About Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill:
Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill Top Customer Reviews:
I bought myself this grill for Christmas when nobody else got it for me, and now I've had it almost three months and have used it quite a few times. I bought it based on the Amazon recommendations, and the recommendation of FoodTV host Alton Brown in his book, GEAR FOR THE KITCHEN. Also, in perusing the internet, I found the "Blue's BBQ" web site from Australia. One reader asks, "How did the Weber become the icon for the Australian BBQ?" Blue had to disappoint the reader by informing her that the Weber is actually American. But if it has that kind of reputation in Australia, is must be good.
Judging from the reviews here, I'll have to wait 20 years to see how it holds up. It does live on my back porch, but with the Weber cover.
It is fairly easy to assemble, and in my humble engineering opinion, seems well-made and designed with few exceptions. The Silver model has an ash catch-pan hung between the legs. The pan sits on top of spring clips clipped to the leg. After how well everything else went together, this seemed really cheesy to me. If you're a prefectionist, you'll go nuts trying to level the pan.
I guess that the "one touch cleaning" feature is the vanes on the bottom that also act to adjust the temperature in the grill by adjusting the airflow. If you swish them back and forth, opened and closed, it'll push some ash through the vent in the bottom. The problem is that the vanes themselves are wide and flat, and half of the ash just rides back and forth on them. I think Weber overstates this "one touch cleaning" feature.
The vanes closely fit the bottom shape of the grill when assembled, but after a couple of uses, one warped. I don't know if this is from heat, or something I lodged under it. I had to disassemble the vanes, and bend the offending blade a bit, and it's been perfect since.
I am a bit disappointed in some of the accessories, like the tool rack and little side table. They hang on the edge of the grill, and compromise the otherwise pretty good seal between the lid and grill. They also sell a lid rack, but note that the lid does comes with a hook in it so you can hang it on the edge of the grill, although it is certainly not as easy as using the optional rack.
Based on recommendations here, I got the 22" (larger) model. I can't disagree with that. Unless you just don't have the extra 4" of storage space or REALLY need a good grill, but just don't have the money, get the bigger one. It doesn't use that much more charcoal.
The other thing I scratched my head over was whether to get the Silver or Gold model. The differences were not completely clear to me until I actually got the grill. First, the Gold model adds a catch can that fits closely to the bottom of the grill instead of the pan I complained about. That would be nice. Maybe when you're grilling, hot specks of charcoal won't fall out the bottom and burn your legs, and if you grill somewhere where you don't want a lot of ash, this might be worthwhile. But the Gold is almost twice the price of the Silver, and I had a hard time justifying the additional cost.
The other feature added by the Gold is a grate with folding sides to allow you to add more charcoal when doing a long roast. A handy feature for sure, if you're cooking includes that, but I found those replacement Weber grates locally for twelve dollars, so wouldn't pay for the Gold model to get them.
And I guess that's another advantage of the Webers in general: They're so popular, replacement parts are easily found locally.
Sometimes, I long for the built-in side table of the Platinum, but that's a lot of money.
The grill came with a small cookbook that has proved useful. I don't know getting burgers and steaks done right has been such a hit or miss, trial and error, proposition that most people make it out to be. You look up in the little book, "Beef, 1-1/2 in thick, well-done (I know, Alton Brown wouldn't like me), 10 minutes first side, 9 minutes second side" and they come out perfectly.
DEFINITELY pick up a Weber charcoal chimney if you don't have one yet. It's the best way by far to start the grill - no kabooms, no fumes, no smell, no dangerous fluids stored in your house, and a good use for Florida Today newspaper. If you want to try something different, pick up the book AMERICAN PIE by Peter Reinhert and try the grilled pizza.
++++++++
I am one that loves to grill, but doesn't know anything about grills themselves, really. Due to monetary situations I had to grill on the cheapest possible grill... The green Sunbeam camper grill. I'm sure you know what grill I'm talkin' about. For over 6 years it has been my grill of choice (hey it was only $10!) and has treated me well. Over these years I always dreamed about owning a "real" charcoal grill. I wanted the American icon, I wanted the Weber One-Touch. I heard all about how durable and well built it was, how it will last for 10 years+ and how it's just a step above the rest. After actually purchasing this grill I have a bit of buyers remorse. You see, before actually buying this I was looking at a grill from Char-Broil. It had the ash catching pan like the One-Touch gold, it had space to put plates and such (sorta like the One-Touch Platinum) and it had grates with adjustable height, not to mention all of this came at a price just $5 higher then the One-Touch Silver! Anyways, for the last 2 years I wanted nothing more then the Weber so I got it. Once I started puting it together I realized that this grill just doesn't seem to have $80 worth of craftsmanship. The legs are super-flimsy hollow aluminum pipes, very cheap. The itsy bitsy tabs that hold the bottom grate are slightly uneven so my bottom grate is a bit wobbly (also it's possible for the bottom grate to fall because the tabs are pretty small). A wobbly bottom grate probably doesn't make a lick of difference when it comes to grilling, it's just that it wasn't right, it's just one of those little annoying quirks. I guess I expected everything to be heavy duty. I expected solid metal legs and such. You can find an identical grill from Char-Broil for less then half the cost! I hear that Weber is a step above because they are built to last... well my cheap $10 Sunbeam is 6+ years old and I've never had any problems with it, it's all about how you take care of it. Personally, I think for the $80 price tag of the One-Touch silver, you should at least get the hinged cooking grate, but you don't.
There are good things however. First, it's just nice to have the American icon. There is a certain feeling that comes with grillin' on the good ol' Weber kettle. There are a TON of accessories made for it and replacement parts are extremely easy to find. The one-touch system is pretty handy (although hardly one-touch).
Overall I am still happy with the purchase, I love looking at that grill. It's probably gonna grown on me more and more as years pass by. Based on price I decided to get the Silver version, but the Gold might be worth looking at. Afterall you get a much better ash-pan (I modified my silver to be just as good though... just a little creativity should do the trick) and you get the hinged grate with the gold (although you can just buy this grate for $15-$20 and stick it on your Silver if you wanna)
Choose... but choose wisely.
YEAR UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------
Okay, now it's been over a year since I posted my original review. This really is a great grill, I wish I could bump the stars up to 4, but I can't... Amazon wont let me. Some of the minor quams I said previously still apply, but this baby cooks a mean dish! I have abused mine for a year and it runs like brand new.
What really made me do this update was when I grilled on a buddy's kettle. It wasn't a weber kettle and it shows. After a year of using this I got to know this grill really well, I got used to such high quality materials. This grill really is above and beyond most other kettle style grills.
I do wish I would have purchased the gold though. The ash pan that comes with the silver is not much use if you're grilling in any sort of wind.
- Kettle grill with 363 square inches of total cooking space
- 22-inch-diameter plated-steel cooking grate; rust-resistant vents
- Porcelain-enameled bowl and lid with glass-reinforced nylon handles
- Aluminum ash catcher; aluminized-steel One-Touch cleaning system
- Measures 22- inches long by 25 inches wide by 38-1/2 inches high; 10-year limited warranty
Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill Top Customer Reviews:
I bought myself this grill for Christmas when nobody else got it for me, and now I've had it almost three months and have used it quite a few times. I bought it based on the Amazon recommendations, and the recommendation of FoodTV host Alton Brown in his book, GEAR FOR THE KITCHEN. Also, in perusing the internet, I found the "Blue's BBQ" web site from Australia. One reader asks, "How did the Weber become the icon for the Australian BBQ?" Blue had to disappoint the reader by informing her that the Weber is actually American. But if it has that kind of reputation in Australia, is must be good.
Judging from the reviews here, I'll have to wait 20 years to see how it holds up. It does live on my back porch, but with the Weber cover.
It is fairly easy to assemble, and in my humble engineering opinion, seems well-made and designed with few exceptions. The Silver model has an ash catch-pan hung between the legs. The pan sits on top of spring clips clipped to the leg. After how well everything else went together, this seemed really cheesy to me. If you're a prefectionist, you'll go nuts trying to level the pan.
I guess that the "one touch cleaning" feature is the vanes on the bottom that also act to adjust the temperature in the grill by adjusting the airflow. If you swish them back and forth, opened and closed, it'll push some ash through the vent in the bottom. The problem is that the vanes themselves are wide and flat, and half of the ash just rides back and forth on them. I think Weber overstates this "one touch cleaning" feature.
The vanes closely fit the bottom shape of the grill when assembled, but after a couple of uses, one warped. I don't know if this is from heat, or something I lodged under it. I had to disassemble the vanes, and bend the offending blade a bit, and it's been perfect since.
I am a bit disappointed in some of the accessories, like the tool rack and little side table. They hang on the edge of the grill, and compromise the otherwise pretty good seal between the lid and grill. They also sell a lid rack, but note that the lid does comes with a hook in it so you can hang it on the edge of the grill, although it is certainly not as easy as using the optional rack.
Based on recommendations here, I got the 22" (larger) model. I can't disagree with that. Unless you just don't have the extra 4" of storage space or REALLY need a good grill, but just don't have the money, get the bigger one. It doesn't use that much more charcoal.
The other thing I scratched my head over was whether to get the Silver or Gold model. The differences were not completely clear to me until I actually got the grill. First, the Gold model adds a catch can that fits closely to the bottom of the grill instead of the pan I complained about. That would be nice. Maybe when you're grilling, hot specks of charcoal won't fall out the bottom and burn your legs, and if you grill somewhere where you don't want a lot of ash, this might be worthwhile. But the Gold is almost twice the price of the Silver, and I had a hard time justifying the additional cost.
The other feature added by the Gold is a grate with folding sides to allow you to add more charcoal when doing a long roast. A handy feature for sure, if you're cooking includes that, but I found those replacement Weber grates locally for twelve dollars, so wouldn't pay for the Gold model to get them.
And I guess that's another advantage of the Webers in general: They're so popular, replacement parts are easily found locally.
Sometimes, I long for the built-in side table of the Platinum, but that's a lot of money.
The grill came with a small cookbook that has proved useful. I don't know getting burgers and steaks done right has been such a hit or miss, trial and error, proposition that most people make it out to be. You look up in the little book, "Beef, 1-1/2 in thick, well-done (I know, Alton Brown wouldn't like me), 10 minutes first side, 9 minutes second side" and they come out perfectly.
DEFINITELY pick up a Weber charcoal chimney if you don't have one yet. It's the best way by far to start the grill - no kabooms, no fumes, no smell, no dangerous fluids stored in your house, and a good use for Florida Today newspaper. If you want to try something different, pick up the book AMERICAN PIE by Peter Reinhert and try the grilled pizza.
++++++++
I am one that loves to grill, but doesn't know anything about grills themselves, really. Due to monetary situations I had to grill on the cheapest possible grill... The green Sunbeam camper grill. I'm sure you know what grill I'm talkin' about. For over 6 years it has been my grill of choice (hey it was only $10!) and has treated me well. Over these years I always dreamed about owning a "real" charcoal grill. I wanted the American icon, I wanted the Weber One-Touch. I heard all about how durable and well built it was, how it will last for 10 years+ and how it's just a step above the rest. After actually purchasing this grill I have a bit of buyers remorse. You see, before actually buying this I was looking at a grill from Char-Broil. It had the ash catching pan like the One-Touch gold, it had space to put plates and such (sorta like the One-Touch Platinum) and it had grates with adjustable height, not to mention all of this came at a price just $5 higher then the One-Touch Silver! Anyways, for the last 2 years I wanted nothing more then the Weber so I got it. Once I started puting it together I realized that this grill just doesn't seem to have $80 worth of craftsmanship. The legs are super-flimsy hollow aluminum pipes, very cheap. The itsy bitsy tabs that hold the bottom grate are slightly uneven so my bottom grate is a bit wobbly (also it's possible for the bottom grate to fall because the tabs are pretty small). A wobbly bottom grate probably doesn't make a lick of difference when it comes to grilling, it's just that it wasn't right, it's just one of those little annoying quirks. I guess I expected everything to be heavy duty. I expected solid metal legs and such. You can find an identical grill from Char-Broil for less then half the cost! I hear that Weber is a step above because they are built to last... well my cheap $10 Sunbeam is 6+ years old and I've never had any problems with it, it's all about how you take care of it. Personally, I think for the $80 price tag of the One-Touch silver, you should at least get the hinged cooking grate, but you don't.
There are good things however. First, it's just nice to have the American icon. There is a certain feeling that comes with grillin' on the good ol' Weber kettle. There are a TON of accessories made for it and replacement parts are extremely easy to find. The one-touch system is pretty handy (although hardly one-touch).
Overall I am still happy with the purchase, I love looking at that grill. It's probably gonna grown on me more and more as years pass by. Based on price I decided to get the Silver version, but the Gold might be worth looking at. Afterall you get a much better ash-pan (I modified my silver to be just as good though... just a little creativity should do the trick) and you get the hinged grate with the gold (although you can just buy this grate for $15-$20 and stick it on your Silver if you wanna)
Choose... but choose wisely.
YEAR UPDATE
-----------------------------------------------------
Okay, now it's been over a year since I posted my original review. This really is a great grill, I wish I could bump the stars up to 4, but I can't... Amazon wont let me. Some of the minor quams I said previously still apply, but this baby cooks a mean dish! I have abused mine for a year and it runs like brand new.
What really made me do this update was when I grilled on a buddy's kettle. It wasn't a weber kettle and it shows. After a year of using this I got to know this grill really well, I got used to such high quality materials. This grill really is above and beyond most other kettle style grills.
I do wish I would have purchased the gold though. The ash pan that comes with the silver is not much use if you're grilling in any sort of wind.
Product Description
Product Description
The Weber One-Touchâ"¢ Charcoal Grill (Black) delivers traditional style with features for fast and easy clean up. This 22-1/2-inch grill gives you a total of 363 square inches, plenty of cooking space for entertaining your large group. The black porcelain-enameled lid and bowl have the classic Weber design. Its One-Touch, three-pronged cleaning system sweeps ash easily from the Weber 22-1/2-inch grill basin into the removable, rust-resistant ash catcher.The hinged, stainless steel cooking grate lets you conveniently add more charcoal while grilling. Two all-weather wheels make it easier to move around the Weber One-Touch charcoal grill. Its iconic, rust-resistant aluminum vent allows you to control the internal cooking temperature. The Weber 22-1/2-inch grills glass reinforced nylon handles are heat-resistant.
Weber One-Touch Charcoal Kettle
Easy Does It
Weber's legendary charcoal grills have become a backyard icon. Just pick a size, pick a color, and get ready to inspire neighborhood-wide envy.
Weber's Original Charcoal Grilling System
At Weber they believe that grilling should be as fun as it is flavorful. Self-proclaimed perfectionists, they've dedicated themselves to that standard since 1952 when they made their first charcoal kettle. That's because they know that when you've got friends and family hovering around the grill, hungry for that unmistakable charcoal flavor, the last thing you want to contend with is shoddy construction or burnt food. So Weber did their homework, designing products that won't let you down. The result? Grills that don't require an engineering degree to assemble, last for many long years of dependable service and--most importantly--deliver exceptionally delicious grilled results every time.
Bowl and Lid
Weber kettles combine traditional design with innovation in production. Made of steel and coated with porcelain enamel, the bowl and lid are formed exactly right to allow heat to circulate around the inside of the grill for even cooking. The porcelain enamel is baked on at approximately 1500 degrees F ensuring that your grill will not only withstand the heat of many cookings, but also resist rust- and burn-through. In addition, the smooth, hard-wearing surface makes cleanup easy.
Damper
Closed-lid cooking is a signature of Weber products. The damper system created by Weber allows for control of the heat inside the unit without lifting the lid. Simply adjusting the damper provides temperatures low enough to smoke food for hours or high enough the sear steaks. Made of rust-resistant aluminum and placed just so in the lid, the damper is as durable as it is functional
Cooking Grate
Every Weber charcoal cooking grate provides ample cooking area for any meal. Made of heavy-duty plated steel, these cooking grates are durable and easy to clean, and they can hold enough heat to give you beautiful sear marks. The hinged grates have an area on either side that lifts to allow access to the fuel without lifting the whole grate or removing food from the grill. Adding or adjusting charcoal is hassle free and easy.
Charcoal Grate
The Weber charcoal grate has what it takes to withstand the heat of any charcoal fire. Made of heavy-duty plated steel, these durable grates won't warp or burn through. Additionally, they give you enough space for a direct set-up or an indirect set-up. Weber charcoal grates give you the flexibility to cook the way you want.
One-Touch Cleaning System
The One-Touch cleaning system makes cleanup hassle free. As you rotate the handle, the three blades in the bowl move ash through the vents in the bowl and down into the ash catcher. The aluminum ash catcher lifts out for easy ash disposal and cleaning. The fully enclosed ash catcher keeps ashes from blowing around and is easily detached for quick and clean ash removal. This not only makes cleaning out the bowl a breeze but also helps keep you cooking longer by preventing the build-up of ashes that blocks vents and suffocates the fire.
In addition to providing a quick and easy way to clean the bowl, the One-Touch cleaning system also acts as a second damper. The same vents that allow ash to fall easily out of the bowl help bring oxygen up to the fire. Closing the One-Touch cleaning system and the top damper allow you to choke out the fire easily.
22.5-Inch Silver One-Touch Charcoal Kettle Grill
As part of the One-Touch series, the 22.5-inch Silver kettle grill provides a plated-steel cooking grate that measures 22-1/2 inches in diameter for 363 square inches of total cooking space. The sleek unit also features a heavy-gauge porcelain-enameled bowl and lid with glass-reinforced nylon handles, rust-resistant vents, durable all-weather wheels, and an aluminum ash catcher. Best of all, the grill's aluminized-steel One-Touch cleaning system allows you to empty the ash in seconds without getting your hands dirty. Overall, the grill measures 22-1/2 inches long by 25 inches wide by 38-1/2 inches high and carries a 10-year limited warranty.
Note: Images shown above are of the Weber One-Touch Charcoal Kettle series in Black; features illustrated vary by model.
What is Weber T.I.P.S.?
Tradition
When George Stephen created the first Weber grill, he wanted to be able to bring his family together for a good meal. He insisted on a product that would exceed customers' expectations.
In the years since then, the Weber name has become synonymous with backyard barbecues and the family, friends, and good times that go with them. At Weber, they continue that tradition of excellence in everything they do from the development of new grills and accessories to the services they provide to customer and dealers.
Innovation
From the very beginning, Weber revolutionized backyard grilling. Since then, they have continued to develop products that enhance the grilling experience. From the original kettle with heat controlling dampers to electronic temperature controls and Flavorizer bars, Weber continues to be at the forefront of modern grilling, making the backyard a part of your kitchen.
Performance
Weber grills have been and will continue to be the true definition of performance in backyard grilling. Whether you're cooking a basic burger or an extensive meal, Weber grills are designed and engineered to give you the best performance every time.
Service
Service is of the utmost importance at Weber. Their Customer and Dealer Service associates work every day to ensure that their customers and dealers have the support they need.
- Product Dimensions: 25 x 20.5 x 38.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 31.8 pounds
- Domestic Shipping: Item can be shipped within U.S.
- International Shipping: This item is not eligible for international shipping.
- Origin: USA
- ASIN: B00004RALU
- Item model number: 741001BLK
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