There are lots of factors to consider when it comes to purchasing a new BBQ. First of all there are your own personal preferences, although, if you’re not certain what you are after in a BBQ hopefully this guide will be able to help you narrow down your options.

Capabilities/Features

Barbecuing (cooking over a low flame for a longer time) and smoking (cooking low and slow, combined with using the smoke produced by the barbecue to cook the food) are the best options for cooking meat, fish, and poultry specifically, whereas grilling (cooking over a fire, hot and fast) can include vegetables, fruits and other foods you might not have considered.

With most grills the opportunity to utilise extra features can be endless, rotisseries, griddles, smart thermometers, woks & steamers, roasters, pizza stones, smoking capabilities, and numerous upgrades and expansions give you the chance to level up your outdoor cooking game again and again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weber BBQ Tools  | Roasting | Vegetable and Fish Baskets | Griddles | Racks | Smoker Box

Fuel

There are tons of different BBQs out there that all claim to have the best specifications, but before you decide on any extra added features let’s start at the beginning with what type of fuel you will be using. For something more traditional Charcoal or Wood fuel is a good option, whereas for a less messy, more modern option there is a wide variety of Gas BBQs on the market. Many experts will argue that Charcoal or Wood is the clear winner as it infuses whatever you’re cooking with an intense smokey flavour, other options for this result would be a smoker, although with a dedicated smoker you may be limited to just that, however with either Gas or Charcoal BBQ you are able to utilise multiple functions.

Click here to see our video on how to light a charcoal BBQ

Weber Lumpwood Charcoal | Wood Chips for Smoking | Wood Chunks for Smoking

 

Budget

Charcoal BBQs are typically more affordable than gas grills, both in terms of initial cost and fuel. But don’t forget to take into account how much and how frequently you’re planning on using your new grill. However the price of a Gas BBQ is definitely reflected in the fact there is currently more possibility to develop them, they have more high tech specifications, but that’s not to say that all the bells and whistles equals a better grill.

When it comes to pricing however, there is options for both at every price point.

This is a comparison of a Gas and a Charcoal Grill £300-£500:

	Weber Spirit E-220S Gas BBQ	Weber Master-Touch Premium E-5770 Charcoal Kettle
Price	£509.00	£340.90
Temperature range/control	Electronic Ignition, 2 stainless steel burners, temperature dials.	Manual Ignition, 2 Charcoal rails, Vents.
Cleaning		Stainless-steel One-Touch cleaning system.
Fuel type	Liquid Petroleum Gas.	Charcoal.
Additional features	Tool Hooks. Folding side tables. Warming rack. Porcelain-Enamelled lid & Porcelain-Enamelled steel cooking grates. Integrated thermometer.	Tool Hooks. Bottom damper smoke setting, for smoking. Porcelain-Enamelled lid & bowl. WEBER CRAFTED stainless steel cooking grate.
Potential Add-Ons	WEBER CRAFTED stainless-steel cooking grate Frame kit. WEBER CRAFTED grillware, Pizza stone, griddle, wok and steamer. Cleaning Kit.	WEBER CRAFTED grillware, Pizza stone, griddle, wok and steamer. Cleaning kit.

 

And another comparison at £1,000 – £1,400.00:

	Weber Genesis EPX435 Smart Gas BBQ	Weber Summit Kamado E6 Charcoal Grill
Price	£1,339.00	£1,019.00
Temperature range/control	Electronic Ignition, temperature dials.	Manual Ignition, Vents.
Cleaning		Stainless-steel One-Touch cleaning system.
Fuel type	Liquid Petroleum Gas.	Charcoal.
Additional features	Tool Hooks. WEBER CRAFTED frame; expand your menu with custom grillware. Know when to flip and serve with WEBER CONNECT smart technology. Sear multiple steaks at once on the extra-large Sear Zone. Expandable top cooking grate creates a second level of barbecuing. Extra-large prep & serve table. Gourmet BBQ System ready, cookware sold separately.	Tool Hooks. Dual-walled insulation for precise, quick temperature changes. Steel construction and porcelain-enamelled finish for durability. Rapidfire lid damper boosts air flow to quickly reach high heat. One-Touch cleaning system for hassle-free clean up. Adjustable fuel grate for smoking or high-heat searing. Gourmet BBQ System ready, cookware sold separately.
Potential Add-Ons	Gourmet BBQ system cookware. Cleaning Kit.	Gourmet BBQ system cookware. Cleaning Kit.

 

The last comparison is our top end at £2,100 – £3,800.00

	Weber Summit E Gas BBQ	Weber Summit Kamado S6 Charcoal Grill Centre
Price	£3,779.00	£2,139.49
Temperature range/control	Electronic Ignition, temperature dials.	Gas Ignition, Vents.
Cleaning		Stainless-steel One-Touch cleaning system.
Fuel type	Liquid Petroleum Gas.	Charcoal with gas ignition.
Additional features	Tool Hooks. Top-down infrared broiler caramelizes steaks edge-to-edge. Heavy-duty, integrated rotisserie fits multiple chickens. WEBER CRAFTED cooking grates and frame kit expand cooking techniques. Large, stainless-steel smoker box adds wood-smoked flavour. Side burner provides extra cooking space for sauces and sides. Illuminated control knobs.	Tool Hooks. Dual-walled insulation for precise, quick temperature changes. Steel construction and porcelain-enamelled finish for durability. Snap-Jet gas ignition system ignites charcoal within 15 min. Rapidfire lid damper boosts air flow to quickly reach high heat. One-Touch cleaning system for hassle-free clean up. Adjustable fuel grate for smoking or high-heat searing. Gourmet BBQ System ready, cookware sold separately.
Potential Add-Ons	Gourmet BBQ system cookware. Cleaning Kit.	Gourmet BBQ system cookware. Cleaning Kit.

Gourmet BBQ System Cookware 

Temperature Range & Control/ Ignition

Depending on what type of cook you are trying to achieve, controlling the temperature of your BBQ is incredibly important, many BBQs have thermometers integrated into the lid which is ideal especially if you are particular about searing/smoking. Although you can buy thermometers to put inside the BBQ, and many brands are coming out with smart technology surrounding temperature control.

Charcoal enables you to cook at either extremely high temperatures or low, although temperature control can be more challenging, requiring experience and skill, to get the right balance between repositioning the coals and adjusting the vents. For a charcoal BBQ it will take roughly 15-20 minutes to reach the proper cooking temperature (not including the time it takes to light the charcoal). Whereas, Gas instantly lights up and takes about 10 minutes to reach cooking temperature, and dials offers precise temperature control, both quickly and with ease.

 

Cleaning

As Charcoal generates more ash it requires more clean-up after use, so Gas is generally easier to clean, as there are no ashes to deal with after grilling.

Although if you’re regularly cleaning either BBQ by burning off debris after use and scrub off any carbon build up with a wire brush, then neither should be an arduous task to clean.

Other than general cleaning it’s just a case of disposing of Charcoal ashes after every use, or for Gas cleaning heat deflectors after every 3-4 uses. Always ensure to empty grease traps regularly to avoid any fire risk. And a deep clean once or twice a year to keep on top of cleanliness dependant on use.

Weber Cleaning Accessories | Weber BBQ Accessories