Why Weber Charcoal Grills Are So Popular

Weber Charcoal Grills are marvellous BBQs that are very popular and with good reason. Weber offers both gas and charcoal versions of their grill, but we're only going to talk about the charcoal version. (Note that the correct spelling is Weber, with one 'b', not the commonly misspelled Webber!)

You might already know that we are in love with the Big Green Egg, our outdoor cooker of choice. But we also have a (charcoal) Weber barbecue (the Original Kettle Premium model (previously called One Touch Gold), and still continue to use it on occasion... and because it's compact, we sometimes take it when we travel. We still think it is a fantastic BBQ. Here's what we like about it:

• Fast and easy to assemble. Really! Even though we messed up a couple of times, it still took less than 15 minutes to assemble.

• Light, sturdy, and durable. Easy to move around (our version has a small stand with a couple of wheels - just tip it onto its wheels and move it wherever you want, using the handles on the side); and even though we left it out in the rain and the elements, uncovered, for a whole two weeks (oops), it was none the worse for wear.

• Convenient size that doesn't take up a ton of space.

• Nice big cooking surface. We can easily fit enough burgers and corn-on-the-cob for four people on the grill surface.

• Hinged grill grate makes it easy to add charcoal. Just flip up one side and add what you need.

• Multiple vents allow you to control how much heat you want. You can fiddle with them as you like, to get the temperature you want.

• The ash-catcher on the Original Kettle Premium model is great - collecting the ash and disposing of it is simple and fast, and you don't get covered in ash. We love this feature and think it's well worth the few extra bucks it costs to get it.

• The food tastes awesome!

• Attractive classic kettle shape.

There are a few things we don't like about the Weber charcoal grill, but they are relatively minor. For example, ours has a metal handle on the lid - that means it can get really hot and must be handled with an oven mitt (or something else to protect your hand from burning). Another issue is that it only has limited abilities as a smoker - while we've been able to smoke some stuff, we've found that it doesn't work as well as we'd like when it comes to long, low-temperature smoking. It would also be nice if it came with a temperature gauge, but you can install one on your own if you like. Despite these few little complaints, we don't think you can go wrong with a Weber BBQ.

So if you're looking for a new charcoal barbecue, many people (including us) will tell you that a Weber charcoal grill is a solid choice. You can also get several accessories for the grill if you want, including an optional rotisserie. And if you want to make things even easier, you can even get a Weber 1421001 Performer Charcoal Grill that uses a propane tank and burner unit to light the charcoal for you - no more messing around to start the coals!