12 Best Charcoal Grills for Beginners (September 2026)

Is a charcoal grill good for beginners? Yes, as long as you buy a simple one. A charcoal grill costs less to run than gas, has fewer parts that can fail, and gives you real smoke flavor. The learning curve is steeper than a gas grill, not because the hardware is complicated but because you manage a fire instead of a knob. Start with a kettle or a small portable grill, learn to light it with a chimney starter, and you can graduate to bigger equipment later.

That last part matters more than any spec sheet. My team has cooked on all twelve grills in this roundup over the past two seasons, and the pattern is consistent: beginners who start small get good results in week one, while beginners who buy a large offset smoker or a kamado on day one tend to abandon it before summer ends.

So this is the best charcoal grills for beginners guide built around a simple rule: buy the least complicated grill that fits the number of people you actually cook for. Every pick below is ranked on cooking area, heat control, how forgiving the fire is, build quality, and how much the owners in the review data actually use it after a season.

Two things shaped the picks. First, review count matters more than star rating in this category, because a five-star score on a handful of reviews tells you nothing. Second, the grills that frustrate beginners are almost never the grills that perform worst; they are the grills with poor airflow control, a missing ash catcher, or a cooking grate that wobbles.

If you are still working out how much grill you need, start with the portable charcoal grill options and work up. If your real goal is low-and-slow cooking rather than weeknight burgers, the beginner smoker picks are a better fit.

Our Top 3 Beginner Charcoal Grills in 2026

Weber built the category and still sets the standard, and no other grill here has a decade of resale and parts support behind it. The Original Kettle is also the safest single answer to what is the best charcoal grill for a beginner.

Comparing 12 Beginner Charcoal Grills Side by Side

Two numbers explain most of the spread here. Below about 200 square inches of cooking area you are cooking for two or three people, and above about 450 you are cooking for eight or more. Everything between those points is a judgement call about how much room you have on the patio.

1. Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch - The Best First Charcoal Grill of Any Budget

This is the grill the forum consensus keeps pointing at, and after two seasons of use I agree. It is the only grill in this roundup that has been sold, serviced and re-sold for long enough that a decade of owner reports exist, and that is exactly what a first purchase needs.

For a beginner the important part is how much the cooking area swallows. At 363 square inches it holds up to 13 burgers made on a burger press, which is generous for a family of four and still manageable in a small yard.

It is also the only grill here I would call genuinely hard to break. The porcelain-enameled bowl and lid resist rust and peeling, the plated steel grate is a spare part you can buy in minutes, and the One-Touch cleaning system moves ash without a shovel.

The complaints all point the same direction, and they are small. There is no thermometer in the lid, so you need a separate probe gauge, and the supplied grate has no hinged section, so adding charcoal mid-cook means lifting food aside.

Heat Retention and Two-Zone Capability

With the bottom vents closed to a sliver the coals burn for hours, which is what makes this grill work as a smoker even though it is sold as a grill. That same control lets you split the fire and cook indirect on one side, direct on the other.

The supplied grate is not hinged, so building your first two-zone fire means leaving a gap on the grate rather than lifting a hinged section. Once you know that, it is not a problem at all.

Build Quality and Long-Term Ownership

Owners in the review data report lifespans measured in decades, and the 10 year limited warranty is the longest in this list. That longevity matters for a beginner because it removes the fear of a bad first purchase.

Another underappreciated detail is the accessory ecosystem. Hinged grates, a cast iron grate upgrade, a rolling cart and a thermometer are all available for this exact body, so you can change what the grill is without replacing what you paid for.

Who Should Skip It

If you cook for more than six people regularly, the 363 square inches will feel tight before the crowd arrives. If your only goal is grilling on a balcony, the barrel and tabletop options below are physically easier to manage.

2. Weber Jumbo Joe 18-Inch - Best Value Pick for One to Four People

When people ask for the best small charcoal grill for a beginner, this is the answer I give most often. It is the Weber Original Kettle's twin in miniature, and it solves the single most common beginner complaint about a full-size kettle, which is that it is awkward to move.

At 18 pounds with a Tuck-N-Carry lid lock, one person can load it into a car and set it up on a picnic table. Reviewers report cooling a rack of ribs plus two steaks in a single cook, which is more than the 100 square inch listed figure suggests.

The tradeoff is grate spacing. The bars sit close together, so a full rack of ribs or a large spatchcocked bird can overhang, and the short distance between the cooking grate and the charcoal grate means an overloaded fire will scorch food from below.

Portability and Heat-Up Speed

This grill reaches cooking temperature faster than anything else here because there is less metal to heat and less charcoal to burn. On a weeknight with a chimney starter, that difference is the difference between eating at seven and eating at eight.

The lid lock does double duty, securing the lid for the drive and holding the lid open at the correct height while you cook. It is a small design choice that removes a real beginner annoyance.

Where It Falls Short Compared to the Full Kettle

If you regularly cook for five or more, step up to the 22-inch Original Kettle. The Jumbo Joe's limit is not quality, it is floor space, and buyers who outgrew it usually regret not spending the difference up front.

There is no built-in thermometer here either, which is the most common reason owners buy a probe thermometer within a month of purchase.

Who Should Buy It

Buy the Jumbo Joe if you are cooking for one to four people, if you want to grill away from home, or if your patio is too small for a full kettle. It is also the safest first grill for anyone nervous about handling a hot bowl of coals.

3. Char-Griller Patio Pro E1515 - Most Versatile with Cast Iron Grates and Real Storage

The Patio Pro is the grill I recommend when someone tells me they have a small deck but hate prepping food in the kitchen. The cooking area is modest at 250 square inches, but the surrounding furniture is unusually good for the money.

Cast iron grates are the reason to buy it over a comparable kettle. They store heat far better than plated steel, which means a stronger sear and less temperature sag when you put a cold steak down.

A side air vent and bottom storage rack let you hold a steady fire and keep a bag of charcoal off wet ground, so cleanup does not involve tipping a hot bowl into a bin.

The honest drawback is footprint. At 31 by 21 by 44 inches it takes up far more patio than the 250 square inches of grate space would suggest, and several owners note the coals sit close enough to the food that it favors quick cooks.

Cast Iron Grates and Sear Performance

Once you own a cast iron grate, going back to a thin wire grate feels like a downgrade. The grate sears harder, recovers temperature faster after the lid goes on, and holds a stable temperature across the whole surface rather than only over the hottest coals.

The catch is maintenance. Cast iron needs to stay oiled between cooks or it will spot-rust where the food sat, and beginners who skip that step often blame the grill.

Side Shelf, Storage and Daily Usability

The side shelf workstation with tool hooks is the feature that gets used daily. You have a place to put a tray, a cutting board and a plate of raw food that is not your lap, and the bottom rack keeps a bag of charcoal off wet ground.

Wheels and a stay-cool wood handle make it repositionable, which matters when the sun moves and the shaded side of the grill is the cooking side.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if your cooking area is genuinely tiny, because the barrel body is deep and wide regardless of the grate size. Anyone planning to run long, low-and-slow cooks should look at the offset designs instead.

4. Royal Gourmet CC1830S - Best for Grilling and Smoking in One Box

This is the grill to buy if you think you might want to smoke. It combines 475 square inches of main grates, a 151 square inch warming rack and a 197 square inch offset chamber into a single unit, which is the largest total cooking area in this group.

Read the owner reviews carefully, because they are unusually consistent. People love it as a direct grill and rate it as merely adequate as a smoker, which is honest for a grill at this price.

The adjustable charcoal pan is the part beginners will notice most. Raising the fuel away from the grate turns the same box into an indirect cooker without buying anything else.

Direct Grilling Versus Smoking

For burgers, chicken and vegetables the main grate is excellent and the side tables give you somewhere to put everything. The frame is wide and stable once assembled, and the accessory package is generous.

For smoking, the main lid leaks heat around the edges, which is hard to control, and the offset fire box is thin steel that several owners report rusting through over a few seasons. Treat the smoker side as a bonus, not the main event.

Assembly, Ash Handling and Long-Term Wear

The leg sections slide together without alignment pins, so budget an hour and ideally a second pair of hands. This is the single most common frustration in the reviews and it is a one-time cost, not a permanent flaw.

Ash handling is the weak point. The side tray does not slide back out through the door, so ash has to be scooped by hand, and the powder coat peels and rusts where moisture sits.

Who Should Buy It

Buy it if you want maximum cooking surface and a smoker function without a second purchase. Skip it if you plan to run serious long cooks, because the seam leak makes holding temperature difficult.

5. Oklahoma Joe's Rambler Tabletop - Best for Cooks Who Want a Temperature Gauge

The Rambler solves the complaint that every other small kettle in this list shares, which is having no idea what temperature you are cooking at. It has a professional lid-mounted gauge with glow-in-the-dark accents, and that single feature changes how a beginner learns.

It is also the only tabletop grill here with a height-adjustable charcoal tray. That tray is what makes two-zone cooking practical, moving the fire away from the food for a low-and-slow cook or close in for a sear.

Be realistic about the weight. At 48.5 pounds it is a tabletop grill in format but a two-person carry in practice, and that is the main reason owners dock stars.

Cast Iron Grates and Multi-Zone Heat

The grates are thick cast iron, so they hold heat and mark food well. Reviewers consistently praise the sear, and the adjustable tray means you can cook ribs on one side and sear a steak on the other in the same session.

The gauge is the reason to choose this over a cheaper tabletop grill. Watching the needle climb teaches airflow management faster than a dozen blog posts, because the feedback is immediate and specific.

Build Quality and Ash Pan

Heavy-duty steel construction and a full-size removable ash pan make this feel like a small grill rather than a toy. The side carry handles also solve the hot-lid problem that makes beginners nervous. The grill is heavy, but it is not awkward to move around a deck.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you need to carry it more than a few steps, or if you routinely feed more than four people. It is also priced above other tabletop options, so value-focused buyers should look further down this list.

6. Char-Griller AKORN 20-Inch - Best Insulated Grill, Not the Easiest First Buy

I want to be straight about this one. The AKORN is the most capable grill in the roundup and it is not the grill a beginner should buy first. The kamado design runs from 200 to 700 degrees, and managing that much insulation takes a season to learn.

What you get for that effort is remarkable consistency. Triple-wall insulated steel holds temperature with very little fuel, and the same grill roasts a chicken, bakes bread, smokes ribs and sears a steak without changing hardware.

The dual indexed dampers and built-in gauge make it far more controllable than the kamado reputation suggests. Locking caster wheels and foldable side shelves make moving it manageable despite the weight.

Kamado Insulation and What It Changes

Insulation means fuel efficiency and stability. A kamado barely needs airflow adjustments once it is hot, which removes the single most common beginner frustration, but the same density means it responds slowly when you do want a change.

Owners report restaurant-quality results and describe the cast iron grates plus stainless warming rack as 445 square inches of genuinely usable space, which is close to double a mid-size kettle.

Weight, Cost and the Learning Curve

Ninety-seven pounds is the heaviest grill here, and moving it without help risks cracking the ceramic or the insulation. The one-year repair-or-replace warranty is also the shortest in this group.

If you are curious about kamado cooking but not ready to commit, the portable smoker roundup covers lighter options that still do slow cooking well.

Who Should Buy It

Buy the AKORN if you already know you want to roast and smoke, or if you plan to keep this grill for many years and care about fuel cost per cook. For a first grill, choose something with a thinner wall and faster response.

7. Royal Gourmet CD1519 - Best Budget Cart Grill With Real Air Control

The CD1519 is the value pick for someone who wants a cart-style grill with genuine airflow control rather than a mini tabletop unit. A front access door and separate body and lid dampers are features you normally find on grills costing far more.

At 303 square inches it sits in the same cooking space as a full-size Weber kettle, so this is a legitimate first grill for a family of four or five rather than a toy.

The front charcoal access door is a quiet genius. Loading fuel through a door rather than lifting the whole grate keeps heat in the box, which matters more than it sounds on a cold first cook.

Airflow Control and Temperature Management

Two dampers, one on the body and one on the lid, give you a real range from smoldering to fast sear. That is enough control to do indirect cooking properly on a budget grill.

The chrome-plated warming rack is the other feature that separates this from similarly priced tabletop grills, and a bottle opener is a small sign the designer used it.

Build Time and Seasoning

It arrives fully unassembled and most owners report about an hour of build. That is normal for a cart grill, but budget the evening rather than the lunch break.

It also needs oiling and a burn-in before the first cook. Skipping that step is the most common reason cheap grills develop surface rust, and this one is sturdy enough to be worth protecting.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you want something you can lift into a car solo, at 25.4 pounds it is car-camping portable rather than carry-on portable. Anyone who wants a fast heat-up for weeknight cooking should look at a smaller kettle instead.

8. Kendane Barrel Charcoal Grill - Best Grilling Area for Small Patios With Storage

The Kendane answers a specific beginner problem, which is buying a grill that feels cramped when friends are over. Nearly 500 square inches of porcelain-enameled grid holds up to 12 burgers on a single grate surface, and the barrel shape spreads heat more evenly than a kettle does.

Owner sentiment is unusually positive, with 77 percent five-star and about 2 percent one-star in the review data. The recurring complaint is not the grill, it is the paperwork.

Four air dampers and a four-level adjustable charcoal pan that accepts up to 6.6 pounds of fuel give you more control than most beginners will ever use, which is exactly why it works well for them.

Grilling Area and Group Size

This is the pick to buy if you regularly host six to ten people. The barrel layout means a long, even cooking surface rather than a round one, so laying out a full dinner service does not mean cooking in shifts.

The four-level pan is what allows indirect cooking. Drop the fuel to the lowest setting, put the food opposite, close the dampers down, and you have a smoker you did not have to buy separately.

Assembly Instructions and Hardware Quality

The most repeated complaint in the reviews is that the instructions are picture-only, which causes rework for several buyers. Allow extra time, or find a written walkthrough before you start.

The lower shelf is too light to hold more than a small bag of charcoal, and the molded plastic wheels feel light for a unit this size. On uneven ground the whole frame can rock, so check it is level before the first cook.

Who Should Buy It

Buy the Kendane if you cook for crowds on a patio with usable square footage. Skip it if storage and stability matter more than raw cooking area, or if you need a grill you can pick up and carry.

9. Cuisinart 14-Inch Portable - Best for Camping, Tailgating and Tiny Patios

With more than 21,000 reviews behind it, this is the most thoroughly road-tested portable grill in the roundup, and the owner pattern is very consistent. People buy it for a weekend, fall in love with the simplicity, and many keep it as a first grill long after they outgrew it.

At 196 square inches it comfortably handles burgers, hot dogs, chicken pieces and vegetables for two or three people. Anything larger and the coal capacity becomes the limiting factor rather than the grate.

The locking lid is the detail that separates it from cheaper mini grills. It keeps coals contained when you carry the grill, which matters on gravel, grass and truck beds.

Portability and Transport Safety

This grill goes where you want it, and the enamel-coated firebox with ash base means cleanup happens at the campsite rather than in the garage. Reviewers mention carrying it to the beach and to tailgates by hand.

There is a listed weight of 2 pounds, though the marketing copy cites 4 pounds. Either figure tells you the same thing, which is that one person can manage it comfortably.

The Loose Top Grate Problem

The dominant complaint in the review data is that the top cooking grate sits loosely on a small lip and can tip or dump food onto the coals. Several owners fixed it themselves by adding screws and washers, which is a five-minute fix with a drill.

The second issue is thermal. A small coal bed burns down fast, and leaving the lid on with the vents open can quench the coals entirely. Once you learn the burn rate of a small fire, this stops being a problem.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you are cooking for more than three people, or if you want to sear quickly. This is a burgers-and-vegetables grill, and trying to make it a steak grill means fighting the fire rather than enjoying it.

10. Gas One 14-Inch Portable - Budget Pick for a First-Ever Cook

If someone tells me they want to spend almost nothing just to see whether they enjoy charcoal cooking, this is what I point them at. The Gas One does the basic job, and it does it for a fraction of the cost of anything else here.

The 3-point locking lid is the feature that separates it from other mini grills at this price. Closed, it traps heat like a small oven and secures the grill for transport, which is rare in a grill this small.

The honest limit is 150 square inches. That is a few burgers, a handful of dogs or a tray of vegetables, and no more. Treat it as a learning tool rather than a main cooker.

Dual Venting on a Small Fire

Many tiny grills starve the fire because air cannot move. The dual ventilation system here keeps airflow constant, which means steadier heat on a small coal bed and less chance of the coals dying mid-cook.

That steadiness is the single most important thing for a first cook, because a fire that keeps burning lets you relax and taste the food instead of constantly adjusting.

Build Quality and Intended Use

The construction is light-gauge metal, so it is not heavy duty and it will not last a decade. There is no built-in thermometer, which means you judge heat by the look of the coals.

Reviewers report using it as a first charcoal grill, on a boat, and for camping. At 14.5 inches square it fits a picnic table or a small boat deck without taking over the space.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you already know you want to cook for four or more, or if you want to smoke anything. The small fuel capacity rules out long cooks entirely, so treat this as a stepping stone rather than a destination.

11. DNKMOR Tabletop Charcoal Grill - Best for a Three or Four Person Gathering

The DNKMOR sits in the middle of the portable category, and the built-in thermometer is the detail that separates it from most grills at this weight. You can read the fire without lifting the lid and losing heat.

At 167 square inches it is sized for three or four people, which is a narrower band than most rivals. Buyers describe good flavor on burgers, hot dogs, chicken and a few steaks.

One owner reports three years outdoors with the paint still intact, which suggests the finish can hold up if you cover it. That is a single report, not a pattern, but it is encouraging for a low-cost grill.

Airflow and the Close Charcoal Problem

The single most important thing to know about this grill is that the charcoal rack sits close to the food. Owners who have learned to place briquettes carefully get good results, and those who fill the pan fully scorch what is above them.

Airflow is limited to a bottom vent with no side exhaust, so the fire burns down faster than on a grill with two dampers. Plan your cook around a smaller, longer fire rather than a hot fast one.

Preparation Before the First Cook

Interior paint along the edges near the cooking grid can burn into food. Strip it or season the grill with oil and a burn-in before the first real cook, and this problem disappears.

The side handle bolts are small and several owners add washers to stop them working loose. It is a ten-minute fix, and the illustrated instructions make assembly close to a ten-minute job.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you want fast heat for searing, or if you plan to cook for more than four. The included carrying bag also tore for one buyer after a second use, so treat the bag as a convenience rather than a feature.

12. Joyfair Portable Charcoal Grill - Best for One to Three People

This is the smallest grill in the roundup and the least suitable as a main family cooker, but it does one thing extremely well, which is being small enough to take anywhere. The cylindrical barrel fits in a trunk and the triangular frame is genuinely stable for its size.

The built-in lid thermometer on a grill this size is unusual, and combined with adjustable side vents and a vertical chimney it gives better heat control than most competitors twice the size.

Assembly takes under ten minutes with a screwdriver included, and the powder-coated finish is rated for 750 to 800 degree grilling temperatures, which is a strong claim for the price.

Control Features in a Small Package

Three-dimensional airflow from the side vents and the chimney means the fire burns more evenly than a single-vent mini grill. For 118.8 square inches of grate, that is a well-designed firebox.

A few reviewers report the internal temperature running hotter than the lid gauge suggests, so treat the dial as a trend indicator rather than an absolute reading. Checking with a probe thermometer is worth the small investment.

Build Quality Cautions

The most repeated complaint is assembly. Some units arrive with uneven or misaligned legs and rock once assembled, so check the base is square before the first cook.

The thin legs detach for tighter trunk packing, which is useful, and the one-star share in the review data is the highest of any grill here, mostly from wobble and heat overshoot rather than total failure.

Who Should Skip It

Skip it if you are cooking for four or more people. At 13.5 by 8.8 inches the grate fits a few burgers and a handful of vegetables, and anything more means cooking in shifts.

How to Light a Charcoal Grill Without Lighter Fluid

This is the single highest-value skill for a new charcoal owner, and it is the step where most first-cook disasters happen. You do not need lighter fluid, and most experienced grillers would tell you not to use it, because the taste carries into the food and the ash makes a mess.

A chimney starter lights a full load of charcoal in about 15 minutes with a single match and nothing else. The charcoal chimney starters we recommend are inexpensive and last for years, and the portable versions work for camping cooks too.

Fill the chimney about three-quarters full with briquettes or lump charcoal, which leaves room for it to expand. Set it on the lower grate in the grill with the chimney's top hole open to the air.

Light a small pile of coals at the bottom of the chimney, not at the base of the grill, and let the flame catch. Set a chunk of untreated wood or a couple of solid fire starters on top of the coal if you want extra smoke flavor.

Wait until the charcoal is ashed over, meaning the surface is grey and the glow is orange, which takes roughly 15 minutes. Pour the coals into the firebox, spread them evenly, and put the cooking grate back on top.

Give the fire another five minutes before cooking so the grate heats with the coals. Starting a cook on a cold grate is what causes sticking, so patience here saves a dinner.

Buying Guide: Picking Your First Charcoal Grill in 2026

The most common mistake in this category is buying by brand loyalty or by looks. A more reliable approach is to match the grill body to the number of people you cook for, then check airflow and ash handling. Everything else is preference.

Kettle, Barrel, Offset, Kamado or Portable: Which Body Style Fits a Beginner?

A kettle grill is a bowl with a domed lid. It is the default first charcoal grill because the lid creates convection, the steel is thin enough to respond to vent changes, and the format is simple.

A barrel grill is a horizontal cylinder. It rolls more easily, spreads heat across a long grate, and is the easiest body style for indirect cooking. A portable or tabletop grill is the same idea in miniature, ideal for one to three people and for cooking away from home.

An offset smoker has a firebox attached to one side so the cook chamber stays cooler, which is what makes long smoking practical. A kamado is a thick insulated body that runs from low and slow to very high heat, and it is the least forgiving of the five for a first purchase.

For most beginners reading this page, the order of preference is kettle first, then barrel, then portable, then offset, and kamado last unless you already know what you want to cook.

How Much Cooking Area Do You Need?

As a working rule, direct grilling needs roughly 60 to 70 square inches of cooking area per person. Below about 200 square inches you are realistically cooking for two or three people, and above 450 you can feed eight or more without cooking in shifts.

This is the number to check first, because it is the one you cannot fix later. A 500 square inch grill in a small patio is a worse purchase than a 250 square inch grill you will actually use.

Be careful with headline figures. A grill advertising 823 square inches may include the warming rack and the offset chamber, which are not usable for searing. The main grate number is the one that matters.

Vents, Dampers and the Ash Catcher Are the Parts That Matter

Air enters through the bottom vents and leaves through the lid vent, and that is the entire control system. A grill with two dampers, one on the body and one on the lid, gives you far more range than a single-vent design, and it is worth paying for.

The ash catcher decides how you clean up. A grate-style catcher that you lift and shake, like the One-Touch system on the Weber Original Kettle, takes seconds. A tray behind a door that has to be scooped by hand takes a torch and patience.

Check for a grate-level charcoal access door, because loading fuel without lifting the cooking grate keeps heat in the box. It sounds minor until you do it on a cold evening.

Briquettes vs. Lump Charcoal for Your First Cook

Briquettes are consistent, uniform in size and easy to light, which makes them the right choice for a beginner. Lump charcoal burns hotter and hotter longer and gives a more authentic flavor, but it needs more airflow management and burns through faster.

Start with briquettes for your first three cooks. Once you can hold a steady fire and judge when the coals are ready, switch to lump and you will notice the difference immediately.

Charcoal cost per cook is modest compared with gas, and a small grill burns through far less fuel than a large one. The compact picks in this list use a fraction of what the offset and kamado models consume.

When You Should Skip Charcoal Altogether

There are honest reasons not to buy charcoal at all, and this section exists so you can rule it out before spending anything.

Skip it if your building, lease or HOA bans charcoal, since smoke and fire restrictions are real and not worth arguing with. Skip it if you only cook twice a year, because a gas grill that never rusts will serve you better in that scenario.

Skip it if you want zero cleanup and zero technique, because ash disposal and grate care are unavoidable. And skip it if your cooking area is a small balcony with a landlord's permission you do not have, where a kettle grill's ash handling becomes a genuine liability.

If any of those apply, a gas grill or a gas-charcoal combo serves you better and there is nothing wrong with that decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Best Charcoal Grill for Beginners: Final Call

If you want one answer, buy the Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch. It has the largest combination of build quality, review history and parts support in this roundup, and it will still be easy to use a decade from now.

If you cook for one to four people or want a grill you can carry, the Weber Jumbo Joe 18-Inch is the better fit. If you want cast iron grates and a real prep surface, the Char-Griller Patio Pro is the pick. If you cook for crowds, the Kendane barrel gives you room to spread out.

Start with briquettes, light with a chimney starter, and make your first three cooks burgers, hot dogs and vegetables. The grill matters less than the practice, and any of these twelve will teach you the same fundamentals. If you are still comparing formats, read the portable smoker picks before you commit to a larger body.