The handle slides easily and stays cool to the touch—no need to put on gloves or use a towel. Measuring 39.5 x 22.5 x 27 inches, this grill takes up a minimal amount of space in weber kettle bbq your backyard or on the porch while still offering a decent-sized cooking surface. It’s about waist level in height for almost everyone, so it’s quite comfortable to cook on.
Maintaining a consistent temperature is crucial, and the Weber does this better than any other in its price range. You can thank the porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, which are heat retention pros, for that. Still, keeping an eye on the weber kettle bbq thermometer will help you determine if you need to add more coal, wood, or even adjust the airflow using the rust-resistant aluminum dampers. These vents are also useful when extinguishing the fire, as closing them cuts off oxygen.
Once we knew the Weber was our pick, we used a popular third-party accessory, the Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe charcoal basket, to smoke a rack of baby-back ribs. The grill performed terrifically, turning out tender ribs with great smoky flavor. 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.
Karl likes to spread the charcoal so that it covers about half of the kettle. We didn’t have a charcoal starter on hand this time around, so we used some firestarter gel from Hasty-Bake. It doesn’t evaporate quickly like traditional lighter fluid and doesn’t give your meat that gross lighter fluid taste.
A clean grill is essential to flavor, and cleaning the Weber is a fairly simple affair thanks to the ash catcher. I managed to get it all in the can every time—something I can’t say about the original plate-style catcher, with which I probably lost an average of about 40 percent of the ashes to the wind. A quality charcoal grill should be simple to set up, ideally requiring just one person and limited tools.