Weber Charcoal Grill Accessories:15 Best Kettle Upgrades!
One of the fun parts of falling in love with your kettle is finding new ways to make it even better. Here are some of my favorite Weber charcoal grill accessories that would be great upgrades and welcomed gifts.
This list is going to cover:
- Gadgets for Better Fire Management
- Next Generation Cooking Grates
- Rotisserie Kits to Transform the Grilling Experience
- Gear to Solve Common Kettle Problems
All of these accessories are for use in the standard 22 inch Weber kettles.
Gadgets to Manage the Fire in Your Kettle
Weber kettles are pretty easy to use because they allow you to control the air flow and, as a direct result, the temperature of the grill. Of course, just because something is already good that doesn’t mean that you can’t make it great 🙂
Here are some of the best accessories to help you mange the fire in your grill.
Charcoal Baskets
These simple and inexpensive charcoal baskets make it easy to arrange your charcoal in different configurations. The most common uses include:
- A single basket banked to the side for Indirect Low Heat
- A basket on each side for Indirect High Heat
- Two baskets in the middle for Direct High Heat
These baskets are standard equipment that comes with Performer and Master Touch kettles but must be bought separately for the regular kettles.
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Vortex
The Vortex is a specialty product that has a cult-like following.
The general idea is that the Vortex allows you to arrange the charcoal in a way that is perfect for ultra crispy chicken wings and extreme high heat searing for steaks.
There are several counterfeit knockoffs on Amazon but please only buy the original, Made in USA, product.
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Slow n Sear
The Slow N Sear from SnS Grills converts a Weber kettle into a slow smoking machine. Â You can hold “Low and Slow” barbecue temps for about 10 hours on a single load of charcoal. Â The integrated water reservoir holds a quart of water and provides a humid cooking environment.
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Spider Grills Venom Adapter
The Venom Adapter from Spider Grills attaches to the air inlets at the bottom of your kettle and electronically controls the temperature of the grill by precisely regulating air flow. You can control the temperature within the kettle from the primary control panel on the venom or through an app on your phone.
You do not need to drill any holes in your kettle to use the Venom adapter.
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Spider Grills Pellet Adapter
The Spider pellet adapter is so glorious that it is absolutely wrong.
The Spider hooks onto a standard 22 inch Kettle and coverts it into a PID controlled pellet grill. You can dial in temperatures from 180-500F and the Spider will reach and hold the specified temperature to within 5 degrees.
I had a blast playing with the Spider and was amazed at the versatility.
Yes, I know that it is a grilling sin to convert a Weber kettle into a pellet grill. I did it anyways!
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Next Generation Grilling Grates
Now that we have our fires under control let’s look at a few ways to upgrade the cooking grate. There are a surprisngly large number of options to choose from!
GrillGrate Panels
This is my all time number one favorite accessory for my kettle.
Thee panels fit on top of the existing cooking grate and completely transform the grilling experience. The panels make grilling better by:
- Eliminating Flare Ups
- Improving Heat Distribution
- Providing Amazing Grill Marks
I really cannot recommend these highly enough. These panels transform the grilling experience into a thing of sheer beauty.
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Stainless Steel Cooking Grate
The grate that came with your kettle is made of chrome plated steel. The chrome plating comes off after about a year and the remaining steel rusts through about a year later.
If you are interested in getting a grate that is going to last then go ahead and invest in one made of 100% stainless steel. The Stainless steel grate is going to last many years longer and has the extra benefit of being easier to clean.
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Weber Gourmet BBQ System
The Weber Gourmet BBQ System features a hinged grate for easy charcoal addition along with a removable center insert that can be replaced by a variety of attachments.
The insert attachments, which are sold separately, include a cast iron searing grate, cast iron griddle, pizza stone and poultry roaster.
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Craycort Cast Iron Grate Inserts
Cast Iron Grates are sexy.
In addition to being cool as heck they grates from Craycort are also extremely versatile. Â Craycort provides optional inserts like a griddle, wok and veggie basket that will really change how you think about grilling.
Here is my full Craycort Cast Iron Grate review where I go nuts with the inserts.
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Rotisserie Kits to Transform How to Use Your Kettle
Now it is time to look at some gear that will completely transform how you use your grill!
Combination Rotisserie and Pizza Oven Adapter
This innovative product from Onlyfire includes the rotisserie ring, along with the complete rotisserie system, that has a removable front panel. When the front panel is removed you can add the included pizza stone to the grill and now you also have a great pizza oven!
Come on, you know you will have serious fun playing with this thing!
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Ribolator: Seriously Stupid Fun!
If you do get a rotisserie then at some point you will want to invest in the RiboLator. Â This is an attachment for the rotisserie that lets you grill four slabs of ribs at once with its Ferris Wheel design.
Here is a link to my full RiboLator Review that really shows the functionality of the device.
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Santa Maria Rotisserie Combo
Another great idea from Onlyfire is this delightful combination package that lets you set up your kettle for open air rotisserie grilling or as a Santa Maria Style grill.
This set up makes open air grilling a fun show to entertain your guests. Who wouldn’t love watching some birds spin over open flames or a couple of tri tips roasting over a fire made from oak wood splits?
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Gear to Solve Common Kettle Problems
Unless you have a Performer or Mastertouch then the most common problems people have with their kettles are:
- No Place to Put the Lid
- No Side Table for Prep
The good news is that we have solutions!
Slide a Side Lid Holder
The Slide a Side lid holder clips onto the side of your grill and creates a side slot where you can easily slide the lid so you don’t have to put it on the ground.
Yes, I know, there is a little hook on the inside of the lid that can serve the same purpose but I can never remember where the hook is located and hate using it. The Slide a Side is a much better alternative for lid management.
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Working Side Table
The lack of a side table on most Weber kettles is incredibly frustrating. You need someplace to put your tray of burgers, digital thermometer and barbecue sauce.
The folks at BBQ Dragon have come up with a great side table that clips onto the side of your kettle and will support ten pounds. The table also has some handy dandy tool hooks 🙂
There are some knock-offs of this design on Amazon but the one from BBQ Dragon is the best.
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