Weber’s new Kettle Smart Ring offers a cleaner solution for your standard 22in grill. Photograph: Courtesy of Weber View image in fullscreen Weber’s new Kettle Smart Ring offers a cleaner solution for your standard 22in grill. Photograph: Courtesy of Weber The Filter US Life and style Weber’s Smart Ring review: a game-changer that easily turns your charcoal grill into a barbecue smoker Embrace the grill-master within with this accessory, which uses a built-in fan and computer to maintain steady temperatures, making smoking easier
20 grilling tools to upgrade your outdoor cooking game
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Who is the Weber Kettle Smart Ring for? What makes the Kettle Smart Ring worth it? Getting ready to grill What’s it like using the Kettle Smart Ring? The first cook The second cook How I plan to cook with it from now on T he ball-shaped kettle grill is a classic of the genre that has long defined backyard cooking , and on its own, is remarkably versatile. Beyond burgers and hot dogs, it excels at roasting and, with some fire management technique, smoking barbecue . For years, backyard grillers have turned to digital thermostats to regulate airflow and charcoal’s temperature – turning kettles into very capable smokers. But adapting one to a kettle often requires drilling a hole into the bowl – not exactly great for your warranty.
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Weber’s new Kettle Smart Ring offers a cleaner solution for your standard 22in-wide grill. The three-piece donut-shaped ring rests between the bowl and lid, adding a controller, fan and ambient temperature probe that work together to regulate airflow to maintain your target cooking temperature. Paired with Weber’s smartphone app, and with the proper charcoal setup, it can hold temperatures from about 180F to 450F (82C to 232C), to handle everything from smoking pulled pork to roasting a turkey.
From traditional charcoal grills to pellet smokers and cutting-edge infrared grills, I have spent years covering and reviewing outdoor cookers. My verdict: smoking barbecue on a kettle grill is nothing new, but the Kettle Smart Ring makes it easier for newbies. (And if you are a newbie grill-master, consider adding some heavy-duty barbecue gloves and a set of prep and serving trays to your arsenal.)
Weber Kettle Smart Ring $279.99 $279.99 at Weber View image in fullscreen Photograph: Courtesy of Weber $279.99 at Weber Weber Kettle Smart Ring $279.99 $279.99 at Weber Who is the Weber Kettle Smart Ring for? This accessory is a good entry point into making real barbecue – it’s easier and can make your introduction to real barbecue easier and less expensive than buying a dedicated smoker. It isn’t as hands-off as a fully automated pellet smoker that feeds itself fuel, but it produces food with a more pronounced barbecue flavor. Adding it to a kettle also preserves your ability to grill – something pellet smokers generally can’t match.
Expect to spend a few cooks learning how the fan affects the fire: how much charcoal to use, how to adjust the top vent, how long the fuel lasts and, most importantly, how long it takes food to reach its target internal temperature. Weber’…