Best charcoal BBQs UK 2021: fire up the barbie

Get the coals going and get grilling with one of these brilliant charcoal barbecues

For most people, especially seasoned chefs, charcoal and briquettes are widely considered to be the best fuels for grilling meats. Along with wood pellets (see our guide to the best Pellet Grills), charcoal generally produces more smoke than gas because its molecular ingredients are more complex (gas is a more simplified, odourless compound that produces just water and carbon dioxide).

Charcoal is also a much more authentic – and therefore fulfilling – way to grill food. Charcoal barbecues are also generally easier to assemble than their gas counterparts.

Even the cheapest charcoal model will generally grill as well as the most expensive; after all, you’ll get the same results using just four bricks on the ground.

The main considerations are therefore the quality of the barbecue’s components (an important asset if durability is a main prerequisite), the dimensions of its grill, special features, how good it looks and, of course, price.

If you tend to burn your food quite regularly, go for a lidded charcoal barbecue (convection) model. Lidded barbecues (especially the kettle variety) use a convection process – rather like an oven – to cook the food.

Most experts will recommend lump wood charcoal over briquettes. Lump wood provides a superior flavour due to the fact it doesn’t contain any chemicals or binders. Briquettes, on the other hand, take longer to reach optimum temperature but stay hot for much longer. For more in-depth product reviews visit nationalworld.com/recommended