Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch, Copper Review (2026)

Cooking area and everyday performance

The 22-inch kettle format gives 363 square inches of cooking area, enough room for roughly 13 burgers at once according to Weber, which covers a typical family gathering or a small backyard party without needing multiple grilling rounds. The porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, made from premium-grade U.S. steel, are shaped to circulate heat evenly across that grate, which is the core reason the basic Weber kettle shape has stayed largely unchanged for decades despite competition from more complex charcoal grill designs. A hinged cooking grate is one of the Premium line's upgrades over the base kettle, letting you add charcoal mid-cook by lifting just the grate's outer edges instead of removing the entire cooking surface.

One-Touch cleaning system

The Premium kettle includes Weber's One-Touch cleaning system, where rotating a handle on the outside of the bowl moves three internal blades that sweep ash through the vents and down into a removable, high-capacity aluminum ash catcher underneath. That design turns post-cook cleanup into a quick rotation of a handle rather than scooping ash out by hand, and the high-capacity catcher means it does not need emptying after every single cook. An adjustable, no-rust aluminum top vent works alongside the bottom vents to manage airflow and temperature during the cook itself, giving reasonably precise control over a charcoal fire once you get a feel for how far to open or close it.

Mobility and everyday hardware

Aluminum legs raise the grill to a comfortable working height, and two all-weather wheels let you reposition the kettle around a patio or roll it toward storage without lifting the full weight of the bowl. A lid hook keeps the domed lid off the ground and out of the way while tending the fire, and tool hooks built into the bowl handles give a place to rest a spatula or tongs mid-cook rather than setting them down on a nearby surface. A built-in thermometer on the lid gives a general read on internal temperature without needing to lift the lid and let heat escape, useful for longer indirect cooks like a whole chicken or ribs.

The copper finish

This listing is the Premium line in a copper finish, one of several special colors Weber offers alongside its standard black kettle, giving the same mechanical upgrades as any other Premium model with a more distinctive look on the patio. Special color kettles from Weber have historically carried a modest price premium over the standard black version, so buyers choosing copper specifically for the finish should expect to pay somewhat more than the base black Premium model for the same underlying grill. Functionally there is no difference in cooking performance between the color options, since the porcelain enamel coating and steel construction are consistent across the line regardless of finish color.

Who this kettle suits and what backs it

Weber covers the Original Kettle Premium with a 10-year limited warranty, reflecting the brand's confidence in the porcelain-enameled steel construction holding up to years of regular outdoor use. This grill suits anyone who wants genuine charcoal flavor and the flexibility of a well-proven kettle shape, especially buyers who specifically want a standout color rather than the standard black finish most kettles ship in. It requires more active attention than a gas grill, since lighting charcoal, waiting for it to ash over, and managing vents throughout the cook all take longer than turning a knob, so anyone prioritizing speed and convenience over charcoal flavor should look at a gas grill instead.

Frequently asked questions