new one. Cleaned up the wheels and this old girl grill is ready to stand on her own two three feet. I like to work in quarters and complete that section 100% before moving along to the next quadrant.

Then he’d empty out the old ashes into a brown paper sack and hand me the cooking grate to go clean in the laundry room. When I got back, he’d pour a big pile of charcoal into the Weber’s shiny black bowl. Then came a spray with some lighter fluid, and the strike and toss of a match. Smoking is a process in which meats are cooked at weber kettle bbq a much lower temperature for an extended period. Cook delicious burgers, juicy steaks, game-day hot dogs and yummy veggies to perfection with a new Weber charcoal grill or Weber smoker grill from Ace Hardware. Weber has the charcoal smokers, portable charcoal grills and all the accessories you need to become a true grill master.

Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. To get reacquainted with the Weber Kettle Grill as a grown man, I first went down to my local Home Depot and bought the classic model for myself. If you’re someone who doesn’t smoke meat and has no interest in doing so, I wouldn’t even consider buying the SNS Kettle.