Weber Ranch Kettle 37 vs Arteflame Classic 40
Quick take: The Arteflame Classic 40 costs $104 less; the Arteflame Classic 40 offers more cooking space (1,250 vs 1,104 sq in).
| Spec | Weber Ranch Kettle 37 | Arteflame Classic 40 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$2,599 | ~$2,495 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Charcoal Grill | Charcoal Grill |
| Cooking Area | 1104 sq in | 1250 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | 1000°F |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Wood/Charcoal |
| Build Material | Porcelain-Enameled Steel with Stainless Steel Grate | 1/2-Inch Carbon Steel Cooktop on Corten Steel Base |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | Yes |
| Dimensions | 42 x 37.7 x 44.7 in | 40 x 40 in |
| Weight | 158 lbs | 400 lbs |
| Warranty | 10 years bowl and lid, 5 years One-Touch system, 2 years remaining parts | 3-year limited warranty |
Pros & cons
Weber Ranch Kettle 37
- ✓1,104 sq in cooks for roughly forty people in a single load, which no other kettle approaches
- ✓Hinged stainless grate and removable porcelain-enameled ash catcher, both sized for volume cooking
- ✓Four dampers rather than two, giving genuine airflow control across a bowl this wide
- ✓Swivel locking casters and a heavy steel cart make 158 lbs movable on a flat surface
- ✓Three tool hooks and a Tuck-Away lid holder, so a lid this heavy has somewhere to go
- ✗$2,599 is kamado and premium-pellet money for a grill with no insulation, thermometer or controller
- ✗Burns charcoal in bulk — a full load is several chimneys, which makes it wasteful for a family cook
- ✗No built-in lid thermometer at this price
- ✗44.7 inches deep with the lid holder, so it needs garage or shed space, not a balcony
- ✗Design is decades old; there is no smart, hinged-cart or accessory-rail package at any price
Arteflame Classic 40
- ✓1,250+ sq in of continuous flat steel — nothing falls through and any food size works
- ✓Zoned by geometry rather than dampers, so several dishes cook at different temperatures at once with no adjustment
- ✓Corten base is designed to weather to a stable patina, so it needs no cover and no winter storage
- ✓Doubles as a fire pit when not cooking, which is the reason most buyers choose one
- ✓Burns hardwood as readily as charcoal, and can be converted to gas
- ✗No lid means no indirect cooking, no smoking and no roasting — this cannot do low-and-slow at all
- ✗$2,495 buys a kamado, a premium pellet grill or several kettles
- ✗3-year warranty is short next to the lifetime ceramic warranties in this price band
- ✗The steel cooktop must be seasoned and re-oiled like cast iron or it will rust through the cooking surface
- ✗Arteflame lists the Classic 40 round base as backordered, so delivery timing is not guaranteed