Weber Kettle Griddle Insert: How to Set Up and Cook on a Flat Top

A griddle insert turns a Weber kettle into a charcoal flat top without buying a second grill. Arteflame's two-piece kit replaces the kettle's wire cooking grate with a carbon-steel griddle ring around a small center grill grate. The charcoal under the center sears a steak on the grate, while the ring around it cooks smash burgers, eggs, onions, shrimp or vegetables. This guide covers which size fits your kettle, how the kit compares with Weber's own griddles, how to lay out the charcoal, how to season the steel and what to cook first.

What the kit is and what it replaces

The kit has two pieces, both laser-cut from U.S. carbon steel:

• A flat griddle ring that sits where the kettle's cooking grate normally sits.
• A round center grill grate that drops into the opening in the middle of the ring, directly over the coals.

You lift out the stock grate and set the ring in its place. There is nothing to cut or drill, and the factory grate goes back in whenever you want a standard kettle again. The steel ships raw, without a coating, so it needs seasoning before the first cook (see below). It darkens and gets more non-stick with use, like a cast-iron pan.

Which size fits your kettle?

Kits are sized by the diameter of the kettle's cooking grate, not by the kettle's nominal size. Measure your stock grate edge to edge and choose the matching kit.

Prices as listed on 30 September 2026. Arteflame doesn't currently list a kit for the 26-inch kettle. Before the first cook, check that the ring sits flat on the grate brackets of your kettle.

For the 22-inch kettle, choose the 22-inch kit. See the Weber kettle kit and its size options.

Arteflame kit vs Weber's own griddle options

Weber sells two griddles for its 22-inch charcoal kettles. They solve slightly different problems from the Arteflame kit:

Weber details and prices are from weber.com, checked on 30 September 2026. Prices change often.

Which one suits you?

• If you mostly want pancakes, eggs and burgers across one big flat surface, Weber's full-size insert gives you the most griddle area for the money.
• If you own a Master-Touch and only want a small plate next to a normal grate, the GBS griddle is the cheapest option.
• The Arteflame kit is for cooks who want both at once: a hot open grate for steaks, chops or skewers in the middle, and a flat surface around it for everything that would fall through a grate or burn over direct flame.

How to set up the charcoal

With the kit in place, the heat comes up through the center, so the part of the ring next to the center grate gets hottest and the outer rim stays coolest. How much charcoal you use and where you put it decides how hot each zone gets.

• Sear and griddle together (the usual setup): pile lit charcoal in the middle of the charcoal grate, directly under the center opening. The center grate gets very hot for searing, the inner part of the ring is hot enough for smash burgers, and the outer rim works for onions, peppers or keeping food warm.
• Gentler griddle for breakfast: use less charcoal and let it burn down before you start. Eggs, pancakes and bacon need a steady medium heat, not a fierce center.
• Longer cooks: add charcoal or a wood chunk through the center. Lift the center grate out with a grill tool or heat-proof gloves, add fuel, and put it back. The ring stays in place.

The kettle's bottom vent still controls the fire, as it always does: open for more heat, partly closed for less. Most flat-top cooking is done with the lid off. When you're finished, put the lid on and close the top and bottom vents to put the fire out, as you normally would.

Tip: an infrared thermometer shows how hot each part of the ring is. Heat depends on the fuel, the weather and how long the fire has burned, so it's worth checking rather than guessing for the first few cooks.

Cooking in zones

A flat top over one fire works like a plancha. You control the heat by moving food between hotter and cooler parts of the steel, not by turning a knob. (More on the technique in What is a plancha grill?)

Fat and juices that run off food on the ring mostly cook off on the steel instead of dripping into the coals, so you get fewer flare-ups than on a wire grate. Food on the center grate drips onto the fire, the same as on any grill.

Seasoning the steel before the first cook

1. Wipe both pieces clean and make sure they are completely dry.
2. Put the kit in the kettle and light a moderate charcoal fire in the center.
3. When the steel is warm, wipe a very thin coat of high-smoke-point oil (such as grapeseed, canola or avocado) over the top of the ring and the center grate with a folded paper towel held in tongs. Wipe off any excess; too much oil turns sticky.
4. Let the oil smoke off until the surface stops smoking and starts to darken.
5. Repeat two or three times. The steel will turn from gray to bronze to dark brown or black over the next several cooks.

A Crisbee seasoning puck makes the thin coats easier. For more detail, see how to season your grill.

A good first cook: smash burgers and onions

Burgers are forgiving and use every zone, which makes them a good way to learn how your kettle and kit run.

1. Light the charcoal in the center and let the ring heat up.
2. Put sliced onions on the middle of the ring with a little oil and let them soften.
3. Put balls of ground beef on the inner ring and press them flat with a stiff spatula. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When the edges are brown and crisp, scrape under each patty, flip it and add cheese.
5. Toast the buns on the outer rim for the last minute.

Cook ground beef to 160°F (USDA). Check with an instant-read thermometer; the meat temperature guide lists the others. For more ideas, browse the flat top griddle recipes.

Cleaning, rust and storage

• After each cook, while the steel is still warm, scrape leftover food toward the center and into the fire with a flat spatula. Wipe the ring with a paper towel and a few drops of oil.
• Skip soap and the dishwasher. They strip the seasoning.
• Keep it dry. Raw carbon steel rusts if it's left wet. Keep the kettle covered, or store the kit indoors between cooks.
• If rust appears, scrub it off with steel wool, rinse, dry, then heat and season again.

A kit or a full Arteflame grill?

The kit is the cheapest way to try cooking on a flat top over charcoal, and you keep your kettle. The cooking area is limited by the kettle's size, though. An Arteflame grill has a wider cooktop (20, 30 or 40 inches across), a fire bowl built for wood as well as charcoal, and room for a group to cook together. The Weber kettle vs Arteflame comparison covers the differences in detail, and all Arteflame grills are listed with sizes and prices. Big Green Egg owners can find a matching kit in the griddle inserts collection.

Common questions

Will the kit fit my Weber kettle?

Measure the stock cooking grate. The 22-inch kit (21½" across) is sized for the 22-inch kettle. There are also 18-, 20- and 24-inch kits. Arteflame doesn't list a kit for the 26-inch kettle.

Can I close the lid with the kit in place?

The kit sits where the stock grate sits, so the lid normally fits over it. Check the clearance on your kettle the first time. You need the lid to shut the fire down after cooking; most griddle cooking itself is done with the lid off.

Can I use briquettes, lump charcoal or wood?

Yes. The kit sits above the fire, so it works with whatever the kettle burns: briquettes, lump charcoal, or charcoal with a few wood chunks for smoke.

Can I still smoke or cook indirect with the kit installed?

The kit is made for direct heat: searing on the center grate and griddling on the ring. For low-and-slow smoking, put the stock grate back and use a two-zone or snake setup.

Does Arteflame make kits for other grills?

Yes. There's a kit for Big Green Egg (Large and XL), with risers included. See the griddle inserts collection.

Arteflame is not affiliated with Weber. Weber® is a registered trademark of Weber-Stephen Products LLC.