While other brands have already been successful in this arena, Weber has finally launched both a wood pellet grill and a smart grill, with their much-anticipated SmokeFire.

The Weber SmokeFire is a wood pellet grill designed to give your grilled foods an authentic, wood-fired taste. This grill sears, smokes, and everything in between, backed by Weber quality and engineering. Let’s take a closer look at the Weber SmokeFire pellet grill.

Weber SmokeFire Overview

The Weber SmokeFire is designed to be a single grill that can both sear and smoke, allowing you to cook low-and-slow or get a fast hot sear, with natural wood fire flavor. With temperatures up to 600°, you can cook any meat to perfection.

The innovative auger drive system inside the SmokeFire feeds pellets directly over the heating element for fast pre-heating, with a short auger path and responsive engine that prevents jams. The SmokeFire has two large grilling grates, giving you plenty of room for all your favorite foods.

Flavorizer bars deliver high heat directly to the cooking grate without diffusion or hot spots, while reducing flareups and directing ash and grease into an easy-to-remove, and easy-to-clean drawer. The porcelain-enameled finish is exceptionally durable, and it’s also backed by the Weber warranty, so you know it will last.

The Weber SmokeFire is compatible with the Weber Connect app, which allows you to remotely monitor the temperature of your grill from your phone, and notifies you when it’s time to flip foods, and when foods are ready to serve. The app works with the SmokeFire to give you perfect results every time you grill.

Weber SmokeFire Key Features

Sears and Smokes:The SmokeFire has a wide, 180-600F temperature range that lets you achieve the perfect results on everything from brisket to steak. This temperature range lets you both smoke and sear with one grill.

Flavorizer Bars: What would a Weber grill be without the patented Flavorizer bars? These bars help the cooking grate reach high, searing temperatures, without collecting ash and grease, so you don’t have flare-ups.

Smoke Boost: Selecting Smoke Boost adds an extra smoky flavor to your food, by smoldering your pellets at 165-200°.

Weber Connect: With Weber’s mobile grilling assistant, you get notifications when it’s time to flip and time to serve.

Porcelain-Enameled Finish: The high quality finish on the SmokeFire resists rust, cracking, and peeling, for exceptional durability and great looks over time.

Internal Cleaning: The SmokeFire has an internal cleaning system that directs ash and grease into a single, easy-to-clean drawer.

Pellet Hopper Sensor: The grill gives an alert if the pellets are low, which is a nice feature to have.

Weber SmokeFire Models

The Weber SmokeFire comes in the EX4 and the EX6. Here is a comparison of both models:

Feature	SmokeFire EX4	SmokeFire EX6
Dimensions (lid closed)	47”H x 43”W x 33”D	47”H x 55”W x 33”D
Total grilling space (square inches)	672	1008
Top grate dimensions	10 x 24 inches	10 x 36 inches
Bottom grate dimensions	18 x 24 inches	18 x 36 inches
Side tables	1	1
Swivel casters	2	2
Swivel locking casters	2	2
Tool hooks	2	2
Meat probes (included + capacity)	1 + 4	1 + 4
Plated steel cooking grates	Y	Y
Stainless steel Flavorizer bars	Y	Y
Easy-Clean ash & grease drawer	Y	Y
Heavy duty steel cart frame	Y	Y
200-600° temperature range	Y	Y
Weber Connect compatible	Y	Y
Wood pellet hopper size	22 pounds	22 pounds
Porcelain-enameled lid and cook box	Y	Y
Porcelain-enameled heat distribution plate	Y	Y

The only difference between the two models is the size (and the price).

Weber Connect App

With the Weber Connect app, you can:

• Use Bluetooth to remotely monitor your SmokeFire foods
• Estimate time until your foods are finished
• Get step-by-step instructions and video demos on how to prepare foods
• Get notifications for when to flip foods or when they are ready to serve

Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have a number of features that users want, and that are offered by competitor smart grills. The Weber Connect app does not allow you to:

• Remotely adjust the temperature of your grill
• Monitor the grill with more than one device
• Show a temperature graph to indicate whether the heat is rising or remaining steady
• Temperatures and recipe measurements are in Fahrenheit and US measurements only
• Recipe and food library is fairly limited, which means that notifications and instructions may not apply to your specific recipe or cut of meat
• Time estimates on the app can be extremely inaccurate

While no smart grilling app will allow you to remotely start a grill (for safety reasons), other apps allow you to adjust the target temperature, have more options, and are more accurate. Weber is taking the negative feedback seriously and is committed to improving the app and making it more useful.

Weber SmokeFire Bottom Line

By itself, the Weber SmokeFire is an incredible grill if you want true wood smoke flavor. It creates beautiful flavor, gorgeous smoke rings, and sears and smokes quickly and consistently. This grill gives wonderful, light smoke and imparts fantastic flavor. That’s the good news.

The SmokeFire also has a number of problems, and they are the kind of unforced errors that are difficult to accept in a grill in this price range, from a brand with this reputation. At launch, the Weber SmokeFire had a pellet “bridging” problem, where the pellets would stop feeding, showing the hopper as empty when it isn’t. This is currently being addressed by a small hopper accessory, but it’s an inconvenience.

The SmokeFire isn’t as easy to clean as Weber claims, or as some other pellet grills; ash and smoke and grease mingle inside the grill, and make it tough to clean. The temperature display on the grill itself can be inaccurate, forcing users to manually calibrate the grill, and the Weber Connect app is a disaster.

The SmokeFire has all the makings of a fantastic grill, and the ability to smoke and sear on the same machine is a game-changer. It also feels like it was rushed to market, lagging behind competitor pellet grills, and not quite delivering on the product. Weber is hard at work addressing these issues, so we hope to see a more polished SmokeFire on the market soon.

 

Pellet grills are taking the grilling world by storm, because they are a fantastic way to grill, smoke, and sear, with excellent consistency and control. Pellet grills were invented by Joe Traeger in the 1980s, but to understand how they work, it’s best to take a step back and understand the underlying technologies. Let’s explore how pellet grills work.

Wood Pellets

In the early 20th century, most American homes used wood fire stoves for heating and cooking. During the Great Depression, when fuel became more expensive, many of these homes started burning scrap wood and sawdust.

In 1930, the first Presto-log was introduced, where scrap wood and sawdust were compressed into a log shape and packaged for fuel in the home.

These “logs” burned more efficiently than hard wood logs, because they have less moisture content, and produce less ash. In the home, these logs were safer because they do not generate dangerous creosote in the chimney.

Over time, these compressed wood products became reduced in size, down to the pellet shape we know today. Instead of being burned one at a time like a fire log, pellets could be fed into a fire from a hopper, maintaining a fire more consistently for longer.

Pellets are bound together by the natural lignin in the wood, and shaped by intense pressure, rather than by being bound using an adhesive or additive, making them an environmentally-friendly product.

The Rise of Pellet Stoves

During the energy crisis of 1970s, domestic pellet stoves became a popular way to heat American homes. The industrial hopper technology was made more compact, suitable for domestic use.

Pellet stoves work by storing a large quantity of wood pellets in a hopper near the stove. A motorized auger connects the hopper to the fire, delivering a steady stream of pellets to the fire.

The auger feeds a set amount of fuel to the fire, while also preventing smoke and fire from traveling backwards into the fuel hopper.

Pellet stoves typically have two fans: a combustion fan that keeps the fire supplied with oxygen, and a convection fan that circulates heat within the stove. This air circulation eliminates the need for a downdraft from a chimney, instead relying on exhaust systems for ventilation.

These stoves are, therefore, extremely well-insulated, retaining heat for longer, and can be used in small homes without a chimney, or where traditional wood stoves might be dangerous.

How Do Pellet Grills Work?

Once you understand how pellet stoves work, it’s easy to understand how pellet grills work.

• A hopper is filled with wood pellets. When the temperature is set and the stove is ignited, the auger begins to turn, delivering wood pellets to the fuel area of the grill
• The pellets are ignited
• A fan circulates the air inside the grill, providing a consistent temperature
• The insulation of the grill maintains temperature regardless of outside weather conditions

The amount of fuel delivered over time is controlled by the thermostat, which will deliver a measured amount of pellets to maintain that temperature. Food is cooked with radiant heat, like an oven, rather than by direct heat, like a grill.

Pellet grills require electricity to operate the auger motor and the fans, feeding fuel and oxygen respectively to the grill as needed to maintain the set temperature.

Difference Between Pellet Stoves and Pellet Grills

The primary difference between pellet stoves and pellet grills is the nature of the pellets. Wood pellets used for home heating may contain hardwood, softwood, and scrap biomass that burns well and affordably for heating, but the smoke can lend an unpleasant taste to foods.

Wood pellets used for grilling are food-grade, burning more cleanly and without other biomass additives.

In addition, food-grade wood pellets can be chosen specifically for their smoke flavor, available in hard woods like mesquite, maple, apple, hickory, pecan, cherry, and other popular grilling flavors. It’s important that a pellet grill use high-quality, food-grade pellets, and not pellets designed for other purposes.

Common Features of Pellet Grills

While every pellet grill has slightly different features, here are some of the most common:

Low Hopper Alarm

The grill will give an alarm or notification when fuel is running low, so you can add pellets or adjust the temperature accordingly.

Standard Fuel Consumption

For most pellet grills, the rule of thumb is that you will need 2 pounds of wood pellets per hour of low and slow cooking, and 4 pounds of wood pellet per hour of cooking hot, at temps above 400°F.

Versatility

Pellet grills offer the convenience, consistency, and control of a gas grill, with the flavor and smoke of a charcoal grill. They are more versatile than a smoker, and easier to clean up than a wood fire. They have a temperature range that is perfect for low-and-slow briskets, or hot enough to sear a steak, typically ranging from 140°F to 500°F.

Advantages of a Pellet Grill

As you may have noticed by now, pellet grills offer several distinct advantages over other kinds of outdoor grills. The reasons everyone loves pellet grills include:

Precise and Consistent Temperature Controls

Pellet grills use fuel and air to create a perfectly consistent temperature inside the grill, and maintain it for hours, just like the oven in your kitchen. This allows you to “set it and forget it” for foods that require long smoke times at low temperatures or boost the temperature for a precise and perfect sear.

Low Ash for Easy Cleanup

Wood pellets cook down to less than 1% ash, so cleanup is fast and easy, and there are fewer problems from ash buildup over long cooking times.

Real Hard Wood Smoke and Flavor

The convection fan inside a pellet grill creates an even circulation of hot, smoky air, so you don’t need to position vents for optimal smoke flavor. The ability to choose a wide range of wood pellets made from real hard wood without additives imparts a ton of smoke and flavor to food, naturally and without additives or chemicals.

Simple Operation

With many traditional hard wood smokers, it’s necessary to manually monitor and adjust the air to fuel ratio, adding wood chunks and shaping the fire the way you need it. A pellet grill automates the optimal fuel to air ratio, so you don’t need to maintain the fire.

No Flareups

Provided the pellet grill provides a drip pan to catch grease, these grills have virtually no risk of flareups.

Drawbacks of a Pellet Grill

Despite all these great features, pellet grills aren’t perfect. Here are a few drawbacks.

Need Extra Care in Wet Conditions and Wet Climates

Because the pellets are, after all, made of wood, they will not burn well when wet. Wood pellets in storage and in the hopper need to be kept dry.

Requires Electricity

Depending on your use, this can be a pretty severe drawback. The need for a constant electrical connection makes these grills less friendly for portable uses like camping or tailgating. Most standard-sized pellet grills need to be powered by a generator, or a car or boat battery, so they can’t simply be powered by a car adapter.

May Require More Significant Repairs or Maintenance

If you are comparing a pellet grill to a standard charcoal grill, that can be another big downside: If something breaks or needs repairs in a pellet grill, like an electric wire, a motor, or the drive train, then the entire grill is non-functional.

Likewise, with a digital grill, if there is a technical glitch or error, the grill won’t work. With charcoal and even many gas grills, if a particular part breaks down or needs repair, you may still be able to use the grill, even in a more limited fashion.

Less of the Pit Master Experience

This aspect won’t matter to many people, but to some, it is important. Cooking on a pellet grill is more like cooking on an oven, where you set the temperature and the timer and then walk away. You do not need to open the grill to flip or move food. There are virtually no flare-ups.

There are virtually no grill marks. There’s practically no reason to put on an apron, break out the tongs and spatula, and stand around the grill with a beer. For some people, what is summer even about if you aren’t standing around a grill with a beer?

What to Look for in a Pellet Grill

If you are considering buying a pellet grill, here are some of the key features to look for to make sure you are getting good value for your money.

Hopper Design

Most hoppers are gravity-fed, where pellets naturally slide down as fuel is fed into the fire.

Some hoppers are prone to “pellet bridging,” where pellets get clustered against each other and don’t fall down the hopper, making the grill think it’s low on fuel when the hopper is full. This is a design flaw in the hopper, and manually minding the hopper will always make using such a grill more cumbersome than it needs to be.

If you plan to get a lot of use out of your pellet grill, choose a high capacity hopper for fewer refills.

Drivetrain

In a pellet grill, the drivetrain moves the auger. While such motors don’t need to be particularly powerful, since they are only pushing pellets, it’s important that they be accurate and reliable, ideally for years.

The drivetrain ensures that the right amount of fuel is delivered at the right time to maintain the desired temperature and needs to be the most reliable system in your pellet grill.

Smart Grilling Features

Because pellet grills are ideal for set-it-and-forget-it grilling, they are the best candidates for integration with mobile devices. Smart pellet grills will allow you to remotely monitor and adjust the temperature of the grill, receive notifications about fuel levels, set timers, and more. These apps are perfect for low-and-slow grilling and smoking, allowing you to monitor the grill for hours from anywhere you happen to be.

The most common pellet grill problems are feeding jams, where pellets get clogged in the auger, or fans and sensors not working properly. In most cases, those problems are not issues with the grill; they are just a question of maintenance. High-quality pellets, when kept dry, are much less prone to clogging and jamming.

Cleaning ash and grease from inside the grill keeps the fans, fan motors, sensors, and exhaust systems working correctly. As with any type of grill, peak performance requires regular cleaning and maintenance.

Pellet grills are incredibly versatile, able to cook and smoke all kinds of foods to perfection, with more simplicity and accuracy than other types of grills. They are easy to use, easy to clean, and give natural, smoky hardwood flavor to everything you grill. There’s a reason that these grills have become so popular in recent years, and why so many people swear by them.

Now you know how pellet grills work, what their common features and drawbacks are, and what to look for in a pellet grill, you’ll be able to choose the pellet grill that is perfect for your needs, and enjoy a pellet grill for years to come.

PK Grills are great grills with a great story. First launched in the 1950s, PK Grills were manufactured in Texas for decades before the company, facing competition from cookers made with less expensive materials, was shut down.

In the early 2010s, Paul James, inspired by an original PK found at a garage sale, acquired the copyright and started producing the PK cooker all over again, connecting the versatile little grill with a whole new generation of fans.  The new PK Grill company is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Weber grills have a similar storied past, launching their original Kettle grill in the 1950s from their headquarters in Illinois. In the 1980s, when consumers turned toward gas grills, Weber was there, constantly innovating to meet the needs of the time.

Today, Weber makes gas grills, wood pellet grills, and of course charcoal grills with the original kettle design.

Both gills are iconic, with generations of devoted fans. But which one is better?

About the PK Grill

The PK Grill is a grill and smoker in one. The design allows for easy direct or indirect cooking, with simple and effective temperature control. The hand-poured cast aluminum and vented air flow conducts and retains heat very efficiently, creating even cooking without the need to open the lid and re-position food.

The lid and vent system also make flare-ups impossible, by reducing the amount of oxygen inside the cooker. Aluminum is naturally rustproof and lightweight, which allows a PK cooker to last for decades, while making it great for backyards, camping, tailgating, and other outdoor adventures.

PK Grill Standout Features

There’s a lot to love about the PK, but here are the particular standout features.

Versatile: The tight-fitting lid and multiple vents allow you to easily control temperature and air flow, making it operate like both a grill and an oven

Perfect Cooking: Heat retention, low oxygen, and the ability to add fuel without moving the grill mean that you can achieve perfect results every time, without needing to move food around for even cooking.

Durable: Many of the original PKs sold in the 1950s still work perfectly today. The cast aluminum body is rustproof and virtually indestructible.

Portable: The PK lives up to its portable name by being compact, lightweight, and easy to take anywhere. It’s a great option for campers and RVs, tailgates and barbecues, or anywhere you want perfectly grilled food.

About Weber Kettle Grills

Weber still makes the original Kettle grill, with some upgraded conveniences over the years. It has a durable porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, with a plated steel cooking grate.

It has a built-in lid thermometer, and a lid handle with heat shield. It’s also easy to clean, with a removable, high capacity ash catcher, and Weber’s OneTouch cleaning system that collects ash for you.

Weber Original Kettle Grill Standout Features

The classic Weber Kettle grill has some key features worth considering, including:

Durable: The porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, steel grates, glass-reinforced nylon handles, and durable all-weather wheels ensure that the Kettle grill will last for years.

Easy to Use: The built-in lid thermometer lets you know how hot the grill is without any heat loss from opening it, and helps you get great results.

Easy to Clean: The OneTouch cleaning system makes cleaning easy, and ash is collected in the high-capacity ash catcher, making it simple to empty.

Side By Side Comparison

Details and Specifications

	Original PK Grill	Weber Original Kettle Grill 22 inches
Cooking surface area (square inches)	310	363
Dimensions (lid closed)	36.3”H x 19.5”W x 14.5”D	39.5”H x 22.5”W x 27”D
Weight	48.4 pounds	32.3 pounds
Vents and dampers	2 + 2	1 + 1
Cleaning system	No	Yes
Lid thermometer	No	Yes
Rugged wheels	No	Yes
Tool hooks	No	2
Warranty	10 years	10 years

 

 Key Differences

Both of these are great grills, that are exceptionally rugged and durable, and help you make incredibly delicious food. Both grills can provide direct and indirect heat, both can grill and smoke, and both have great warranties. Here are the key factors to consider:

Convenience

The Weber comes with a wheeled stand, tool hooks, a lid thermometer, and a cleaning system. It’s simple and easy to set up right out of the box, and you can be barbecuing in no time. While the PK doesn’t require any significant setup out of the box, you need to create a working and cooking area around it.

Portability

The PK is a simple, streamlined design that can be easily placed in a truck or trunk and taken anywhere. The Weber is a bit more difficult to transport.

Price

The PK is nearly three times the cost of the Weber, and even more than that if you want to get a stand or cart to support it and add convenience. The PK has a lot of available accessories, and they add up quickly.

Bottom Line

The PK is a great grill, but unless you specifically need a portable cooker for a mobile home or tailgating, it doesn’t have enough advantages to justify the purchase price. The Weber cooks just as well, with more convenience and the same warranty, at a fraction of the price.

The team at America’s test Kitchen did a full side by side testing and came to the same conclusion.  Stick with the Weber kettle.

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If you have a Weber charcoal grill, there are a few additional items you need to make the most of it. Here are the best, most useful, Weber charcoal grill accessories.

Weber Charcoal Grill Care and Maintenance Accessories

Taking care of your grill is the most important factor in guaranteeing years of enjoyment. Here are the must-have care and maintenance accessories.

A Grill Cover

While Weber grills are designed to be durable, and guaranteed not to rust through for 10 years, a grill cover is a must-have. Keeping the grill covered not only protects it from the elements and prolongs its lifespan, but it also keeps it cleaner and looking sharp.

Weber sells standard and premium grill covers for each of their models, and these grill covers fit well, protect from the elements, and fasten in place to keep them from blowing away. Premium grill covers offer additional durability and water-resistance, and are recommended for harsh climates.

Please note that grills that come with an attached cart like the Weber Performer will require a different size cover than a grill without a cart like the Weber Master Touch.

Cleaning Kit

While you can always clean your grill with standard brushes, sponges, scrapers, and the appropriate cleaning agents, it may be faster and simpler for a new grill owner to simply use a Weber cleaning and maintenance kit.

Weber has maintenance kits for their porcelain-enamel, stainless steel, and Q model grills. These kits include cleaning agents that are appropriate for every surface on your grill, along with scrubbing pads, scrubbing brushes, and scrapers, so you can keep your grill looking like new.

Weber Charcoal Grill Cooking Essentials

No matter what you are grilling, there are a few things you need to make it faster, easier, and more delicious. Here are some charcoal cooking essentials.

Rapidfire Chimney Starter

A chimney starter is essential for fast, flavorful charcoal grilling. The Rapidfire chimney starter lights quickly and evenly, with no need for lighter fluid. The dual-handled design and heat shield allow you to use it comfortably, and it has the quality and durability you expect from Weber. The Rapidfire chimney starter comes in standard and compact sizes.

Meat Thermometer

There is simply no grilling without a meat thermometer. For beginners, a thermometer lets you know when meat is cooked properly. For advanced pit masters, it lets you know when food is consistently cooked to perfection, allows accurate resting times, and lets you plan complex meals ahead of time. No cook, professional or amateur, is without an excellent meat thermometer.

Weber sells a standard instant read meat thermometer, and the new Snapcheck thermometer that provides accurate temperatures in three seconds or less, with a display that rotates to be read at any angle.

Tools

In order to grill properly, everyone needs at least a spatula and a pair of tongs. It’s also a good idea to have bamboo skewers, a basting brush, and some great kitchen knives. Of course, Weber makes all your essential grilling tools, with excellent quality and convenience.

Clothes

You absolutely need heat resistant gloves or something to protect your hands. Experts recommend that nobody grill without an apron; it protects your body, keeps your clothes clean, and has pockets for your essentials. There is a huge range of barbecue aprons for every style and need.

Weber Charcoal Grill Cooking Accessories

Cooking accessories make your Weber charcoal grill even more versatile, expanding the types of food you can cook to perfection. Here are some of our favorites.

Grilling Rack

A grilling rack is simply an additional grate accessory that sits above your existing grill grate. These racks are incredibly useful. They can maximize grill space, allowing you to cook or smoke more foods at once.

They can be used to toast buns, roast potatoes, grill vegetables, or keep foods warm. Adding additional space to your grill is a no-brainer, and Weber sells grilling rack accessories that are sized for all of their grills, so you can always find the perfect fit.

Rotisserie

Weber makes a rotisserie accessory specifically designed for their 22” charcoal grills. The rotisserie allows you to slow-roast meats, with a rotation that cooks and crisps them evenly on all sides while they baste themselves as they cook. A rotisserie is a fantastic way to cook roasts, ribs, and chicken.

There are third party manufacturers that also make rotisseries for Weber kettles.  These rotisseries are just as good as Weber’s and typically cost much less.

Deluxe Poultry Roaster

Speaking of chicken, Weber’s Deluxe Poultry Roaster allows you to infuse roasted chicken with the steam and moisture from your favorite beer, juice, or wine. Add your favorite liquid, cap it to lock in the steam and capture the juices, and roast moist yet crispy chicken to perfection. This roaster has a non-stick ceramic surface that makes cleaning fast and easy.

Grilling Basket

A grilling basket makes it much more convenient to grill perfect, vibrant, delicious vegetables on the grill. They can also cook any smaller items you want to grill, including pieces of meat, garlic, lemons, and more. Weber makes a wide range of high quality grilling baskets designed to fit any of their charcoal grill models.

Rib Rack

Ribs are the quintessential food for a charcoal grill, and a rib rack is incredibly useful if you are feeding a crowd. Standing the ribs upright allows you to maximize space on the grill, allowing you to prepare multiple racks of ribs at the same time, while allowing smoke to circulate around the ribs and impart flavor. Weber has a wide range of rib racks, designed for any size grill. Many rib racks are multipurpose, with a shape that can also cradle a roast.

Grilling Stone

A grilling stone is an amazing way to transform a charcoal grill into a brick oven, allowing you to cook pizza, desserts, and even breads on a charcoal grill. The stone and grill impart a delicious, smoky flavor, with a crisp crust and delicate crumb, to all kinds of baked goods, making them much better than when cooked in the oven.

Everyone loves pizza, and a grilling stone allows everyone to personalize their own toppings and have their perfect pizza in just a couple of minutes, making grilled pizza faster than delivery, and faster even than frozen. Weber sells a glazed stoneware grilling stone with integrated handles, making the stone easy to lift and use.

Grilling Pan

Okay, so you probably don’t need to sauté on the grill, but it’s definitely worth a try. Having a grill pan allows you to pan-sear delicate fish and seafood, vegetables, and other dishes on the grill, imparting an amazing smoky flavor and allowing you to build sauces and side dishes while you grill.

The Weber Deluxe Grilling Pan Set is a versatile design that can double as a lidded pot, or separately as a sauté pan and grilling basket. It’s also non-stick and dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

Rimmed Baking Sheet

Weber doesn’t sell rimmed baking sheets, but they should, because they are a grilling essential. Sturdy, high-quality rimmed baking sheets are simply the best way to get food from the kitchen to the grill, and back again if necessary.

Rimmed baking sheets give you room to rub, baste, turn, coat, and mix food for grilling, and they are convenient, affordable, and dishwasher safe. There’s a reason that professional pit masters keep dozens of these handy accessories on hand.

Charcoal Grilling Accessories You Can Skip

Believe it or not, there are some grilling accessories that simply aren’t worth it. Here are some accessories you don’t need.

Potato Nails

A few years ago, Cooks Illustrated Magazine did some testing, and found that, while aluminum potato nails did make potatoes cook faster, it was only a few minutes difference, and the nailed potatoes weren’t any better. They aren’t worth the investment.

Specialized Grilling Racks and Baskets

There is no need to get specialized grilling racks specifically for corn, or s’mores, or meatballs, or hot dogs, or any of the other foods. They don’t prepare foods any better than standard racks and baskets, and one-purpose devices take up unnecessary space and are seldom used.

Burger Presses

Some chefs insist you must, some chefs insist that you must not. Try one out and form your own opinion.

Himalayan Salt Planks

Although they are extremely trendy, and some people feel that they impart incredible flavor and texture to grilled foods, they are also high-maintenance and may not be worth it.

Conclusion

The right accessories keep you safe, keep your grill clean and in working order, allow you to handle all your food, and let you prepare almost any food you care to on your grill.

Over time, good accessories pay for themselves in ease of use, time saved, and durability. Weber sells almost all the grilling essentials you need, designed specifically to fit your Weber charcoal grill, and backed by Weber’s legendary design and engineering. They are well worth the investment.

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