The best charcoal grill will turn your backyard or patio (or driveway or whatever patch of land you’re lucky enough to call your own) into a functional, if scrappy, outdoor kitchen. But the actual best grill for you depends on what you want to cook, how much you have to spend, and the size of your outdoor oasis.
The best charcoal grills
We don’t want to overgeneralize, but basically anyone we have ever talked to who fancies themselves a griller says that cooking over charcoal is superior to firing up a propane grill (if less convenient). Setting up a charcoal grill is a process, almost an art, that requires getting your coals to just the right shade of gray and then properly arranging them for direct and indirect cooking.
Because they are less complicated than comparably sized gas grills (no automatic igniters, no “infrared” burners, etc.), charcoal grills generally cost a lot less than comparably sized gas grills. And while you’ll burn through a bag of charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal faster than you will a propane tank, the smoky flavor you get from charcoal isn’t replicable with even the best gas grills.
For most home cooks, the best charcoal grill—and the best value—is a premium version of the tried-and-true 22″ Weber Original kettle grill. If you have a little more room and a bigger budget, you can get a deluxe model with a handful of convenient upgrades. We also have recommendations for an affordable small-space option and a game-changing ceramic kamado grill that even beginners can easily use as a smoker.
The best charcoal grill overall: 22″ Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
22″ Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
Weber’s basic kettle grill is ubiquitous for a reason. Well, for lots of reasons, including a durable porcelain-enameled body, a 22″ stainless-steel cooking grate that has enough room to create both high-heat and indirect-heat zones and a top damper for easy temperature control. And the Premium model, which we’re recommending for most home cooks, has all of that and more, including a built-in lid thermometer, two hooks for hanging brushes and utensils, a hinge in the middle of the cooking grate that makes it easy to add or adjust coals while grilling, and a vented ash catcher on bottom.
With 363 square inches of cooking space, this 22″ charcoal grill is roomy enough for a Thanksgiving turkey, or a couple of whole chickens, or at least 10 burgers, or twice as many hot dogs. It is also easy to clean thanks to Weber’s One-Touch cleaning system—a little lever in the bottom of the grill that helps clear ashes from the firebox and into the ash catcher.
Unlike the other three grills we’re recommending, the 22″ Weber Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill doesn’t have any sort of side table or shelf, so you’ll likely need an additional surface nearby for platters and other grilling gear. Or check out the Weber grill below.
Grill grate material: Stainless steel | Cooking area shape: Round | Cooking area diameter: 22″ | Primary cooking area size: 363 sq. in. | Number of wheels: 2
A Weber kettle upgrade: 22″ Weber Performer Charcoal Grill
22” Weber Performer Charcoal Grill
If you love everything about the classic 22″ Weber kettle grill except for the fact that there’s no side table, let me introduce you to the Weber Performer. It’s the same grill recommended above, but instead of standing on three legs, it’s built into a mobile grill cart so it functions more like a true outdoor cooking station.
The cart features four wheels (well, two real wheels and two swivel casters), a roomy bottom shelf for storage, a lid holder, and the best feature: a fold-down side table. There are also three hooks for hanging brushes, spatulas, and tongs. Like our top pick, it also has a thermometer built into the lid and the vented ash catcher and One-Touch cleaning system on bottom for easy cleanup.
