Working at Weber for so long, I have been fortunate enough to see many innovative products launched into the market. This has kept my passion for grilling fired up. This year, the product that has really ignited my passion for charcoal grilling is the new Weber briquettes. This 100 percent all-natural hardwood charcoal is a game changer.

I have used almost every fuel on the market and have always had my favorites, just like many of you charcoal fanatics out there. However, since using the new Weber briquettes, I haven’t used anything else.  After grilling with them once, I was speechless and in awe. Those of you that know me understand that for me to be speechless, it takes a lot. From lighting to grilling, everything was a better experience. One thing I was really excited about was when I filled a full chimney starter with the briquettes, is I do not lose the bottom ones to ash.  The chimney starter stays full which was really exciting. This hardly happens when I use other briquettes. Once in the grill, the temperature quickly climbed to upwards of 700 degrees. I had a hard time waiting the ten minutes to preheat because I wanted to put my steaks on after only five minutes due to my excitement.

I placed my two inch thick filets on the grill over indirect heat for about ten minutes a side. Towards the end, I turned up the heat to sear them. The consistency of the heat was unreal in the unit. I never had to worry about the temperatures dropping. After I took the filets off, I still had a fair amount of fuel left, so I threw some chicken breasts on and cooked those too. The final result with the steak was, per my wife, one of the best that I have ever grilled for her. If you know my wife and how she evaluates my barbecue, you would understand what a pinnacle was reached with her comment about that steak.

The following day, I put a brisket on the grill using more of the Weber charcoal.  Being that I grilled the night before I forgot to put the bag back inside my garage.  Ironically it rained all night which in the past would have ruined my charcoal.  Fortunately for me the Weber charcoal comes in a resealable weather resistant bag and the charcoal was not ruined. When it came to smoking I did not have to adjust the dampers at all after locking in the unit at 250 degrees. It stayed steady throughout the entire cook. Overall, I used less charcoal and to be honest, I have never cooked a brisket like I did with these briquettes. Now, to give you background, I have logged in over 1000 hours on my Summit Charcoal Grill, and after using these briquettes just once, my grilling game has gone to another level. The results I have had over the last six to nine months using this charcoal have been amazing. I never thought I would look at charcoal as anything more than a fuel source, but after grilling, barbecuing, and smoking with the new Weber briquettes, I see it as a necessity. It is the perfect complement to a Weber grill. Next time you are out shopping and see that beautiful bag of Weber briquettes, pick one up and take your grilling to the next level. I promise you will enjoy them, but more important, so will all the people you grill for.