The best charcoal BBQs to turn up the heat and flavour in 2024

The Weber Compact Charcoal BBQ takes our top spot and is a favourite on Amazon too. The chrome triple-plated cooking grates make it easy to cook comfortably on and is easy to clean, with a One-Touch Cleaning System in place to easily sift out ash, dirt, and burnt food and grease. Reviewers have said that it's perfectly sizable. One customer was able to grill 16 sausages and 8 quarter-pounder burgers at once, but still nicely compact for storage or for use on a balcony. It's a versatile choice and durable, and it won't rust due to the porcelain-enamelled lid and bowl.

Customer review: "What a beast! Just cooked two barbecues, one for 18 people, the other for 9. This thing is easily big enough to rip through about 16 sausages or 8 1/4lb burgers at once. Gives a ferocious heat that is easy to control. It cooks things fast, really fast! Banging the lid on gives such a great smokey flavour. Quality is top-notch. I would definitely recommend complimenting this purchase with a charcoal starter, heatproof gloves, and a cover. Overall, fantastic purchase and really pleased."

Not only is the John Lewis Charcoal BBQ seriously good-looking, it's also fantastic value at under £250. For that price, you get a robust BBQ that can cook for up to four people with plenty of handy extras including a lid thermometer, airflow control, a warming rack and large transporter wheels so you can easily move it around your patio or into the shed come winter. It doesn't scrimp on shelving either with two shelves below the BBQ for condiments and plates, and two side shelves ideal for plating up the much-awaited grub.

Customer review: "Super easy to assemble, plenty space to host a good-sized party. Plenty of side space to put your plates and other BBQ essentials."

If you consider yourself King of the BBQ and enjoy cooking a lot of food (or have plenty of mouths to feed), this XL BBQ from CosmoGrill will perfectly suit your grilling needs. Great for family or friend-filled gatherings, you can cook over 10 burgers and 10 sausages at once, and there's plenty of room to grill or smoke larger meats too.

This BBQ has everything you need; plenty of storage with foldable side tables, hooks to hang your utensils, easily adjustable air vents and coal tray, and a door at the front too for easy movement of coal without having to touch or lift the grill. With all the features, it's understandably a bit more expensive, but it's definitely a garden investment if you love barbecuing regularly.

Customer review: "Really pleased with this, bought it a couple of months ago and have now finally managed to use it a few times. The build was easy, took a while but straightforward enough. The coal tray is great, it's nice to be able to adjust the heat without having to struggle with moving the rack up or down like on different BBQs, and the side trays with plenty of hooks make cooking for large parties easy. There is loads of room for meat, which is awesome, as we always cook too much. Would definitely recommend this grill."

Super lightweight, compact, and with easy-carry handles, the Weber Smokey Joe Premium Charcoal BBQ is the perfect companion for BBQs on the beach, camping grounds, and in your local park (if permitted!) It's also a fantastic option if you're particularly limited on space but don't want to miss out on a BBQ this summer. It holds up to five burgers, which is plenty for an impromptu cookout, whilst the porcelain-enamelled lid and bowl will help to retain heat and cook your food to perfection. This one is black, but there are some other fun colours to choose from, including navy blue, crimson, ivory white, smoke grey, and spring green.

Customer review: "I've used this 4 or 5 times now and I'm really happy with it. There are three of us and it's a good size for that. I bought the ivory-coloured one and it looks fantastic. Really nice quality, and sturdy. Super easy to use with the briquettes, and easy to clean. I haven't had the occasion to take it outside of the garden yet with the recent lockdown, but it's light enough and a good size to be portable and easy to move. I like the way there's a metal piece that goes over the handle to stop it from opening when it's not in use. I expect I'll take it on days out with me."

A household name for grilling, the George Foreman Charcoal BBQ is no exception and is a great budget option. It offers great convenience with two wheels for portability and is a compact size, ideal for easy storage. It's easy to put together and should be able to serve a hungry group of five without an issue, perfect for family cookouts. It has an integrated thermostat to help you maintain optimum cooking temperatures, and while you might not get all the features as with some of the other, more expensive models, it certainly gets the job done.

Customer review: "The BBQ was simple to assemble, I think I put it together in 20 minutes. I've used it twice since I bought it, and cooked for six of us without any trouble. The only downside is that I think it's not high enough, I'm 6ft and I have to stoop over to cook on it."

With an iconic look, this oil drum BBQ from Argos is a great size, boasting enough room for gatherings of up to 18 people. It comes with a warming rack so you can keep food warm while you prepare the next round, and the steel hood also makes it a great fit for roasting, baking, and smoking. It has a fold-down side table which means you can keep your favourite sauces and spices close at hand, and two wheels so you can move it around the garden with ease.

Customer review: "It's a fantastic grill for parties; it's worth its price. Steaks taste amazing, and even turkey steaks stay juicy and tasty. The grill is mobile on two wheels which makes it easier to transport."

One of the main gripes with cooking with charcoal is, unsurprisingly, the smoke. While it's great for giving that wonderful flavour, it's not so great having your hair and clothes smell like smoke the rest of the day. LotusGrill has sought to tackle that problem with its Portable Smokeless Charcoal Barbecue. Equipped with a patented fan system, the BBQ regulates airflow so you can still get delicious flavours without a plume of smoke. It's only available in this compact design (and smaller options are available) but despite that, you could still feed up to 10 hungry mouths.

Kamado grills are iconic for their egg-shaped ceramic vessels that look smart and stylish in the garden and are spacious for versatile cooking. And while you could invest in ones from Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe, the Boss Grill The Egg steals the show for its affordable price. Designed to smoke, grill or bake, it has a three-layer cooking grid and even comes with a free pizza stone for homemade pizza. The ceramic body is not only incredibly durable, but it also guarantees heat retention so you can cook more food with less fuel. With extra features such as a free BBQ cover, vents, bamboo shelves, wheels and temperature gauge, this a great pick for those looking to expand their culinary skills.

Customer review: "This ceramic bbq is the same as branded others on the market, they look the same and cook the same. There is one huge difference, the cost! It is a third of the price. It's a win, win. If you are somebody who doesn't buy branded goods and wants a bbq that does everything, do yourself a favour buy from here."

This charcoal BBQ has been designed with convenience in mind, with everything you need to make for a super easy barbecue experience. Perfect for easy hosting and cooking for up to 15 people, it has a load of handy features, including a front door for adding new coals (instead of having to lift off the grill), an adjustable charcoal tray with a crank operation to control the heat, and even an in-built bottle opener! We'd recommend having two people on-hand to help with construction as it arrives flat-packed and might take a bit of time to assemble.

Customer review: "Really beautiful and classy. Definitely worth the price. The only thing to consider is having someone help you assemble the BBQ as it is a two-person job. Unfortunately, the manual is not as clear with the images on some steps so it did take us a couple of hours to assemble it. Overall looks as advertised and definitely unique and plenty of space to put everything from utensils to the food. Love it."

The Outback Omega 201 Charcoal BBQ Grill is made for small families looking for those smoky flavours. As well as having a cooking space large enough to cook up 15 burgers at once (up to four people), it has ample storage space with base storage and two weather-resistant side tables - one of which features a tool rack. Based on wheels, it's easy to move from shed to patio and it's easy to clean too, thanks to the enamelled hood, porcelain coated grill and ash tray.

Customer review: "We bought this BBQ a few weeks ago and we have used it twice. It’s absolutely amazing. It’s so easy to use and very easy to clean! It seems to have some kind of enamel on it making it easy to clean. No one likes cleaning the BBQ, it is a horrendous job but this enamel on it makes it a lot less daunting. Well worth the money. we are very happy with it."

Don't wait forever for your coal to light! Simply fill your charcoal Weber Chimney Starter with your chosen fuel, light a fire underneath and wait until everything is glowing, then pour it out into your grill. It works perfectly every time, even if your barbecue is interrupted by an unseasonal drizzle.

Customer review: "You literally screw up some newspaper balls and place at the bottom, throw in your coals, light the paper and no joke in a few minutes the coals are alight and glowing red hot and can add as little or more as you like. No going back to fire lighter's for me."

This top-rated bumper pack of Topline Supagrill instant light charcoal will see you through the seasons for beach BBQs, garden lunches, and spontaneous cookouts when the sun is shining. It's a great bulk buy offer.

Customer review: "Literally grab and go bags of charcoal. Great price, appropriately packaged and fast delivery."

Keep your BBQ in great quality by covering it up once the summer is over. This Velway Waterproof Heavy Duty Barbecue Cover will fit most grills, and a drawstring hood design to keep it covered even on windy days.

Customer review: "Not quite an ideal fit, we use a couple of bungee straps to better hold the cover in place in high winds, it is after all a general cover not made to suit a particular model. Overall a good buy."

Every BBQ needs its own set of tools, and this popular set of 10 has everything you need. The GQC 10PCS BBQ Grill Tool Set is an Amazon Choice product that includes silicone and stainless steel tongs, a fork, a spatula and a basting brush.

Customer review: "Great BBQ tools, stylish and functional and covers everything you could want to cook on the BBQ. A nice BBQ tool set. Comes in a well made soft case to keep the tools together. Tools are well made and are of good quality."

Once you're done, give the grill a once over with this handy cleaning product from HG to keep it looking good for next year. This HG 138050106 Oven, Grill and Barbeque Cleaner is a powerful degreaser that can remove caked-on food and fat.

Customer review: "Easy to apply with the spray nozzle, it is quite strong and useful for any greasy surface for over, microwave or kitchen sink or kitchen top. Once applied, it is easy to clean via a paper towel or a micro fibre towel."