Best Charcoal BBQ

Seve OB

I’m looking to get a half decent charcoal bbq. Have had a few of them over the years, never spent to much on them to be honest. Some were great, some were pure muck. I always got covers for them, but they always inevitably got ruined anyway.

So I’m looking to spend a few quid and get something this time which might last a bit longer. I hate the kettle type and all the Webber ones seem to be just this style when in comes to charcoal.

Home base had one last year, not sure if this is it, or even if they still have it here in Ireland. Anyone have it, what do you think of it. I’m kinda skeptical as I’ve had a few homebase items over the years and never really found them to be the best of quality.

I’m not in the slightest interested in gas ones, they are not bbqs imo, but rather just outdoor cookers

davegilly

Seve OB wrote: »

I’m looking to get a half decent charcoal bbq. Have had a few of them over the years, never spent to much on them to be honest. Some were great, some were pure muck. I always got covers for them, but they always inevitably got ruined anyway.

So I’m looking to spend a few quid and get something this time which might last a bit longer. I hate the kettle type and all the Webber ones seem to be just this style when in comes to charcoal.

Home base had one last year, not sure if this is it, or even if they still have it here in Ireland. Anyone have it, what do you think of it. I’m kinda skeptical as I’ve had a few homebase items over the years and never really found them to be the best of quality.

I’m not in the slightest interested in gas ones, they are not bbqs imo, but rather just outdoor cookers

The only charcoal BBQ worth getting is a Weber I'm afraid. Will last a lifetime if looked after a little bit. The 57cm Mastertouch is what you need, a little expensive but worth every penny.

I use it 2 or 3 times a week, 52 weeks of the year. Cooked the turkey at Christmas on it as well and once you get a little experienced with it you can cook or smoke practically anything in it.

dudara

Big fan here of Weber also. TBH, I wouldn’t even look at another brand if I was buying again. Ours is in weekly use, even daily at times, all year round. A great investment.

Seve OB

I’m happy to buy a Weber but do they only do kettle style ones?

Johnnyhpipe

I use weber myself and love it. However if i had the money to spare I’d love a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe. Not sure what your budget is though..

mccard

You dont need to invest huge money in a BBQ, the cheaper the better I find. I would invest in a good cover though, one thing Weber are good at :pac:

davegilly

Seve OB wrote: »

I’m happy to buy a Weber but do they only do kettle style ones?

Yep (there is a small Go Anywhere type of BBQ which isn't a kettle but it's for camping and such as it's really small) There is a reason why most charcoal bbq's are kettles though as they are by far and away the best for a wide range of cooking on.

Piling coals into a bbq and cooking directly over them isn't really BBQ'q, it's called burning food to a crisp If you are new to BBQ'ing and by new I mean not aware of what you can actually do with a kettle then the first thing you should do is do a little reading on indirect cooking on a kettle and you will open yourself to the wonders of BBQ!

There are some great channels on Youtube to get you going. My kettle has pretty much taken over from the oven in the house and all meat and fish is now cooked on it. It's a fantastic device when you figure out how to use it properly.

Seve OB

think i'm gonna go for this one. not a webber, but Outback I think is up there with the best of brands. unless someone can tell me otherwise?

I like that you can lower or higher the coals. previous bbq's i had you could lower or raise the rack. it also has a proper tray for cleaning out ash.

then the bonus of gas. Mrs wants one with Gas, I prefer charcoal. so this way, she might do a bit of BBQ cooking herself if i'm not around as she would never do the coals.

they have them in homebase, not sure of price though as they had the 4 burner price displayed as opposed to the 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUkVOgulgwc

blue note

I've bought the €50 Tesco ones a few times and they would have lasted fine if I hadn't been living with ar$eholes. One of them warped after they threw every type of fuel they could in it one evening. Another was left out in the elements all winter. In fairness it was still actually fine the next year, just a bit faded.

I find a charcoal bbq such a simple thing that as you spend more you really only get marginally more. You're generally grilling on them, so heat retention isn't a huge issue. And even the webber kettle ones aren't amazing for that.


I think I'll splash out and get an offset American smoker / bbq. Mainly because I think they look great and will work perfectly as bbqs as well as smokers. But they are very expensive!

Seve OB

Went for it.
Hopefully get cooking on her tomorrow evening

blue note

Is that an open invite to the boards community? Do you want me to bring anything, bottle of cava or the like?

Wheety

The kettle ones are that shape for a reason. It's how the heat flows inside. I leave my charcoal on one side and cook burgers over that. Sausages go on the other side and cook slower. That way they're not burning. Also, you should cook with the lid on.

You can cook whole chickens and everything on a kettle.

I'm only starting out with the kettle BBQ. There's so much you can do when you learn.

Any reason you don't like them?

Wheety

blue note wrote: »

I find a charcoal bbq such a simple thing that as you spend more you really only get marginally more. You're generally grilling on them, so heat retention isn't a huge issue. And even the webber kettle ones aren't amazing for that.

My Weber one stays hot enough to cook for 2-3 hours with one batch of charcoal. Can add more to keep it going.

blue note

Wheety wrote: »

My Weber one stays hot enough to cook for 2-3 hours with one batch of charcoal. Can add more to keep it going.

I wouldn't generally get that long out of a Tesco one - more like an hour and a half out of it. Although I was usually only aiming to cook for that long so wouldn't have loaded up the coals. I wonder if I had would it have kept going longer.

Wheety

blue note wrote: »

I wouldn't generally get that long out of a Tesco one - more like an hour and a half out of it. Although I was usually only aiming to cook for that long so wouldn't have loaded up the coals. I wonder if I had would it have kept going longer.

I just know by the temperature gauge. Still over 200c after 2 hours.

Also a chimney starter is essential imo for a charcoal bbq. Gets all the charcoal nice and hot/white.

blue note

Wheety wrote: »

I just know by the temperature gauge. Still over 200c after 2 hours.

Also a chimney starter is essential imo for a charcoal bbq. Gets all the charcoal nice and hot/white.

I saw those on YouTube recently. They look great, I'll definitely pick one up. I must admit I enjoy making the pyramid from the coals, but realistically, it can take ages to light sometimes, especially on a windy day.

Seve OB

yea i agree those chimney things look cool

and no blue note... a bottle of cava wouldn't even get you past the security barrier. you'l have to do better than that

Wheety

The chimney is a simple piece of engineering but it works perfectly. All of the charcoal ends up with a nice white coating as it keeps it all contained. You put it on the charcoal grate and light it, wait 20 mins or so and then pour it in and arrange it. Then put your grill grate in.

bbari

Questions for Weber owners....

I'm looking to buy a charcoal bbq. I was in woodies earlier to have a look at the Weber. When you grill mince kebabs on skews, the skews will go on the top of the kettle ring (not on the grate), will this not be too far from the coal ? I've always used a gas bbq and haven't experienced the charcoal cooking yet.

is it worth paying e 275 for Weber Master Touch over e 120 for same size Outback Comet kettle bbq ? is there much difference ? It will always be stored under roof or in the shed and will be looked after.