Kettles, Barrels and a Mini Kamado: The Best Value Charcoal Grill

You do not need an expensive grill to cook good carne asada. Charcoal does most of the work: a hot bed of coals will sear skirt steak, char chiles and blister tortillas on a plain steel grate as well as on a premium one. What extra money buys is mostly convenience and lifespan, such as a better ash system, thicker steel, a longer warranty and a lid thermometer. The trick with a budget grill is knowing which of those you can live without.

This guide looks at charcoal grills at the lower end of the market: the basic Weber kettle, which is the value benchmark, plus budget kettles, barrel grills, a small kamado and a tabletop grill. For each we list the type, cooking area, grates, vents, ash system, weight and warranty, taken from the maker or the Amazon listing, and we write “Not stated” where neither gives a figure. We do not quote prices, because they change; check the listing.

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Quick verdict: which value charcoal grill to buy

The table shows our five standout picks, one for each kind of buyer. All seven grills are reviewed in full below it.

Five budget charcoal grills compared

Type, cooking area and ash handling for our five standout value picks, as each maker or Amazon listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Specifications as stated by each maker or Amazon listing; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best value charcoal grill

These seven grills cover the budget end of charcoal cooking: two 22-inch kettles, two barrel-style grills, a box-style crank grill, a portable kamado and a tabletop grill for camping. For premium kettles, ceramic kamados and gravity-fed grills, see our main guide to the best charcoal grill.

How to choose a budget charcoal grill

On a budget, the question is not which grill has the most features but which savings you will regret. These five points matter most.

1. Warranty first

The warranty is the best clue to how long a cheap grill will last outdoors. Here it ranges from 90 days on the Cuisinart to one year on the barrel grills, five years on Char-Griller’s kettle and ten years on the Weber kettle. A grill that costs a little more but is covered ten times longer is usually the better value.

2. Cooking area you will actually use

Count the main grate, not the warming rack. A 22-inch kettle’s 363 square inches feeds a family; 250 square inches suits two to four; 155 square inches is for a couple. Barrel grills give the most grate for the money if you cook for crowds.

3. Heat control: vents or a crank

Kettles and kamados control heat with vents alone: open for hot, closed partway for gentler cooking. Barrel grills often add an adjustable charcoal pan, and on the Dyna-Glo and the 24-inch Royal Gourmet it moves with a crank. That is the easiest heat control for a beginner, because you can change the heat in seconds without waiting for vents to take effect.

4. Ash handling

Cheap grills often save money here. Weber’s One-Touch and Char-Griller’s EasyDump pans let you empty ash without tipping the grill; some barrel grills leave you to scoop it out. If you grill weekly, a proper ash pan is worth paying for. Wherever the ash goes, let it cool completely and store it in a lidded metal can, as the safety agencies below advise.

5. Grates

Cast iron, on the AKORN Jr., holds heat well, which helps a small fire sear. Porcelain-enameled steel wire, on the Royal Gourmet grills, is coated steel; Dyna-Glo’s manual warns that a porcelain coating is fragile and should not be knocked or cooled in water while hot. Plated steel, on the Weber, is light and easy to clean.

How we chose these seven grills

We started from what a restaurant kitchen needs from any charcoal fire: enough heat to sear, a way to control it, and an ash system that makes cleanup manageable. We then looked for lower-cost charcoal grills from identifiable brands sold on Amazon in the United States and showing as in stock when we checked, used the standard Weber 22-inch kettle as the benchmark, and confirmed each specification on the maker’s page, manual or the brand’s Amazon listing. Where sources disagree, as with the AKORN Jr.’s warranty, or a figure looks wrong, as with the Cuisinart’s cooking area, we say so. We left out unbranded sellers, a listing with no brand or specifications, and models that were out of stock or showing very low stock when we checked, including Char-Griller’s Traditional, Barrel Pro and Patio Pro grills and Royal Gourmet’s CC1830V. We have not cooked on these grills for this guide, and we did not read or rely on outside reviews for it.

Charcoal safety basics

Follow your grill’s manual first. On top of that, the National Fire Protection Association’s grilling safety tips, the U.S. Fire Administration’s outdoor fire safety page and the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s charcoal grill safety tips give these rules:

• Use charcoal grills only outdoors. The CPSC warns that burning charcoal gives off carbon monoxide, which has no odor and can kill; never burn charcoal inside homes, vehicles, tents or garages.
• Place the grill well away from the house and deck railings and out from under eaves and branches, and do not use or store it on a porch or balcony.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away, and never leave a lit grill unattended.
• Light charcoal with a chimney starter or an electric starter, or use only charcoal starter fluid, and never add fluid to a fire that is already burning.
• Let the coals cool completely, then put them in a metal can with a lid. The CPSC says coals are out when they are cool to the touch.

Dyna-Glo’s manual for its X-Large grill adds a recommended 36 inches of clearance from combustible construction and says to operate the grill on a stable, level, non-flammable surface rather than a wood deck. Check your own grill’s manual for its clearances.

Getting the most from a budget grill

• Use a chimney starter. NFPA notes that a chimney lets you start charcoal with newspaper as the fuel, so you need no lighter fluid.
• Build two zones. Pile the coals on one side. Sear carne asada over the coals and move it to the empty side to rest, or to finish chicken with the lid closed.
• Cook to temperature. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s safe minimum internal temperature chart lists 145°F for beef steaks with a rest of at least three minutes, 160°F for ground meats and 165°F for poultry. Check with an instant-read thermometer rather than by eye.
• Add a skillet. A cast iron pan over the coals turns any grill into a fajita station; see our best cast iron skillet and best fajita skillet guides, and how to eat fajitas.
• Cover it. Steel left wet will rust, so keep any budget grill covered and in a dry spot between cooks.

Budget charcoal grill questions, answered

What is the best budget charcoal grill?

The standard Weber 22-inch Original Kettle, because it pairs a full-size grate with a 10-year limited warranty. If you want to spend less, the Char-Griller 22-inch Kettle has the same cooking area and a five-year warranty on Char-Griller’s page.

What is the best affordable charcoal grill for a big family?

The Dyna-Glo X-Large Heavy-Duty, with 816 square inches in total and a crank-adjustable charcoal tray. The Royal Gourmet 28-inch barrel is a smaller step down at 626 square inches.

What is the best cheap charcoal grill for camping?

The Cuisinart 14-inch portable weighs 4 pounds and has three lid locks. For a sturdier option that can also smoke, the AKORN Jr. weighs 33 pounds with a locking lid.

Is a budget kamado worth it?

If you want to smoke as well as grill, yes. The AKORN Jr.’s insulated steel body is rated from 200°F to 700°F. The trade-off is a small, 155-square-inch grate. For a full-size kamado, see our best charcoal grill guide.

Why don’t you list prices or price brackets?

Prices on Amazon change often, so we leave them to the listing. Our picks run from very inexpensive tabletop grills to mid-priced barrel grills; check each one before you buy.

Our final value pick

Buy the Weber 22-inch Original Kettle if you want the best long-term value in charcoal: a full-size grate, simple vent control, One-Touch ash cleaning and a ten-year warranty. Choose the Char-Griller kettle to spend less on the same size, the Dyna-Glo for big gatherings, the Royal Gourmet 24-inch for crank control in a smaller grill, and the AKORN Jr. for kamado cooking on a budget or a small space.

For premium kettles, ceramic kamados and gravity-fed grills, see the best charcoal grill. If a flat top suits your cooking better, our best outdoor griddle covers propane planchas, and the best comal for tortillas handles tortillas indoors. Or let us do the cooking: see the menu or call to order.