My mom gave me her practically unused 22’ Weber kettle for helping her move and I don’t truly even know where to begin.
Already crushed 2 batches of chicken thighs and I’m eager to get into a rack of ribs now.
Never was a fan of charcoal growing up but now I realized it’s because whoever was doing the grilling didn’t know what in the world they were doing over an open flame.
What were your go to upgrades and/or accessories at first?
by NTel922
18 Comments
I’m gonna follow bc I’m new to charcoal myself.
I’m just getting started too but I’ve been around some fantastic grill guys. I’m ready to get to it.
Slow N Sear. It’s the gateway to buying more smokers, but it also makes the kettle the only cooker you need.
Welcome to the fam! Accessories I use all the time:
The upgraded grate with the removable center. That way you can get a sear grate to fit in the middle. It also allows you to use a Vortex and add a chunk of wood to it as needed. Speaking of The Vortex, get that, too. It actually does a great job of crisping up skin on wings and thighs.
For smoking things like ribs, brisket, etc… I recommend you follow the [BBQ Pit Boys on YouTube. ](https://www.youtube.com/@bbqpitboys) Their early smoking videos are almost all done on a 22″ Weber Kettle. I learned a lot from those guys. Once they ran through all the basics, they moved on to more exotic dishes that I really don’t care about (yet.) So go through the vids and find some early ones to watch. Good stuff.
Good luck!
Slow n sear (or fire bricks which are cheaper) for indirect and vortex for hot and fast are the only accessories you need.
Edit: get a chimney starter if you don’t have one already (a must)
Probably the best bang for your $$ is a knock-off vortex. I spent like $22 on one off amazon and it’s been fantastic for anything high-heat indirect. It makes the best wings.
Chimney starter and fire starter squares. Makes starting the fire a breeze.
I had a similar experience to yours. Most of the grilled food I had as a kid was burned on the outside and raw in the middle because my dad never figured out that you didn’t have to cook the meat directly over the coals.
Essential starting equipment is a charcoal chimney and some good thermometers. Recommend the ThermoWorks Smoke for the grill and meat temp and (if you don’t already have one) a Thermapen for spot testing.
Must’ve skipped the episode where Bobby and Peggy cooked with charcoal
Get a basket for offset cooking, like ribs. I also use foil to keep the heat indirect.
https://preview.redd.it/okeviwiislve1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ce0562826f76c8b461b7de0712c04a7ff1e1765
Those are lime wedges.
The first thing I got after getting my first kettle was a second kettle off marketplace, so I had more to work lol. If you don’t have a chimney starter it’s a total game changer. A slow n sear insert it also worth it. I got one as a gift and I use it constantly now
We grill with propane. If we want to make 3 hamburgers on a Wednesday night I’m not spending an hour screwing with charcoal first. I also have a Webber Smokey mountain smoker. Love that thing. They both have places.
Agree… had a gas grill for years and a Webber Kettle with some wood to smoke has more flavor than any smoke box I ever tried on gas. I will NEVER go back!
I use aluminum foil a lot
– bottom grate one side to force cold winter air to hot charcoal that’s on one side
– top grate one side when searing and letilting it rest off heat. Foil helps redistribute the heat and is good for chicken thighs and pork. Meat sits in juices more.
Before cooking I wipe pre-heated grates with a paper towel soaked in vege oil after scraping it clean. I keep that paper towel in my chimney to light the next set of charcoal
He worked for a propane company. Of course he will try to sell it. Peggy had learned the truth though.
A good set of stiff tongs, not the bendable crappy ones. Might as well get two, a nice long set for charcoal moving and a regular size for the meats.
Here is a freebie nothing to buy. Look up the snake method of cooking on this site for low temp slow cooking/smoking, like ribs, it’s a game changer. My Weber book had me strictly using vents. I could never get a temp below 300 even with all vents closed if I had a full bed of lit charcoal.
Get a Slow N Sear with a drip pan and a Spider Grills Venom controller and the kettle becomes the ultimate outdoor cooking machine. I have a 22” kettle and a Summit kamado, have SnS and a venom for both. Can do a slow cook on one while grilling stuff on the other one.