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The short version
- Who it's for: anyone who loves cooking over charcoal and wants one BBQ that can grill hot and fast or cook low and slow with the lid down.
- What I love: easy vent control, the lid thermometer, the hinged grate and how versatile it is once you set up two heat zones.
- Budget for extras: I had to buy charcoal baskets separately to split the coals, and add-ons like a pizza stone insert cost extra.
- Small niggles: it's a little top-heavy when rolling it around, and there aren't many good places to hang tongs and a burger flipper.
- My verdict: the BBQ I'd recommend to a friend, just as a friend recommended it to me.
Check the Weber Master-Touch price on Amazon
Charcoal baskets for a 57cm Weber
Essential for two-zone cooking. The pair I bought is currently unavailable, so this link shows the Weber-fit baskets on Amazon right now. Check they say 57cm kettle compatible.
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Why I bought it
I've always loved cooking on coals while having a drink on a nice summer's evening. The Weber kettle was recommended to me by a friend at a party, where he was using his to cook for everyone. I liked how versatile it was, and I bought my own black Master-Touch in April 2025.
Key specs
| Cooking area | 57cm diameter grate |
| Fuel | Charcoal (lump or briquettes) |
| Grate | Hinged cooking grate with a removable centre (Weber's Gourmet BBQ System, or GBS) |
| Temperature | Built-in lid thermometer, top and bottom vents |
| Cleaning | One-Touch cleaning system with removable ash catcher |
| Size & weight | Roughly 100 × 65 × 76cm, around 25kg, on wheels |
| Warranty | Weber advertises a 10-year guarantee on major components (check the terms for your model) |
There are a few Master-Touch versions with slightly different features and colours. Check the exact model before buying.
What I love about it
1. Two-zone cooking changes everything
The biggest thing for me is being able to separate the coals. With charcoal baskets pushed to each side, you get a hot zone for searing and a space in the middle with no direct heat. That's brilliant for keeping cooked meat warm while you finish everything else, or for cooking bigger pieces slowly with the lid down.
2. Drop the lid and relax
Once you've got that indirect zone, you can put the lid down and cook without worrying about something burning. Food sitting away from the direct heat isn't going to catch, so you're not constantly hovering over it.
3. The lid thermometer
The built-in temperature gauge is genuinely useful. It lets you keep an eye on the temperature inside without lifting the lid and letting the heat out.
4. The hinged grate
You can flip up the sides of the grate, or lift out the centre, to drop in more coals when they start burning down. No juggling a red-hot grate full of food just to top up the fuel.
5. Easy vent control
The top and bottom vents are simple to adjust, so you can open them up for a hotter fire or close them down to cool things off. Close them both completely and the coals go out.
6. You can add to it later
Because the centre of the grate lifts out, you can buy add-on inserts that drop into the middle. A pizza stone is the one I like the look of. It means the BBQ can grow with you rather than you needing a whole new one.
Things to consider
- Extras add up. To use two-zone cooking properly you'll want charcoal baskets, and inserts like a pizza stone are extra too.
- It's charcoal. It takes longer to get going than gas. A chimney starter makes a huge difference here (see my chimney starter guide).
- It feels a bit top-heavy on the move. Rolling it around on my composite deck, it feels quite top-heavy, so I take it steady when moving it.
- Tool storage could be better. There could be better places to hang standard tongs and a burger flipper.
- It needs a permanent spot. At around 25kg on its stand it's not something you'd take camping. It lives on my deck, and I use a smaller portable BBQ for trips away.
Cleaning
Cleaning isn't too bad. The grill metalwork is thick, so a wire brush with a scraper gets it clean without worrying about damaging it, and the ash catcher underneath collects the ash.
My tips if you buy one
- Buy charcoal baskets at the same time. You'll use them every cook.
- Get a chimney starter to light the coals quickly with no lighter fluid.
- Set up two zones, hot on one side and cooler on the other, so you always have somewhere safe to move food.
- Use the vents rather than the lid to control the heat, and close them both to put the coals out when you've finished.
- Try my easy marinated BBQ chicken on it.
Weber Master-Touch GBS 57cm (Black)
The exact BBQ I own and cook on.