Wire rails or baskets?

[spinsheet]

I've been using Weber charcoal rails for indirect cooking and am happy with them. Are they really making a difference? I don't know but they at least keep the charcoal consolidated giving me more room for indirect cooking. Should I be looking at baskets or are the rails fine? Is there a difference? Is one better than the other?

[Thunder71]

I'm a newbie when it comes to charcoal, and Weber's - but I really like the baskets because they are pretty versatile. I can have them in the middle, one on each end, just one, etc... plus it keeps the coals from actually touching the grill, not sure if it matters but anything to help it last longer.

Just my inexperienced opinion.

[spinsheet]

I too was concerned about the coals laying against the grill. Wondering how much that shortens its life. The baskets would alleviate that, would they not?

[landgraftj]

Spin I doubt there is any difference when cooking. Do whatever is conviently for you. I prefer baskets or firebricks. Depends on the cooker. My nicer cookers use the baskets because I don't want the coals against the bowl. The older ones use either. Although it will take a long while to ruin the bowl unless your doing high, high heat constantly in the same area of the bowl.

[ChadRex]

I like the baskets  however have noticed one major draw back with using the baskets..

With the baskets filled the coals sit closer to the grate. I used them last year for my Thanksgiving Turkey and the coals sat so close to the turkey that it cooked the sides too fast I had to remove some coals to bring the heat away from the cooking grate.

of course I have since learned that my indirect heat set up could have been better arranged..

I had the two baskets banked up on both sides of the kettle with a water pan between, now I have learned its best to place all colas to one side and water pan next to that food would be placed indirectly over the water pan maye turned once mid cook.

[Craig]

Spin I doubt there is any difference when cooking. Do whatever is conviently for you. I prefer baskets or firebricks. Depends on the cooker. My nicer cookers use the baskets because I don't want the coals against the bowl. The older ones use either. Although it will take a long while to ruin the bowl unless your doing high, high heat constantly in the same area of the bowl.

I agree.... its weird for me, I'm more the reverse, my newest kettle (age wise) I use either, but the older ones I use the baskets to prevent crazing (or any further crazing or porcelain damage) since my older ones are colored kettles.

[landgraftj]

That's how mine are Craig...mistyped it. My older colored ones in good shape get the baskets. My blue and "beater" ones get both.

[Craig]

That's how mine are Craig...mistyped it. My older colored ones in good shape get the baskets. My blue and "beater" ones get both.

No biggie, I read it wrong.. 

[mike.stavlund]

I have both rails and baskets, and use them for different things.  One of the uses for the rails that I found around the WKC was using them as elevators.  If you roughly center them on the charcoal grate, you can set another charcoal grate on top to get the coals much closer to the food.  Really handy for searing stuff, and my go-to when cooking corn on the cob, steaks, burgers sometimes, and many kinds of fish.