Weber® Original Kettle Charcoal Grill, 18-Inch, Black

This is a great do everything grill and smoker for a small family or individual. It's a versatile size that allows you to grill around five pounds of meat using a 50/50 split between direct fire and a cold spot, and smoke meat by stacking coals on one side and placing the meat of the opposite end. The smaller size allows more efficient use of coals. If you need to cook for a large group quickly, then you can cover the entire bottom with coals. If you are just cooking one steak, then you can double stack the coals on one end of the grill directly under the steak. The vents are perfectly sized to allow enough air to keep the fire burning while stopping flames for smoking meat. The legs and handles are durable and insulated. The overall design is simple and easy to clean. The materials are high quality and strong. If you clean the grill and kettle with soap and water and dry and store after every use, then it will last almost forever. If you neglect it and never clean anything, then the kettle will last for about a decade and the grills will need to be replaced every two or three years. The only improvement I would suggest is to include two carry handles instead of just one. The fact that this doubles as a grill and smoker makes this a good bargain and very capable.

Wanting to get back into grilling, I sought a kettle grill. Weber marks a line for quality that some other products on Amazon may fall short on, so I went with the trusted name. The 18" version of the Weber Original is a good choice for 1-2 people. If you don't need the range space, you can save some money over the 22" version and some storage space. It has an understated yet refined look, and the material quality is decent. Personally, I prefer the look of the simple ash tray over the pricier bin catcher, and the cost difference between the two makes for an easy choice when you consider that the price of these Weber brand grills has nearly doubled over the past decade. It's good for moving around a deck and into the yard, but unless you have a truck, you aren't going to be taking this anywhere. I would have liked it to be a bit taller, but it isn't unbearably low. Maybe the 22" model is taller, you can research that for yourself. There is almost enough space below the ash pan to store a Weber chimney starter. Well, it can probably be done sideways, but that takes up more floor space on the platform. Mine came without blemishes, but I did have some trouble during assembly. The mounts on the underside that you insert the legs into have a very low tolerance and were partially roughly finished on the inside. This made using WD-40 and some silicone grease a must for assembly. I also applied the grease to the wheels and recommend anyone do the same. I applied WD-40 to all moving parts so they can move a bit easier and won't scratch up the enamel. The lower grate came covered in a dusty grease of some sorts. Between that and the welding stains, it looked like a used part compared to the clean, chrome-plated upper grate.. At least that means it won't have come rusted! Also, be sure to check your lid handle for the washer nuts! I was really bummed thinking I was missing these at first.

I am writing this review after approximately 5 years of use. To this day, this thing is amazing! This grill was my introductory to charcoal grilling. When buying this grill, I had no idea what I was doing but I knew I liked the taste of food from a charcoal grill. Once I got past the learning curve of charcoal, I quickly realized that this thing is extremely consistent. Not only is this a great starter grill but as someone who is now experienced, I still prefer this over my larger charcoal grill from another brand. Let me explain why: First, this thing is air tight. Even after all this time, if I close all of the vents, the fire goes out and the remaining charcoal is preserved. I can reuse that charcoal next time I cook. Every other grill I’ve used, the charcoal all slowly burns up until it is gone even with all of the vents closed. Second, because this is so small, it’s perfect for quick meals for a small family. I don’t need a giant grill to cook for my family of four in most cases. Is this good for grilling for a large party? Absolutely not. But it’s perfect for everyday summer use. Third, it can be used for smoking meats too! Obviously very large meats would not work in this grill but in the attached photo you can see a pork loin that I smoked which fits perfectly. When smoking, the temperature stays so consistent, right in the 200-225 zone I need once I get the vents adjusted properly. My other grill is not air tight so the temperature constantly fluctuates when there is a breeze (or for no reason). I could go on and on. Because it’s Weber, I assume all of this is true for the larger kettle grill as well but I don’t truly know. I can tell you with 100% certainty that this 18 inch grill is legit! Buy it and enjoy!

I've had my Smoky Joe Jr for over 10 years now and it's still a beast that does a phenomenal job but I wanted a little bigger and not table top. This grill fit the bill AND if I'm only grilling a couple of burgers or something I just take the top off of it and park Jr onto the grate instead of pulling a table out of the shed. It took about 15 minutes to assemble, most of which was separating parts and pre assembly. My first use was a disappointment at first because I erroneously thought it was going to heat up and cook just like Jr but on a slightly larger scale.WRONG! After about a half an hour of the chicken tenderloins staying raw I popped the grate off, rearranged the coals from indirect by having them in center and meat surrounding to just the opposite and in no time the chicken was ready to flip and turned out great. Today was Bison Burgers and more chicken tenderloins (I'm the only family member that eats buffalo) and tried a direct cooking method for the bison on half the grill and indirect footer the chicken on the other half. Both worked out great, the burgers turning out juicy but well done (why I like bison) and the tenderloins were 170f inside but still tender and juicy as well. I use a Weber charcoal chimney to get things going and this grill has enough underneath air draw to where I can start it on the coals grate, unlike most other grills I've used where it has to be put on top of the cooking grate to work right. Last century I had a Genesis that lasted about 15 years and a Smoky Joe full size my X got in the divorce so I'm glad Weber has kept the durability of their charcoal grills because their gas like sure went to crap. I use another brand infrared when I cook with gas but prefer charcoal when I can. This grill looks and feels like it's gonna be different than the Jr but just as beastly year after year.

I recently switched from gas to charcoal and was eyeing up the Weber Gold One-Touch with the nice ash pan and other options, well when I looked for it and Amazon said it was currently unavailable, then went to Weber's site only to find out it was discontinued. So after reading the reviews for Silver, I decided to order it and live without the options of the Gold with some apprehension on the ash pan. During my first initial use, I experienced the blowing ash problem which others detailed in their reviews and used some water in the pan to retain them as suggested. In all fairness it was windy and I used Publix Greenwise 100% wood lump charcoal and it does burn quite hot and much of the ash was initially from some newspaper that did not burn completely yet fell through the vent. Next time I plan to use the Weber Paraffin Cubes in my Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter, which I highly recommend, and see what the results are. I also may try a modified coffee can or something that has more depth to it, but that will still provide adequate airflow. Assembly is easy, great pictorial directions and all you need is a Hammer, block of wood and a Philips screw driver. The lower vent assembly was a little tricky for me to get completed as I found the damper/ash door had a little spring in the sheet metal and you have to put pressure on it from the top in order to slide the handle into the hole, with the spacer on the bottom being hard to hold, it required some dexterity to accomplish. I just placed a bag of charcoal on top to free my hand from holding it down. You could also bend the sheet metal to fit a little more flush but you may risk the chance of deforming it incorrectly in the process. The build of the grill is great typical Weber quality, though they got some heat a few years ago for stating "Made In USA", from what I saw and what's listed on the box states it's is Made in the USA but from a mix of parts sourced from all over. I only ever owned Weber Gas Grills and the quality on those was always quite good, I read the gauge or thickness of the metal changed, but it looks like this will hold up well for the most part but time will tell for how long. Aside from the ash pan which could be deeper, I really have no complaints and am happy with my purchase. I do now prefer cooking on charcoal, it's amazing how well it cooks and how good the results are. Still getting use to closing all the vents after the cooking is done to drop the fire and having a hot grill on the patio for several hours. A video I saw on the net said to not use water to cool or put out the hot charcoal since it will damage the porcelain finish, I tend to agree.

The Best there is. Worked great right out of the box. Have used Weber charcoal grills for decades. Price is still good. I use it about 3 - 4 times a week. Sometimes more.

This 18" kettle replaced one that finally rusted through at the bottom after 15 years. It has a couple of improvements, and a couple of nits to pick. It arrived with no damage to either box or grill. All parts were in the package. The pictorial instructions are adequate though not really necessary (if you end up with the kettle's handle on the side, go back and use the instructions). The lid handle has been improved with a heat shield and longer standoff. The lid hook is reshaped and works better. Those are the only improvements I see, and there is no need of improving kettle performance. I believe there is a lessening of quality in the construction of the kettle: there are noticeable dimples wherever a tab or leg support is spot welded. The paint inside the kettle had several runs where it had been applied too heavily. Again, neither affects performance and doesn't show during use. My only real complaint is about the kettle support system. The wheels have been downsized to 6" from 8"; the ash pan is now 11" instead of 13"; and the legs feel like they are made of aluminum foil. The pushbuttons on the legs will supposedly make removing the legs easier for transport. I won't need that capability. I kept the lid from the last grill and will use it to add a temp gauge (from my rusted-out Genesis Silver gas grill). I have owned several Weber products and am a happy user of them. They work great, they last, and I recommend them. The first meal turned out great.

This grill replaced my 30+ year old 18” grill. That one served me very well over the years, but the metal leg rusted out along with other things. It was obvious the old grill needed to be replaced. I could not find the smaller Weber 18” grills in the local stores around here--only the larger 22” versions were available. The grill was very easy to assemble with easy to follow instructions. It is now a pleasure to use. The smaller 18” grill is well suited for just the wife and I. The optional heavy black Weber grill cover fits well and provides good protection for the grill when not in use. We also have an older Weber 22” grill when needed for larger grilling requirements. I quickly noticed the newer Weber grills have been improved over the years. The handles on the grill kettle and especially on the lid are larger and better insulated against the charcoal heat. The older Weber grills used wood for the handles. Over time, the wooden handles eventually rotted away. This summer we are looking forward to using this new and improved classic Weber grill. As mentioned in a previous review, recommend the complete grill be seasoned first with a hot charcoal fire to burn away new coatings, paint, etc. before placing foods on the new grill surface. The first heated seasoning ensures any smoke/fumes emanating from the new manufactured surfaces are not absorbed in the food.

Experiencia: Excelente compra. El Original Kettle de 18” tiene una muy buena construcción, es resistente, fácil de usar y permite controlar muy bien la temperatura. Además, el tamaño es bastante práctico sin ocupar demasiado espacio. Lo bueno: El cuerpo y la tapa de acero porcelanizado ayudan a conservar el calor y resistir el uso; también tiene el sistema One-Touch para facilitar la limpieza. Lo que dicen otros usuarios: La recepción es muy buena: el modelo tiene alrededor de 4.7/5 con más de 1,000 valoraciones en Bodega Aurrera, y se repiten comentarios sobre su calidad, facilidad de armado, buen control de temperatura y durabilidad. A considerar: Los Weber suelen costar más que muchos asadores de carbón genéricos, pero la calidad de construcción y la durabilidad justifican bastante la diferencia. Algunas opiniones también mencionan que el recolector de cenizas puede ser un poco pequeño/ensuciar. Veredicto: Compra totalmente recomendada. Es de esos productos donde sí siento que pagar un poco más tiene sentido: buen diseño, buena construcción y una experiencia de asado muy consistente.

This is my first charcoal hibachi. Its amazing. So fun to cook on and everything I've cooked so far has turned out great. Its small enough to pick up ( when its not hot of course ;) ), and wheel around with its wheels. It comes as advertised, is a fair price for a brand name grill. The size is good for me but if you expect to cook a lot of food at once or for a lot of people, you may want to consider an 18" grill. But then you will need to use more charcoal for each use. If you've been thinking about getting into charcoal grilling, order yourself one of these bad boys. You'll be glad you did

Sadly I don’t have it anymore since someone stole it from my deck. I hope they are at least enjoying their BBQ like I did. The BBQ is actually well built. I cooked chicken and steak on it few times. I like my steak and chicken little bit charred so keep in mind that it can do that which for me is a plus. Maybe I will buy it again. I recommend this product. Ps: hopefully no one will run away with your bbq grill:)

Muy lindo y bonito aunque algo pequeño a mi gusto, de igual forma nada malo en el producto, fue fácil de armar y con instrucciones claras.

Great Weber quality, good price and reasonable size for grilling a meat entree and a simple grilled veggie side for a family of 4 - 6. For entertaining a larger crowd and/or for a more complex multi course cook, the 22" model or larger might be preferable so grilling can go faster and in parallel. But for our regular family dinner this is perfect. The chimney starter is absolutely essential so we don't need starter fluid anymore. Just throw in some crumbled balls of paper, strike a match, and in about 20 minutes we have glowing hot charcoal. Also got the Weber char basket, which is great. We were able to roast two whole chickens on the grill, smoked with hickory!