For most people: a kettle
A 57cm charcoal kettle is the correct first grill for the overwhelming majority of people, and it is not close. It sears a steak, roasts a chicken, and with the snake method it smokes a brisket. It is cheap, the accessory market is built around it, and almost all charcoal technique was written for it. Buy this, learn on it, and you may never need anything else.
Buy a kamado if
You already know you love low and slow cooking, you want to smoke and grill at extreme temperatures in one cooker, and you are prepared to spend accordingly. A ceramic kamado holds heat beautifully and sips fuel, but it is heavy, expensive and slow to change temperature. It is a second grill for most people, not a first.
Buy a dedicated smoker if
Barbecue is the point and grilling is incidental. A bullet smoker or a drum will hold 120°C for twelve hours more easily than a kettle and cost less than a kamado, but it will not sear a steak. If you dream of brisket and ribs rather than burgers, start here.
| You mostly cook | Buy first |
|---|---|
| Steaks, burgers, chicken, the odd smoke | 57cm kettle |
| Low and slow barbecue, occasional grilling | Bullet or drum smoker |
| Everything, at every temperature, for years | Ceramic kamado |
| On the move, camping, small spaces | Portable kettle |
The mistake to avoid
Do not buy the biggest or most specialised cooker first. A huge offset smoker is a wonderful thing and a miserable first grill, because it demands skill you have not built yet. Start versatile and forgiving, and specialise once you know what you actually cook.
More from the journal
JournalCharcoal vs Gas: The Honest Answer
Charcoal does taste different, for reasons that have very little to do with the fuel itself.
JournalNine Charcoal Grilling Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
None of these are exotic. All of them are the difference between food that is fine and food that is genuinely good.
JournalBarbecue Myths That Will Not Die
Barbecue advice is passed down more than it is tested, which is how these survive.