Few everyday objects are as instantly recognizable as a Weber kettle. The round black bowl on three legs has been the shape of the backyard cookout since the 1950s, and it is still one of the best charcoal grills you can buy, whether it is your first grill or your fifth.
Here is the story of the Original Kettle, what makes it work so well, which version to get and where to buy one.
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What it is
The Weber Original Kettle is a charcoal grill built around a porcelain-enameled bowl and lid that hold heat and will not rust or peel. The 22-inch model is the classic size, and Weber says it holds up to 13 burgers at once. Adjustable dampers in the lid and the bowl control how much air reaches the coals, and air controls temperature, so the same grill can sear hot or cook low and slow with the lid on.
Underneath, Weber's One-Touch cleaning system sweeps spent ash out of the bowl with a single lever, and a lid hook on the side lets you hang the lid on the bowl while you cook instead of setting it on the ground. The cooking grate is durable plated steel, easy to clean and good at holding heat for grill marks.
Where it came from
According to Weber's own history, the kettle was born from a ruined dinner. George Stephen built himself a brick barbecue, invited friends over and watched the steaks go up in flames. His day job was at Weber Brothers Metal Works, a Chicago-area shop where he welded half spheres together to make marine buoys. After the barbecue disaster, it clicked: he took one of those half spheres, added legs, punched air holes in the bottom and put a lid on top. The lid kept wind and rain out and the heat in, something the open braziers of the time could not do.
His neighbors laughed and called it the spaceship, right up until they tasted the steak. Stephen started selling the kettle in 1952, during the same postwar boom that produced mid-century modern design, and by the end of the decade he had bought out Weber Brothers and renamed the business Weber-Stephen Products. He died in 1993 and was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2013. Weber says it still designs and engineers its grills at its Chicago headquarters and builds them at its plant in Huntley, Illinois.
Why it is still worth buying
- The shape works. A round bowl and domed lid circulate heat around the food like an oven, which is why the design has barely changed in more than seventy years. It is honest, useful and unobtrusive in exactly the way our guide to good design principles describes.
- Real charcoal flavor. Gas is convenient, but charcoal and a chunk of wood give food a smoky taste that gas cannot match.
- It does more than grill. With the coals banked to one side, a kettle roasts whole chickens, smokes ribs and turkey breast, and even bakes pizza.
- It lasts. The porcelain enamel resists rust and peeling, and Weber sells replacement grates, handles, wheels and cleaning parts, so a kettle can be kept going for decades.
- Nothing to break. No electronics, no gas lines and no igniter to fail. Light the charcoal and cook.
Which version to buy
- Original Kettle 22-inch. The classic, with the One-Touch cleaning system, plated steel grate and lid hook. The simplest and least expensive way into a Weber.
- Original Kettle Premium 22-inch. The one most people should buy. The Premium adds a built-in lid thermometer, a hinged cooking grate that flips up on either side so you can add charcoal mid-cook, an enclosed high-capacity ash catcher, two tool hooks, a wire storage shelf and rust-resistant aluminum legs. Weber says it cooks for six to eight people and backs it with a 10-year limited warranty.
- Other sizes. Weber also makes the kettle in an 18-inch size for small patios and balconies and a 26-inch Premium for big crowds, plus limited editions in special colors.
How to cook on it
The key technique is a two-zone fire. Pile lit charcoal on one side of the charcoal grate and leave the other side empty. Sear over the coals, then move the food to the cool side and close the lid to finish with indirect heat, the way you would in an oven. A chimney starter lights charcoal quickly and evenly without lighter fluid.
Open the dampers for more heat and close them partway to bring the temperature down, but never close them completely while you are cooking or the fire will go out. Position the lid vent over the food on the cool side so smoke is pulled across it on the way out. After each cook, sweep the ash with the One-Touch lever once the grill has cooled, since wet ash is what eats away at a bowl over time.
A kettle pairs perfectly with a cast iron skillet set right on the grate for searing and sauces, and a sharp blade from our Japanese chef's knives guide makes prep much easier.
Where to buy
Weber sells both 22-inch versions direct from its official store, along with replacement parts and accessories, and the kettle is widely stocked by authorized sellers. Check that the listing is the current model with the One-Touch cleaning system and porcelain-enameled bowl.
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