With Father’s Day upon us, we felt it was fitting to wrap up our Father’s Day gift suggestions with a gift so perfect it could very well be considered the Holy Grail of Father’s Day presents. The gift to which I’m referring is the Weber One-Touch Gold 26.75″ Grill – a gorgeous, porcelain enameled monument to the fine art that is charcoal grilling.
Before I go any further, let me be frank. In the world of charcoal grilling, there are many contenders, but there can only be one that reigns supreme over all others. That one is Weber. When selecting a charcoal grill, it’s not a case of which brand to buy, it’s a case of which Weber to buy. And truth be told, you can’t go wrong with any. Webers come in a variety of different configurations, and the fact is, they all deliver superb results. Instead, it’s more about size and convenience – you can opt for a smaller, basic Weber charcoal grill, or you can opt for a larger variant with more features. All, however, are excellent, and all will give you fantastic, mouth watering results.
What makes Weber grills so great? A major factor in the dominance of Weber is the ingenuity of their design. They’re remarkably simple, yet they work remarkably well, and because they all share a similar construction, you get the same rugged durability in any size you choose. They’re made from U.S. steel, coated with a porcelain enamel finish that makes them exceptionally impervious to varying weather conditions – so much so that my neighbor is proud to boast that his Weber has withstood over 20 years of non-covered use and is still going strong. It’s an attribute carried over to virtually all parts of a Weber grill. Vents are made from aluminum so they won’t rust. Handles are made from glass-reinforced nylon so they won’t break. Wheels are high quality plastic so they won’t crack. Webers are brilliantly designed and built to provide years of trouble free use, and they do exactly that.
As for the Weber One-Touch Gold 26.75″ grill, it’s the pinnacle of the traditional Weber charcoal grill lineup. In addition to the aforementioned basic construction features, the One-Touch Gold 26.75″ features a tuck-away lid holder, offering ample support for its oversized lid; a built in thermometer, ensuring perfect grilling temperatures for your various meats, seafoods, etc.; and heavy duty grill grates, offering a solid foundation for numerous grilled items. As is the case with all Weber One-Touch grills, the One-Touch Gold 26.75″ also features Weber’s brilliant aluminum ash catcher, meaning cleanup is as simple as emptying the lower ash container when it’s full. Inside, ashes are automatically swept into the ash container every time you open and close the lower vents. In the world of charcoal grilling, it’s about as clean as you can get.
Using the Weber One-Touch Gold 26.75″, you’ll immediately discover the benefit of using a larger charcoal grill. Quite simply, bigger equals better. If you’re new to grilling, you’ll learn that are two methods for grilling: direct, and indirect. Direct grilling is cooking directly over the coals, and is ideal for steaks, burgers, or anything else requiring quick heating (i.e., cook time in minutes). Indirect grilling involves placing the charcoal on the outer edges of the grill, and cooking your foods in the center of the grill, usually with a drip tray underneath to collect fat and prevent flare-ups. This is ideal for tougher meats that take longer to cook including ribs, briskets, whole turkeys, etc. As for why the larger Weber 26.75″ grill is better, when you have more space, you can better control the heating environment. When indirectly cooking, there’s more room away from the coals to cook your food; when cooking directly, you have more surface area to grill over the coals, and you also have the option to have both a hot area and medium area, etc. The better you can control your grills heating, the happier you’ll be with the results, especially when you start grilling more complex foods. Aside from the beautifully monstrous Weber Ranch Kettle (which offers 1104 sq. inches of cooking area), the Weber One-Touch Gold 26.75″ Grill offers the largest charcoal grilling area available by Weber (508 sq. inches), all for a mere $300. In the world of cooking (and just the world, for that matter), Weber grills may very well offer the best value for your money of any product available – they really are that fantastic.
For Father’s Day, and any day for that matter, Weber grills are truly magical creatures. They offer such a unique blend of cost and performance, and they above virtually anything else demonstrate American ingenuity at its finest. If you’ve never tried charcoal or a Weber charcoal grill, you’re missing out on one of the greatest culinary experiences on the face of the earth. Buy one; buy one of Weber’s chimney starters to go with it ($20), and you’ll be on your way to grilling euphoria in no time.
