Best Charcoal Grill for 2024

If you plan on bringing your grill along on camping trips or picnics, you’ll want something easy to move and pack or something outright advertised as a portable charcoal grill. If you frequently cook for large groups, you’ll want a cart or barrel-style grill, such as the Dyna-Glo X-Large or the Char-Griller Classic Cart Style Charcoal Grill. Remember that the larger the grill, the more charcoal you’ll burn through in cooking.

For most items under 150 pounds the standard free shipping option will be parcel (FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc). Having this flexibility allows us to provide the quickest turnaround to process and ship your order. If your order arrives damaged, please be sure to take pictures and provide those to us in order to help us provide proper reparations. From 1999 to 2001 there was a period of tremendous growth for the business. Several additional product lines were added and delivery/setup services were expanded. Conveniently slide the lid over to the side of the grill, and tuck it away, to avoid placing it on the ground while grilling.

They can also be used to barbecue and smoke if you know how to use them. On this page I explain how I use my kettle grill and I also have a YouTube Channel where I’ve posted videos showing how I setup my kettle grill for different types of cooks. So if you’re having trouble getting your kettle grill to do what you want it to do, read on or visit my YouTube Channel. The premium CRAFTED stainless steel grate that lets you transform your grill into a griddle, pizza oven, and more.

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. The durable cooking grate is easy to clean, retains heat, and is hinged for easily adding charcoal while grilling. Although it’s priced higher than most basic, entry-level grills, we feel it’s worth the upgrade for the XL size and included prep area.

It performed on par with competitors in smoke flavor in our long-smoke tests. It didn’t fare as well in our searing tests, leaving burgers weber portable grill looking more pan-seared than grilled. In the end, these issues were minor, as the E-325s topped our list of the best gas grills.

The PK300 is thoughtfully designed, with a lid that hinges open but can be removed entirely with ease, too. The lid, when closed fully, creates a strong seal imperative for smoking success. With a hinged charcoal grate, it was simple to adjust and add coals during the weber charcoal grill cooking process. The first bite of tender, fall-off-the-bone meat makes taking it low-and-slow worth every moment. The Smokey Mountain Cooker™ smoker has two cooking grates for smoking multiple items at once, and easily adjustable dampers for precision heat control.

weber charcoal grill

We noted similar temperature performance from the Nexgrill, along with similar rib results. Cooking ribs low and slow on the Nexgrill required just 4 hours, 30 minutes. Its rack came out well too, though like the Napoleon, its bark was more pronounced than what the Weber produced. For our tests, each grill gets a full chimney of lit charcoal and a 6-pound chicken opposite the coals for indirect heat.

You can thank the porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, which are heat retention pros, for that. Still, keeping an eye on the 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. The Q 1400 is the electric cousin of the gas-fueled Q 1200 and is a good fit for balcony cooking where gas or charcoal are prohibited. The grill temperature on the high setting maxed out our thermometer at 610°F after five minutes. Shying away from going full-bore on the temperature yielded fine results in our cooking tests, with reasonably even cooking.