The published figures, side by side
Char-Griller, Traeger and recteq publish the figures below on their own listings and product pages; Weber publishes the kettle’s. Nothing here is a test result — we own none of these grills.
| Spec | Weber Kettle 22" | Char-Griller AKORN | Traeger Woodridge | recteq Bullseye RT-B380 |
|---|
| Fuel | Charcoal | Charcoal | Hardwood pellets | Hardwood pellets |
| Top temperature | Set by the fire, not rated by Weber | Char-Griller rates it 200–700°F | 500°F | 749°F |
| Cooking area | 363 sq in | 445 sq in total, 325 primary | 860 sq in over two racks | 380 sq in |
| Needs electricity | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Set and forget | No — vents and fuel by hand | Partly — insulation holds temperature | Yes, from the app | Yes |
| Weight | About 32 lb | 88.2 lb on casters | 138 lb | About 70 lb |
| Warranty | Weber’s kettle coverage | 5 years | 10 years limited | recteq’s own coverage; ignition rated for 100,000 cycles |
The first row is deliberately not a number: a charcoal kettle has no rated ceiling because the fire sets it. A chimney of lump under a cast-iron grate will take a kettle past anything a barrel-style pellet grill can reach, which is the single best argument for charcoal.
Where charcoal wins
Searing heat, for very little money. Nothing in the pellet column except the Bullseye gets near a hot charcoal fire. If the cooking is steaks, smash burgers and chops, a kettle plus a chimney costs a fraction of a pellet grill and gets hotter.
No power, no electronics. A kettle works at a campsite, in a power cut and in twenty years’ time. A pellet grill is a computer with a fire in it: no outlet, no cook. There is also simply less to fail.
Fuel cost. Kingsford publishes a planning figure of about four pounds of briquettes per session on a standard kettle, which is cheaper per cook than pellets for most cooking. Lump vs briquettes covers which bag to burn, and how much charcoal to use turns that chart into coals per cook.
Where the pellet grill wins
Long cooks without a vigil. Set 225°F and go to bed. Holding that temperature by hand on charcoal for ten hours is a skill; on pellets it is a number. This is why pellet grills took over brisket.
Repeatability. A thermostat means the second cook is like the first. The same chicken at the same temperature for the same time comes out the same way, which matters far more to a weeknight cook than peak heat.
Capacity and convenience. 860 square inches over two racks on the Woodridge against 363 on a kettle; a 24 lb hopper that needs no attention mid-cook; app alerts instead of lid-lifting.
It roasts. A pellet grill is a genuinely good outdoor oven — whole chickens, trays of vegetables, even bread. A kettle can do it with a two-zone setup and attention; the pellet grill does it with a dial.
Who should buy which
- Weber Kettle 22-inch — the default charcoal answer, and the cheapest grill here that will still be working in twenty years. Best for someone who cooks hot and fast and likes the ritual.
- Char-Griller AKORN — charcoal for someone who wants long, low cooks: triple-walled insulated steel holds temperature far better than a thin kettle, at a fraction of ceramic-kamado money. Note the 3.1 lb charcoal limit.
- Traeger Woodridge — the one-machine household answer, and the safest big-ticket gift of the four because it needs no fire skills at all.
- recteq Bullseye — the pellet grill for the charcoal holdout. 749°F answers the usual complaint that pellet grills cannot sear; 380 square inches is the price of that heat.
The honest third option
A lot of people buying their second grill end up owning both: a kettle for steak night and a pellet grill for Sunday. If that is where this is heading, buy the kettle first. It is cheaper, it teaches fire management, and it keeps its place as the thing you sear on after the pellet grill arrives. For the fuller map, read pellet grill vs gas grill, kamado vs kettle and gas vs charcoal. If the budget is the constraint rather than the fuel, best grills under $500 spans all three.
