Customer Reviews

Weber 9600 Char-Basket Charcoal Fuel Holders

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Barbecue is good but controlling the heat from charcoals can be tricky. I've been trying to master the art for years, and with this product it makes it a lot easier to indirectly cook larger portions of meat. Also helps to controll the range of cooking you desire, on one side of the grill you can have less charcoal burning for things like hot dogs, and thinner portions of meat, that don't require intense heat, and on the other end you can put more charcoals for things like chicken breasts and steak. Has a suffiecient capacity but could hold more and is why I gave it 4 stars. Other than that I love the fuel holders it makes placement and clean-up of charcoal a breeze and it gets the job done.

If you need to do indirect cooking, or you want to cook various kinds of food that require different temperatures (veggies and meat), then these are great for creating different heat zones in your grill. Other than that, the only other thing they're good for is keeping your charcoal in one place if you push the two units together into the center or side of your grill.

I like these more than wire-framed models because these seem to direct more heat upwards, instead of letting it radiate out to the sides.

I was reluctant to purchase these charcoal holders at first, mainly due to the cost and fear they would be cheaply constructed. Up to now I have been using inexpensive wire holders that are functional but not great. I was very pleasantly surprised when I purchased these Weber basket charcoal holders. They are solidly built, large in size (designed for 22-1/2" grills), and well worth the cost. Charcoal seems to heat up more rapidly in them, ash drops easily from the bottom, and you can empty the baskets easily after the coals have cooled. There is plenty of space between the baskets to put a foil pan with water to keep foods moist during indirect cooking.

If you like to barbecue foods by the indirect method, these basket charcoal holders are perfect. I would buy them again in a second (although they will probably last for a very long time).

The fuel holders really aren't necessary because you can just push the charcoal to the sides or around the grate. But the upside is that they keep the charcoal stacked tighter for indirect cooking which gives you more cooking space. The holders themselves are larger than they look in the picture and each one can hold well over 25+ briquettes. Also you can light the charcoal in the holders if you like. They stack for easy storage and are quite sturdy.

I use these every time I grill food. I often do indirect cooking (pork ribs come out perfect at 300 degrees for 2.5 hours) and they allow you to fine-tune the temperature under the meat when necessary without fumbling with loose coals. Have had no trouble with melting, warping, or rusting over the course of a year.

These little devices are terrific! They keep the charcoal where it needs to be for the Indirect method and leave plenty of room for a drip pan in between. But even better, I often place them together when doing the Direct method to keep the charcoal confined to a more central location. That means I can use less charcoal and get concentrated heat when grilling just a couple of steaks or patties or veggies - using my large weber as if it were a small one. These are well worth the price!

My neighbor has the "Performer" from Weber which I believe comes stock with these. He uses them all the time for indirect cooking so I figured they would come in handy for my 7 dollar Weber kettle tri-wheel special. They have worked out great so far. The price is a little much for just two pieces of metal, but it really takes the pain out of organizing two piles of briquets on each side of the grill.

I've had mine for close to a year. They're dirty as hell, but they're still working great for me. They've held together better than I expected as well.

These holders help make the cooking go faster and help you use less charcoal by keeping the coals close to the grate.

You can fit three 1/2 lb burgers comfortably over each one of these, and they leave a largish-chicken-sized area in the middle of the grill clear for indirect cooking.

Best of all is that when you're done, you'll have coals left over. Just close any bottom vents and put the cover on the grill. Your charcoal will soon die out, and you can reuse them the next time you grill. Just lift 'em out and dump the coals into ur favorite charcoal starter. By doing this I've saved as much money on charcoal as I spent on these.

I own and use daily the Weber Performer.
I've built and used many coal holders since they
more efficiently burn the coals. They don't fall
through before turning to ash. So far I always
come back to the weber built holders. They hold
exactly the correct amount of coals for any
indirect cooking.

Starting with about 25 coals and adding 5-6 coals
per hour, you can maintain 250F forever using a small
water pan over the 1 coal holder (I only use 1 at a time)

Makes the best ribs and/or chicken ever and can be
used for almost anything. I also have a WSM and seldom
need to fire it up unless I want to to brisket or pork
butt on an overnight cook.

A set of these is included with the Weber Performer grill.

They do a great job of holding the coals at just the right depth. They allow starting all the coals together, then separating them for indirect cooking in the center of the grill. Usually I put my two together in the center and leave them there, using the edges of the grill for items that I don't want to put over the direct heat of the coals.

One thing to look out for is excessive build-up of little charcoal bits (like those found on the bottom of the charcoal bag) and old ash. Too much of that and the airflow will be reduced to the point where the charcoal may not light. It is pretty easy to grab them with the tongs before starting and shake them. This makes any loose ash fall out of them and will help keep the air channels clear for the fire.