Weber Charcoal Baskets (Set of 2), Made of Robust, galvanised Steel, Ideal for Direct & indirect Grilling with Charcoal/briquettes, Suitable for All 47cm Charcoal barbecues - Silver (7403)

Essential piece of kit for indirect cooking in the Weber …

Want to raise your barbecue game? Buy some of these beauties and, if you don't already have one, a kettle grill or smoker.For years people have been conditioned to believe that only by cooking your steak or burgers over a raging inferno will you achieve carnivore nirvana. Just look on Google images for the word 'barbecue' and you will see page after page of kebabs, T-bones and burgers on grills above what appears to be a raging blacksmith's forge. Compounded by a certain fast food restaurant's claim that 'Flame-grilled burgers' are better, we associate good eating with total combustion. This is not how you impart good flavour to your food (or ensure it is fully cooked).A good barbecue flavour comes first from the smoke, and then from any sauces, rubs or marinades you choose. Cooking over a flame is all well and good to caramelise the outside (a process that makes food taste better due to the 'Maillard reaction') but, in order to get the smoky barbecue taste, you need to let the food sit in a mostly sealed environment that is FULL of smoke for a fair amount of time. That's where these beauties come in.Setting these things up in your barbecue in a way that leaves a space in the middle, fill them full of coal. If you have a starting chimney, you can fill them full of hot coals and get going straight away. Once the coals are hot, stick a foil pouch full of smoking chips on one of the holders (apple, cherry or mesquite are good, depending on the level of smokiness you desire) and put the grill on the barbecue.Put your chosen food on the grill above the space, so that no coal is underneath them. Now, put the lid on the barbecue and leave your food in there. No peeking now, trust your grill.Depending on what you cook will dictate how long your food takes. As the grill fills with smoke and heat, your food will cook in a hot, smoky oven-grill and develop a brilliant smoky flavour as a result. Finally, brown the meat over the coals for a few seconds to develop the caramelised taste and you will have the best-tasting barbecue meats ever!Another benefit of using these things, besides awesome tasting food, is the fact that most of the ash is contained in the holders after use, making tidying up much easier. Your barbecue will also last longer, as coals are not directly up against the hull of the grill.Google 'indirect grilling' for more information.

I decided to replace my previous Weber briquette holders as they were almost burnt through, although in fairness they have been well used for about 10 years!These things are great because they allow you to move the heat to exactly where you want it. Normally I have them both on the same side of the barbecue and cook indirectly with the lid on, sometimes one on each side and sometimes both in the middle. Just depends on what I'm cooking and how much heat it needs, but the point is that I can vary the level of heat across the barbecue with these fuel holders.Another spin-off benefit I've noticed from using these things is that the charcoal isn't in direct contact with the sides of the barbecue, which means that it's less likely to burn through the sides over time.The only downside, and the reason I didn't replace them sooner, is the price. At nearly £25 including postage, I think they are way overpriced for what they are, which is essentially a couple of small metal baskets. I haven't seen anything similar on the market though which might explain the high price!

Good, but I have a compact weber grill (57cm), if they are full then the coals are too close to the grill. We are a family of three, so we don't cook a lot at once so don't need to fill them to the top - they work well.If you have the bigger (deeper) weber grills you'll not have this issue.

I like the fact they are Weber and so they fitted my 15 year old Weber BBQ perfectly. If they last half as long I will be happy and upon first test, I can only report they work well - so much better than the originally supplied rails. Good quality and easy to clean too. What’s not to like even though a tad pricey.

Used these before, they last for roughly 15 years, depending upon use

These perform excellently, but are overpriced for what they do. Unfortunately there are no alternatives.3 star due to the price.

CHAR BASKET GETS IT ALL GOING QUICKER