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Pros

  • Friendly grill size for both direct and indirect cooking, well fitting lid with two vents, stay-cool ergonomic handle

Cons

  • No temperature gauge, exterior and surface beneath get very hot, legs not sturdy, food burns quickly if not watched

Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ summary

This is a handy box-sized barbecue that’s portable and easy to use, with a grill big enough for a couple or small family. Designed for use at home or on the move, most of the materials are sturdy, and once lit, it heats up and cooks quickly.

However, the whole barbecue gets extremely hot, particularly underneath, and it’s not suitable for use on a non-heatproof surface.

First impressions of the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ

This is a neat, compact barbecue that’s made from quality materials with an enamelled cookbox and lid, which are both robust and sturdy.

Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ set-up

The metal legs, however, feel flimsy, and although it’s well built, the lid is a bit of a snug fit. It’s light and easy to use at home or out and about.

How easy is the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ to assemble?

With easy-to-follow diagrams and a handy allen key tool, it takes just 10 minutes to put this barbecue together. It has a simple design, perfect for setting up or packing down when you’re on a picnic, as well as just in the garden at home. Simply slot on the legs, place the cooking grill and the fuel grate in the cookbox, add the lid and it’s ready to go.

How easy is the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ to use?

This is a small, simple barbecue with basic grilling and smoking functions, and it’s easy to operate and control. It took a few attempts to light as it kept going out, but in the end we removed the lid so we could keep an eye on it, and it took.

Once we had white ash, there was even heat distribution, but it was surprisingly hot for the size of the grill. Although the two vents in the lid allowed good temperature control, the lack of a temperature gauge made it hard to judge how hot it was getting.

The outside of the barbecue also became ferociously hot, and even though the grill is raised off the ground, heat built up underneath, causing the surface we were cooking on to warp.

Care needs to be taken when using this barbecue and it’s definitely best placed on a patio or concrete slab, rather than on the lawn or directly on a tabletop. Children and pets also need to be kept well away.

Once we’d finished cooking and the barbecue cooled down, which didn’t take long, its simple, one-box design makes it easy to clean. The pivoting legs fold easily away, and it’s easy to pack up and store. Given its portability, a carry case would be handy, but a bag is available to buy separately from Weber.

Cooking results

Although small, the grill is large enough for cooking on both direct and indirect heat, with room to heat food in the centre and then move it to the side to stay warm. However, all the vegetables cooked so quickly that they burned before they were cooked through, even without the lid on.

Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ

Vegetable kebabs and potato slices were crisp and chargrilled on the outside but not fully cooked in the centre, and the skin of the aubergine was charred and split before the centre and ends were done. A spatchcock chicken was succulent and crispy on the outside but there were also areas that were undercooked and still raw.

How sustainable is the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ?

This barbecue is well made with robust, long-lasting parts and its predominantly 10-year warranty implies a good product lifetime. Packaging is not excessive and consisted mostly of cardboard with some plastic wrap, which is good to see.

Conclusion

This portable barbecue is a practical size for storage and taking on a picnic or to the beach, but its hot exterior makes it tricky to use unless there’s a heatproof or concrete surface. It’s most useful for someone with a patio, rather than a lawn, and with no children or pets nearby.

With care, it can cook well using both direct and indirect heat, but the cost of the barbecue is high given the safety aspects, it’s impracticality and the attention needed when cooking.

Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal BBQ specifications

Brand: Weber
Model: Go-Anywhere Charcoal Barbecue
RRP: £111.99
Dimensions: 36.9cm H x 53.4cm W x 31cm D (cooking area 42 x 26cm)
Weight: 6.78kg
Materials: Porcelain enamelled lid and cookbox, plated steel cooking grate, glass-reinforced nylon handle
Warranty: 10 years lid and cookbox, 5 years plastic parts, 2 years other parts

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