Charcoal Grills
Twelve cookers, reviewed and filed by what they are actually for. Nothing here is scored out of ten, because a kamado and a portable are not competing for the same job.
Buying guides
Start here if you do not know what you want.
Best charcoal grills
The flagship ranking. Twelve cookers, what each is actually for.
Buying guideBest kamado grills
Ceramic and insulated cookers, 105°C (225°F) to 400°C (750°F) in one unit.
Buying guideBest charcoal smokers
Bullets, drums and offsets for low and slow barbecue.
Buying guideBest portable grills
Camping, tailgating and balconies.
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By type
Six formats, six different jobs.
Kettle grills
The round-bowl classic. Cheap, versatile, and the format most charcoal cooking technique was written for.
Kamado grills
Thick-walled ceramic or insulated cookers. Enormous heat retention, tiny fuel use, 105°C (225°F) to 400°C (750°F) in one unit.
Bullet smokers
Vertical water smokers. The most forgiving route into genuine low and slow barbecue.
Drum smokers
Steel drums that hang meat over the coals. Big capacity, self-regulating, almost nothing to learn.
Offset smokers
Separate firebox, real wood splits, the best smoke flavour available and the most work to get it.
Portable grills
Travel-sized charcoal cookers for camping, tailgating and balconies.