Grate & Grill
Review

Weber Original Kettle Premium Review

The most-owned charcoal grill in America, examined on the numbers. 363 square inches, a hinged cooking grate, a sealed One-Touch ash catcher and a 10-year warranty — the Premium kettle is the default for good reason. Here's what it does well, and who should buy it.

By Stephen V.Last updated Our methodology

Quick answer

The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-inch is the charcoal grill most people should buy. Its 363 square inches cook for a family, the hinged grate lets you add coals without lifting the food, the sealed One-Touch ash catcher and built-in lid thermometer add real convenience, and the porcelain bowl carries a 10-year warranty. The only real limit is that it’s a single 22-inch zone with no side table — but for a buy-it-once charcoal grill, nothing is safer money.

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Reviewed — best charcoal grill
Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-inch Charcoal Grill

Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-inch Charcoal Grill

Cooking area363 sq in
Cooking grateHinged plated steel
Ash cleanupOne-Touch, enclosed catcher
$219.00 · View on Amazon

Price as of September 6, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

What it is

The Weber Original Kettle is the round charcoal grill that defined the shape, and the Premium is its mid-trim version — the sweet spot between the bare-bones base kettle and the cart-mounted Performer. It’s a 22-inch porcelain-enameled steel bowl with 363 square inches of cooking area, two dampers for airflow, the One-Touch cleaning system, and Weber’s 10-year no-rust-through warranty. It’s the most-owned charcoal grill in America, and that ubiquity is itself a feature: parts, accessories and advice for it are everywhere, so a kettle bought today is still fully serviceable in twenty years.

Why the Premium trim is the sweet spot

The Premium adds the two things the base Original Kettle lacks, both of which you appreciate on every cook. First, a hinged cooking grate: the grate flips up on the sides so you can add charcoal or wood chunks mid-cook without lifting the food and the whole grate off — a real convenience on any longer indirect cook. Second, a sealed One-Touch ash catcher: a lever sweeps the ash into an enclosed catcher that actually seals, rather than the base model’s simpler open aluminum pan. It also adds a built-in lid thermometer. None of these change how the food tastes — the bowl is the same — but they make the kettle meaningfully nicer to live with, which is why the Premium is the trim we’d point most people to. We break down the base-versus-upgrade decision in Original Kettle vs Master-Touch.

How it cooks

Like every good kettle, the Premium is far more capable than a beginner expects. 363 square inches is enough to grill for a family hot and fast, and — by banking the lit coals to one side for two-zone cooking— it turns into a genuine smoker for ribs, a pork butt or a couple of chickens. The porcelain-enameled bowl holds heat well and resists rust, the two dampers give you precise airflow control, and the deep round shape is easy to set up for indirect cooking. It sears a steak, smokes low and slow, and roasts under the lid — a lot of range from a simple, near-indestructible object.

Where it falls short

Two honest limits, both about what it isn’t. First, it’s a single 22-inch zone with no work surface— no side table, no cart, just the bowl on three legs with two wheels. If you want somewhere to prep and stage, that’s the Performer cart. Second, the Premium costs more than the near-identical base Original Kettle, which grills the same food without the hinged grate, sealed catcher or thermometer — so if you’re truly price-driven and don’t mind lifting the grate to add coals, the base kettle is the same cooking for less. Beyond those, there’s little to fault: it’s a simple tool that does its job for decades.

Who should buy it

Buy the Weber Original Kettle Premium if you want one charcoal grill that will grill, sear and smoke for a family and outlast every other grill you own, and you value the hinged grate and sealed ash catcher enough to pay a little over the base kettle. It’s our overall pick in the best charcoal grills roundupfor exactly that reason. If you want more hardware — a Gourmet BBQ System grate, a lid holder, char-rails — step up to the Master-Touch (see Master-Touch vs Performer); if you want a work table, the Performer; and if you’re brand new to charcoal, start with how to use a charcoal grill.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Weber Original Kettle Premium worth it?

Yes — it's the charcoal grill most people should buy. Its 363 sq in cook for a family, the hinged grate lets you add coals without lifting the food, the sealed One-Touch ash catcher and lid thermometer add convenience, and the porcelain bowl carries a 10-year warranty backed by the deepest parts network in charcoal. It grills, sears and smokes, and it outlasts most grills twice its price. The Premium trim is the sweet spot between the bare base kettle and the pricier Performer cart.

What's the difference between the Original Kettle and the Premium?

The Premium adds three things the base Original Kettle lacks: a hinged cooking grate (flips up to add coals mid-cook without lifting the food), a sealed enclosed One-Touch ash catcher instead of a simple aluminum pan, and a built-in lid thermometer. The bowl, cooking area and warranty are the same, so they cook identically — the Premium just adds convenience. If you're price-driven and don't mind lifting the grate to add coals, the base kettle is the same cooking for less.

How big is the Weber Original Kettle Premium?

It has 363 square inches of cooking area on a 22-inch porcelain-enameled steel bowl — enough to grill for a family of four to six, and enough to bank the coals to one side for two-zone cooking and smoking. It's the standard, most versatile kettle size. If you need more capacity or want to smoke for a crowd, a 26-inch kettle or a dedicated smoker is bigger, but the 22-inch is the right size for most households.

Can you smoke on a Weber kettle?

Yes — a 22-inch kettle is a genuinely capable smoker. Bank the lit coals to one side (or use a charcoal basket or the 'snake' method for a long, slow burn), add a couple of wood chunks, put the meat on the cool side, and set the lid vent over the meat to draw smoke across it. It won't match a dedicated offset for capacity, but for ribs, a pork butt or a couple of chickens it does the job well. Our how-to-use guide covers the setup.

Does the Weber Original Kettle Premium have a warranty?

Yes — a 10-year no-rust-through warranty on the bowl and lid, with shorter coverage on the One-Touch cleaning system and other parts. Weber honors its warranties and has the deepest parts network in charcoal grilling, so worn parts are cheap, available fixes rather than a reason to replace the grill. Combined with the durable porcelain-enameled steel, that's why a Weber kettle routinely lasts twenty years or more.

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