Say goodbye to burnt offerings (Weber Round Kettle Charcoal Barbeque)

Member Name: Buzz

Product:	Weber Round Kettle Charcoal Barbeque
Date:	13/07/00 (1485 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great results almost guaranteed

Disadvantages: Uses a lot of charcoal

I have had a number of barbecues of various descriptions, mostly cheap tin things bought from petrol station forecourts. They were relatively successful albeit that I never mastered the art of igniting them properly. Then, while on a trip to America, I invested in a Weber Kettle. I don’t know what they cost over here but a couple of years ago it cost me around $30, probably half of what it would cost here!! No matter, I would recommend the investment to anyone.

First, and foremost, it is very robust. You don’t stand there worrying that the whole thing will topple over at any moment. The grill has to be assembled but it really is child’s play and needs little more than a hammer and a screwdriver.

The ‘kettle’ consists of an enamelled, hemispherical base on three legs, which form a tripod and give it its stability. Two of the legs have wheels, which make it very easy to move around, even when it’s hot. Inside are the two grills, one for the charcoal and one for the food. Below the grill are vents, which can be open or closed via an external handle to regulate the temperature. These vents (three slots) also serve as the ash remover, which then falls on to a convenient plate, held by the legs. Cleaning is simplicity itself.

The final component is the lid, also an enamelled hemisphere so that it looks like a globe when all together. It is not only substantial, it looks good as well.

Igniting the grill is relatively straightforward. I use the barbecue starters, (the small white cube type) three or four of which are placed on the grill and then charcoal briquettes are piled on top. Set fire to the starters, put the lid on, open the vents and leave it for half an hour. When you come back the briquettes will be glowing and can then be spread over the grill with tongs. Put the food grill in place and you are ready to start cooking.

The big benefit of this style of barbecue is that the food cooks
with the lid on, as if in an oven which prevents it from rapidly charring on the outside while still getting the great barbecue flavour.

The only problem with this grill is the amount of charcoal that it uses. It is relatively large, big enough to grill for 4 – 6 people in comfort but also needs enough charcoal to cover the base which tends to be a lot, especially if you just want to do a couple of lamb chops or whatever. Weber do make a smaller version which is doubtless more economical if all you ever want is to cook for just two people.

The grill comes with an excellent instruction manual and cookbook with lots of useful tips. There are also a number of accessories available including an excellent PVC cover that keeps it protected from the elements. We’ve had ours for several years and it is still in excellent condition despite standing outside all year round.

We have cooked just about everything on ours, lamb cutlets, salmon steaks, trout, sausages, vegetables etc. and the results are first class.

Summary: