For the genuine fire-food-smoke expertise, the charcoal barbecue is king. Gasoline barbecues could also be faster, cleaner on the arms and simpler to regulate, however charcoal barbecues provide extra versatility. In addition they impart that scrumptious smokey flavour synonymous with cooking over charcoal.
To search out our tried-and-tested picks of one of the best charcoal barbecues, we checked out these appropriate for 4 or extra individuals. We reviewed a wide range of types, from the only of drums and open grills, to the ever-popular kettle, American-style heavy-hooded and kamado-style ceramic egg barbecues. Costs vary from the reasonably priced to the costly and the whole lot in between.
Learn on to find our high buys. BBC Good Meals have a complete host of the finest ever barbecue recipes to get you began, or go to our evaluations part to seek out extra of one of the best moveable, gasoline and price range barbecues in addition to the finest pizza ovens.
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Greatest charcoal BBQs at a look
- Greatest massive ceramic BBQ for affordability: Kamado Joe Kettle Joe charcoal BBQ: £429.97
- Greatest small ceramic BBQ for affordability: Boss Grill The Egg XS, £149.97
- Greatest kettle BBQ for user-friendly options: Napoleon 22″ charcoal kettle grill barbecue, £175.30
- Greatest for entertaining on a price range: VonHaus Compact charcoal barbecue, £149.99
- Greatest for simplicity and portability: Lotus Grill charcoal barbecue, £151.69
- Greatest kettle BBQ: Weber Traditional kettle barbecue, £154.43
- Greatest funding charcoal BBQ: Huge Inexperienced Egg Giant Ceramic Grill, £1,610
- Greatest reasonably priced kettle for fair-weather BBQs: Way of life 22″ kettle charcoal barbecue, £76.99
- Greatest price range barrel BBQ: Argos House charcoal oil drum barbecue, £50
- Greatest moveable charcoal BBQ: Berghoff moveable BBQ, £149.95
What to search for when shopping for a charcoal barbecue
- Measurement: Relying on the type, some barbecues can cater for big gatherings and others are finest suited to 2 individuals. Coal distribution may even have an effect on cooking capability. For instance, typically it is simpler to distribute your coals and obtain even direct warmth in barrel barbecues than in dome-bottomed kettle fashions.
- Variety of cooking grills: Utilizing inserts or cabinets to maneuver meals away from the primary warmth (often called oblique cooking) is for extra delicate dishes. The closing of the hood helps the meals to cook dinner evenly with out an excessive amount of fuss so lessens all of the turning and shifting, and means you might be free to socialize.
- Adjustable air vents: These will feed your coals with air and permit you to change the cooking temperature beneath a cooking hood.
- Warmth thermometers: Not a regular function on many fashions, however significantly useful should you’re cooking meat joints and eager to reliably obtain the identical cooking outcomes again and again.
Greatest charcoal BBQs to purchase in 2022
Kamado Joe Kettle Joe charcoal barbecue
Greatest massive ceramic barbecue for affordability
Professionals:
- Top quality, sturdy parts that felt protected
- Cooks properly
- Environment friendly warmth and cooking
Cons:
- Sits low for cooking
- Difficult to assemble
Star ranking: 4/5
With a placing pink exterior, this generously sized barbecue is greater than a useful means for out of doors cooking, it is a assertion crowd-pleaser that cooks and smokes massive portions properly.
A unit is included for reworking it right into a smoker, nice for including flavour and character to mains like meat. Constructing it’s a two-person job and the ceramic inside panels are hefty sections to piece collectively. The constructive of that is that they maintain and launch warmth very effectively to present you loads of cooking time.
Peak-wise, this mannequin’s low-construction made it a bit uncomfortable to stoop over for lengthy intervals of cooking. The angle means you are additionally leaning throughout the most well liked elements. Nonetheless, for the value, you get quite a lot of cooking chance on your cash.
Learn our full Kamado Joe Kettle Joe charcoal barbecue evaluation.
Obtainable from Home equipment Direct (£419.97)
Boss Grill The Egg XS
Greatest small ceramic BBQ for affordability
Professionals:
- Simple to assemble
- Desk-top sized
- Environment friendly
Cons:
Star ranking: 4/5
Counter-top sized and insulated with ceramic, the Boss Grill provides loads of versatility relating to its cooking fare – grill, roast, bake, smoke and cook dinner pizzas with this Boss Grill mannequin.
It is easy to assemble and likewise to make use of, though building should not be tried by one particular person; it is deceptively weighty and wishes reducing into its low stand, which is properly padded in order to not scratch the outer shell. The lid is spring-loaded for comfortable closing and there is a temperature gauge for monitoring warmth throughout cooking.
In a position to maintain 3kg price of charcoal at a time, we discovered this barbecue acquired ferociously scorching and burned some components earlier than they had been cooked by. Nonetheless, with some trial and error it could possibly be an awesome cooking companion for meals for as much as 4, and can pump out warmth for hours – best for toasting marshmallows over for pudding.
Learn our full Boss Grill The Egg XS evaluation.
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Napoleon 22″ charcoal kettle grill barbecue
Greatest kettle BBQ for user-friendly options
Professionals:
- 10-year guarantee
- Nifty hook to hold lid on
- Hinged grill
Cons:
Star ranking: 4/5
This can be a easy however well-made BBQ that has an impressively user-friendly design, however can also be a dependable all-rounder for anybody eager to cook dinner outside usually.
A screwdriver and spanner are included with the nuts and bolts, which we appreciated, together with clear directions and diagrams within the manuals for its building. As soon as absolutely heated, cooking was a faff-free affair that yielded properly cooked-through courgettes and potatoes marked with outlined grill traces, and evenly charred kebabs full of flavour.
It is simple to make use of the direct and oblique warmth zones with this mannequin. We had been capable of hold cooked components heat across the edges of the grill while others cooked within the centre, with out them turning into overdone. For lid-down cooking or smoking, the temperature dial on the lid is reactive and clear to make use of. We significantly appreciated the lock-and-release ash collector which implies you do not have to fish round to get rid of previous coals.
Learn our full Napoleon 22″ charcoal kettle grill barbecue evaluation.
Obtainable from:
VonHaus Compact charcoal barbecue
Greatest for entertaining on a price range
Professionals:
- Adjustable smoke / temperature management
- A lot of options
Cons:
- Small grill space
- Poorly outlined grill traces
Star ranking: 4/5
This barbecue is an effective alternative for anybody wanting a big grilling space on a price range and could be appropriate for smaller areas. You forfeit some construct high quality for the value. Element elements felt a bit flimsy and building was a flat-pack affair involving a number of fiddly screws.
As soon as constructed, you achieve nifty options like a bottle opener and two helpful aspect tables for holding light-weight barbecue instruments.
The peak-adjustable firebox provides management you may hardly ever obtain when cooking over coals and yielded some properly cooked components.
Learn our full Vonhaus Compact Charcoal BBQ evaluation.
Obtainable from:
Weber Traditional kettle barbecue
Greatest kettle barbecue
Professionals:
- Helpful lid lock
- Good accompanying handbook
- Nicely thought-out options
Cons:
- Giant to retailer
- Lacks device hooks
Star ranking: 4/5
With a easy, intuitive design, this kettle barbecue by Weber is a perfect possibility for anybody wanting good cooking outcomes with minimal effort. The grill is massive sufficient to cook dinner meals for a household of six, whereas options like straightforward cleansing, ash assortment and a lid hook for tucking the hood away as you are turning burgers makes life only a bit simpler throughout use.
The model is clearly assured concerning the longevity of its product, protecting its bowl and lid with a 10-year guarantee, and guaranteeing its different elements for between two and 5 years. The handbook will fill you with confidence and pleasure about utilizing this barbecue.
Learn our full Weber Traditional Kettle charcoal barbecue evaluation
Obtainable from:
Huge Inexperienced Egg massive ceramic grill
Greatest funding charcoal barbecue for critical out of doors cooks
Professionals:
- Excellent cooking
- Simple to make use of
Cons:
Star ranking: 5/5
This hefty piece of equipment takes some getting used to, however when you’re aware of the temperature management and numerous mechanisms, you are away. The Huge Inexperienced Egg can hit searing temperatures or retain a mild warmth with finite precision for very lengthy intervals.
It multitasks as a smoker and oven for baking and roasting, with a number of extras out there for buy, together with further racks, baking stones and grills (however be warned, the costs can enhance steeply when you begin including equipment). The barbecue perform is great – it comes as much as temperature in 20 minutes and produced a number of the finest meals of all we tasted.
Learn our full Huge Inexperienced Egg ceramic grill evaluation
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Lotus Grill charcoal barbecue
Greatest barbecue for simplicity and portability
Professionals:
- Smoke-free
- Dishwasher-safe elements
- Exterior stays cool to the contact
Cons:
- Wants batteries
- Restricted measurement
Star ranking: 4.5/5
With no lid or legs, the Lotus hardly takes up any area, weighing simply 3.7kg. Mixed with its ‘smokeless’ credential, it is an awesome one for courtyards, small gardens or balconies, significantly as a result of the outside would not warmth up so it may be stood straight on grass or a desk with out harm.
It arrives prepared assembled so there is no faffing once you obtain the field. The mannequin is fan-assisted and, after lighting, took six minutes to stand up to temperature. Air move is dial-controlled so simply takes a little bit of apply to get used to.
Greens, spatchcock rooster and potatoes cooked rapidly. Most impressively, unoiled courgette slices did not stick, though the grill traces may have been extra outlined. Arriving with a carry case, 1kg of charcoal plus lighting gel, it is good worth for cash for its ease and ease.
Learn our full Lotus Grill charcoal barbecue evaluation
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Argos House charcoal oil drum barbecue
Greatest price range barrel barbecue
Professionals:
- Simple to make use of and light-weight
- Good warmth protection
- Efficient warmth distribution
Cons:
- No device storage
- Poor high quality in elements
Star ranking: 4/5
In comparison with different charcoal barbecues in the marketplace, Argos’ primary barrel barbecue provides glorious worth for cash. An apparent energy is the value level. For beneath £50 you are afforded loads of cooking area for 2, or parts for 4 individuals. The effectivity and high quality of cooking is price greater than £40 alone.
Vents within the backside basin feed the coals with air to maintain them heated. The form of the barbecue means it is easy to realize a good coal distribution so cool spots which are frequent in kettle barbecues are simply prevented. For the cash, you may’t get significantly better.
Learn our full Argos House charcoal oil drum barbecue evaluation
Obtainable from Argos (£50)
Way of life 22″ kettle charcoal barbecue
Greatest reasonably priced kettle for fair-weather grillers
Professionals:
- Giant cooking space
- Adjustable twin air-vent system
Cons:
- Ambiguous constructing directions
- Low-cost-feeling handles
Star ranking: 3.5/5
In the event you do not thoughts deciphering diagram-based directions with no textual content and have a set of primary instruments in your cabinet, you may really feel rewarded by this barbecue as soon as constructed. It is an inexpensive however cheerful mannequin that is light-weight to elevate and manoeuvrable due to its wheel. It’s going to must be beneath cowl for wetter months.
Some helpful options make it really feel like a value-for-money buy, the primary of which being two cooking grills. They do not produce the char traces you search for from grills, and components must be oiled to stop them from sticking, however you’ve the choice to cook dinner with excessive warmth simply above the coals, or decrease and slower on the high.
An adjustable twin air-vent system provides you adjustability over the temperature with the lid on, which cooks components essentially the most effectively. A detachable ash-catcher is one other user-friendly function.
Learn our full Way of life 22″ Kettle charcoal barbecue evaluation
Obtainable from:
Berghoff moveable barbecue
Greatest moveable charcoal barbecue
Professionals:
- Transportable
- No meeting
- Simple to make use of
Cons:
Star ranking: 3.5/5
A petite moveable barbecue can’t absolutely substitute a conventional model, nonetheless they’re price mentioning for his or her versatility. For these with small gardens – or no backyard in any respect – they’re a neat answer to out of doors cooking. This fashionable Berghoff barbecue is light-weight, regardless of being product of sturdy carbon metal.
The sturdy carrying strap is greater than match for function, then the cork lid cleverly doubles as a heatproof mat when utilizing the grill on grass. When alight, the lid additionally acts because the vent to permit or forestall air coming into the firebox from the underside.
Learn our full Berghoff moveable barbecue evaluation
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How to decide on one of the best barbecue
As soon as you’ve got determined which barbecue to purchase, the type will depend upon how many individuals you need to cook dinner for, what you need to do with it, the area you’ve, price range and the way usually you’ll use it.
For easy, easy cooking, a primary grill with no hood or air vents will do a great job. Nonetheless, you’ll have to keep by it, be taught how you can use barbecue coals to create numerous warmth zones across the grill and usually flip and transfer the meals for even and protected cooking.
Domed kettles and rectangular or square-hooded American grills are extra versatile. By utilizing the hood and air vents, warmth can go from scorching and quick for cooking over the coals (often called direct cooking), to lengthy and sluggish for smoking or cooking massive joints of meat or complete fish. Some barbecues have vents that may be adjusted to feed the coals with air.
The kamado grill comes from the Japanese for the wooden or charcoal-fired earthen vessels used as an oven however now could be a common time period for ceramic grills. The distinctive egg form and thick, heavy ceramic lining make these extremely versatile and exact for grilling, roasting, baking and smoking utilizing each direct and oblique warmth.
They could possibly be somewhat superior for the newbie however for the intense grill chef they’re a beautiful and thrilling piece of apparatus.
Charcoal barbecue gas and lighting
Our burning need for consuming outside is elevating questions round deforestation and the place the charcoal is from. Search for the FSC emblem of the Forest Stewardship Council, the world certification scheme of wooden merchandise on the pack to making sure correctly managed forests on your charcoal.
Select your charcoal rigorously. It’s attainable to purchase sustainable charcoal which, typically, shall be dearer. Nonetheless, it is best to want much less of it as a result of it burns extra slowly, and offers out higher warmth, which can offset a few of that price.
Briquettes and self-lighting charcoal include chemical substances and provides off sturdy odours which can affect on the flavour of your meals.
By no means use petrol, chemical substances or firelighters supposed for coal fires to gentle your barbecue and by no means ever use in a ceramic grill. Search for pure firelighters now broadly out there.
How we examined charcoal barbecues
We examined every mannequin’s each perform (together with smoker, pizza oven, tandoori, hearth pit) beneath control-conditions as a way to discover one of the best of the bunch. Learn extra about how our specialists check merchandise. The next can be found broadly at main supermarkets.
Coals had been stacked and lit as a way to obtain direct warmth and left till they had been white scorching with glowing pink centres. The identical key components had been additionally used throughout every core check.
Un-oiled courgette slices – to check the non-stick skill of grills and assess its grid-cooking capabilities.
Potato slices – can the BBQ soften and seal the potato earlier than the surface burns?
Complete aubergine – we recorded how lengthy it took to grill complete aubergines till comfortable throughout and the pores and skin was blistered.
Vegetable kebabs – these had been laid flat throughout the grills. We checked for outlined grill traces, even cooking, sticking and scorching spots.
White burger buns – popping these on the grill is a straightforward solution to heat and toast them with outlined grill traces.
Steak – steak is a wonderful indicator of warmth depth and the non-stick high quality of grill bars to sear meat with out it sticking.
Spatchcock rooster – for lidded BBQs, we examined the mannequin’s skill to retain warmth and hold the coals going with the lid on. This was a separate check requiring a brand new set of coals. A digital meat thermometer was used to test that the meat was safely cooked inside.
What we seemed for when testing charcoal barbecues
Every mannequin was scored towards the identical core standards:
Meeting:
Ease and time to assemble, instruments included or wanted.
Cooking outcomes:
The evenness, style, texture and succulence of the cooked meals.
Worth for cash:
Is it well worth the price ticket?
Ease of use:
Is the mannequin intuitive to make use of and appropriate for individuals with various BBQ expertise?
The next components had been additionally thought-about when it got here to scoring the charcoal barbecues.
Sturdiness and high quality:
The durability of the barbecue and the standard of supplies and equipment included.
Ease of cleansing:
Effectiveness and ease of cleansing, together with producer’s tips if supplied.
Measurement and peak of the grill:
The dimensions of the cooking floor of the grills and peak from the bottom.
Wheels and locking system:
Each the standard and measurement of the wheels, effectiveness and ease of use of the locks and manoeuvrability.
Effectiveness of the hood:
The burden and match of the hood, handles and vents.
Heating time:
Time from loading to lighting and readiness to cook dinner.
Warmth distribution:
Warmth throughout the cooking space.
Cabinets and further surfaces:
The place relevant, the durability and practicality.
Storage:
How fast and straightforward it’s to place away.
Packaging:
Extreme use of plastics and polystyrene.
Additionally examined and rated:
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Barbecue recipes
From rooster and fish to vegetarian concepts, aspect dishes and wholesome BBQ feasts, go to our barbecue recipe hub.
When you have any questions, ideas for future evaluations or spot something that has modified in worth or availability, please get in contact at goodfoodwebsite@quick.co.uk.
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