All of our tests were designed and ran by Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton, who has over a decade of experience in professional kitchens, many of them spent on the grill station. 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. There’s no table or workbench, which is a boon for those looking to streamline storage. The warranty isn’t as generous as other models—one year for the grill, and five for the burner—but for under $100, we still think it’s a great deal. Then, I called my friend and resident AoM meat-cooking consultant, Karl Engel, and asked him to show me the ropes on how to cook with it.
Our experts lean toward lump charcoal due to the lack of additives often found in briquettes. Some people joke that the Weber Kettle is “your grandfather’s grill.” Well, maybe Grandpa had the right idea! The Weber Original Kettle is probably the best-selling BBQ grill of all time.
The timeless design, remarkable durability, and its ability to grill or smoke anything that fits has made the Weber Kettle a top grill for over 70 years. The Weber grill has three legs—an inherently stable design, because having three points of contact means the legs will automatically “find their level,” even on bumpy ground. That said, the Napoleon model’s four legs felt just as stable, and more weber portable grill 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. 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 should also be simple to light, maintain or adjust heat, and create zoned cooking. Simply sweep the ashes into the aluminum catch pan or the enclosed ash catcher (Premium models only). 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. When you consider that the Napoleon grill costs about $50 more than the Weber kettle that it emulates, the Weber model’s superiority is even starker. We tested an older version of the 22-inch Napoleon Rodeo Charcoal Kettle Grill (NK22CK-L), which is considered one of the better Weber clones available.
Its ultra-durable, porcelain-enameled lid and bowl retain heat, while the dampers easily adjust for precise temperature control. With a One-Touch™ cleaning system for easy weber portable gas grill cleanup after a long day of grilling, the Original KettleΩ will always be the grill built for everyone. Here’s where grill manufacturers can let their creativity show.
With grilling, the ability to cook on direct heat means that your food will be ready quickly. However, unless you’re closely watching the grill at all times, your food can easily burn or overcook. The One-Touch™ cleaning system provides hassle-free cleanup of charcoal ash and debris by swiping it into a high-capacity, removable ash catcher.
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.