There are six main types of charcoal grill: kettle, barrel, cart, kamado, portable and gas and charcoal combos. On our scores, kamados run hottest, portable charcoal grills are easiest to use, and charcoal cart, portable and barrel grills score best for value.
The six types at a glance
Each card shows the best one of that type we have scored. Tap a card to see how that type works.
Kettle grill A round bowl and a domed lid, with vents top and bottom. The classic backyard charcoal grill. 
Barrel grill A long drum on legs. Lots of grate space, and often a crank to raise or lower the coals. 
Charcoal cart grill Built like a gas grill, with a charcoal tray you raise and lower and an ash drawer below. 
Kamado A thick ceramic or insulated egg that holds heat for hours, for searing, smoking and pizza. 
Portable charcoal grill Small kettles and tabletop boxes for the park, the beach or a small balcony. 
Gas and charcoal combo A gas side and a charcoal side on one cart, so you choose the fuel for each cook. Which type grills hottest?
Heat is what charcoal is for, and the types differ more on it than on anything else. Here is the average Heat Performance score for each type, across the 37 charcoal grills we have scored.
Kamados hold the most heat because their thick walls keep it in. Barrel grills trail because thin steel and a long drum let it out, though they are among the best for value at 8.7. Cart grills rest on 2 scored models, so treat that row as a guide.
Kettle grill
A round steel bowl with a domed lid, a vent in the bottom and another in the lid. The round shape reflects heat evenly onto the food, and the two vents are the whole temperature control: open them for more heat, close them down for less.
It is the most versatile charcoal grill for the money. Bank the coals on one side and it grills and roasts; lay them in a slow burning ring and it smokes a pork butt. The 22 inch size fits most families.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 8.5, Ease of Use 8.3, Value 7.5, from 8 scored.
Barrel grill
A long steel drum split along its length, with the coals in a pan below the grate. On many, a crank raises the pan toward the food for searing or lowers it for slower cooking, and a chimney at one end draws the smoke through.
Barrels give the most grate space for the money and suit big gatherings. The steel is usually thinner than a kettle's, so they lose heat in wind and need more charcoal, and many add a side firebox for smoking.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 7.1, Ease of Use 7.5, Value 8.7, from 5 scored.
Charcoal cart grill
Built like a gas grill: a boxy cookbox on a cart with side shelves. A lever raises and lowers the charcoal tray, a side door lets you add coals without lifting the food, and an ash drawer slides out underneath.
It gives charcoal flavor with gas grill convenience, at gas grill prices. The fire is easier to manage than in a kettle, and cleanup is the easiest of any charcoal grill.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 8.8, Ease of Use 7.8, Value 8.8, from 2 scored.
Kamado
A thick ceramic or insulated steel egg with a vent at the bottom and a vent on top. The heavy walls hold heat so well that a small load of charcoal lasts for hours, and the grill reaches searing heat with the vents wide open.
It grills, smokes and bakes pizza in one cooker. It is heavy, it costs more, and it takes a little practice, because it is slow to cool down once it is too hot.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 8.9, Ease of Use 8.3, Value 7.7, from 12 scored.
Portable charcoal grill
Small kettles and tabletop boxes with lid clips and short legs, built to carry to the park, the beach or a campsite. Most are about 14 to 18 inches across and light a full fire with a small chimney of charcoal.
They are quick to heat and cheap to run. The trade is space: a portable cooks for two to four people, and the low sides make two zone cooking harder.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 7.5, Ease of Use 8.5, Value 8.7, from 6 scored.
Gas and charcoal combo
A gas grill and a charcoal grill side by side on one cart, each with its own lid. Light the gas side for a weeknight dinner and the charcoal side when you want the flavor.
You get both fuels in one footprint and often for less than two grills. The trade is that there are two fireboxes to clean and maintain, and neither side is as large or as refined as a dedicated grill.
Our scores for this type: Heat Performance 8.5, Ease of Use 7.3, Value 8.1, from 4 scored.
Whatever the type, build two zones
Pile the lit coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side empty. Now you have a hot side for searing and a cool side where food cooks through gently with the lid on.
Sear a steak over the coals, then slide it across to finish. Start chicken on the cool side so the outside does not burn before the inside is done. On every type above with room for it, this one habit fixes most charcoal cooking. Our two zone fire guide shows the setup on each kind of grill.
Which type should you choose?
- Your first charcoal grill, or the most versatile one: a kettle. Ours average 8.2 overall.
- You cook for crowds on a budget: a barrel grill: the most grate space for the money, and among the best for value on our scores.
- You want to grill, smoke and bake pizza on one cooker: a kamado, the hottest of the six. See how a kamado works.
- You want charcoal but hate the cleanup: a charcoal cart grill with an ash drawer.
- You grill away from home: a portable, the easiest of the six to use.
- Not sure which charcoal to buy: our lump vs briquettes guide.
- Your household cannot agree on gas or charcoal: a combo, or read our gas vs charcoal guide.
Questions people ask
- What type of charcoal grill is best?
- On our scores, kamados average the highest overall at 8.4, with kettles close behind at 8.2 for far less money. For most people a 22 inch kettle is the best first charcoal grill.
- What is the easiest charcoal grill to use?
- A portable charcoal grill: they average 8.5 for Ease of Use, the highest of the six, because a small fire is quick to light and simple to control. Among full size grills, kettles and kamados come next.
- Can you smoke on a charcoal grill?
- Yes. A kettle or a kamado smokes well with the coals on one side and a chunk of wood on them; a kamado holds low heat longest. Barrels with a side firebox work as offset smokers. For more, read our guide to the types of smokers.
- Kettle or kamado?
- A kettle costs a fraction of a kamado and does most of the same jobs. A kamado runs hotter (ours average 8.9 for Heat Performance against 8.5), holds steady heat far longer and bakes pizza, but it is heavy and dear.
- How long does a charcoal grill last?
- A well kept kettle lasts many years, and a ceramic kamado can last decades. Our guide to how long grills last has the warranties and reliability scores by kind.