cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/43381114

We have an 18" kettle grill (254 in^2) that my family of 5 has finally outgrown. We don't need anything huge, I think 50% more cooking area would suffice. Our needs:

• We mostly do quick-cooking stuff like burgers/brats
• Less often we do chicken thighs
• We use charcoal
• I'd like to try cooking ribs
• We're not interested in smoking

My best guess as to a good fit for us is the Char Griller Wrangler (435 in^2). It's bigger than our 18" kettle but not too big. I don't want to have to use a ton of fuel each time we grill, I assume that would be true for a larger model. I also want something with a warming rack and this little guy seems to be a good balance of price/quality.

Are my assumptions correct here? I've only ever used kettle grills. Char-Griller has fancier models with fire access doors but I don't really think I'd need to futz with the fire that much, even if doing ribs. I figure that with the simpler model I could just remove the grate over the coals in order to be able to add more as needed.

Thanks all!

Kind of a side note, but I'm a big fan of grill pans.

Assuming you have stove-top area, you can place them right on top of your spiral / burner elements, and exactingly control the heat levels in ways which is more difficult with charcoal. There's also far less elements, expense and cleanup involved, and you can cook inside year-round for those in colder climates.