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Sear

Live-fire heat for a hard, fast crust.

★ Top pick The searing benchmark

Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch, Black

Nothing sears like live charcoal, and no charcoal grill has earned its stripes like the Weber Kettle. A full chimney of lump or briquettes puts the coals inches under the grate and pushes surface temps far past what a gas or pellet grill can touch, so you get a deep, fast crust while the interior stays where you want it. The 22-inch bowl gives you room for a two-zone fire: rip a steak over the coals, then slide it to the cool side to coast to temperature. Porcelain-enameled steel shrugs off rust, the One-Touch system sweeps ash into the catcher in a few swipes, and the whole thing is famously simple to live with. The honest caveat is health, not hardware: searing over open flame is exactly the condition that forms the carcinogenic compounds HCAs and PAHs, so the smart move is to sear hot but manage the char.

363 SQ IN · PORCELAIN-ENAMELED · ONE-TOUCH ASH · LID THERMOMETER

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Weeknight convenience

Weber Spirit E-310 Liquid Propane Gas Grill, 3 Burners, Black — Porcelain-Enameled Cast-Iron Grates & Snap-Jet Ignition

This is the convenience half of the charcoal-vs-gas debate. The Weber Original Kettle rewards patience with deeper smoke flavor, but you tend a live fire. The Spirit E-310 lights with a knob turn, holds a steady dialed temperature, and is ready in about 10-15 minutes — the difference between grilling on a Tuesday and not. Honest caveat: gas is still high-heat, open-grate grilling, so the same HCA/PAH cancer chemistry applies. What gas buys you is control — fewer greasy flare-ups than fat dripping onto glowing charcoal, and instant heat adjustment to stop charring — which is exactly what the National Cancer Institute says reduces exposure.

3 BURNERS · 24,000 BTU/HR · 360 SQ IN · SNAP-JET IGNITION

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