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!


Another question for ya - I can get a 30" version at Menard’s for the same price as the 22". If I was doing a small grill session (say 6 burgers) would the extra interior space detract from the grilling?
No, not for me! On the contrary I feel cramped inside a small grill when I’m trying to maneuver a spatula and tongs 😁