Charcoal grill

[EM3]

Ok last weekend I started out cleaning the gas grill I had and let's just say I ended up dumping $85 worth of replacement parts into it. I started to replace it with a Charcoal grill but talked myself out of the $400 I liked that was grill plus a cover etc. I'm still looking because I love to mix wood in with the charcoal. Wal Mart has a Kingford model that about $165 but I'm not sure if I need 2 full sized grills. I was thinking about maybe a something like a Weber 22 inch grill. Anyone have any suggestions? It would be mostly used for burgers, dogs, steaks, and the beer can chicken and grilled pizza.

[winchester21]

I have weber gas and charcoal. I have switched from the gas to the top of the line charcoal with brickette locker and propane starter function. You really need both if you use the grill a lot and need quick meals on the gas grill. The charcoal model takes longer and is more cleaning labor intensive- but worth the trouble IMHO. now I use the charcoal model whenever time permits. Steaks - burgers- fish - chicken - ribs- all good.

use the cowboy or green egg chunk charcoal- kingsford blows

[Daddy Dee]

sounds like the 22" Weber would meet your intended use quite well.

[BLSamuel]

Obviously the Weber model with the charcoal storage and propane starter would be nice. (All picters and links from WalMart as I knew they have the Weber's online).

Weber Performer

We have a Weber One Touch Gold in red. I think black is $10 less. They also make a 26.75" model. We've had ours for probably at least 10 years now? Quite a while anyway and it still works fine though we replace the grate yearly as we don't keep it oiled well enough and they rust. I've found a nice heavy duty cast iron grates for the 22" Weber looking for stainless steel but still use the chrome plated. The one touch mechanism also needs some work - I've had the parts for awhile but still haven't repaired it. Ours also has a thermometer in the lid that I don't see in this picture.

The Weber One Touch Silver is also pretty nice. There's also an 18.5" version.

And if you get a standard grill without the built in starter be sure to get a chimney starter. The Kingsford one is sturdier and longer lasting than most but full it's too much charcoal for a few burgers (of course it is - Kingsford want's to sell more charcoal) and seems to last quite a bit longer. I've looked for a stainless steel one but no luck. I've thought about asking a local welder how much it would cost to have him build one.

We also use some wax and sawdust starters so we don't get the floating ash one gets with newspaper which also works pretty well. We use Seymour Fire Blox available direct from Seymour Manufacturing.. I've made a couple of orders (12 boxes per carton) using the phone number with ext 226. I need more so will email to see if they still sell direct as I've not found them locally. This is a bulk size box. Buying direct they come maybe 24 to a box, 12 boxes to a carton? 2 of the squares to a pretty good job.

Edit: Recieved reply back from Seymore Manufacturing and it's now Gretchen at extension 250. Formerly Karen at extension 226.

[Pete H]

I own the Weber with the propane ignition and a big Brinkman and loved the Weber until I got the other one and a simple charcoal chimney. The Brinkman has a huge 2 sided cooking arrangement that can also be used as a smoker with the heat shield placed in the middle, individual temp. gages and crank adjusters to control the heat on each side. I think it was about $200 but I'm not sure that they make the model anymore.

[mark1101]

I have two of the basic 22" round Webers (silver?) and do everything from hamburgers to salmon, and I often slow cook pork butts and ribs using indirect method and water pan with soaked chips. Requires a litle effort but is definitely worth it. Last week I did a turkey and it was fantastic. The basic Webers are fully cpable if you learn how to use them. Of course you guys have the luxury models and I bet those are much nicer. I've long since wanted a Stump's smoker or Texas style cooker but just can't justify the cost. We are not a lot of people either. p>

[BLSamuel]

We've done a few turkeys on our 22" Weber, mostly on the standard model before we got the One Touch Gold.

Like Mark says indirect over a water pan with soaked chips though I've usually put some soaked chips directly on the charcoal and often use a few chunks of Mesquite mixed in with the charcoals.

Works so well St Ruth my mother out law wouldn't let Alea, our youngest daughter, and I do the Thanksgiving turkey more than two (maybe three?) times as ours was much prettier and much tastier than her anemic oven roasted bird. Her excuse was it was too much bother - even after we left our old Weber at her place than only needed to bring a decent grate and charcoal, etc. Alea thought it was fun and it gave us something to do.

[oldtimer]

For your stated purposes the weber is fine, but you might want to check out the brinkmann grill/smoker. The gourmet model is the most versatile. The beauty of these is low cost combined with the flexibilty to use as a smoker on occasion. It will provide a step beyond the indirect method of the weber with drip pan, because of better temp control once your learning curve with it kicks in.

[jacksonbart]

A cheaper solution is to go to a BBQ resturant, leave before the bill.

[jamesV]

I have two Weber grills, my One Touch Silver 22 is over 10 year old and my One Touch Gold 22.5 was purchased used and about 10 years also.

I use both of these when I have cookouts, If I'm just cooking a few things then just one. My next charcoal grill I want to get this Weber Grill.

James

[BLSamuel]

My next charcoal grill I want to get this Weber Grill.

I saw one of those in a grocery store when we lived in Texas. That's what I'd call a P A R T Y grill.

[EM3]

Yep that is a big Kettle grill. Too rich for my blood though. The 21st of this month I have to take the dog to have her fixed so I may go to Sans Club and check out the big one they haave there. I have 2 smokers all ready so I think I will just stick with those. One smoker is a larger propane model and I have an insulated electric one for the winter months.

Are there any drawbacks to the Weber Silver models?

[BLSamuel]

Are there any drawbacks to the Weber Silver models?

Not really except for the simple pan ash catcher. We've not had a Silver model but a non one touch model years ago and a good wind would sometimes blow the ashes around. And the Gold model (when I think about it ours may have been called a Master Touch?) with the pan ash catcher is easier to empty.

[jamesV]

Yea Ben is right, the Silver model just has a "pan" to catch the ashes on and the Gold has a closed catcher. I just empty it out when everything is finished cooking and the grates are cooled off. I just tip the entire grill over and get the ashes out that way. then a quick wipe down and into the basement it goes.

James

[twistedcrankcammer]

When I was hanging out in Louisiana for several months with Kevin Harmon and his family, they grill out every wednesday, plus often another day a week, and only on wood. Up north, we use propane, because of the time it takes to ignight charcoal, but down there, they use the propane torches we use to melt ice off of sidewalks to light their charcoal. They can get her up to temperature as fast as a propane without any starter fluid taste to ruin it.

Roger

[BLSamuel]

I just tip the entire grill over and get the ashes out that way.

I've doing that quite a bit too as our one touch mechanism wore out and I've yet to repair it. We just leave our sit outside. [:$] Amazingly no real harm. The thermometer in the lid hasn't even cracked and still works fine.

[Gilbert]

Ok last weekend I started out cleaning the gas grill I had and let's just say I ended up dumping $85 worth of replacement parts into it. I started to replace it with a Charcoal grill but talked myself out of the $400 I liked that was grill plus a cover etc. I'm still looking because I love to mix wood in with the charcoal. Wal Mart has a Kingford model that about $165 but I'm not sure if I need 2 full sized grills. I was thinking about maybe a something like a Weber 22 inch grill. Anyone have any suggestions? It would be mostly used for burgers, dogs, steaks, and the beer can chicken and grilled pizza.

For the price range your looking at, I'd go with the weber.

If your feeling special, go get a Hasty Bake.

[USNRET]

Been grill'n all my life and have owned a lot of different ones. I still have a cast aluminum grill my folks had when i was born in 1954. With that said, I have found nothing that beats a Weber. I currently have two 22 1/2 " models and cook everything on them; grill steaks, slow cook pork ribs, etc. I used a horizontal Brinkman smoker for briskets before the moving company "lost" it.

Difference between Weber Silver and Gold is nothing but the ash catcher and the gold has flip up hinged cooking grill to add things to the fire. I use NOTHING but Kingsford charcoal and lighter and I refuse to use any "fast light" anything as it adds a fuel taste to the food. In addition to the charcoal I use water soaked chucks (not chips) of hickory or an occasional mesquite. Be very careful with the mesquite, it's strong.

We once sent Weber an email asking why the Ranch Kettle was so darn expensive and they responded with some nonsense. I would like the size but sure can't justify the price. As for gas, it's me I know, but I would just as soon use a griddle on the cook top or broil in the oven as use natural gas or propane due to lack of flavor (even using soaked wood chips in a water tray) and the flair ups, maintenance and gas issues.

I do think Weber missed the boat when they changed from 3 individual bottom air vent to a single control that adjust all three simultaneously. Having individual ones allows for and 'upwind' bottom opening with a top 'downwind' damper giving great slow cook smoke travel over the food.

[mark1101]

The ashes with the Weber are a mild nuisance and I have this cleaning ritual I do every time I cook. I dump out the grill in the woods and hose it off completely inside and out so that I start with a VERY clean grill every single time. The inside of both of my Webers and the dome lids look like a well seasoned skillet. When I get ready to reuse the Webers I can't stand the dust left behind by the previous cookout so I spend 10 minutes to do the "hose job".

When smoking I am using the grocery store (Walmart) hickory smoking chips soaked in water and placed on the coals. The hickory or any fruit wood such as apple or cherry which is available a Sports Academy work very well for me. I'm a Kingsford fan as well since it burns the longest, and I use a chimney and 2 pieces of newspaper to start the fire. Never any fluid.

[winchester21]

For smoking /slow cooking Boston Buts and turkeys the kamato or the Green egg kicks @ss.

I bought a used kamato form a buddy for 150.00. I see them cheap at yard sales- people upgrading to Green eggs.

I love my webbers and use them all of the time- but - for smoking applications- nothing holds a candle to the kamato or the green egg IMHO.