When we got married in 1982, one of the wedding gifts we got was a Weber 22-inch kettle charcoal grill.

I really liked that grill.

Previously, when I was single and living in an apartment, I had an hibachi grill. It was small but it was a good size for cooking for myself and my two roommates. It was not that handy for entertaining guests. (We lived on the second floor of an apartment complex and we grilled on the wooden balcony – not a very smart idea due to potential fires.)

The Weber grill was a great addition. I could easily cook a dozen hamburgers or steaks. I preferred charcoal grilling to gas grills and I still do. It just seems like charcoal adds more flavor to the food but I can’t prove that. And you might as well cook inside if you are using a gas grill.

The only real drawback to the Weber kettle grill was it was a chore to clean. My model didn’t have the convenient cleanout addition that the new models have.

I used it for years. In fact, I had to replace the stainless steel grill at least three times because we used it so much in the summers.

We could have friends over and grill out with ease.

Eventually, that grill wore out. Rust took its toll even though we covered the grill through the fall, winter and spring.

I was not anxious to get rid of it.

I was surprised and tickled when my son bought me a Kingsford charcoal grill one year for Father’s Day.

This grill had it all. It had a thermometer in the lid. It had two trays on either side. It had wheels. The front had a door with a handle that made it easy to add charcoal without having to lift the grates. It had a bucket under the grill that made it easy to clean out the ashes. It had a base cabinet with two doors for storage.

And I could cook 18 hamburgers all at once.

I really enjoyed that Kingsford grill. I have always used Kingsford charcoal and I was impressed with the quality of the workmanship of the grill.

I cooked hamburgers, steaks, ribs, vegetables, fruit and even desserts on that grill. It had three removable grates and a smaller grate about 4-5 inches above the others that came in very handy when something was cooking faster than something else.

I really liked that grill.

It was starting to show its age last year. I wanted to replace the grates but I discovered they don’t make that same model anymore and I couldn’t find replacement grates that would fit.

And even though I cover the grill from the fall through the spring, it was starting to show some rust – especially on the wheels.

I didn’t know what to do. I wanted a functioning grill but I couldn’t find a Kingsford grill that was what I wanted.

I didn’t want to spend $1,000 on a high-end charcoal grill – that just seemed too decadent.

I looked at grills online from the big hardware stores but nothing seemed to match what I was looking for.

Then I found a KitchenAid charcoal grill at Sam’s Club.

I didn’t even know that KitchenAid made grills. We do have some KitchenAid products in our kitchen (where else?) and I have always been satisfied with their quality and workmanship.

And it was priced at what I wanted to spend.

I bought one and had it shipped to our house. It was heavy and it took me about 3-4 hours to put it together.

It’s not quite as big as my old Kingsford but it has some similar features. It has two trays on the end, a thermometer on the top and a door on the side to put extra charcoal in. The trays can be folded down for better storage.

It does not have a cabinet underneath but that is not a problem. And it does have a cleanout tray for the ashes which is an improvement over the Kingsford bucket, which rusted because it filled with water every time it rained hard.

As I write this, I am about to get rid of my Kingsford. I want to give it away for free because it is still functionable. I have offered it to a few people.

I have not cooked yet on my KitchenAid grill. I plan to inaugurate it on Labor Day weekend. It’s a beautiful grill and I will take good care of it.

I think my third charcoal grill may be the best one of all.