Get the traditional grilling experience you crave with a new charcoal grill from Ace Hardware. Shop a variety of small and large charcoal grills from trusted brands like Weber, Big Green Egg, Masterbuilt, and more, then find the grill accessories you need to get the job done.
The Benefit of Grilling with Charcoal
Versatility is the highlight of cooking with a charcoal BBQ grill. The ability to cook with as much heat as you need, create multiple cooking zones by adjusting where you place the coals and enjoy juicier, more flavorful meals makes a charcoal grill a must-have. Charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal provide the fuel, high heat and delicious, smoky flavor that this kind of grilling is known for. Nothing beats the taste of meat cooked on a charcoal grill.
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- Weber
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- Big Green Egg
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- Masterbuilt
Different Types of Charcoal Grill Models
At Ace, you’ll be sure to find the perfect charcoal barbeque grill that will take your outdoor grilling adventures to new culinary heights. Learn about the differences among the major charcoal outdoor grill types to find the right option for you:
- Kettle: A classic grill design, kettle grills are spherical and typically smaller than ceramic or barrel grills. This allows them to maintain high heat with less fuel. They feature round lids, metal cooking grates and multiple vents for safe cooking.
- Ceramic: Ceramic grills are defined by their traditional egg-shaped body, which helps retain heat and allows for quick, even cooking.
- Barrel: Large and resembling barrels, these charcoal BBQ grills offer lots of cooking space to help easily prepare meals for large groups. They are also effective smokers but require lots of fuel.
And with features like digital control panels, built-in thermometers, one-touch cleaning systems and much more, it is easier than ever to find the charcoal grill that works for you
Portable Charcoal Grills
Need to grill on the go? A portable charcoal grill makes it easy. Feed your friends and family at the campsite, the tailgate or at the beach with easily collapsible, folding and hibachi-style tabletop charcoal grills that you can break down and assemble almost anywhere. Many of our small charcoal grills offer easy cleaning, quick ignition and hassle-free lighting, so you can keep grilling well into the night without worrying about a long clean-up afterward.
The Versatility of Charcoal Grills
Like a classical instrument, charcoal grills are simple devices that can be wielded by anyone — in the hands of a master, though, what comes out is nothing short of art. A charcoal smoker or grill’s results vary depending on the user’s skill, but we aren’t pointing out this learning curve to scare you away. We just want you to know that it’ll take a little patience, research, and practice, but you’ll soon be able to create results that rival your local BBQ joint. Plus, charcoal grilling can be an extremely rewarding hobby and a highly satisfying skill to master over time (quite frankly, it’s borderline addictive). So, if you’re considering taking up grilling or smoking with charcoal, your journey should start with an exploration of the different kinds of heat these pits produce and how their properties contribute to different cooking methods.
Cooking with Indirect Heat
Along with smoke production, this type of heat transfer is necessary for tasty, slow-cooked BBQ. Charcoal just so happens to be great at creating both, making it the ideal — and usually the competition-required — fuel for low-and-slow cooking. You might think only large charcoal smokers can churn out tender and flavorful BBQ bathed in smoke for hours, but any charcoal pit is actually just as capable. All you need for indirect heat is a heat deflector or a setup where your food and coals are on opposite sides of the grill, then you can smoke, roast, and even bake. We told you these things were versatile!
Cooking with Direct Heat
Most steakhouses use infrared burners to sear their beef. Why does this matter for charcoal? Well, roaring-hot coals actually radiate infrared waves in the same manner, heating only what they come into contact with instead of just the surrounding air. This type of energy transfer doesn’t disturb the moisture barrier of your meat, meaning that it gets cooked without drying out (all told, infrared heat results in 35% less moisture loss than other kinds of heat). That’s not even accounting for the amazing flavor that comes from cooking directly over the coals, which transform food drippings into tasty smoke.
The Power of Dual-Zone Cooking
Both direct and indirect heat are great on their own, but where charcoal grills really shine is their ability to use both at once. A two-zone setup is by far the most versatile cooking method known to mankind, which has been doing this cooking-over-fire thing for quite some time. Just push your coals to one side of the grill — for direct heat, place food on the grates directly above the coals; for indirect heat, place food on the opposite grates with no coals below. Certain charcoal pits make dual-zone grilling easier by design, and many brands make heat deflectors or charcoal basket accessories that help, too.
How to Safely Fire Up the Grill
Safety comes first, so learn how to light your charcoal grill safely using an electric lighter, lighter fluid or a chimney starter with tips and advice from Ace. We offer gas-charcoal combo grills that use a quick-lighting gas ignition to fire up your coals quickly. Combo grills provide the tradition and flavor of a charcoal grill, with the easy start-up of a gas grill, so you can handle grilling for any occasion.
Charcoal Barbecue Grill Accessories
While you’re shopping, don’t forget to pick out your must-have grilling accessories like cleaning brushes, long-handled barbecue tongs, forks and spatulas, grilling mitts, grill covers, thermometers and charcoal starters from Ace. Because your charcoal grill is an investment, you’ll want to take good care of it. Learn how to clean a charcoal grill properly, both inside and out, with a little help from Ace.
At your next outdoor BBQ, infuse your meats and vegetables with the authentic, smoky flavor people love. With our wide range of top-rated charcoal grills, Ace makes it easy to find the perfect charcoal grill for your needs.
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For immediate questions please call the store at (478)986-9200 and speak with one of our knowledgeable Grill Associates!
