WeberThe Ranch Charcoal Kettle Grill

6/14/2019I've wanted one of these since forever. Assembly was yesterday. I've yet to use it. First impression - humongous!Concerns: 1. No hood thermometer built-in. 2. The lid sits nicely on the base. However, it sits inside the edges of the base and will likely channel rainwater into the base if a cover is not employed. This is unlike the premium 22-inch Weber kettle where the lid completely covers the edges of the base. 3. The charcoal grate simply "floats" at the bottom of the base. There are no built on parts on which the charcoal grate sits so that it is always horizontal. I'm afraid it will shift during a cook if I'm moving coals around. I find this hard to believe and wonder if perhaps mine missed that component in the assembly process or if there is an after market part to address this.I'm wondering if other owners have these same issues and if they have proven to be a problem at all. I'll report again after a few cooks. I remain optimistic that this fine product will serve me well.6/15/2019 Mea Culpa. I looked more carefully at my new BBQ. My concerns about rainwater would seem to be unfounded. Actually, the lid has a turned up lip around it's circumference that will catch rainwater. It is not likely to find it's way into the actual kettle. So, further reviews are possible as I begin to use this monster. Thanks.6/28/18 Some two weeks worth of cooking and I cannot express adequately how impressed I am with this monster. It does it all and does it better than any other grill I've ever used in my 55 some odd years of barbecuing. One concern I'll try to describe and hope someone from Weber sees and responds: I'm looking at the Kettle Assembly pamphlet 56693_022811. No nomenclature so I'll simply describe the parts.The page 3 overleaf shows the parts I’m concerned about in the section labeled 1-.The BBQ cover/lid, when off, nestles nicely into a cradle formed by the stainless semicircle attached to the back of the unit. The midpoint of that semicircle is supported by an upright brace that has one end through the rear axle and the upper end a pass through for the stainless semicircle. About one foot down from the top of the brace is a secondary catch point shaped like a fishhook and bolted to the brace. It looks like it is designed so that the hood will rest in the cradle of the “fishhook” when it is tipped back into the stainless semicircle. In fact, it looks as though the lid could fit nicely into the fishhook. However, when my lid is seated in the stainless semicircle it doesn’t reach down far enough to allow that fishhook to play any role in stabilizing the upturned hood.I believe I’ve assembled everything by the book. Please tell me if I’m being too cautious or if maybe I need to redo part of my assembly.Thanks again for a fine Ranch Kettle. It was truly worth the hefty price of admission.6/29/19 In the spirit of "a picture is worth a thousand words" here are three photos to illustrate the situation with the lid. You have to look closely. Thanks.

This one is so ridiculously big that they are not even sold in BBQ stores. Takes up too much floor space. You need to order directly from Weber. Hint: You can grill up to 32 Cornish game hens at one time.You would be best served by using wood instead of briquettes, but use what you want, they all work. Because of its enormous size, I now have really large areas that can be on or off the flames. I really cannot exaggerate the size of this Weber grill.The grate is stainless steel and so heavy, I need help carrying into the house to clean it in the large walk-in shower. I would not buy this is you do not have a location big enough to clean it in.All these warnings aside, I think this is the best wood/charcoal grill I have ever had, due to the amount of space allowing for hot, medium and warm areas for treating meat and poultry just right.

What can you say? This is a beast! It is the best you can get in Weber products! I bought it for a large event and it delivered! The amount of meat you can cook at one time is incredible. After 5 years it in great shape and used constantly!

Came a day late with a few chips and dents, possibly from shipping but still pleased with the purchase. It is easy to assemble. Took right at an hour only using 3 tools, socket wrench, hammer, and a pair of players. Looking forward to firing it up!

I recently purchased the Weber Ranch Kettle after several years of using Brinkmann charcoal grills. I cook on a charcoal grill A LOT; I use my grill several times per week in the spring and summer and I cook my Thanksgiving turkey and a big Christmas meal every year on my grill (we usually have about 12-20 people over for each holiday). I've never considered a gas grill because food cooked over wood or coals tastes so much better, and I've got a gas stove in my kitchen, so what's the point of cooking with gas in my backyard?. In the past 6 years I've worn out 2 Brinkmanns, which each lasted 3 years before the heat of cooking severely warped some of the key parts of each grill. I went to my local home improvement store to replace my latest grill, and I was dismayed to observe that the new Brinkmanns seem to be made of a lower grade of steel. There's no way the new Brinkmanns would stand up to really heavy usage. So I decided to treat myself to the Ranch Kettle, which costs about five times as much as my last grill. Overall, I'm pleased with the Ranch Kettle, but it's not for everyone.PROS:PerformanceI've prepared two meals on the Ranch Kettle, one for my family of three and one for a party we hosted for fifteen people, and it performed admirably. I've cooked 2 large tenderloins, a variety of vegetables, and a couple of steaks, and everything came out perfectly. And I mean PERFECTLY! Even the large tenderloins cooked evenly, with a slight pleasing char and beautiful grill marks. The heat is easy to control by manipulating the amount of fuel or moving the food in relation to the coals. The hinged cooking grate folds up easily in 2 places, so adding coals during cooking is simple. However, sometimes it's difficult to manipulate the hot hinged portions of the grate to return to a completely flat position. Even so, the huge cooking area makes it possible to cook several items at once. From that perspective it's by far the best grill I've ever used. I'm looking forward to using the Ranch Kettle for slow-cooking ribs or brisket; I'm confident that this grill will do a good job with these difficult dishes.ConstructionI've only has the grill for a short time, but it seems very solid. Assembly took about an hour, with clear instructions provided. During cooking, the system for holding the heavy lid on the side of the grill is very sturdy (though you have to use 2 hands with thick oven mitts to protect yourself from the heat). I keep my grill on a brick patio, and the four plastic wheels (two large, two small; the small wheels lock) rotate freely over the uneven surface, making it easy to move the grill even while it's in use. I am a little concerned about the lower grate, which supports the coals under the cooking grate. The lower grate has already warped slightly under the intense heat necessary for preparing a large meal. I suppose I'll be able to replace the charcoal grate, but it's a little soon to see it warp like that.CONS:No shelfI'm used to having shelves on the side of my grill. These come in handy for tools and keeping sauces and other items nearby. The Ranch Kettle is huge, but I have to use a separate table to keep these things close at hand. The grill has several hooks for keeping tools, but I'd prefer a shelf on the side, especially one that folds down when not in use.CleaningThe Ranch Kettle is a bitch to clean. The removable cooking grates from my old Brinkmann would fit in the dishwasher, or in my kitchen sink for soaking. The large round cooking grate on the Ranch Kettle has to be cleaned without these conveniences. I use a sturdy wire brush with a metal scraper on the tip, which is effective at removing chunky food residue, but it isn't sufficient to get all the grease and residue off the grate and get it truly clean. I may invest in a Grill Daddy, but the grill has to be heated for that to work properly, which is a lot more convenient for a gas grill than for one which uses wood or coals for fuel. I may buy a big tub to soak the grate, but that's another hassle. I won't use any of the commercially available chemical grill cleaning solvents because it would be difficult to wash off the chemical residue, since I can't fit the grate in the sink or dishwasher.Also, the large amount of charcoal necessary for the Ranch Kettle produces a prodigious amount of ash. I'm accustomed to dumping grill ash in an unused corner of my yard, but the Ranch Kettle makes so much ash I'm going to need a large ash can to dispose of it. The ash has to be scooped out of the lower portion of the kettle; the large ash catcher beneath the kettle is effective at keeping hot ash from blowing around, but most of the ash remains in the lower portion of the kettle.Vertical clearanceAs I indicated earlier, I grill my Thanksgiving turkey over coals and wood each year. However, I'm concerned that, for all it's size, the Ranch Kettle's lid doesn't seem to provide enough vertical clearance for a good-sized bird to fit underneath. I measured about 10 inches from the top of the middle of the lid down to the cooking surface; that's probably not going to be enough. The Ranch Kettle is unsurpassed for cooking most foods, but cooking something tall like a turkey may pose a problem.CostAs I indicated, this thing costs as much a five Brinkmanns. It also uses a huge amount of fuel. During our recent party, I tore through 1 1/2 large bags of regular charcoal, plus a full bag of mesquite wood chunks. Furthermore, I need to buy an ash can and some unique cleaning implements to service this large grill. And now that I've spent more than $1000 on this thing, I need a big waterproof cover to protect my investment. I suppose no grill comes with it's own cover, but the Ranch Kettle is a costly specialty item and I naively hoped Weber would provide one. I've ordered a round outdoor table cover, which I hope is sufficient to protect the grill from the elements. So there's a lot of stuff to buy even after you've plunked down a grand and change for the Ranch Kettle.Despite these shortcomings, the Ranch Kettle is a pleasure to use and produces spectacular results no other grill can match. It's pricey, but it performs. Just know what you're getting into before you buy.UPDATE 9/19/2010:I've been using the Ranch Kettle all summer and it has lived up to it's excellent early performance. Yesterday, I cooked TWO 14-pound turkeys in about 2 hours. The results were spectacular. The 2 birds fit, albeit snugly, under the lid without touching it. I've spent the summer cooking all kinds of food and I've yet to make a bad meal on the Ranch Kettle. I've slow-cooked both beef and pork ribs using indirect heat, and I've grilled enough steaks on it to feed a platoon. The early warping of the coal grate I experienced has not worsened, though I periodically flip the grate to prevent any further damage. The outdoor table cover I purchased separately has been sufficient to protect the grill from the elements, though I plan to store it indoors over the winter. I've managed to keep the cooking grate clean with a heavy-duty scouring pad and hot water, in addition to the standard wire grill brush, after each use. Yes, this is a chore, but I haven't found a decent alternative. Just be sure to dry the grate with an old towel after cleaning to avoid rust. The only new complaint I have is that one of the small plastic wheels recently fell apart. I was able to snap it back together, but they are too flimsy for such a big (and expensive) grill.

This Weber grill was one of the best charcoal grills on the market. It was very easy to grill a large variety of meats for a large party of 30 or more. This grill allowed everyone to eat food hot of the grill at the same time. We advise that you have a sufficient indoor storage space as this grill is too nice and expensive to leave outside in inclement weather conditions.

Eigentlich viel zu teuer, dazu noch schlecht verarbeitet und dokumentiert, aber absolut kult. Braucht niemand, aber sehr, sehr mächtig! Ausserdem werden alle neidisch sein. Wie gesagt, eher für Kindsköpfe.