My friends and I like to tailgate at football games. From the time we first started tailgating, we’d bring along a little of everything. Some yard games. Some beer. Some music. The only thing we didn’t have was a grill.
There are few things more frustrating than smelling barbecue ribs, hot dogs, and hamburgers around you, and not being able to eat them.
I decided that I couldn’t go one more tailgate without a nice charcoal grill. So, I opted for the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill.
Possessing 363 inches of total cooking space, the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill is a terrific grill for backyard cookouts, tailgates, and more. As far as Weber’s charcoal grills go, this one ranks somewhere in the middle.
Of course, considering its budget price, it offers quite a bit of value.
Made out of tough aluminum and porcelain, this grill is designed to last over years and years of use. In fact, it comes with a manufacturer’s 10-year warranty to ensure that you get your money’s worth.
It may not be at the top of the Weber charcoal grill food chain, but the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill will easily accommodate all of your backyard grilling tasks.
Key Features of the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill
This grill possesses 22 inches of cooking space diameter, allowing me to cook food for 4-6 people at barbecues and tailgates. The only problem with the cooking area is that it can’t be raised and lowered, meaning that meat and vegetables are always cooked in the same manner. In total, this grill provides just over 360 inches of total grilling area.
For a grill at its price, it is very well-constructed. Its inner bowl is enameled with porcelain which can withstand some serious heat. While it leaves a pile of ashes, the grill itself does not become permanently charred. I’m confident that this grill is built to last through many, many uses.
For transportation purposes, it is equipped with two treaded wheels as well as an ergonomic handle. Whether I’m repositioning on my patio or wheeling it out to a tailgate, it’s very easy to move from place to place. The only slight complaint I have about its handle is that there’s only one of them. This can sometimes make it difficult to move once a fire has already been ignited.
Perhaps the nicest feature possessed by this grill is its one-touch cleaning mechanism. Making use of a small lever, this mechanism can clear the bottom of the grill of nearly all ashes and debris. It makes cleaning and maintenance of the grill as easy as possible.
Equipped with two different heating and cooling vents, this grill allows you to seamlessly alter cooking temperatures and grilling styles. Whether you want to cook directly or indirectly, it will accommodate you.
Pros
- Tough & Durable Construction
- Comes with a 10-year Warranty
- Possess a Self-Cleaning Mechanism
- Damper Allows you to Smoke Food
- Simple and Easy to use
Cons
- Prone to Rust
- Can’t Adjust the Height of the Grill Surface
Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill Detailed Review
Design and Build Quality
Weighing in at around 32 pounds, this grill is fairly easy to take from place to place. This makes it a great option for tailgating purposes. It measures in at 38.5 inches x 25 inches x 22.5 inches, making it big enough for easy grilling, but small enough to store comfortably in compact areas.
Made out of durable steel which is sturdy and capable of withstanding quite a bit of wear and tear, this grill is extremely well-constructed for its price. You won’t find many other grills of this quality at such a kind price point.
The bowl of this grill, though made of steel, is coated with enameled porcelain, protecting it against fire, and allowing it to age slower. This enamel coating also allows for easy cleaning, as it is smooth and easy to brush off.
Equipped with glass-reinforced handles on both its lid and side, this grill can be pulled easily from place to place. This is accommodated by its treaded wheels which can make their way easily through grass, stone, dirt, and otherwise. The only problem with the handles is that there are not more of them. Because there’s only one handle on the side of the grill, it can be hard to move around when hot.
Unfortunately, there have been some problems with paint chipping on this grill. It doesn’t do much to affect its overall performance, but does hurt its general aesthetic somewhat. In addition to this, it’s also a little prone to rust.
Overall, in terms of design and build quality, this grill rates as high as any other charcoal grill at its price point. Though it’s prone to rust and paint chipping, it offers sturdiness and structural durability that will keep it thriving for years.
Ease of Assembly
As far as assembly goes, this grill is fairly simple to put together. It comes with very detailed instructions, making it easy for users of all kinds to assemble. All in all, it took me around 30 minutes to assemble this grill fully.
There are just a few tools needed to finish the assembly. They include a Phillips head screwdriver and a hammer.
The truth of the matter is that you’re not going to find a grill that is too much easier to assemble than this one. At most, it shouldn’t take you any more than an hour to put together.
Ease of Use
Sporting a number of useful features, this grill is very easy to use. Its lid is equipped with a nylon handle which allows you to take it off and put it on with ease. When you’re cooking, you can actually clip the lid to the side of the grill for safe storage.
It’s equipped with a vent that can be adjusted to manage temperature and smoke. This allows you to grill your food to your exact specifications without much hassle.
Perhaps this grill’s nicest feature is its one-touch cleaning mechanism. All you have to do is slide a lever from one side to the other in order to dump all of the unnecessary ash into its attached ash bowl. This bowl can be easily removed so that its contents can be dumped in a nearby trashcan.
The one problem you might run into with this grill is cooking for a large number of people. It’s a decent size grill, but is not really equipped to accommodate huge barbecues. This is not to say that it can’t do so but it will take longer than if you had a larger grill.
All in all, this grill is very easy to use. Whether you’re an experienced grillmaster or a general newbie, the Weber Original Kettle will accommodate you.
Quality of the Cook
Overall, I’m very pleased with the cooking quality of this grill. Whether you’re grilling directly, or indirectly smoking your meat, it turns out hot, tender, and thoroughly cooked throughout. You can’t ask for too much more from a charcoal grill.
However, one of the problems I have with this grill is that it doesn’t have an adjustable grilling surface. You’re forced to cook all of your food from the same height over the charcoal. This can be counteracted by using more or less charcoal, but it’s not as convenient or simple as just being able to adjust the height of the grate.
Being able to easily adjust the vents on the grill does help to control the heat inside of it. There are two vents: an upper and a lower. By toying with them just a bit, you can cook at a number of different temperatures.
The taste of the meat produced by this grill is as exceptional as any charcoal-cooked meat you’re going to find. It doesn’t matter whether you’re grilling directly or indirectly; this grill will cook a meat that is smoky and flavorful.
So, while it doesn’t possess the ability to adjust cooking heights, the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill is still plenty capable of cooking your meat at the exact right temperatures. If I were to take an educated guess, I’d say that you won’t be disappointed with the cook quality of this grill.
Ease of Cleanup
All in all, the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill is very easy to clean. One of its features which makes it so easy to clean is its one-touch cleaning mechanism. With the use of this feature, you can simply pull a lever in order to sweep out the majority of the ashes left at the bottom of the grill.
These ashes will fall into a strategically placed ash bowl which can be removed at your leisure. Removing this bowl is not at all difficult. Simply lift it up and dispose of its contents in a nearby trashcan. As far as charcoal grills go, they don’t get much easier to clean than this one.
Price
For a relatively standard charcoal grill, this grill is reasonably priced. While there are cheaper grills available, they don’t provide quite the same quality that this grill does. Counterwise, while there are grills that provide more features overall, they aren’t as cheap as this one is. The Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill is an excellent combination of price and value.
It’s not equipped to handle huge backyard barbecues, but as a nice grill to keep on hand in case you want to cook out, it’s stellar. You won’t find too many backyard or tailgate grills that are better than this one for the price.
How Does it Compare?
Let’s take a look at some of the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch Charcoal Grill’s competition:
Char-Broil Tru-Infrared Kettleman Charcoal Grill
Designed to compete with Weber, the Char-Broil Tru-Infrared Kettleman offers a lot of features for a very good price.
Check out our review here.
Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill
For those with a bigger budget, the Weber Performer Deluxe offers a built-in table, propane ignition system and built-in ash bin.
Check out our review here.
