Independent · sourced · Updated September 2026
Best Charcoal Grills (2026)
19 charcoal grills compared on the specs that matter and US price — ranked cheapest-first. Every spec and price links to its source and the date we captured it.
Best by the numbers — Weber Original Kettle 22" (lowest price), Weber Performer 22" (newest). The cheapest is Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill at $117.99. 19 charcoal grills compared from $117.99 to $2999.99 across 14 brands — every figure sourced, updated September 2026.
As of 2026-09-21
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest charcoal grills is Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill at $117.99; across 18 models the median price is $474.50 ($117.99–$2999.99), every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-09-21. https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/charcoal-grills/ Our data The steepest tracked price drop among the charcoal grills we follow is Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill, now $118 — down 31% from the $170 we first recorded. Price Drop Report, as of September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price: Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill at $117.99 (Regular price per royalgourmetusa.com (sale price observed $117.99, not used)).
- Typical price: from $117.99, median $474.50, up to $2999.99 — across 18 priced.
- Tracked: 19 products across 14 brands, current through 2026-09-21. STALE · 2026-06-19
- Compared on: Type, Primary cooking area sqin, Material, Hinged cooking grate, Ash catcher, Built in thermometer.
Best by the numbers
Objective winners — each is the leader on one measured spec, with the figure. No subjective ranking.
- Lowest price: Weber Original Kettle 22" ($149)
- Newest: Weber Performer 22" (2026)
Top 3 by quality
An algorithmic overall ranking from the data on this page — value for money, spec strength, and recency. 100% data-driven, no paid placement.
-
Weber Performer 22" Quality score 0/100 Newest -
Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill Quality score 0/100 Newest -
Weber Summit Kamado E6 Quality score 0/100 Newest
How we rank: Value 45% · Spec strength 35% · Recency 20%. Scores are computed only within this category from published specs and prices — never influenced by commissions or placement. Method & open data →
What to look for
How to read the comparison — what each key spec means and the range across these charcoal grills.
- Hinged cooking grate — a yes/no feature.
- Ash catcher — a yes/no feature.
- Built in thermometer — a yes/no feature.
Comparison
| Compare | # | Charcoal Grill | Price | Type | Primary cooking area sqin | Material | Hinged cooking grate | Ash catcher | Built in thermometer | Source | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill | $117.99 | barrel | 475 | Steel with porcelain-enameled cooking grates, black finish | false | false | true | royalgourmetusa.com | Check price → | |
| 2 |  Weber Original Kettle 22" STALE · 2026-06-19 | $149 | kettle | 363 | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, plated steel cooking grate | false | true | false | weber.com | On Amazon → | |
| 3 |  Char-Broil Kettleman TRU-Infrared 1 review | $199.99 | kettle | 360 | Porcelain-coated steel with TRU-Infrared porcelain grate | false | true | true | charbroil.com | On Amazon → | |
| 4 |  Weber Original Kettle Premium 22" STALE · 2026-06-19 2 reviews | $229 | kettle | 363 | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, plated steel hinged cooking grate | true | true | true | weber.com | On Amazon → | |
| 5 |  Napoleon Premium 22" Charcoal Kettle NK22K STALE · 2026-06-19 1 review | $249 | kettle | 360 | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, stainless steel cooking grids | true | false | true | napoleon.com | On Amazon → | |
| 6 |  Weber Master-Touch 22" STALE · 2026-06-19 1 review | $309 | kettle | 363 | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, plated steel hinged GBS cooking grate | true | true | true | weber.com | On Amazon → | |
| 7 |  Char-Griller AKORN Kamado STALE · 2026-06-19 1 review | $399.99 | kamado | 325 | Triple-walled insulated steel with cast iron cooking grates | false | true | true | chargriller.com | Check price → | |
| 8 |  Pit Barrel Cooker Classic 18.5" STALE · 2026-07-07 1 review | $429.99 | barrel | — | Porcelain-enamel-coated steel drum with steel grill grate, black finish | false | false | false | amazon.com | Check price → | |
| 9 | Weber Performer 22" STALE · 2026-06-19 1 review | $449 | kettle | 363 | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, plated steel hinged cooking grate | true | true | true | weber.com | On Amazon → | |
| 10 | Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Drum Smoker & Grill 1 review | $499.99 | barrel | 284 | Heavy-gauge steel with porcelain-coated steel grates | false | true | true | oklahomajoes.com | Check price → | |
| 11 |  Broil King Keg 5000 | $899 | kamado | 400 | Insulated double-walled steel body with rust-resistant porcelain-coated cooking chamber and heavy-duty cast iron cooking grid | false | true | true | broilking.com | On Amazon → | |
| 12 |  Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill + Smoker | $999.99 | — | 1050 | Steel body with reversible cast iron cooking grates and porcelain-coated warming racks | false | true | true | masterbuilt.com | Check price → | |
| 13 |  PK Grills PK360 1 review | $999.99 | kettle | 360 | Cast aluminum body with marine stainless steel cooking grate | false | false | true | pkgrills.com | On Amazon → | |
| 14 |  Big Green Egg Large STALE · 2026-06-19 2 reviews | $1199.99 | kamado | 262 | Ceramic with stainless steel hardware | false | false | true | biggreenegg.com | On Amazon → | |
| 15 | Weber Summit Kamado E6 STALE · 2026-06-19 | $1399 | kamado | 452 | Dual-walled porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid | true | true | true | weber.com | On Amazon → | |
| 16 |  Hasty Bake Legacy 131 | $1499 | — | 523 | 18-gauge powder-coated steel hood and base, galvannealed steel firebox, nickel-plated cooking grates, stainless steel work table | — | true | — | smokindealbbq.com | On Amazon → | |
| 17 |  Kamado Joe Classic Joe III 1 review | $2199.99 | kamado | 250 | Thick-walled ceramic dome with 304 stainless steel grates and hardware | false | false | true | kamadojoe.com | On Amazon → | |
| 18 |  Kamado Joe Big Joe III (standalone) | $2999.99 | kamado | 450 | Ceramic with 304 stainless steel grates and hardware | false | true | true | kamadojoe.com | On Amazon → | |
| 19 | SnS Grills Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kettle STALE · 2026-07-10 | — | kettle | — | Porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, 304 stainless steel EasySpin cooking grate | — | — | false | web.archive.org | On Amazon → |
Specs are as published by the manufacturer (or a reputable spec source where the official page was unavailable); prices are US launch MSRP. Full per-product records and all spec columns are in our open dataset. The “Buy” links go to Amazon; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, and the live price may differ from the sourced figure shown.
Popular comparisons
What is the cheapest charcoal grill?
Royal Gourmet CC1830 28" Barrel Charcoal Grill is the cheapest at $117.99 (Regular price per royalgourmetusa.com (sale price observed $117.99, not used)), as of 2026-09-21.
How much does charcoal grills cost?
Across the 18 charcoal grills with a published price, the median is $474.50, ranging from $117.99 to $2999.99, as of 2026-09-21.
Which charcoal grill is best by the numbers?
Lowest price: Weber Original Kettle 22" ($149). Newest: Weber Performer 22" (2026).
How many charcoal grills are compared here?
19 charcoal grills across 14 brands, with US price and key specs, current through 2026-09-21.
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