Charcoal is slower to light than gas and adds a smoky taste, and a lidded charcoal barbecue can smoke a brisket all day as well as grill. The choice is mostly about size and how you cook: a portable for picnics, a 57cm kettle for a family, a water smoker for low and slow, or an insulated kamado for both. On Total Fire Ban days solid-fuel barbecues can't be used in Victoria, NSW or South Australia, which our gas vs charcoal comparison covers.
| BBQ | Type | Grill | Warranty on bowl and lid | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber Original Kettle Premium | 57cm kettle | 2,342 cm² | 10 years | $450–500 |
| Weber Master-Touch Plus | 57cm kettle | 2,342 cm² | 10 years | $600–700 |
| Weber Compact Kettle | 57cm kettle | 2,342 cm² | 10 years | $250–300 |
| Weber Go-Anywhere | Portable | For 2 to 4 people | 10 years | $100–150 |
| Everdure CUBE | Portable | 425 × 347mm unit | 1 year | $200–250 |
| Weber Smokey Mountain 47cm | Water smoker | 481 sq in on two grates | 10 years | $900–1,000 |
| Weber Summit Kamado E6 | Kamado | 2,916 cm² | 10 years | $2,800–3,000 |
Specs and warranties are from Weber's product pages and Bing Lee's listing for the CUBE. Prices checked on 28 September 2026.
1. Best Overall: Weber Original Kettle Premium 57cm
The Original Kettle Premium is Weber's 57cm kettle with the useful extras: a lid thermometer, a hinged grill for adding charcoal mid-cook, two Char-Baskets for indirect cooking, and the One-Touch system that sweeps ash into an enclosed catcher. It has 2,342 cm² of grill, and Weber covers the bowl and lid for ten years against rust-through or burn-through.
Its grill is plated steel, where the Master-Touch Plus has stainless.
What We Like:
- Lid thermometer
- Hinged grill
- 10 years on bowl and lid
What We Don't Like:
- Plated steel grill
2. Best for Smoking on a Kettle: Weber Master-Touch Plus 57cm
The Master-Touch Plus adds a Char-Ring and diffuser plate for low and slow cooking, a hinged stainless grill with a centre insert that swaps for Weber's Gourmet BBQ System pieces, a Tuck-Away lid holder and a mount for Weber's iGrill thermometer. The grill area and warranty match the Original Kettle Premium.
The pizza stone, sear grate and other inserts are sold separately.
What We Like:
- Char-Ring for smoking
- Stainless hinged grill
- Tuck-Away lid holder
What We Don't Like:
- Inserts sold separately
3. Best Budget Kettle: Weber Compact Kettle 57cm
The Compact Kettle has the same 57cm bowl and 2,342 cm² grill as the Premium models, with two dampers, two Char-Baskets and an ash catcher, for about $200 less than the Original Kettle Premium. It has the same ten years on the bowl and lid.
Weber lists no lid thermometer on it, and its grill isn't listed as hinged.
What We Like:
- Full 57cm grill
- Lowest-priced 57cm Weber
- 10 years on bowl and lid
What We Don't Like:
- No lid thermometer
4. Best Portable: Weber Go-Anywhere
The Go-Anywhere is a rectangular charcoal barbecue whose legs fold up to lock the lid on for carrying. It has two lid dampers and two side vents, a two-piece grill so charcoal can be added mid-cook, and Weber sizes it for two to four people. Weber gives it a ten-year limited warranty on the cookbox and lid.
Weber doesn't publish its grill area, and it is sized for a small group.
What We Like:
- Legs lock the lid for carrying
- 10-year cookbox warranty
- Cheapest Weber here
What We Don't Like:
- For 2 to 4 people
5. Best for Picnics: Everdure CUBE
Everdure's CUBE is a small portable charcoal grill with a built-in food storage tray and a bamboo board for preparing food, over a porcelain enamel firebox. It is 425mm wide and 230mm tall. Everdure sells it in four colours, and Bing Lee sells it for a little less, as a special order.
Bing Lee lists a one-year warranty, much shorter than Weber's.
What We Like:
- Food tray and board built in
- Small enough for a car boot
- Four colours
What We Don't Like:
- 1-year warranty
6. Best Smoker: Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 47cm
The Smokey Mountain is a water smoker: charcoal at the bottom, a water pan in the middle, and two cooking grates above, with 481 square inches of cooking space in total. It has a lid thermometer and four dampers, and Weber says it fits a turkey and two layers of ribs at once. The bowl, lid and centre section are covered for ten years.
It is built for smoking at low temperatures, so a kettle suits hot, fast grilling better.
What We Like:
- Two grates for smoking
- Lid thermometer
- 10 years on bowl, lid and centre
What We Don't Like:
- Built for low and slow
7. Best Kamado: Weber Summit Kamado E6
The Summit Kamado has a dual-walled, air-insulated lid and bowl, which Weber says hold a steady low heat for all-day smoking and reach high heat for searing. It has a 61cm grill with 2,916 cm² of cooking area, a fuel grate that moves between three heights, and the One-Touch ash system. The bowl, lid and centre ring are covered for ten years.
It is the most expensive barbecue here, and 88cm wide by 91cm deep.
What We Like:
- Smokes and sears
- 61cm grill
- 10 years on bowl and lid
What We Don't Like:
- Most expensive here
Lighting and using charcoal
Fire bans. Victoria's CFA, the NSW RFS and South Australia's CFS all ban wood and charcoal barbecues on Total Fire Ban days. During Victoria's fire danger period, a charcoal barbecue can still be lit on other days if the wind stays below 10km/h, nothing can burn within 3 metres, and it is supervised throughout.
Charcoal baskets. The Char-Baskets that come with the Weber kettles hold the coals to one side, which lets food cook by indirect heat with the lid on.
Ash. The kettles and the kamado sweep ash into a catcher under the bowl. The CUBE's firebox lifts out.
FAQs
Is a kettle or a kamado better?
A kettle is cheaper and grills well. A kamado's insulated walls hold temperature for longer smoking, at several times the price.
Can charcoal barbecues be used in fire season?
Outside Total Fire Ban days, generally yes, under the conditions each state's fire service sets. On Total Fire Ban days, none of Victoria, NSW or South Australia allows them.
Lump charcoal or briquettes?
Either works in the CUBE, according to Everdure.
