Weber
Weber Master-Touch 22
The Weber Master-Touch 22 is the upgraded version of Weber's iconic charcoal kettle, adding a hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate, a built-in thermometer, and a Tuck-Away lid holder. It's a benchmark backyard charcoal grill.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓It's incredibly versatile - direct high-heat searing, two-zone grilling, and even low-and-slow smoking with the Snake method all work great in one inexpensive grill
- ✓The hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate lets you add charcoal mid-cook and drop in accessories like a sear grate, pizza stone, or wok
- ✓The One-Touch cleaning system sweeps ash into a sealed catcher, making cleanup faster and tidier than basic kettles
- ✓Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid resist rust and hold heat well, and routinely last 10-15+ years
- ✓At ~$235 with a built-in thermometer and Tuck-Away lid holder it's an outstanding value in charcoal
- ✓It reaches blazing searing temps that no pellet grill can touch, giving real charcoal flavor and crust
- ✓It's light and portable at 32 lbs, easy to move around the yard or take to a campsite
- ✓Weber's 10-year warranty and universal parts availability mean you can keep it running indefinitely
Cons
- ✗Charcoal cooking has a learning curve - managing vents and fuel for steady temps takes practice versus push-button gas or pellets
- ✗There's no app, probe, or automation, so long smokes require hands-on vent adjustments and refueling
- ✗363 sq in is modest, so cooking for a big crowd means batching or stepping up to the 26-inch model
- ✗Holding low temps for a long brisket is doable but fiddly compared to a dedicated smoker, with temps prone to drifting
- ✗Ash and charcoal handling is messier than gas or pellets, and you deal with lighting and disposal every cook
- ✗The lid thermometer is approximate, so serious cooks add a separate probe
- ✗Wind can swing temperatures noticeably, requiring vent babysitting on gusty days
- ✗It needs a chimney starter and charcoal on hand, adding small ongoing fuel costs and prep steps
Owner Insightssummarized from Reddit and owner forums
If r/grilling had a mascot it might be the Weber kettle, and the Master-Touch 22 is the upgraded version everyone points beginners toward. The pitch is unbeatable value and versatility: for around $235 you get a grill that sears hotter than any pellet cooker, does two-zone cooking, and can even smoke a brisket with the Snake method — and it'll last 10-15+ years.
The caveats are the inherent charcoal ones: a learning curve for vent control, fiddlier low-and-slow than a dedicated smoker, and messier ash cleanup. The Master-Touch's hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate and One-Touch ash sweep are exactly the features people cite for making those annoyances easier.
The overwhelming sentiment is that everyone should own a kettle — it's the cheapest path to real charcoal flavor and serious versatility, and it pairs perfectly with a pellet grill or griddle. The only common upgrade advice is to consider the 26-inch if you regularly cook for a crowd.
What owners like
- +Endlessly recommended on r/grilling and r/BBQ as the best value in all of cooking
- +Does it all — high-heat searing, two-zone grilling, even Snake-method smoking
- +The hinged grate and One-Touch ash cleanup are beloved quality-of-life features
- +Lasts 10-15+ years and parts are cheap and everywhere
- +Light, portable, and works as a camping/tailgate grill too
Common complaints
- −Charcoal has a learning curve — vent and fuel management takes practice
- −Holding low temps for long brisket is fiddly versus a dedicated smoker
- −Ash and charcoal handling is messier than gas or pellets
- −363 sq in is modest for big crowds (the 26-inch fixes this)
Common Questions
Master-Touch vs the basic Weber kettle — is it worth more?
Can a Weber kettle actually smoke a brisket?
22-inch or 26-inch Master-Touch?
Is charcoal hard to learn?
Kettle or pellet grill for a first cooker?
Compare the Weber Master-Touch 22
The Weber Master-Touch 22 is one of 7 sizes in this line.
See every size, to scale →Related grills
More from Weber →
The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22 is the iconic charcoal kettle that started backyard grilling in America, upgraded with a built-in thermometer, hinged grate, and sealed One-Touch ash catcher. It's the single most-recommended first grill on Reddit.
Weber
Weber Q 1200
The Q 1200 has been the default answer to 'best portable gas grill' for over a decade, and the review volume backs it up - it's one of the most-reviewed grills Weber sells. Unlike the thin folding camp grills it competes with, the Q is a real grill shrunk down: a cast aluminum cookbox that retains heat like a full-size Weber and porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that lay down legitimate sear marks on steaks and burgers. OutdoorGearLab has ranked it their top tabletop portable for years, and r/grilling threads about balcony and tailgate setups almost always land here. Honest limitations: one U-shaped burner means no two-zone cooking, so thick cuts and bone-in chicken take lid management and patience; 189 sq in feeds about four people; it drinks 1 lb canisters, so most owners buy the adapter hose for a 20 lb tank; and the low-profile grease tray will flare if you never clean it. The regulator's low-flow safety lockout (weak flames after a bottle swap) is the most common owner complaint, fixable with the well-known reset ritual. Against a Blackstone 22 you're trading griddle versatility for real grill marks and a lid.
Weber
Weber Spirit E-210
The Spirit E-210 is the compact half of Weber's best-selling gas grill family - the current Snap-Jet generation of the 2-burner that thousands of small-patio owners have run for decades. The formula hasn't changed because it works: a porcelain-enameled cookbox that won't rust through (and is warrantied for 10 years against it), cast iron grates, Flavorizer bars that turn drippings into flavor instead of flare-ups, and burners that light on the first click years in. At 48 inches wide it fits patios and townhome decks where even the 3-burner E-310 feels bulky, and the 2025 refresh added per-burner Snap-Jet ignition and Weber Works rails for accessories. The honest limits: 26,600 BTU across two burners means preheating takes a while, a hard steakhouse sear takes patience, and two burners make real indirect cooking cramped - a whole chicken works, a brisket doesn't. Owners also note the current generation's lid can drip rainwater into the grease tray if stored uncovered. Against value rivals like the Char-Broil Performance, you pay roughly double up front and get a grill that routinely outlives three of them; used Spirits famously hold resale value.
The Weber Smokey Mountain is the legendary bullet-shaped charcoal water smoker that has been the 'first real smoker' recommendation for decades. Two stacked grates and a water pan turn out competition-quality BBQ for under $500.
Weber
Weber Spirit E-310
The Weber Spirit E-310 is a compact 3-burner propane gas grill and one of the best-selling backyard grills in America. The latest redesign adds Snap-Jet ignition and a more modern cart.
Weber
Weber SmokeFire EX6
The Weber SmokeFire EX6 is Weber's WiFi pellet grill, notable for reaching 600°F to sear and using a steep-walled firebox for direct grilling. The 2nd-gen revision fixed many early reliability issues. Note: this model is no longer sold new as of 2026. Its current equivalent is the Weber Searwood XL 600. (SmokeFire line discontinued 2024, replaced by Searwood; no new-stock retail, used units ~$350-700)