The best charcoal BBQs in Australia

Charcoal is slower, messier and better tasting than gas, and the people who buy it know that. What matters is buying one with a lid and vents, because that is what turns a grill into something that can roast and smoke.

Questions to ask before buying a charcoal BBQ in Australia

• Can you use it on a Total Fire Ban day? No. In NSW a BBQ burning wood, charcoal or heat beads can’t be used outside during a Total Fire Ban (NSW RFS). Victoria bans solid fuel BBQs and food smokers in the open air on those days too (CFA). Check your own state’s rules.
• Can it go in a tent, caravan or garage? No. Tasmania’s health department says never to run charcoal grills or heat-bead stoves indoors or in enclosed spaces such as caravans (Tasmanian Government), and Weber warns of carbon monoxide poisoning in houses, tents, caravans and boats (Weber charcoal guide).
• How do you get rid of the ash? Weber says don’t remove ashes until the charcoal is fully extinguished and the grill is cool (Weber charcoal guide). Hot ash goes in a metal container with a tight lid, away from anything combustible (Weber Smoque manual).
• Is there anything overhead? Weber’s charcoal guide says not under any overhead combustible construction (Weber charcoal guide). Pick a clear, open spot.
• Will the smoke bother the neighbours? In a Queensland community titles scheme, occupiers must not use a lot in a way that causes a nuisance or hazard or unreasonably interferes with another lot (Queensland Government). Those rules are about occupiers generally, so ask your committee if you live close to the neighbours.
• What happens after the warranty ends? Consumer guarantees apply automatically and last a reasonable time for the product, on top of any maker’s warranty (ACCC). Keep the receipt.

Grills versus cookers

An open grill, hibachi or suitcase BBQ cooks directly over coals and does nothing else. It is perfect for the beach, satay and steaks. A lidded kettle or drum adds temperature control and indirect cooking. A kamado adds insulation, so it holds a low temperature for hours on very little fuel and reaches pizza heat at the other end.

Steel versus ceramic

Ceramic kamados hold heat best but weigh over a hundred kilos with a cart and cost from $700. The Char-Griller Akorn uses triple-wall insulated steel to get most of the way there at half the weight and price. It was sold only at Bunnings when we checked, so it is no longer a pick; the kamado guide covers kamados.

The picks

The Weber Go-Anywhere is now our first pick: a portable with a real lid and vents. For a charcoal BBQ that stays in the backyard, the Weber Original Kettle 57 cm at $399 is the reference: lid, vents, room for a roast, and a ten-year warranty on the bowl and lid. The Everdure Cube is the design object. The Weber Smokey Mountain is not a grill at all; it is the smoker to buy if brisket and ribs are the goal, and it has its own guide. The Wanderer suitcase is the cheap beach grill.

The competition

We compared seven charcoal BBQs; these two aren’t picks:

• Char-Griller Akorn Kooker ($599 at Bunnings): triple-wall insulated steel that gets most of the way to a ceramic kamado at half the weight, but sold only at Bunnings when we checked; the kamado guide has the kamado picks.
• Jumbuck 45 cm charcoal drum ($109 at Bunnings): the cheapest lidded charcoal BBQ we found, but thin steel and Bunnings only; the Go-Anywhere is $41 more with Weber’s warranty.