Charcoal is the flavour argument gas never quite wins, and sixty years of Australian backyards have already picked the winner: the kettle. Charcoal BBQs are bought at barbecue specialists and hardware stores where lids get lifted, and the technique matters more than the model.

The charcoal shortlist

  • Weber Original Kettle 57cm — the reference charcoal BBQ: the dome that roasts, smokes and grills, with every part replaceable and a second-hand value nothing else in charcoal holds. At Weber specialists and barbecue stores.
  • Weber Compact Kettle 47cm — the balcony-and-couple version of the same idea at a friendlier price.
  • Kamado Joe and Char-Griller ceramics — thick-walled heat banks for 12-hour smoking, at four-figure and mid-hundreds prices respectively.
  • The offset smoker class — firebox-on-the-side units for the full American-barbecue hobby, best bought heavy or not at all.

How to choose and run charcoal

The kettle shape earns its dominance. A domed lid and two vents turn one cheap steel sphere into a grill, a roaster and a passable smoker. It's the most versatile hundred-odd dollars in outdoor cooking, which is why the shape hasn't changed in decades.

Two-zone fire is the entire technique. Coals banked to one side create a hot sear lane and a gentle roast lane. Nearly everything that goes wrong on charcoal, burnt outside, raw middle, is a one-zone fire's fault, not the barbecue's.

A chimney starter replaces every firelighter ritual. Newspaper below, briquettes above, ready coals in twenty minutes with no accelerant taste. It's the $30 accessory owners rank above any cover or tool set.

Briquettes for control, lump for flavour. Uniform briquettes hold steady roasting temperatures; natural lump burns hotter, faster and smokier for searing. Serious kettles keep both bags, which is as deep as the fuel debate needs to go.

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FAQs

How long does a kettle take to be ready?

Twenty to twenty-five minutes from lighting the chimney to cooking, which is the planning difference from gas. Charcoal households build it into the beer schedule.

Can you really smoke in a kettle?

Low-and-slow ribs and pork shoulder, yes: bank the coals, add soaked wood chunks, manage the vents. The ceramic class holds temperature longer for overnight cooks, which is what its money buys.