The Weber kettle is the classic American charcoal grill, and for good reason. It is affordable, it lasts, and with the lid on it can grill, roast and smoke. An Arteflame is a different kind of charcoal and wood grill: an open fire in a steel bowl with a thick flat-top cooktop ring around it and a grate over the flames. This page compares them honestly, and it also covers a third option many kettle owners do not know about: putting an Arteflame cooktop on the kettle you already have.
The short answer
- Choose a Weber kettle if you want a low-cost charcoal grill with a lid for indirect cooking and low-and-slow smoking.
- Choose an Arteflame if you want to cook open, around the fire, on a large flat top and a 1,000°F+ grate at the same time, and use it as a fire pit afterwards.
- Already own a 22″ kettle? The Arteflame flat-top kit for Weber kettles adds a steel griddle ring and a center sear grate; the 22″ kit is $199.
Weber kettle vs Arteflame at a glance
| Arteflame | Weber kettle | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An open wood or charcoal fire with a flat steel cooktop ring around it and a grate in the center; also a fire pit | A covered charcoal grill with a round grate over the coals |
| Fuel | Hardwood or lump charcoal | Charcoal, with wood chunks for smoke |
| Lid | Cooks open, with no hood | Yes, with dampers for temperature control |
| Cooking area | 300+ sq in (20″), 700+ sq in (30″), 1,250+ sq in (40″) of cooking surface, including the center grate | 363 sq in (22″), 508 sq in main grate (26″ Master-Touch) |
| Cooking styles | Sear on the grate, griddle and sauté on the cooktop, in zones from about 250°F to 1,000°F+ at the same time | Direct grilling, indirect roasting and low-and-slow smoking with the lid on |
| Flat-top cooking | Built in | With an add-on griddle insert |
| Materials | Corten steel bowl and base (stainless on the Platinum Series), hot-rolled carbon steel cooktop up to 1/2″ thick | Porcelain-enameled steel bowl and lid, plated or stainless steel grate |
| Where it is made | Phoenix, Arizona, from American steel | Not stated on the product pages we checked |
| Price | $895 (20″) to $3,995 (40″ Platinum) | $149 (22″ Original) to about $530 (26″ Master-Touch) |
Weber details and prices are from weber.com as of September 2026 and may change.
The core difference: a lid vs. an open cooktop
The kettle's lid is what makes it so versatile. With the lid on and the dampers set, it traps heat like an oven. You can cook directly over the coals, roast a chicken beside them, or run a low fire at 225–275°F for hours to smoke ribs or a pork shoulder. Weber publishes good guides for all of it.
An Arteflame has no lid. Everything cooks in the open, around the fire. That changes what it is good at. The center grate sits right over the fire and passes 1,000°F, which is made for searing. The steel cooktop ring around it holds about 450–550°F near the fire and 250–350°F toward the outer edge, so you can sear a steak, cook vegetables and warm bread at the same time and see everything while it cooks. People stand around it instead of waiting for a lid to open.
So the kettle wins at covered cooking: smoking, roasting and anything low and slow. The Arteflame wins at open, high-heat, many-things-at-once cooking, and at being a fire pit afterwards.
Searing and flat-top cooking
A kettle sears well when you pile the coals on one side and grill directly over them. What it does not have is a flat cooking surface. Eggs, fish, sliced vegetables, smash burgers and fried rice need a griddle, and on a kettle that means an add-on. Weber sells a full-size carbon steel griddle insert for 22″ charcoal grills, and a smaller cast-iron griddle for kettles with its removable-center GBS grate, which comes on the Master-Touch.
On an Arteflame the flat top is the main event. The 40″ models have more than 1,250 square inches of cooktop, several times the grate area of a 22″ kettle, and the center grate is still there for searing. Read how to use the heat zones.
Size and cooking for a group
A 22″ kettle has 363 square inches of grate, which feeds a family comfortably. The 26″ Master-Touch has 508. Arteflame's ONE20 has more than 300 square inches of flat top, the ONE30 more than 700 and the 40″ models more than 1,250, which is room for a whole party's food at once.
Price and durability
The kettle is one of the best values in grilling. The 22″ Original costs $149, the 22″ Premium $229–$249 and the 26″ Master-Touch about $499–$529. Weber backs the Premium's bowl and lid with a 10-year limited warranty against rust-through and burn-through.
Arteflame costs more: $895 for the ONE20, $1,495 for the ONE30 and from $2,495 for the Classic 40″. For that you get heavy Corten steel that weathers instead of needing paint, a cooktop up to 1/2″ thick with no moving parts, a fire pit, and a grill made in Phoenix, Arizona, with a 3-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects.
The third option: an Arteflame cooktop on your Weber kettle
If you already own a 22″ Weber kettle and like it, you do not have to choose. The Arteflame two-piece flat-top kit replaces the kettle's grate with a steel griddle ring and a center grill grate. You get a flat top around the edge and a hot sear zone over the coals in the middle, and you keep the lid for smoking and roasting. The 22″ kit is $199; kits for other sizes cost $169–$229. The Weber kettle griddle insert guide covers sizes, charcoal setup and seasoning. See all griddle kits for Weber and Big Green Egg.
Which should you buy?
A Weber kettle is the better fit if:
- You want a charcoal grill for under $250.
- You smoke ribs, brisket or pork shoulder and want a lid for low-and-slow cooking.
- You cook for a family, not a crowd.
An Arteflame is the better fit if:
- You like cooking in the open, around the fire, with guests around you.
- You want a big flat top and a 1,000°F+ sear grate on one grill.
- You cook for groups and want everything ready at the same time.
- You want a fire pit and an outdoor centerpiece as well as a grill.
The kit is the better fit if:
- You already own a 22″ kettle and want to add flat-top cooking for less than $250.
Still comparing? See all our comparisons and how a fire pit with a cooktop works.
Frequently asked questions
Can you smoke on an Arteflame?
Not low and slow the way you can in a covered kettle. An Arteflame cooks open, so it is best for searing, grilling and flat-top cooking. Food cooked near the wood fire does pick up smoke flavor.
Can you put a griddle on a Weber kettle?
Yes. Weber sells a carbon steel griddle insert for 22″ charcoal grills and a smaller cast-iron griddle for its GBS grate. Arteflame makes a two-piece kit for 22″ kettles with a steel griddle ring and a center grill grate.
How big is a Weber kettle compared with an Arteflame?
A 22″ kettle has 363 square inches of cooking grate, and the 26″ Master-Touch has 508. Arteflame grills have more than 300 (20″), 700 (30″) or 1,250 (40″) square inches of cooking surface, including the center grate.
Does an Arteflame have a lid?
No. Arteflame grills are designed to cook in the open, around the fire. That is what lets several people cook at once and turns the grill into a fire pit after dinner.
Do both use charcoal?
Yes. A Weber kettle burns charcoal, with wood chunks for smoke. An Arteflame burns hardwood or lump charcoal.
Want to cook around the fire?
See all Arteflame grills