Charcoal grills come in different shapes and sizes, with different features and vastly different prices. What do you really need?
This article appeared in our special Summer 2006 edition, Summer Cooking.
Flicking a switch to light a gas grill may be convenient, but for many die-hard grillers nothing beats a live charcoal fire. The pleasure is utterly visceral: the red-hot coals, the smoke, the sizzle, the interplay of food and flame, and the aroma of searing meat. And, of course, there is the flavor. Charcoal fires infuse food with notes of wood and smoke that no gas fire can match. Yet deciding which charcoal grill to buy is not so straightforward: Manufacturers produce grills of various sizes and shapes at various prices.
Grill Configuration
Grilling a mountain of food over two weeks revealed very little difference in the grills’ cooking performance. Each developed a fire hot enough to sear the food, which is what charcoal grilling is all about. Each also offers vents to control airflow—and thereby the intensity of the fire—but we were not able to detect any advantages or disadvantages based on the number or position of the vents. It was possible, however, to identify two important design factors: the size of the grill and the depth of the grill cover.
A large surface area is essential if you cook for large groups, and useful even when you don’t because it affords the opportunity to easily grill some extra food alongside the main course. It is also easier to build a two-level fire (hot on one side and cooler on the other) in a large grill.
While we generally don’t use the cover when charcoal grilling over high heat, it is necessary when grill-roasting large cuts, such as a turkey or prime rib, over lower heat. To trap heat and contain any flavorful smoke generated from wood chunks or chips, the grill lid must fit comfortably over the food and form a tight seal with the grill bottom. The test kitchen recommends 12-to 14-pound turkeys for grill-roasting, and only two models had lids that closed over a 14-pounder (set on a V-rack to promote even cooking). However, all of the grills in the group were able to swallow a 12-pounder.
Feature Presentation
All charcoal grills will cook your food, but several features can make the process easier and more enjoyable. An attached table makes a huge difference, and two are even better. After years of precariously balancing platters on deck railings and chair arms, it was a welcome relief to have a secure, accessible place to put dishes and utensils. And if you plan to barbecue or grill-roast (both methods entail long cooking over a relatively low fire), some means of easily adding charcoal to the fire is crucial.
Another thoughtful feature is some means of adjusting the height of either the charcoal rack or the cooking grate. If given no respite from a hot fire, many foods, such as thick steaks, pork chops, and chicken breasts, will burn on the outside before cooking through on the inside. So they must be finished over a cooler fire. This is easy to accomplish if you can adjust the charcoal rack down away from the cooking grate Still, the ability to adjust the charcoal rack or cooking grate is not essential. On grills that do not offer such adjustability, you can build a two-level fire that is hot on one side and cool on the other to achieve the same effect.
An ash catcher—a container attached to the bottom of the grill to trap ashes—makes life easier when it comes time to clean out the grill. Finally, when you barbecue or grill-roast, a built-in thermometer is handy, though you can always put a grill thermometer through the lid vents.
In the end, our advice is to buy the largest, best-outfitted grill your budget will allow.
See the Results
