Grills & Smokers

Weber One-Touch Silver 22.5 Grill Weber One-Touch Silver 22.5 Grill Key FeaturesType:GrillFuel Type:CharcoalCooking Area:397 s...

Weber One-Touch Silver 18.5 Grill Weber One-Touch Silver 18.5 Grill Key FeaturesType:GrillFuel Type:CharcoalCooking Area:268.8...

My father is from Kansas City and I was raised on Kansas City barbeque. Every time we would go visit his family he and my uncle would barbeque something; be it ribs or brisket there would be barbeque meat for dinner. All this meat, whether cooked in Vermont or in Kansas City, was always cooked on Weber grills, and now, in Colorado, I cook on a Weber as well.

The Weber One-Touch Silver 18.5″ Grill was one of the first things that I purchased when I moved into a place with a porch, and I’ve been quite happy with it. As a single man I decided that I didn’t need the full 22.5″ kettle grill but I still wanted more than a simple hibachi, and that’s exactly what I got. With an 18.5″ grilling surface it’s about 2/3 of the cooking surface of the bigger 22.5″ version, but it’s got enough surface area to most things.

Since the grill sits 6″ above the coal rack there’s also enough room to control the flame and slow cook meats while also being close enough that you can build an intense fire for direct grilling. Unfortunately the size does have a big effect on how much you can slow cook. If you want to cook over direct heat then you have plenty of room; if you’re doing burgers, chops, and steaks you can do quite a bit at a time. However if you want to slow cook your meat your cooking surface will be greatly reduced. As it is banking the coals to each side I can just fit an average rack of spare ribs (which is about 18″ long and 8″ wide); you can pretty much forget doing a whole brisket.

Another issue with this grill is that the lid is only about 5″ above the grate. This means that beer can chicken, most whole turkeys, and other tall meats just won’t fit. However grilling chickens in a prone position or a turkey in pieces works wonderfully. One thing to keep in mind is that the grate which comes with the grill is solid with the exception of two loop handles. This means that unless you purchase a hinged grate you have to pull up the whole grate to add any coals—or wood—to the fire.

The lid, however, is superb as it is. Porcelain-enameled and quite heavy the lid is durable, solid, and tight fitting. With a single traditional round three slot vent and a sturdy “stay-cool” handle—I haven’t seen it advertised this way, but it is—this lid seals perfectly onto the bowl. Between the vent on the top and the “One-Touch” vents on the bottom the solid fit of the lid allow for magnificent air control in the grill; get your coals right and temperature management is a snap.

Actually the “One-Touch” cleaning system is actually quite nice. The system is based on three large vents on the bottom of the bowl, each of these vents is covered by a triangular blade. As you move the cleaning lever it opens and closes the vents but also pushes the ash out through the vents extremely effectively (that’s the One-Touch bit). Of course it’s not the cleanest process with the “Silver” line of grills. With this version there is no ash collection receptacle connected to the bowl. What you get is a small plate that fits between the legs of the grill and prevents a complete mess—unless it’s windy in which case the ashes are going everywhere—so if you have the extra cash you might want to spend the extra for the “Gold” series grill which is the same thing with an ash bucket on the bowl.

Another thing about this grill is that I find it a bit low. From the ground to the grill it’s only 27″. I’m 6′2″ so this height is lower than I’d like by, oh, nine inches. Even so that’s not a big concern. If I didn’t want to wheel it around (yes, it’s got wheels so it’s mobile) I could always put it up on cinder blocks.

This review seems to focus largely on things that I find wrong with this grill. I’m pointing out things that make it different from the 22.5″ model, but it really is a great grill. It’s not a complex device and it’s the construction is extremely good, so it’s better than most grills. Unfortunately it doesn’t have all the accessories (such as the rotisserie) that the larger model has but most people don’t need all that. For what it does this grill is perfect, unfortunately I have to benchmark it against something and Weber is known for their fantastic products (although I still have issues with my smoker).

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