Weber 57cm One-Touch Original BBQ

This is the updated name (with a few minor improvements) for what was previously known as the One Touch Silver, so it is worthwhile posting my Silver review for this item also as I hope it helps people in selecting this great barbecue:

Look at reviews on Amazon.com and you will see that people have had these for 20 years and they are still going strong.
So what makes it a classic? First, it was the first of its kind in its design. The food should be cooked with the lid on. This allows even cooking of the food and not the burnt outside/uncooked inside phenomena beloved of barbecues.
Most items should not actually be cooked over the coals, but instead "indirectly". This is really simple- pile the coals on one side, the food on the other, and put the lid on. Try beer can chicken. Get a small chicken or two, rub in salad oil dressing, get a small beer can, drink half, then shove it (with the remaining beer) up the chicken's jacksi. Put it on indirect heat for 2 hours covered- basting in a mixture of white wine vinegar and soy sauce every 30 mins or so. It comes out so succulent it is unbelieveable. Try that on your £500 gas barbecue!
Second reason- it is a classic in its build quality. It is designed to last years, left outside, uncovered. It is covered in a ceramic paint, and takes some hammer. I dropped the lid on stone flags when it was brand new, but I don't worry about a bit of scuffing/ chipping on it- it will get plenty more abuse over the years. You will see other "kettle" barbecues (ripped off from the original design of this); don't even bother.
The food tastes so much better on this than a gas barbecue- no drying out of the food, and a smoky taste.
So how does the product work? Well it is easily assembled (just a hammer needed) in about half an hour. There is a grate near the bottom of the kettle where the coals are put, then a cooking grill that rests further up the bottom half. The "one touch" feature is three metal "leafs" that sit in the very bottom of the kettle. These leafs can be rotated with a handle on the outside, and cover some vents which should be open when cooking. As the ash develops from the coals on the grate, it drops down into the bottom of the kettle- some of it will fall out of the holes onto the circular silver tray you can see on the photo between the tripod legs. However, when you have finished your cooking and the coals have cooled, you can then rotate the silver leafs, and they will gradually push all of the ash in the bottom out onto the silver tray, which is then removed and poured into a bin.
Fat also runs out of the bottom of the barbecue onto the silver tray.
There is also a metal vent on the top of the barbecue which can be opened and closed to increase/ decrease the heat- the more the vents are open, the more air gets in and the hotter it gets.
Don't bother cleaning it (apart from shifting the ash) after barbecuing. It used to take me forever to clear my gas barbecue. Here, all you do next time you heat it up is rub the cooking grill with a wire brush and all muck comes off it. Weber recommend you wash the kettle out once a year- that is it!
There is one reason many of the professional barbecuer's use this - search for example for the barbecue pit boys who show you how to barbecue properly- it is because it is the best.
Also get a Weber fire starter chimney. This essential piece of equipment is filled with your coals/ charcoal, put four pieces of scrunched up newspaper underneath, and light it.

Its an absolutely fantastic BBQ, It doesn't have the ash catcher like its older brother but given the price difference and using an old metal Roses sweet tin catches the ash just as effectively you cant go wrong. The grill is massive and will easily cope with a large party of people.
Also Webber have loads and loads of extras you can get to add on to the this BBQ makes it all the more worthwhile!!

I am very much of the opinion that it is worth spending a little bit more to get something that works well and lasts forever. You can buy this type of BBQ far cheaper from other companies but it won't be the same. I use mine loads and leave mine outside all the time. It feels stable and doesn't look like anything could ever go wrong with it.

Indirect cooking is fab on larger bits of meat and with the leaflet you get with the BBQ it works every time - so far!

Since buying this I have bought lots of other weber accessories because I know they will be excellent. My only slight regret on buying this BBQ is the temptation of the premium model or the top of the range one that has gas lighting and a built in table, but the is £400!