If it seems like barbecuing is an unofficial religion when the sun shines in the UK, you’re not wrong.
When the forecast points to good weather, much of the country turns into a garden-prepping flash mob of sorts, trimming the lawn, hauling outdoor furniture from storage and chiselling grime off the grill to make way for the cookout.
Take the small pleasures where you can: sometimes biting down on a perfectly seared burger in the sunshine can make your weekend.
But if, after a long winter and damp squib of a spring, your grill is looking decidedly worse for wear, it might be time to think about investing in something new.
While dream machines include coveted kamado styles (it turns out the egg-shaped BBQ is the new Fabergé) or smoke-show barbies - with a literal smoker in the mix to enhance and deepen flavour - the added bells and whistles come at a cost, and it’s usually clanging.
But say you don’t want the BBQ equivalent of the Starship Enterprise parked on your patio. If all you’re after is a sturdy birdie to cook a modest feast for you and a few friends every so often, a kettle BBQ could be the best bet.
Fueled by charcoal or wood pellets, this style of BBQ was invented by George Stephen Snr in early 50s Chicago. Little did he know at the time, it turned out to be the blueprint for every charcoal grill that followed.
Originally a welder, Stephen went on to become the founder of Weber-Stephen Products LLC, leading the charge of the 50s ‘barbecue boom’. Is it any wonder that Weber is the brand most associated with the kettle BBQ?
Named for its spherical shape, a kettle grill usually consists of a bulbous lid, cooking grate, charcoal chamber, venting systems to encourage airflow and legs to prevent scorching the ground beneath. Some are fitted with wheels to let you manoeuvre them around the garden, which is helpful if you want to catch a tan as you cook.
Kettle BBQs are a great choice if you’re a budget-conscious grill fan and can be picked up for a snip of the cost of fancier, gas-powered grills.
The downside? Cleaning up all that charcoal can be a hassle and there’s only one cooking space to spread out your ingredients which won’t work for big households. But if it’s your first machine or you only plan to cook for a few folks at a time, a kettle BBQ can deliver that delicious flame-grilled flavour without putting your finances in crisis mode.
Ready to check out the options? See the best kettle BBQs below.
Weber Compact Kettle Charcoal Grill Barbecue, 57cm
A descendent of Stephen’s original 50s design, this compact kettle offers a supreme 57cm diameter of cooking space, meaning you can line up sausages, burgers, wings and steaks side-by-side.
The outdoor grill is portable thanks to two wheels and offers limited storage space on the lower shelf. It needs charcoal lump wood or briquettes to fuel the feast and comes with an anti-rust finish to keep it protected for longer - although a cover will help things tenfold.
Buy now £133.00, Amazon
Weber Smokey Joe Premium, Black
Grill specialist Weber has some of the best BBQs on the market - with top-end price tags to match. However, there are more palatable options for those on tighter budgets, like this smart black charcoal design.
Perfect for small gardens as well as taking on camping and beach trips, the Smokey Joe features a tuck-n-carry locking carry handle plus rust-free dampers. The steel cooking grate measures 37cm across, offering plenty of space for burgers, bangers and chargrilled veggies.
Also available in green, blue, grey and cream as well as black.
Buy now £80.00, Amazon
Char-Broil 140756 Kettleman Charcoal Barbecue Grill
This heavy-duty BBQ rests on steel legs for excellent stability and has wheels to push it around your outside space with ease too. The adjustable air vent means oxygen can get to the coals, keeping the temperature high throughout the cookout - when you’re done just leave the lid open to encourage the grill to cool down.
The thing that sets this BBQ apart? It boasts TRU-Infrared technology to stop flare-ups - no singed eyebrows for you, my friend - which means less fuel used for juicier results.
Buy now £212.99, Amazon
Argos Home 55cm Kettle Charcoal BBQ with Pizza Oven
Want to make your new grill work even harder? Argos Home's design includes a pizza oven so you can add fresh pies to the menu alongside bangers and burgers. Running on charcoal for fuel, there's a 44 x 44cm grate to grill on and over which the pizza oven insert rests.
You'll also get a pizza stone and paddle to assist in your new garden pizzeria. For the functions and accessories at this on-sale price (it's usually £75), Argos offers one of the best value options around.
Buy now £50.00, Argos
VEVOR 21 inch Portable Charcoal Grill
Offering a complete departure from the tripod stand style, this kettle BBQ sits in a mini outdoor kitchen with a small worktop for prep and hooks and shelves for extra ingredients to take your feast to the next level. Sporting a top-tier for keeping cooked bits and pieces warm, the main grill area can hold up to 13 regular-sized burger patties, making this BBQ a great option for large families and keen hosts.
The heat can be controlled via air vents and there is an ash catcher to get rid of debris in one quick manoeuvre. It’s a wheeled design too, which makes it easy to roll to the desired location.
Buy now £279.45, Amazon
Garden Vida Memphis Kettle BBQ Grill Freestanding Barbecue
This freestanding grill offers a 43.5cm radius of cooking space, cooking a decent amount of grub to feed up to four people. The red and black design comes with an integrated shelf underneath to store extra charcoal fuel or keep ingredients handy. The compact grill also sits on a pair of wheels making it easy to move around.
Buy now £39.00, Amazon
Argos Home Kettle Charcoal BBQ
Proving why kettle BBQs are so popular is this Argos Home design, which comes in at a very pleasing price. For your money, you’ll get a steel machine that can cook meat, fish and vegetables to perfection on 56 x 56cm of cooking space. The 12kg BBQ has a top tray to keep cooked morsels warm until you’re ready for seconds. It comes with a one-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Buy now £52.00, Argos
Norfolk Grills Corus Charcoal Wheeled Grill
This stylish BBQ is elevated thanks to the enamel used in its construction, giving the shell a more polished finish than steel alone can achieve. The lid comes with a handle for easy lifting and a thermometer to understand internal conditions without disturbing the cooking process inside. There’s an ash catcher for the spent charcoal and a lower chef to keep condiments and cooking essentials.
Buy now £199.00, Dunelm
CHARLES BENTLEY Premium Charcoal Kettle BBQ With Ash Box
This iconic design from Charles Bentley comes with a built-in thermometer, a robust set of wheels and Bakelite handles to lift the lid safely. There’s 54cm of cooking space to utilise and it’s a lightweight thing weighing 15kg making it an option for bundling into the car boot for camping trips too. Self-assembly is required.
Buy now £84.99, Amazon
George Foreman Portable Kettle Charcoal BBQ - Black
Best for: a classic that won’t break the bank
A classic kettle-style BBQ with an extra tray to keep fuel and wheels to move it around from one sunny spot to another, this is George Foreman’s portable charcoal BBQ. Rumbling tummies will soon be satisfied with 45cm of grilling space to cook on, which is enough to sear five portions.
It’s moderately heavy at 7kg empty but easy enough to navigate from the shed to the patio or elsewhere in the garden thanks to the two robust wheels fitted onto the bottom. It can also be dismantled for camping trips, making being outdoors a much tastier experience.
Buy now £104.00, Currys
