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If napalm in the morning is the best smell in the world, burgers on the grill must be a close second. It doesn’t matter if the yard is covered in freshly cut grass or a foot of snow, sizzling meat over an open flame satisfies an almost primal hunger. We can debate the merits of grills that use charcoal, propane, or wood all day long, but they all make delicious food. One thing that’s not disputed is how easy it is to grill up a masterpiece with good old-fashioned charcoal. This fuel source is inexpensive, efficient, and easy to use. Not having to guess how much propane is left in your tank is a nice bonus. So, once you’ve decided on a charcoal grill, which one is for you? There are several styles and brands to choose from, and we’re here to help make sense of it all.
Imagine your ideal backyard cookout. The grill you’re picturing is probably on this list. Let’s go find it.
Weber charcoal grill
Isumer tabletop grill
Kamado Joe Classic II charcoal grill
Char-Griller Outlaw
Royal Gourmet charcoal grill
Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560
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Types of charcoal grills
Traditional charcoal grills use a simple metal bowl, lid, and a steel grate to create what’s essentially a second-generation fire pit. Lightweight construction and effective fuel consumption made these the go-to for cookouts and tailgates for generations. Today, modern takes on this classic design have given us a nice variety of ways to cook with charcoal. Offset smokers, secondary cooking surfaces, and larger main grills put charcoal grills on par with the best propane- and wood-burning alternatives. Some even offer advanced features like wifi connectivity to control your grill’s temperature from a distance. Furthermore, there’s a size for every occasion.
Key features of charcoal grills
- Capacity: Charcoal grills come with many sizes of grates. Are you cooking for yourself or a group? Do you want to prepare several dishes at once? There’s no need to pay for space you won’t use, but it would be a bummer to have less than you need.
- Perks: Basic charcoal grills are little more than a metal bowl topped with a cooking grate. High-end grills include offset smokers, multiple cooking surfaces, temperature displays, and even wifi connectivity.
- Design: It’s important to buy a charcoal grill that meets your needs. A backyard grill looks very different from a campsite grill, but both excel in the right situation.
- Portability: Charcoal grills tend to be more portable than other types of grills due to their simplicity. Still, the largest options are suited for permanent use on your back porch or patio. The most portable options can be folded up for transportation to a campsite, park, or tailgate.
Benefits of charcoal grills
Each grilling method has its merits. Charcoal grills benefit from stone-simple design principles that have been around in one shape or another for centuries. With little more than a metal container full of hot coals and a cooking grate, there’s not much that can go wrong. There are no gas valves to leak, no tanks to refill, and no wood pellets to soak up water and jam your smoker. All you need is a bag of charcoal and your favorite recipe. As a result of this simplicity, you can also expect charcoal grills to be pretty affordable.
Charcoal grill pricing
One of the reasons behind the popularity of charcoal grills is their low cost of entry. The most basic grills cost as little as $30 and are totally capable of cooking up a gameday masterpiece. Grills at this price are also fairly portable, so they’re great for cookouts at the park or outside your team’s stadium. Larger grills with more features are still relatively inexpensive when compared to grills that use alternative fuel sources. Expect to pay $100 to $150 for these backyard-ready grills. As with many things, the sky is the limit. Loaded grills with all the bells and whistles cost around $500, and premium designer options can cost more than $1,000. That’s a lot of money for a grill–we get that–but for die-hard cooks obsessed with making the perfect meal, they’re tough to beat.
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