How to choose a Charcoal Barbecue 6th July 2021 | News & Inspiration, Barbecues | Buying Guides | 4 minutes of reading | By Mike Boumphrey Sometimes it can be confusing when it comes to deciding which charcoal barbecue is for you. We hope the following tips and things to consider will help. What is a charcoal barbecue? Charcoal barbecues are metal outdoor cooking grills with a cooking grate and charcoal grate to hold fuel. You can use either charcoal briquettes or natural lumpwood charcoal on a charcoal barbecue to cook food with an authentic smoky BBQ flavour. Once lit and glowing, charcoal can be used to cook food slowly or quickly and there’s lots of different methods to achieve that perfectly seared steak or slow cooked pulled pork. When can I use a charcoal barbecue? Charcoal barbecues are great for outdoor living and can be used, surprisingly, at any time of year and any time of day. Get together to enjoy a fabulous dinner party outside in the summer or a winter roast dinner. It’s a fun way to get outside into the fresh air and use your outdoor space all year round to make breakfast, lunch or supper. Things to consider… Firstly, when choosing a BBQ think about how many people you are likely to be catering for throughout the year. Charcoal barbecues come in different shapes, styles and sizes, from small portable barbecues like the Weber Go-Anywhere Portable Charcoal Barbecue, to large family-sized barbecues like the 57cm Weber Master-Touch Barbecues. Weber Master-Touch charcoal barbecues are great for entertaining and have plenty of space to cook for family and friends. Whilst, compact charcoal barbecues like the Weber 47cm Compact Kettle Charcoal Barbecue are great for couples or small families. If size matters and you’re looking to impress with the best, then take a look at the Weber Summit Kamado Grill Centre. This stunning large charcoal barbecue does it all and has plenty of cooking space to cater for most garden parties at home. What do you like to cook? Nothing beats barbecued bangers and burgers, but as they say, variety is the spice of life. Sometimes having lots of different tasty bites is the order of the day. Many charcoal barbecues offer the flexibility to cook with different cooking styles and methods, helping you to widen your culinary skills. For example, Weber’s Gourmet BBQ System (GBS) accessories enable you to cook so much more than a steak. Bake a crispy pizza with a GBS Pizza Stone, infuse a stew with delicious smoky flavour in a GBS Dutch Oven or sizzle a stir-fry with the GBS Wok Set – the possibilities are endless and all of these accessories work with Weber GBS charcoal fueled barbecues Roast chicken on a charcoal Weber barbecue Next, think about your outdoor space and where will you use a charcoal barbecue? Will it be used in the garden, on a patio, on decking or on a balcony? Or perhaps you intend to take it away with you on holiday or for a day out? There are lots of different sized charcoal barbecues to choose from. Space is important, but many charcoal barbecues come with wheels to enable you to move them to the best place outside. Try to choose somewhere that will not be in the way and always supervise a charcoal barbecue around children and pets. Keeping a charcoal barbecue in a convenient spot in the garden makes it easier to set up an impromptu feast. But if you’re planning to travel with a charcoal barbecue, there are portable charcoal barbecues for you to choose from. These compact barbecues fold-away nicely and take up very little room – a great solution for small outdoor spaces. Our favourite is the Weber Smokey Joe Barbecue, which is compact, easy to carry and comes in a choice of colours. It has a surprisingly spacious cooking area for a small travel BBQ. By choosing a trusted brand like Weber, you can rely on quality. These charcoal barbecues are built to last and can be left outside all year round, whatever the weather. They are made with tough weather-resistant materials, but of course, we always recommend buying a matching cover to keep your BBQ looking its best. A protective cover will keep your barbecue clean and ready to use, as well as keeping it free from garden grime. We hope this has helped you with choosing a charcoal barbecue and if you have any further questions, please contact our Barbecue experts in-store who will be more than happy to help. Or simply check out our range of Charcoal Barbecues For Sale online. Share this article
