Come summer, the UK reveals itself as a BBQ nation.
Whether feeding a crowd or cooking for one, blue skies and bright sunshine are the cues needed to fire up the grill and get things sizzling.
Juicy sausages, perfectly charred burgers, toasted slices of halloumi, roasted chunks of corn and peppers: summer is when we eat well.
Of course, this fantasy feast all starts with a reliable grill. The good news is that the market is bursting with options, from simple kettle BBQs to Wi-Fi-enabled machines that do almost everything but serve the grub once made.
Weber is not just a leading name in BBQs; it invented the garden appliance, changing outdoor cooking forever.
Back in the early 50s in Chicago, welder George Stephen Senior imagined and made a kettle BBQ from a marine buoy, the forebear of every charcoal grill to follow. He went on to establish Weber-Stephen Products LLC, leading the charge of the 50s ‘barbecue boom’ that took swathes of the world by storm, from the US to Australia, Germany and of course, the UK. Some 70-odd years on, the brand continues to be best associated with BBQ grills, especially kettle designs.
Weber UK stockists:
Innovation continues to ignite its offering. The company offers everything from charcoal and wood pellet-fired grills to electric and gas models. There are compact portable machines and impressive giants for serious pitmasters. Weber has even tapped into the cult Kamado style of BBQ, a Japanese method that ensures juicy and crispy results. And, if you have the space and deep pockets, you can blow thousands on a Weber outdoor kitchen.
The range is sizeable, so we've spotlighted the best ones below to help you find the Weber BBQ for your needs.
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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 £190.00, Argos
Weber Smokey Joe Premium, Black
Best for: beachside cooking
- Cooking space: 37cm diameter
- Fuel type: charcoal
- Weight: 4.5kg
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
Weber Go Anywhere Portable 1 Burner Gas BBQ
Best for: small homes, bougie campers
- Dimensions: H43 x W53 x D31cm
- Weight: 6kg
- No. of burners: 1
Roughing it doesn’t mean you have to eat like an animal. For campers who want to take their outdoor experience to the luxe level, look no further than Weber’s Go Anywhere portable gas-powered BBQ. This nifty little thing from the BBQ boffins is perfect for short weekend trips where you want to guarantee close-your-eyes-delicious meals.
Made up of an easy-clean and compact porcelain bowl and lid, you’ll find little swivel legs underneath to raise it off the forest floor or campground, avoiding scorch marks (and scorch march penalty fees).
With 25 x 41cm of cooking space, there’s just about enough room to fire up a feast for two hungry campers and at 6kg, it’ll be simple for most people to carry to and from the boot. Not everyone is the camping kind, mind you, and for the folks on the other side of the Venn diagram, you’ve reason to invest in this BBQ too.
The compact size - we’re talking dimensions of H43 x W53 x D31cm - makes storage issues disappear. This will easily slide onto a shed shelf or pack down into a cupboard when it’s not grill weather. Small design, big taste and with a 10-year manufacturer’s guarantee: quids in.
Buy now £175.00, Argos
Weber Q1000 Gas Grill Barbeque Table Top BBQ Grill & Char Griller
- Fuel type: propane gas
- Cooking space: 43 x 23cm
- Weight: 12.93kg
More reliable and eco-friendly than a disposable BBQ, Weber's portable BBQ is a tabletop-friendly design that's perfect for small gardens or taking on camping trips.
Crafted from cast aluminium and porcelain enamel, the rust-resistant gas cooker can be used in all weathers, useful in the UK when dark clouds can always make a surprise appearance. The cooking plate heats up quickly and evenly, ensuring your party food can get going quickly.
It uses propane canisters or bottles to fuel the heat, imbuing ingredients with a delicious grilled taste. Cleaning up is easy too thanks to a removable catch pan drip tray.
Sold with a five-year warranty.
Buy now £260.20, Amazon
Weber Summit Kamado S6 Charcoal Grill Centre
Best for: huge cookouts
Weber has recently entered the kamado market with a number of kamado-style grills. At the top end, the Weber Summit Kamado S6 Charcoal Grill Centre is a beast, featuring a grill and a cart which doubles up as a useful workstation.
It’s worth noting, however, that some kamado purists may have an issue with the Weber Summit Kamado. First off, there’s the gas ignition, which makes the somewhat laborious task of lighting coals an absolute breeze. While this makes the whole process easier, some are resistant to giving in to the convenience. It’s a matter of personal preference, but this is by no means a gas grill: it’s a quick-ignite charcoal grill.
The other issue may arise with the grill’s appearance. Looking more like one of Weber’s famous kettle BBQs, the Summit is constructed from porcelain-enamelled steel, without any ceramic. The dual-wall kettle is air insulated however and efficiently holds heat. The grill also has a huge 24-inch diameter, making it perfect for large cookouts.
Other handy features include the ash drawer, which is a nice touch, the fuel grate that can be raised and lowered, the stainless steel diffuser plate that eliminates hot spots, and the cart, which is easy to move around thanks to two large rolling wheels and two locking casters.
Buy now £2329.00, Weber
Weber Genesis E-325 GBS Weber Crafted 3-Burner Gas BBQ
Best for: gadget addicts
- Dimensions: 122.2 x 156.2 x 68.6cm
- Weight: 73.5kg
- No. of burners: 3
Back in the Pleistocene era when monkeys first started walking upright, an ancient human ancestor discovered that cooking meat with fire made it more palatable, and in essence, the first BBQ was born.
Some 1.8 million years later, the BBQ has evolved again, with this fine example at the hands of industry leader Weber. The brand presents its three-burner BBQ, with an extra large sear zone and expandable cooking grate that’s perfect for grilling family feasts or feeding the 500 when your mates descend to watch the footie.
Dual grill levels mean you can prep mains and sides simultaneously or use them to keep veggie bites clear of meat. Shelves on either side give utensils, marinades and a cold beer somewhere to call home as you cook while you can keep other BBQ essentials close to hand in the storage cabinet underneath the grill.
Buy now £1399.00, John Lewis
Weber Genesis E-435
Best for: large cook-offs
- Dimensions: 174 x 123 x 69cm
- Weight: 88.68kg
- No. of burners: 4
The company’s most advanced BBQ in some 15 years, it’s hard to know where to start with this beauty of the barbecue world without waxing lyrical in wonder at just what this can bring to your garden-based bash.
First off, it doesn’t limit your alfresco eats to just BBQ, as it is also capable of letting you bake and stir-fry your food thanks to WEBER CRAFTED Gourmet BBQ System compatibility, so already the rule book has been torn up and tossed on the fire. Aside from the side burner allowing you to sauté, boil water, or warm sauces while you cook, the four burners under the temperature gauge mounted hood come backed by Weber’s largest and hottest Sear Zone to date. The expandable top grate means you can cook enough to satiate the appetites of all around you, regardless of how big your BBQ party has grown.
Fire-up comes courtesy of electronic ignition, locking castors keep everything safely in place, and the extra-large folding prep and serve table is perfect for sorting out the burger buns/baps/cobs/barm cakes (let’s kill that argument right there) and seasoning salad when awaiting the main meaty event.
Okay, it’s expensive - there’s no ignoring that - but for bringing your best BBQ game to the garden, the Weber Genesis E-435 is the word.
Buy now £1849.00, Weber
Weber Genesis II EX-335 Smart BBQ
Best for: app wizardry
- Cooking space: 4254 cm square
- Fuel type: Liquid petroleum gas
- Weight: 84.822kg
Weber has been making covetable barbecues since its original kettle model in 1951. Now a world leader in high-performance grilling, the Weber EX-Genesis marks a new wave for the brand.
The machine works through an app packed with guided programs like steak cooking modes for the perfect level of 'doneness'. A meat probe not only gives you an accurate internal reading but the app will also recommend exactly where to place your cut on the grill. It really couldn’t be easier as the app even sends notifications when it’s time to flip and when your dish has reached its optimal temperature for serving.
The heat temperatures Weber's Genesis can reach deserve a special shoutout, with sear zones and three 11.4kW high heat burners to create the flame-licked feast of your dreams. There's under-grill and side storage and the buttons light up too, making after-dark cookouts a possibility.
Finally, the integrated grease management system helps keep it in tip-top shape through a season of summer hosting.
Buy now £1999.00, Fenwick
Weber accessories and tools
Weber iGrill Pro Meat Probe
Say goodbye to undercooked chicken and suspect sausages. This barbecue grill probe from Weber will help you turn out meat, fish and veg perfectly every time. It goes up to 300 degrees Celsius and can survive an all-day grill fest.
The most promising Amazon review?: “We cooked a huge beef rib and just followed the app’s instructions and graph, the end result a beautiful bit of BBQ!” Sold.
Buy now £22.99, Amazon
Weber Barbecue Gloves
BBQ chief Weber is famed for its range of grills and makes high-quality accessories to go with them. Ideal for a BBQ obsessive who has everything else, these premium gloves offer a firm grip while using barbecue tools so you can cook sausages, burgers and steaks like a pro pit master.
Buy now £34.99, Amazon
Weber BBQ T-Brush, 30cm
True grill masters know that a good wire brush is your first port of call in the battle against caked-on BBQ grease. Weber’s BBQ brush is super strong thanks to the robust triangular design which sports stainless steel wire on one end to attack the worst of food debris clinging onto both charcoal and electric BBQ grates. The ergonomic handle is easy to hold and can be hung on a BBQ hook - if your machine has one - to keep it close to hand.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon
Weber Grill cleaner, 36g Trigger spray bottle
Make your grill grate again (sorry) with this cleaning formula from Weber, the BBQ specialist. Safe to use on all kinds of BBQ machines, it’s free from hazardous ingredients and is biodegradable, adding an extra element of safety for use on cooking devices. The bottle sprays a fine mist from any angle, allowing you to reach awkward spots with ease. Just apply, leave for five minutes for it to work its magic and remove with a wire brush.
Buy now £11.19, John Lewis
Weber's Complete BBQ Book
If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on how to cook all manner of foods on the barbecue throughout the year, then this cookbook is perfect. With over 150 recipes there is a great split between meat, seafood, vegetables and even fruit. There are also plenty of simple marinade, rubs and sauce recipes such as guacamole mayonnaise.
What we love most about this cookbook is the easy step-by-step guides which are accompanied by pictures so even the most novice of BBQers will be able to create tasty recipes such as BBQ Pizza and spareribs.
Buy now £16.13, Amazon
