The Best Weber Grills of 2026, Tested and Reviewed

Thanks to their durability, reliability, and performance, Weber grills have long been recognized as among the best gas and charcoal grills on the market. While buying a Weber grill is a smart choice, there are many different models to choose from, ranging from Weber’s classic charcoal kettle grill to its high-performance gas grills.

But what exactly makes Weber one of the best grill brands, and what types of grills does Weber offer? We sought to answer this question by subjecting Weber’s grills to rigorous hands-on testing. We used the manufacturer’s charcoal, gas, and portable grills to find out how some of the most popular Weber grills on the market perform. We loved the Weber 22-Inch Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill for its large cooking surface, ash-collection system, and stay-cool handle. Check out the results of our tests of the rest of the best Weber grills below.

1. BEST OVERALL: Weber 22-Inch Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
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2. RUNNER-UP: Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill
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3. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Weber Original Kettle 18-Inch Charcoal Grill
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4. BEST PORTABLE: Weber Smokey Joe 14-Inch Charcoal Grill
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5. BEST FOR CAMPING: Weber Traveler Portable Gas Grill
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6. ALSO CONSIDER: Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill
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Weber Grills Comparison

Our Top Picks

We tested some of the best grills Weber has to offer, and the results are below. The list includes classic gas and charcoal grills that the company has produced for years, as well as some of Weber’s newest editions, including its line of pellet grills and smokers.

Weber introduced the first kettle grill nearly 70 years ago, and it continues to be one of the company’s most popular grills today. After putting all three of Weber’s kettle grills through their paces, the Premium is clearly the best of the bunch.

It’s the largest of Weber’s kettle grills with a cooking surface that is 22 inches in diameter, which means users can load more charcoal into it, giving it the ability to reach higher temperatures. Our heat test recorded temperatures approaching 900 degrees Fahrenheit with standard charcoal briquettes, which is notably hotter than the Premium’s smaller cousins.

The broader cooking surface not only creates ample room for food but also makes it easier to cook at different temperatures simultaneously. The kettle is large enough to pile briquettes on the side while leaving the other half empty, creating two cooking zones.

In addition to being the largest of Weber’s kettle grills, the Premium differentiates itself with its ash-collection system. A lever just under the kettle controls the Weber’s lower vents while also moving sweeper blades inside the kettle that push ashes through the vent holes and into an enclosed ash catcher. Weber’s other grills use a metal tray that sits under the kettle.

The container can hold far more ash than a tray and keeps the ash enclosed while it’s attached to the grill, which is great for people who have a dog that loves to stick its muzzle into the ash. The container also makes disposing of ash easy and mess-free. Simply detach the catcher from the bottom of the grill and carry it to a trash can.

While the ash catcher is a big part of what makes the Premium such a standout, there are other thoughtful design features that are also notable. Weber wisely designed the lid handle with a metal heat deflector that prevents the handle from warming up to burn-inducing temperatures. There’s also a section of the cooking grate that hinges upward, which makes it easy to add additional charcoal in the middle of grilling.

While all of these design features make it such an attractive grill, the Premium also comes at a premium price. It costs nearly twice as much as Weber’s 18-inch kettle grill. Still, for those looking for a charcoal grill with ample cooking surface, features that make it easier to cook with charcoal, and a long-lasting reputation, the Premium can be worth the investment.

Get the Weber 22-inch Original Kettle charcoal grill at Amazon, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.

Weber’s line of Spirit grills showcases some of the cutting-edge technology it brings to bear. Aside from a few misses in design, the E-310 is a formidable grill at a relatively affordable price point.

While assembling the Weber Spirit II E-310, it was clear that it has exceptional build quality. The grill body consists of heavy-gauge sheet metal that gives it a sturdy feel. There’s no swaying or bowing with this grill, nor are there any pieces that don’t properly align. The lid is coated in the thick, virtually indestructible enamel paint found on many Weber BBQ grills, while high-quality porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are under the hood.

The E-310 model also comes with Weber’s new GS4 cooking system, which translates into solid cooking performance. The electric ignition makes it easy to light all burners at once. It registered temperatures around the 550 degree Fahrenheit mark, and we were able to sear burger patties and steaks with relative ease. The three burners coupled with 529 square inches of cooking surface allowed us to create multiple heat zones for cooking foods or searing and finishing steaks and burgers. Weber says its flavorizer bars are designed to create smoke that infuses flavor into food. While we were skeptical at first, they were effective at creating more flavorful food. The tray collects grease nicely and is easy to access and empty.

Although the design changes from the previous generation of the Spirit are mostly good, we did have a few gripes. Whereas the earlier version of the Spirit concealed the tank behind an enclosed cabinet, the new Spirit places the tank on the exterior of the grill. While the design change opens up under-grill space for storage and makes tank installation easier, it leaves the unsightly propane tank exposed while the grill is uncovered.

Read our full review: Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill

Get the Weber Spirit II gas grill at Ace Hardware, The Home Depot, or Wayfair.

For those who don’t mind sacrificing a few nice-to-have features found on Weber’s Premium kettle grill, the company’s Original 18-inch model offers nearly the same level of performance at a more affordable price.

The Original, like the larger Premium, is assembled in less than 30 minutes and comes equipped with two wheels and a handle on the body that make moving it into position on a deck, patio, or lawn fairly easy.

There’s a lot to like about cooking with the Original. The porcelain-coated enamel steel has a solid weather-resistant feel to it. Our coals got very hot, which is a testament to the large vents that the Original has on the underside, allowing for plenty of airflow through the cookbox. We had no problem achieving the sought-after brown grill marks on our burger patty, though that high heat did force us to remain hypervigilant to prevent overcooking our food. As with the Premium, controlling temperature with the lid closed for our chicken breast was a bit more of a challenge. It wasn’t easy to get the grill below 450 degrees Fahrenheit to cook chicken, even with the vents almost fully closed.

The most noticeable difference between the Original and the higher-priced Premium, aside from the smaller cooking surface, is the cleaning. While the vent lever allowed us to guide ash through the vents, the ash pan is significantly smaller than the Premium’s. This not only forces users to empty it more often, but it’s also more awkward to remove and dump out the ash without making a mess. That gripe aside, the Original is an excellent deal for those looking for an affordably priced kettle grill that will last a long time.

Get the Weber 18-inch Original Kettle charcoal grill at Amazon, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.

The Smokey Joe, which is essentially a smaller 14-inch version of Weber’s full-size kettle grill, has been one of the most popular portable grills on the market since it debuted in 1955, and for good reason. Our tests reveal that the Smokey Joe is easy to light, burns hot, and has features that make it relatively easy to control the temperature.

One of the first things we noticed about the Smokey Joe is how well it heats with a minimal amount of fuel, which is a testament to the amount of air space its bulbous body creates. With just a small load of charcoal, we registered cooking surface temperatures well above 700 degrees, more than hot enough to reach sear-worthy temperatures.

It’s usually difficult to control temperature with a small charcoal grill, but that’s not the case with the Smokey Joe. The large vents on both the base and the lid made it easy to squelch the charcoals without extinguishing them. We only wish that the vent tabs were insulated, as they became impossible to touch with bare hands once the grill was hot.

The Smokey Joe’s 147 square inches of cooking space is about average for a portable charcoal grill. While the cooking surface is compact, there’s enough room to handle a half-dozen burgers or a couple of steaks. Although the Smokey Joe is small and lightweight, its three legs offer a stable base for the kettle. The grill didn’t budge even when we were vigorously flipping burgers.

In terms of portability, the entire grill weighs 10 pounds, making it ideal for throwing in a trunk or the back of a truck for camping, tailgating, or a trip to the beach. Our only gripe is that there is no way to lock the lid to the base, making it more difficult to carry. The unsecured lid also makes it tricky to transport if users are unable to dump the used ash and charcoal before making the return trip. There is a premium version of the Smokey Joe that has a locking bar for the lid, but it places the bottom vents on the side of the grill body, which is less effective for promoting airflow.

Aside from those minor flaws, it’s hard not to love the Smokey Joe. It’s a great portable charcoal grill—or even an ideal at-home option for those with limited space for a grill.

Get the Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill at Tractor Supply Co., Lowe’s, or Ace Hardware.

At a little more than a year old, the Weber Traveler is one of the grill manufacturer’s newest products. And what a grill it is. The Traveler offers the same quality build, exceptional performance, and smart designs found in Weber’s other grills. Plus, assembling this portable gas grill took us less than 10 minutes, a welcome change to the 2-hour assembly time of most full-size gas grills.

The Traveler is designed to be easy to transport a short distance from car trunk to campsite or tailgating event. Despite the fact that it weighs nearly 50 pounds, it’s surprisingly easy to move. Two large wheels on the end allow users to roll the Traveler like a piece of wheeled luggage.

We love the fact that this grill comes equipped with its own stand and doesn’t require a tabletop. Once it’s in position, unfolding it is simple. Simply release the safety lock, place a foot on one end of the stand, squeeze the release, and pull the grill upward to bring it to its standing height. A hydraulic arm assists, making it easier to raise.

The Traveler is powered by a 1-pound propane gas canister that attaches to a valve mounted under the grill body. While the valve houses the canister securely, we found it difficult to access. It took us a few attempts to seat the canister properly on the nozzle so we could screw it in.

The most striking feature of the Traveler is the sheer size of its cooking surface, which spans some 320 square inches, making it not much smaller than Weber’s two-burner Spirit gas grill. As with Weber’s other grills, the Traveler’s build is solid with heavy-gauge sheet metal, a sturdy stand, and porcelain-coated cast-iron grates.

There are other little features we like about the Traveler, too. It has a good-sized side table for prepping food, a useful thermometer on the grill lid, hooks for hanging grill tools, and a removable metal grease tray.

The Traveler is equipped with a large circle-shaped burner that does an excellent job of heating the grill surface. We recorded surface temperatures near 500 degrees, which was enough to create nice grill marks on burgers. However, we don’t like that the Traveler only has a single burner, which limits the grill to a single cooking zone. It’s also one of the more expensive portable gas grills on the market. But, for those looking for a high-quality gas grill that’s easy to move over short distances, has a broad cooking surface, and has a durable build, then the Traveler is an excellent choice.

Get the Weber Traveler gas grill at Amazon.

With its simple yet clever design, Weber’s aptly named Go-Anywhere grill is so portable and lightweight that it’s easy to tote virtually anywhere, all while performing nearly as well as its full-size cousins.

By utilizing a box-shaped design, the Go-Anywhere is a departure from the family of other Weber charcoal grills that use the kettle shape the brand is famous for. First and foremost, this shape makes the Go-Anywhere quite portable. At just 21 inches wide and 12.25 inches deep, it’s compact.

The Go-Anywhere’s wire legs wrap up and over the grill’s lid and snap into place, locking the lid to the body, which allows users to carry it like a small piece of luggage via the lid handle.

Despite its compact size, the Go-Anywhere grill performs quite well. Its 160 square inches of cooking surface is larger than average for portable grills and offers enough space to fit six burgers or several kabobs. Its small size also means we needed very little charcoal to fill the grill. The grate is close to the hot coals, making searing easy. Although it got hot enough to sear a nice crust on our burger patty, the legs were long enough to ensure that the grill was never in danger of scorching the surface of our table.

Weber equips most of its kettle grills with a vent on the bottom and one on the top. The box-shaped Go-Anywhere trumps that with four separate vents: two circular baffles on the top and two long vents that run along the grill’s front and back. This design creates plenty of airflow to keep the coals hot while at the same time giving the user multiple ways to control the grill’s internal temperature when the lid is on.

The Go-Anywhere’s compact size and lightweight, coupled with its great performance, make it an ideal portable grill.

Get the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal grill at Amazon.

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Weber Grills

Weber has a reputation for making some of the most durable and high-performing gas and charcoal grills on the market. To find the best of what this manufacturer has to offer, we subjected the grills to rigorous testing. We used a scoring rubric to assess each grill for ease of assembly, ease of cooking, overall performance, and durability.

To ensure consistent testing, we grilled boneless, skinless chicken on the grill to determine how evenly each grill cooked. To test searing capability, we cooked a hamburger patty and steak on each grill. In addition to grilling, we also assessed each grill for additional features such as smart controls, storage, digital thermometers, and ignition systems.

Cleanup is also crucial, so we assessed the difficulty level of cleaning the grill post grilling, taking into account ash-catching trays and grease pans.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Weber Grill

Weber’s product line is diverse, with the company manufacturing charcoal, propane, and wood-pellet grills. Ahead, learn more about the different types of grills Weber offers and the important factors to consider when shopping for one.

Types of Weber Grills

There are four main types of Weber grills, and they are categorized by the type of fuel used: charcoal, liquid propane, wood pellet, and electric.

Charcoal

Weber is well-known as the inventor of the charcoal grill (after all, it is part of the company’s logo), so it stands to reason that the company’s charcoal grills would be among the most highly regarded on the market.

Its line of charcoal grills ranges from its popular Smokey Joe 14-inch grill up to its 22-inch premium charcoal grill. Weber also makes a charcoal kamado grill, which has a ceramic body, and a charcoal smoker.

Liquid Propane

While Weber may be best known for inventing the kettle charcoal grill, its propane gas grills are just as popular, if not more so. The company’s range of gas grills includes its mid-tier Spirit series, its high-end Genesis gas grills, and its top-end Summit grills, which include a mix of built-in and freestanding grills.

Wood Pellets and Electric

Though it’s not a large part of its business, Weber also offers two sizes of higher-end wood pellet grills and three electric grills designed for portable use.

Size

When choosing a grill, paying attention to size is key as it determines how much food one can cook at a time. Grill size is typically measured by the size of the cooking surface. One of the best ways to determine size is to consider how many people the grill needs to accommodate.

About 200 square inches of cooking space is suitable for one to two people, while 450 square inches is a good size for a family of four. Larger families and those who frequently entertain may require a grill with 500 to 650 square inches of cooking surface.

Grill Material

Weber charcoal grills consist of a steel body coated with a porcelain enamel that’s baked on at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit to withstand high temperatures. The company’s gas grills are made from stainless steel, aluminized steel, or cast iron. Construction varies depending on the grill’s price point.

While Weber’s Spirit series uses bent sheet metal for its construction, the company’s higher-end Genesis series consists of thicker and sturdier welded beams. Weber uses either stainless steel bars (charcoal) or porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates (gas) for the cooking surfaces on its grills.

Wheels

Larger Weber gas and charcoal stand-alone grills have wheels that make them easier to move around a patio or deck. Weber’s charcoal models as well as some of its gas grills have two wheels on one side that allow the user to move the grill by tilting it backward. Its higher-end freestanding gas grills sit on large casters that allow the user to roll them around a smooth surface.

Performance

Weber is known for integrating its grills with innovative technologies that improve performance and ease of use. Weber’s gas grill, for example, includes its GS4 system, which consists of an igniter that can set the temperature for the entire grill at once, high-performance burners that last longer, metal bars that decrease flare-ups and improve flavor by evaporating juices, and a handy grease-management system under the firebox.

Most of Weber’s gas grills are compatible with iGrill 3 app-connected technology, which consists of a small Bluetooth unit on the front of the grill. The unit connects up to four compatible meat thermometers, sold separately, to a smart device, allowing the chef to monitor meat temperatures remotely.

Ash Catcher

Weber’s charcoal grills have trays under the bottom grill vents designed to catch ash. Smaller grills, such as the Smokey Joe, have simple small metal trays, while larger models, including Weber’s premium charcoal grill, have systems that allow the user to sweep ash from the bottom of the grill into the catcher. The catcher can be removed, eliminating the need to move the entire grill to dispose of the ash.

Portability

While most of Weber’s larger grills have wheels, that doesn’t make them portable. The wheels on these larger grills are designed for transporting them over short distances, such as from one side of a patio to the other. Weber does have a line of portable grills, which includes its smaller Smokey Joe and Jumbo Joe charcoal grills, Go Anywhere collapsible charcoal grill, and Traveler small gas grill.

These grills, which are compact and light enough to load into the trunk of a car for transport to a campground, park, or tailgating event, offer between 200 and 320 square inches of cooking surface.

Additional Accessories

In addition to grills, Weber also sells a broad range of grilling accessories, including high-quality grill covers, chimney starters, cooking utensils, rotisserie kits, scrapers, and cleaning kits.

The Advantages of Owning a Weber Grill

Although the Weber name comes with a higher price point than some other grill brands, it’s for good reason. Weber has a great reputation for the durability of its grills. The materials Weber uses may raise the overall price of the grill, but it will probably last longer than lesser grills, helping to defray the cost difference. The manufacturer’s grills, be they gas or charcoal, also consistently perform well with excellent heat output and distribution. They also have features that make it easy to control the temperature.

Weber grills offer many features that make them easy to use—from using Bluetooth to monitor the progress of steaks sizzling from the comfort of a living room sofa to easy post-grilling cleanup using a removable ash collector. Weber grills are also among the more stylish grills, with many of the company’s most popular models coming in several color options including black, stainless steel, and green.

• Durability gives Weber grills a long lifespan
• User-friendly controls make grilling easier
• Stylish with multiple color options
• High performance

FAQs

If you’re wondering about how to clean your new Weber grill or how long you can expect the grill to last, then read on for answers to these and other frequently asked questions about Weber grills.

Q. How long do Weber grills last on average?

With proper maintenance and the use of a good grill cover, a Weber grill can usually last 10 to 15 years.

Q. How do I clean my Weber grill?

Clean the inside of a grill as well as the grates using a stainless steel grill brush. Scrape any buildup off the deflection panels or bars using a plastic scraper. Next, use a stainless steel brush to clean the burner tubes under the heat deflectors. Finally, check out the inside of the cook box and scrape away any debris or residue that can cause flare-ups.

Q. Which type of wood pellets should I get for my Weber grill?

If you have a Weber pellet grill or smoker, purchase pellets designed for grilling. While Weber sells its own pellets, most brands of grilling pellets will work. Pellets typically come in different types to infuse different flavors into the food.

Q. How long can my Weber grill stay on without it getting damaged?

Since Weber grills are designed to endure temperatures far greater than what the grill can actually achieve, it won’t damage the grill to leave it on for extended periods of time. That said, if you forget to turn off a gas grill, it can eventually cause the tank valve to go into a bypass state, a safety feature that reduces the flow of gas. Once in bypass state, a grill won’t heat greater than 300 degrees. If that happens, you’ll need to go through a process to reset the valve.

Q. Should I wash my Weber grill?

Although it’s possible to hose off a Weber grill or even power-wash it, it’s probably not a good idea to do so. Washing a Weber grill with pressurized water can force water into cracks and crevices, where it can cause rust to form. Instead of using a hose, scrape off buildup with a wire brush and wipe down the grill with a wet cloth.

Meet the Tester

Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, landscaping, technology, home security, and design. His articles have been featured on such sites as Angi, Popular Science, Futurism, 360 Reviews by U.S. News & World Report, Domino, and more. Carrick has conducted rigorous product testing on everything from power tools to home security systems to backyard grills. With each review, his goal is to help readers determine whether a product meets their needs and if it is or isn’t worth its price tag.

 

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