There’s something about cooking over coals that satisfies our inner caveman, but the best charcoal BBQs bring cooking over fire right up to date with innovative design and even digital elements. From small portable barbecues to large versatile drums, it can be hard to know where to start when choosing your charcoal barbecue.
“What I always look for is flexibility,” says Danny Carruthers, head chef at Sebb’s in Glasgow, where food is cooked over fire. “Being able to create indirect heat is a game changer, whether that’s space to move food to one side or cooking across different levels. If you can, get a BBQ with a griddle attachment. It completely changes what you can cook. You’re not just grilling meat, you’re cooking vegetables, seafood, even softer ingredients, and you keep so much more of the flavour and juices.”
To help you choose the best charcoal barbecue I spent five weeks grilling, smoking, and rotisserie roasting, testing everything from the simple Ikea portable BBQ to the beast that is the Masterbuilt gravity series 600. Here’s my pick of the best charcoal BBQs.
Read more: Best gas BBQs for 2026, tried and tested
The best charcoal BBQs for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Chargriller pro deluxe: £249, Therange.co.uk
- Best budget – Vonhaus XL American BBQ with smoker: £131.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best cart design – Charbroil charcoal L: £310.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best large design – Weber master-touch charcoal BBQ 67cm: £479, Bbqworld.co.uk
- Best for camping – Ikea korpeon portable charcoal BBQ: £20, Ikea.com
Read more: Best portable BBQs for summer-long sizzling
Chargriller pro deluxe
Best: charcoal BBQ overall
Weight: 40kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 5,500 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 128 cm x 113.5cm x 80cm
Why we love it
- Large cooking area
- Easy to clean
- Stays hot for continued cooking
Take note
- Put aside a couple of hours for assembly
The Chargriller pro deluxe is the best charcoal barbecue I tested. There’s a large cooking area on the barbecue that I loved, as it meant we could really throw a lot of food on it. It took a while to heat up but once it’s going, it maintained its heat really well and it was great for keeping burgers warm while we ate. There’s also a good amount of prep space, with hooks for hanging utensils.
At each side of the barbecue is a removable grate, which slides in and out. This is where you put the coals before cooking and where you can empty out the ash, making coals and ash really easy to deal with both before and after barbecuing. The cast iron cooking grates are sturdy too, and were surprisingly easy to clean once we’d finished.
But what I really love about this barbecue is how durable it is. It’s strong, sturdy and a total bargain at just £199.99, making it worthy of the top spot in this review. My only gripe is that there are a lot of small parts involved and it’s a bit more complex to assemble than other charcoal barbecues I tested.
Buy now £199.99, Therange.co.uk
Vonhaus XL American BBQ with smoker
Best: budget charcoal BBQ
Weight: 33.1kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 2,337 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 109cm x 134cm x 54cm
Why we love it
- Reasonably priced
- Doubles as a smoker
- Adjustable charcoal tray height
- Useful hooks for storing accessories
Take note
- Slightly flimsy
Vonhaus’s XL American BBQ is the best budget charcoal barbecue I’ve put to the test. One of my favourite features is the adjustable height for the charcoal tray, which alters the heat. Once you’ve put your charcoal in the shelf (which we at first thought was a pizza oven!), you can crank it up to increase the heat in the grill, or crank it down to lower it. It’s a simple feature, but really made this barbecue stand out.
You can also use the charcoal shelf at the bottom as a wood smoker for smoking fish and meat, making it even more versatile. It’s a lightweight unit and quite compact for a trolley BBQ, making it easy to move around the garden or patio. The hooks on the side shelves are very useful for hanging accessories, and all in all I found this to be a great affordable choice.
Buy now £131.99, Amazon.co.uk
Charbroil charcoal L
Best: cart charcoal BBQ
Weight: 39.6kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 3, 665 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 130.9cm x 132.8cm x 77.4cm
Why we love it
- Pull out ash tray for easy cleaning
- Large cooking area
- Sturdy unit
The Charbroil charcoal L is the best cart charcoal BBQ I tried. It’s sturdy and features a large cooking area and temperature gauge on the lid, which made barbecuing meat, especially, a dream. My son-in-law got very excited when he saw the bottle opener on the front of the leg, too.
The cast iron grill plates cleaned up really well, and were the easiest to clean of all the charcoal barbecues I tested. The tray under the grill simply pulls out like a drawer and also made emptying out the ash very easy.
I really like the handle design, which feels more like an aesthetic choice than a practical one. It’s not the cheapest compared to others I tested, but all in all this trolley style barbecue cooks food well and looks the part, too.
Buy now £320, Amazon.co.uk
Weber master-touch charcoal BBQ 67cm
Best: large charcoal BBQ
Weight: 24kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 3277 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 109cm x 68.5cm x 84cm
Why we love it
- Large cooking space
- Easy to assemble
- Porcelain enamelled drum looks the part
Take note
- The lid comes right off with no hinge, so you have to hang it off the BBQ
- Pricey
With space to cook for 8-10 people at one time, Weber master-touch charcoal’s is the best large charcoal barbecue I tested. Its spacious drum allows you to be very creative with your barbecue menu. There’s loads of space to lay out steaks and skewers, but you can also fit enough flatbreads on the grill at one time to feed a family. Personally, I’m not a fan of the stainless steel cooking grate and prefer cast iron, but it does the job and is a small price to pay if you want an oversized drum.
While it’s pricey for a charcoal barbecue, I actually don’t think it’s bad considering the sheer size of it. I found it easy to assemble and use, plus it looks great in the garden.
The only thing I really didn’t like was the lid, which comes right off and has to be hung from the barbecue or left on the floor somewhere. Again, this is personal preference, but I prefer a hinged lid.
Buy now £479, Bbqworld.co.uk
ProQ flatdog
Best: portable charcoal BBQ
Weight: 4.65kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 1,115 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Can be bought with carry bag
Dimensions: 42cm x 32cm x 18cm
Why we love it
- Large cooking space for a portable charcoal BBQ
- Arrives flat with no assembly needed
- Simple design
- Carry bag available
Take note
- Takes a while to heat up
The ProQ flatdog is portable, lightweight barbecue that arrives completely flat. All you need to do is flip it upside down and it turns into a rectangular charcoal barbecue. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and the very simple design keeps it straightforward. Sometimes simple is best.
The really great thing about this portable barbecue is the cooking space. Because it’s rectangular in shape, you get a large grill space and you can easily cook food for four people on it.
I cooked burgers and sausages for four of us, and it felt like a great rustic experience because of the simplicity of the design. It took a little while to heat up compared with the other portable charcoal barbecues I tested, but for me the size of it when opened up is worth it. You can buy the barbecue as it is or you can include a handy carry bag for an extra price (£79.99, Amazon.co.uk).
Buy now £69.99, Amazon.co.uk
Ikea korpeon portable charcoal BBQ
Best: camping charcoal BBQ
Weight: 2kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 28cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: No
Dimensions: 19cm x 35cm
Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Portable, folds down
- Reasonably priced
Take note
- Takes a while to heat up
- Not easy to clean the tray
The best charcoal barbecue for camping and picnics, Ikea’s korpeon has lightweight, foldable design and is a steal at just £20. Simply fold the legs out and it stands like a mini drum.
It’s a simple design – instead of a grill, it has a tray with slit holes in it for cooking on, which works fine, though not as well as a grill. Plus it take a little while to heat up and cook on.
I found that the tray also tarnishes quickly with the heat and any flame from the coals, and it isn’t easy to clean as the food sticks a little to the tray. However, for camping, campervanning, and taking to the beach, it’s a perfect cheap little BBQ.
Buy now £20, Ikea.com
Masterbuilt gravity series 600
Best: characoal BBQ for quick heating
Weight: 69kg
Number of grills: One plus smoker
Main cooking area: 3,870 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 126.2cm x 134cm x 77.3cm
Why we love it
- Heats up fast
- Can be used as a smoker
- Includes temperature probe for meat
Take note
- Instructions for assembly are hard to follow
- Needs an extension cable or to be near a socket for digital element
- Pricey
Satisfying those outdoor cooks who still want the analogue experience of cooking on coals, but also love some tech, the Masterbuilt gravity series 600 has a digital control panel for setting your temperature, a meat probe attached to it, and you can connect to the Masterbuilt app for tips and info. But what I loved about his beast of a barbecue most is how quickly it heats up.
Masterbuilt states the barbecue gets to 105C in 7.5 minutes and 370C in 10 minutes, and I can confirm that it really does. You fill the hopper on the side of the unit and a fan at the bottom moves the hot air around, kicking out some serious heat in no time. The hopper can also be used as a smoker, where you can hang meat or fish.
It’s the biggest smoker I tested and it’s perfect for hanging up salmon, giving the fish a really deep smoky taste. Keep in mind that assembly isn’t the most straightforward, so put some time aside and get an extra pair of hands to help.
Buy now £799, Appliancesdirect.co.uk
Lotus grill mini
Best: charcoal BBQ with a fan heater
Weight: 2.8kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking are: 29.2cm diameter
Material: Steel
Cover available: Carry bag included
Dimensions: 21cm x 29cm x 22cm
Why we love it
- Comes with a stack of accessories
- Lightweight and portable
- Produces less smoke than other charcoal BBQs
Take note
- Takes longer to heat up than the stated 3-4 minutes
A little different to other charcoal barbecues, the Lotus grill mini is neat little unit that has an built-in fan to speed up the heating time. It comes with AA batteries to power the fan, plus a starter kit including lighter fluid, tongues, a bag of charcoal and a carry bag. There’s a dial on the front of the barbecue for adjusting the heat through the fan, giving you real control over the temperature.
Lotus Grill states that, with the fan, the barbecue will heat up in 3-4 minutes, but in reality it took around 10 minutes for mine to heat up. The fan system does definitely cut down on the smoke being produced though, which is a real bonus, and I found cooking without the usual billowing smoke much easier. It’s lightweight and portable, so perfect for sticking in the car to go camping.
Buy now £172, Amazon.co.uk
Charles Bentley ottimo 635
Best: double grill charcoal BBQ
Weight: 32.3kg
Number of grills: Two
Main cooking area: 4,117 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 108cm x 164cm x 65cm
Why we love it
- Versatile heat system with crank handle for height of trays
- Lots of prep space
- Two separate grills
Take note
- Warming shelf feels flimsy
I liked the versatility of the Charles Bentley ottimo 635 barbecue. It has a large drum with two grills, each with a handle to crank the charcoal shelf up and down. This means you can have something cooking at high heat on one grill and at low heat on the other. For example, I cooked chicken thighs on one side at a higher heat and veggie skewers on the other side at a lower heat, but you could also use the lower side for baking potatoes with the lid closed.
There's loads of prep space at either side, plus a thin shelf at the front for tongues and a flipper, though it doesn’t have hooks for hanging utensils like others I tested. The warming shelf felt a bit flimsy to me, especially for the price, but if you’re only putting a few items on there it holds up fine. The double grill is really useful and certainly the stand out feature of this charcoal barbecue.
Buy now £247, Amazon.co.uk
Napoleon professional 22 charcoal kettle
Best: charcoal BBQ for cooking rotisserie
Weight: 35kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 2,322 sq cm
Material: Steel
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 106.7cm x 58.4cm x 72.4cm
Why we love it
- Includes rotisserie holder
- Cast iron cooking plates heat up fast and cook well
- Sturdy
Take note
- Enough space to cook for up to four people
The Napoleon professional 22’s cast iron grill plates are really nice to cook on, compared with the stainless steel of the Weber, and it feels very sturdy and well made.
I love that it has a hinged lid, so you don’t have to mess around hanging the lid off the back or leaving it on the floor. It’s a smaller kettle than the Weber but it heats up fast, and if you don’t need a big cooking space it’s perfect. You can easily cook food for four at the same time.
I grilled chicken wings on it and had loads of space for food for three of us, plus room aside for some corn. But the really cool thing about this barbecue is the rotisserie space. Take the lid off and you’ll see the grooves at either side of the drum where you place your rotisserie. Overall, it’s a neat little barbecue that has a quality feel to it.
Buy now £319.99, Napoleon.com
Big Green Egg minimax
Best: charcoal BBQ for smoking
Weight: 40kg
Number of grills: One
Main cooking area: 33cm diameter
Material: Ceramic
Cover available: Yes
Dimensions: 50cm x 33cm
Why we love it
- Stays hot all day
- Sturdy
- Weather resistant
Take note
- Takes around half an hour to heat up
- Pricey
The NASA-grade ceramics that the Big Green Egg minimax barbecue is made of are impressive, and the barbecue, though technically portable, is very heavy. It’s sturdy, weather-resistant and a versatile little unit that you can char-grill a steak or a leg of lamb with ease, and it stays hot all day.
The minimax also doubles as a smoker – I added wood chunks to the charcoal and hot smoked some pork in there. Just close the lid and it does its thing. I even had great success pan frying seafood on the coals.
I loved the versatility of this barbecue, though it is the most expensive one I tested and certainly not the biggest. It also takes around half an hour for the grill to get hot enough to cook on.
Big Green Egg says its units will last you a lifetime. While I can’t test this, it does feel sturdy and durable enough to make this a sound investment.
Buy now £925, Biggreenegg.co.uk
Your charcoal BBQ questions answered
What is the best charcoal BBQ?
If you’re just starting out on your charcoal barbecue journey, it can feel like a steep learning curve. But once you know the basics, it’s an intuitive way of cooking that produces an authentic grilled-over-fire flavour. The Chargriller pro deluxe is the best charcoal barbecue I tested and gives you a large cooking area, so you can spread out and get to grips with the process. It also stays hot for a long time, meaning once you’ve got it going you can relax and concentrate on the food.
If you’re not looking to spend too much, Vonhaus’s XL American BBQ with smoker is lightweight, compact and has a handy adjustable charcoal tray that you can use to adjust the temperature of the grill.
If you’re already experienced with charcoal, the Masterbuilt gravity series 600 brings some extra features to your garden kitchen, including a meat thermometer, digital temperature display, and a hopper that you can use for smoking. It kicks out some serious heat, but with the digital display you can expertly control the temperature.
How I tested charcoal BBQs
I spent five weeks testing a wide range of charcoal barbecues, grilling meat, vegetables, and lighter items like flatbreads. When testing I looked for the following factors:
How to light a charcoal BBQ
The easiest, quickest, and safest way to light your charcoal barbecue is to use a charcoal chimney:
- Place your chimney onto the grate of your barbecue.
- Fill the base of the chimney with scrunched up paper, then pour your charcoal in the top until it reaches around halfway, so that the charcoal lands on the bed of paper.
- Light the paper through the holes in the chimney at the bottom. You’ll know when the coals are hot enough as they’ll be letting off a glowing orangey-redness.
- Carefully tip the coals out of the chimney into your barbecue grate and you’re ready to get cooking.
How to use a charcoal grill
How you use your charcoal barbecue depends on the kind of model you have, but the basic principles remain the same. Once you’ve lit your barbecue using the chimney (or for a portable charcoal barbecue directly in the grate), make sure your coals are spread evenly across the grate so you can cook your food evenly on the grill. You can adjust the temperature, depending on your barbecue, for different foods. Turn your food regularly to make sure it’s cooked through.
When you’ve finished barbecuing close the vents and close the lid. This will ensure no further oxygen gets to the coals and the heat will die out. It can take a while for your coals to cool down, so only use your barbecue cover once you’re sure the coals are cool.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Samantha Priestley has been a journalist since 2010. She writes reviews for IndyBest on home appliances including the best electric cleaning brushes, giving her honest opinion to guide you in finding the best item to suit your needs. She tested charcoal barbecues from unboxing and assembly, right through to cooking on them and cleaning them at the end.
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