# Charcoal Barbecues?



## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

We're looking at buying a charcoal bbq for our seasonal campsite. I like Costco but the only one they have other than super high end models is this: http://www.costco.ca/Napoleon®-Charcoal-Kettle-Grill-with-Cover.product.100056858.html

What should I know about buying a charcoal grill? Is it better to have someone make me one from scratch or are store bought ones okay?


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Addy said:


> What should I know about buying a charcoal grill? Is it better to have someone make me one from scratch or are store bought ones okay?


I have a simple no-name charcoal grill that I bought in the 1990s when I lived in Vermont; there's no name brand on it, I probably bought it from K-Mart or the local hardware store. It has stayed outside all year round since then and is still in fine shape. It probably cost me $25. So I'd say store-bought ones are okay and maybe even a used one would be fine.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the grill has two positions: 1) too close to the coals and 2) too far from the coals. In retrospect I should have gotten one with more positions for the grill, or a grill you can adjust with a lever or handle.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

i bought one of the acorn shaped charcoal grills from walmart last year, it was under 200 bucks, high end ones are close to 1000.
I love it, i do ribs, roasts, steaks on it. its great as you can control the air flow/heat 
you can add wood chips (soaked first) to smoke your ribs
Its looks like this one at amazon, but was cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16619-Charcoal-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B005ELWI7S


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## praire_guy (Sep 8, 2011)

My webber kettle charcoal,grill is,over twenty years old, and still chugging along.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Too bad this is not in the Frugal discussion, but...

I have made a perfectly good charcoal barbecue from an old car wheel propped up on 3 steel fence posts, pieces of rebar or pipe. On top I used a grille from an old stove or a piece of wire mesh (do not use a fridge grille or galvanized metal, they can poison you).

If there are too many vent holes in the wheel you will get too much draft. I cured this by sticking a stainless steel hub cap on the wheel.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Whatever happened to the Hibachi?


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## 6811 (Jan 1, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> Whatever happened to the Hibachi?


Funny you should mention this as it's what I was thinking of while reading this thread. I went through a few of them back in the seventies and early eighties BC (Before Children) and although the gas BBQ is so convenient I have recently been thinking of getting an Hibachi for the remembered taste of charcoal broiling. Home Hardware has them as does Amazon (of course).


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

I had a hibachi as well and it was great, but small. It's fine for one or two people. But usually we grill when we have company and a hibachi isn't big enough for that unless you grill in stages. Plus I like to make grilled pizzas and those are too big to fit on a hibachi. The other thing I found about hibachis was that they rust if left out in the rain. My standard kettle-style grill (which has a cover with vents) has stayed outside all year round for more than 20 years now without rusting.


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## Hawkdog (Oct 26, 2012)

Hibachi is great for a steak or few burgers,

but if you want to do ribs for 3-4 hours with some initial wood chip smoking the hibachi doesn't really cut it.

plus with the acorn/kettle type when i am done i close all the vents and it actually stops burning which saves some of the briquettes for the next bbq.

Each to their own, all depends how much you bbq. I use it year round, a few times a week.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Less than half a small bag.


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