roll like a wheel ought to, but the rest of the unit is so beautifully designed it seems a shame to skimp there a little. Maybe a call into the Pimp my Ride crew for the next redesign.
So the big question is, does it hold its heat as well as its ceramic competitors? Yes it does. It equals any ceramic kamado I’ve cooked on and I’ve had several 12 hour cooks without refuelling out of it. But there is one other thing that makes it stand out here. It does something none of the others can do. It’s soooo responsive! Being air insulated and fabricated from sheet steel it reacts to subtle tweaks to airflow in minutes. I’m used to making an adjustment and then coming back 20-30 mins later to see if I hit the spot or not. That’s just not the case here.
In summary the Weber Summit Charcoal is an entirely unique BBQ. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever cooked on. . It shares many traits with a heavy ceramic kamado but without the niggles of refuelling, emptying the ash, slow reaction times but then it is so agile and nimble too. It’s responsive and ready to cook in no time. It smokes meat perfectly, it sears a great steak, it roasts chickens, it bakes pizzas. It’s as happy grilling up just a couple of burgers as it is being a workhorse for mass catering. It does everything very well. It’s really hard not to sound like a Weber advert but it has dealt with everything I’ve thrown at it effortlessly and I struggle to find flaws.
BBQ is my full time job and my favourite pastime. I’m a BBQ geek. I have eight BBQs at home right now and many more dotted around at various friends’ houses. But if the day came where I had get rid of all of them except one - The Summit Charcoal would be staying.
Jon Finch
July 2016
Instagram: @jonrfinch
Twitter @Grillstock_jon
Website: www.grillstock.co.uk
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