Charcoal and wood BBQs for hands-on outdoor cooking
Cooking over glowing coals or a carefully managed wood fire makes the fire itself part of the meal. Whether you enjoy quickly grilling skewers, roasting with the lid down or gathering around a wood-fired plancha, start with the cooking style you want to explore. This collection brings together kettle barbecues, charcoal cooking stations, ceramic grills, masonry designs and live-fire equipment, rather than treating every solid-fuel BBQ as the same kind of appliance.
Charcoal or wood: choose the fuel your BBQ is designed for
Charcoal and logs are not interchangeable in every barbecue. Choose lumpwood charcoal, briquettes or wood only where approved by the manufacturer, and follow the specified fuel quantities. A charcoal-only grill should not be treated as a log-burning fire pit. Likewise, a masonry appearance does not mean every model is suitable for wood fires. Check the exact specification before buying fuel or planning how you will cook.
Charcoal cooking gives you scope to manage heat through fuel placement and airflow. With suitable equipment, a hotter area can sear food while a cooler area provides more gentle cooking. Wood-fired grills add the experience of tending a live fire and cooking with flames or embers as the design permits. Both approaches reward a little preparation, including time to establish a suitable cooking fire.
Kettles, kamados and tabletop charcoal grills
A lidded kettle is a useful starting point if you want to explore both direct and indirect cooking. Compare grate size, ventilation controls, ash collection and how easily you can access the fuel. Ceramic kamados offer a different construction and cooking setup, with model-specific accessories for roasting and smoking. GRLLR and Moddern Kamado designs provide options to compare, but do not assume that every package includes the same deflectors, racks or trolley.
Open shichirin-style grills and compact tabletop models suit a different approach, with smaller portions cooked close to the heat. Their compact size does not make them indoor appliances. Check the required supporting surface, ventilation and clearances, and compare usable grate dimensions rather than relying on the overall width.
Masonry barbecues and permanent cooking areas
For a more permanent garden feature, explore our masonry BBQs, including Buschbeck designs. Consider the base, total weight, delivery access and assembly requirements before choosing a position. Check the approved fuels and any instructions for initial use. Allow working space beside the barbecue as well as the clearances specified in its manual. A suitable side table can make preparation and serving easier without crowding the cooking area.
Wood-fired planchas, open grills and smokers
A solid plancha surface offers a different menu from an open grate: chopped vegetables, smaller ingredients and burgers can cook directly on the plate. BonFeu BonBiza and Barbecook Nestor designs are among the live-fire formats in the collection, alongside other wood-fired cooking stations. Compare the plate dimensions, fire access, working height and included cooking equipment.
For longer cooks, look at the actual smoker design rather than assuming that any BBQ with a lid performs the same way. Fuel access, airflow adjustment, cooking chamber layout and temperature monitoring all matter. An offset smoker, a lidded charcoal grill and a ceramic kamado each require their own setup and fire-management approach.
Size your BBQ around the food, not just the guest count
Choose enough cooking space to turn food comfortably and, where the design allows, create separate heat areas. A large joint, several pans or a mixed menu may need more room than the same number of portions cooked as burgers. Measure the full footprint with shelves extended and the lid open. For portable models, also compare packed size, weight and transport arrangements.
Finish the setup with compatible accessories
Choose BBQ accessories and covers for the exact appliance. Grill plates, rotisserie kits and covers are not universal, and cooking over solid fuel may require different accessories from gas grilling. Follow the care instructions for the grate and body materials, remove ash only once fully cold, and let the appliance cool before covering. Use these barbecues outdoors only, never in an enclosed space. For more help comparing fuels and formats, read our UK BBQ Buying Guide.
