The UK's bestCharcoal BBQs2022 Review

Finding a good balance between quality, size and price can be difficult when it comes to BBQs, especially if you’re looking for something capable of catering to larger groups.

The CosmoGrill Outdoor XL Smoker Charcoal Portable BBQ is a sizeable grill range with plenty of cooking space, and it also remains within a reasonable price bracket.

This charcoal barbecue’s large rectangular cooking area has enough cooking space for 10 burger patties alongside 10 sausages, with room left over to smoke or grill other items too. Plus, to help curb nerves about cooking this much in one go, the built-in thermometer gives accurate readings to help take the guesswork out of grilling.

Whether you’re a bit of a barbecue connoisseur, or hoping to learn a few new tips and tricks, this CosmoGrill charcoal barbecue has a variety of adjustable settings, making it possible to stay in control of the cooking temperature in several ways. The coal tray is height adjustable, so its position in relation to the food can be altered, and the vents can also be used to change the air flow around the BBQ.

It’s possible to smoke, grill and slow-cook using this charcoal barbecue, and it can reach temperatures of up to 220°C. The side tables and under-grill storage all come in handy whilst cooking, making it much easier to store and quickly access utensils and seasonings. Plus, the side tables can also be used for plating up. Keeping food warm is also possible, using the built-in warming rack, in case guests aren’t ready to eat.

One drawback is the assembly required to put this charcoal barbecue together… but the good news is this only needs to be done once! Like a lot of large BBQs, this model arrives flat packed. This means there are quite a few pieces involved – it takes about two hours to put together. Fortunately, the instructions are relatively clear and methodical. As long as they are followed closely, this charcoal barbecue does end up piecing together!

There are just a couple other small downsides to this BBQ, although they’re pretty minor. To start with, there’s no built-in handle. This means the charcoal barbecue can be a little awkward to lift, which is required in order to pull it along on its back wheels. Also, when cooking a lot of food (to capacity), there are some reports that oil occasionally drips and splashes out of the ash tray. Nevertheless, these are very small negatives to an otherwise excellent charcoal barbecue.

Overall, this is one of the best charcoal BBQs on the market. It offers really good value considering its size and the number of features that it provides. It’s an excellent BBQ to have at home which will also be great when hosting parties; plus, it feels robust and well constructed.

If you’ve had enough of basic BBQs and are looking to add some excitement to your outdoor steak-nights, the Kamado Joe KJ23RHC Classic II Charcoal Grill certainly delivers a touch of panache to proceedings.

It’s not only the colour that helps it stand out as something special; both the shape and smoking-lid design are uniquely characteristic of the Kamado Joe grill. These Kamado Joe charcoal barbecues are sturdy and well made, consistently manufactured to a noticeably high standard.

With a 46 cm (18”) cooking area, there’s plenty of grilling room to help keep the food coming, even at family gatherings and parties. Plus, there’s a 2-tier ‘Divide and Conquer’ cooking system which is great for serving up different foods.

Not only does this cooking system have a fantastic name, but it also allows you to cook a range of foods at different temperatures, all at the same time. Finally, catering to different tastes and keeping all the guests happy becomes that little bit easier…!

Even airflow management can be easily controlled on this charcoal barbecue, allowing those who are passionate about the cooking process to customise the settings as they wish. It also looks pretty spectacular, making quite the statement as charcoal smoke spools from the chimney.

An external thermometer makes it easy to check the temperature without lifting the lid, and two side tables allow for easy preparation and plating up – always useful as space does tend to be at a premium during BBQs.

Overall, this is one of the best charcoal barbecues if you’re after a premium model that offers a lot of versatility and cooking options. Amongst many things, it can be used for slow cooking and smoking meat, roasting whole chickens, and producing classic BBQ favourites with a delicious smoky flavour. The cooked food that it produces gets gleaming reviews across the internet.

For all those charcoal barbecue lovers out there, who enjoy being able to grill at home but are conscious of limited storage space, the Weber Compact Charcoal BBQ is an efficient cooking tool with a very manageable 47 cm cooking plate diameter.

This kettle barbecue fits neatly in the corner of the shed, weighing just 7 kg so it’s easy to manoeuvre in and out. The thick, crack-resistant wheels facilitate movement around the patio and it has a robust handle that is well positioned and easy to hold. In fact, it can even be transported in the car (boot size depending, of course!), if you want to take a charcoal barbecue to a friend’s house, to the beach, or camping.

If you plan on keeping things closer to home, this BBQ can still be used to provide food for family gatherings, despite its smaller size, and will cope easily with food for 4 – 6 people (although some staggered cooking may be required).

Sure, it may not have all of the advanced cooking features of some other BBQs, such as adjustable rack heights or several cooking platforms, but this basic charcoal grill will still suffice to satiate that desire for al-fresco cooking. Plus, the air vents in the lid allow some control over cooking temperature which will please any hands-on chefs.

In terms of construction, this kettle barbecue is well made, as you would expect from Weber. It’s constructed from a durable mixture of steel, chromed steel and enamelled steel. There is a rust-proof vent at the bottom of the bowl for emptying ash, and you shouldn’t need to worry about the BBQ suffering from exposure. That said, storing it away when not in use will help extend its life further.

There’s a small amount of assembly required, although it’s much less than with larger BBQs – it takes around 30 minutes to put this charcoal barbecue together. Once up and running, the dimensions are a very reasonable 83 x 52 x 56 cm.

It’s worth considering buying a few extras alongside this BBQ, to make for a more comfortable grilling process. For example, there’s no thermometer included, which can help with grilling accuracy, and heatproof gloves would help with adjusting the air vents during use.

Overall, it’s the best charcoal barbecue in terms of value for money, based on its quality construction and cooking potential. It’s relatively basic, but extremely functional, and has a lot on offer for a reasonable price.

If you’re after an inexpensive but reliable charcoal barbecue, the Toronto Trolley Grill Barbecue is a great option to go for. It has that traditional ‘American grill’ look, and several ways to regulate the temperature, but doesn’t overcomplicate matters with too many extra bells or whistles.

An added benefit of this, of course, is that it also comes with quite a reasonable price tag – it’s one of the best charcoal BBQs to buy on a budget if you’re after a reasonably large grill.

With a grill surface of 56 x 41.6 cm, there’s plenty of room to cook for around six people, with the ability to control the grill temperatures depending on what’s on the menu for your guests. There is a crank system which adjusts the distance between the coals and the food, and vents in the lid, designed to raise or lower cooking temperature. You can ensure that more delicate foods don’t get scorched to charcoal yet still be sure to cook food thoroughly.

The built-in thermometer further facilitates accurate cooking; given that the hinged lid can be either open or closed when cooking, when it’s shut it can be tempting to open it and check on the food. Thanks to the thermometer, you can avoid opening the lid and letting heat out unnecessarily.

This charcoal grill comes with a warming rack and folding side table included, so it becomes much easier to organise and prepare food. Having a warming rack means that several items can be cooked at once and easily kept warm until everything’s ready to be served. Plus, there’s even a bottle opener attached to the front, seamlessly allowing the chef to enjoy a relaxed drink whilst keeping an eye on the burgers.

It’s easy to wheel around, and relatively lightweight at 25.4 kg (certainly perfectly manageable for manoeuvring around the garden.

One thing to take into consideration is the assembly time – if you’re planning to buy this charcoal grill for a specific event, allow yourself two to three hours to get it assembled correctly as it can prove a little difficult to put together.

Nevertheless, once assembly is over, you won’t have to do it again! And, overall, this is one of the best charcoal grills if you want something that is sufficiently large without having to spend an eye-wateringly large amount of money! It offers a great balance of size, quality and cost.

Who said BBQs had to follow a standard design? For something a little different, offering a rather modern twist on standard BBQing, this Landmann Pedestal Charcoal Barbecue has a stainless steel finish and a pedestal base.

Weighing just 2 kg, it’s the lightest charcoal BBQ featured on this list, and as a result it’s extremely easy to move around and adjust. Of course, once the coals are burning it needs to stay put, but you certainly won’t be put off by the idea of moving this grill in and out of storage.

Featuring enough space to cater for up to four people, it’s a great BBQ for couples or small families – easy to store, simple to use, and conveniently sized. It doesn’t have all the versatility of some more premium models, but you might not be looking for something that can smoke, roast and sear. This is a basic yet effective BBQ, with no lid, that will cook sausages, burgers and skewers when you want them.

It does feature a windshield, which helps maintain the BBQ’s temperature and keep you safe from flying sparks/ash, as well as an easy-to-remove ash tray and adjustable vents. These allow some control over the heat as well.

With very little assembly required, you’ll easily be able to get this grill going on the day it arrives (weather permitting!) without any issues.

The only potential problem that could arise is from trying to use this charcoal grill on windy days – it can be a little unstable due to its ‘pedestal’ base and may wobble if the wind really picks up. Just something to be aware of!

Whether you’ve already got a traditional brick grill built into your garden, or you’re in the process of building one, the Landmann DIY Charcoal Barbecue will slot in neatly to provide an authentic charcoal barbecue experience.

Naturally, getting the correct dimensions is important, and this particular grill measures 67.4 x 42 x 6.8 cm. The chrome-plated cooking grill, charcoal grid and ash tray will generally fit into most pre-built brick BBQ units (of course, check the measurements first) so it’s perfect as a replacement for an existing unit as well.

With a cooking area that can cater for at least ten people at a time, you’ll be able to serve a large number of guests quite comfortably by staggering the cooking. Plus, if hard-to-clean BBQs are one of your pet hates, this Landmann grill can be simply removed and washed, without trying to awkwardly clean parts whilst they’re still attached.

As a company, Landmann has a good reputation for producing quality products. This charcoal grill follows the trend by being both well-made and accurately described; in particular, the dimension measurements are precise so you can be confident it will fit without problem.

Whilst it might be tempting to leave this grill outside year-round, it’s best stored away when not in use to help prolong its life. Buying a cover can also help if you’re limited on storage space, but one way or another it’s recommended to keep this grill out of the changeable UK weather as much as possible.