Weber has been making charcoal kettles for over seventy years, and the Master-Touch is the model most barbecue enthusiasts point a newcomer towards first. The E-5750 is the heart of the range, and it earns its reputation. At around £259 it gives a thick porcelain-enamelled bowl and lid, a hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate, the genuinely useful One-Touch ash-clearing mechanism, and a build that shrugs off a decade of British weather. That blend is exactly what makes it our best overall pick, and the grill we would hand to almost anyone buying their first serious charcoal BBQ.
Tested June 2026 · last updated June 2026
What we measured
2,549 cm2cooking area on the 57cm grate 120 Cheld steady for 4 hours on one chimney 22 minfrom lighting to grilling heat 10 yrwarranty on bowl and lid
Weber Master-Touch GBS E-5750: full specifications | Type | Charcoal kettle |
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| Cooking diameter | 57 cm (2,549 cm2) |
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| Lid and bowl | Porcelain-enamelled steel |
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| Cooking grate | Hinged Gourmet BBQ System (GBS), plated steel |
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| Airflow control | Dual dampers + One-Touch cleaning system |
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| Ash management | High-capacity aluminium ash catcher |
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| Lid thermometer | Built-in |
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| Assembled size | 105 x 70 x 64 cm |
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| Weight | 11.9 kg |
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| Measured time to heat | 22 minutes (full chimney) |
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| Warranty | 10 years (bowl and lid) |
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| Typical UK price | £259 |
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Who is the Weber Master-Touch E-5750 for?
The Master-Touch is the right BBQ if you want one good charcoal grill that you will not outgrow, whether you are a complete beginner or a returning cook. The 57cm bowl gives 2,549 cm2 of cooking area, room for roughly 12 to 15 burgers at once or a whole chicken with vegetables, so it comfortably feeds a family of four to six. The dual-vent control and the deep lid mean it does more than grill: it roasts joints like an oven and, with a two-zone fire, smokes ribs low and slow. At 11.9 kg it is light enough to wheel around the patio, and the One-Touch ash system makes the after-cook clean-up a thirty-second job rather than a chore.
It is less suited to two groups. Dedicated smokers who cook brisket and pulled pork most weekends will get easier, longer temperature holds from a purpose-built bullet smoker such as the ProQ Excel 20, which held 110 C for eleven hours in our test against the Weber's four. And anyone who wants to spend as little as possible and only grills sausages in good weather will be perfectly happy with the cheaper Landmann Black Taurus 660. For everyone in between, though, the Master-Touch is the most capable single grill here for the money.
How the Weber Master-Touch performs
Heat control and cooking
The thick enamelled bowl is the whole story here. Lit with a full chimney of briquettes, our example was up to grilling heat in 22 minutes and reached a fierce 280 C directly over the coals, hot enough to sear a steak in a couple of minutes a side. More impressively, when we banked the coals to one side and closed the dual dampers to a sliver, it settled at a stable 120 C and held it within about 8 degrees for four hours on that single load of charcoal, which is excellent for a kettle and easily enough to cook a rack of ribs. Lift the lid to turn food and it recovered to temperature in under two minutes thanks to the well-sealed bowl. The hinged GBS grate is a small touch that earns its keep on longer cooks: you can flip up one side and add coals without lifting the food.
Lighting, ash and cleaning
This is where the Master-Touch genuinely pulls ahead of cheaper kettles. The One-Touch cleaning system is three blades inside the bowl, worked by a handle underneath, that sweep ash through the vents into a sealed aluminium catcher below; three turns of the handle and the bowl is clear, with no fingers in the soot. We weighed the ash catcher's capacity at enough for several cooks before it needs emptying. Lighting is the usual charcoal routine, a chimney starter and 15 to 20 minutes, but the bowl's three bottom vents make it easy to get a fast, even burn going. Over a month of cooking, nothing about the process felt like hard work.
Build quality and durability
The porcelain enamel on the bowl and lid is the reason this grill is built to last: it resists rust and chipping far better than the painted steel on budget BBQs, and Weber backs it with a 10-year warranty on both, the longest on test. Our example arrived with a tight, even lid fit, smooth-rolling wheels and solid legs, and the built-in lid thermometer read within about 10 degrees of our separate probe, close enough to trust. There is nothing here that feels built to a price. It is a grill you buy once.
The honest downsides
There are only two worth mentioning. First, it costs more than a no-name 57cm kettle, roughly £80 to £100 more than a basic supermarket version; what you are paying for is the thicker enamel, the One-Touch ash system and the long warranty, which we think are worth it, but the up-front difference is real. Second, the Gourmet BBQ System grate has a removable centre that takes optional accessory inserts, a pizza stone, a sear grate, a wok, and those inserts are extra purchases on top of the grill. Neither is a flaw so much as a fair trade for a BBQ that should outlast every cheaper rival.
The good
- Held a steady 120 C for four hours on one load
- One-Touch ash clearing in three turns of a handle
- Hinged grate lets you add coals mid-cook
- Best 10-year bowl-and-lid warranty on test
- Reached 280 C for searing in 22 minutes
The not-so-good
- Costs more than a basic supermarket kettle
- GBS accessory inserts are an extra spend
- A bullet smoker holds low temperatures for longer
- No side tables in the box
Best for: the household that wants one genuinely good charcoal BBQ that grills, roasts and smokes well and lasts a decade. Not the pick if you smoke brisket most weekends (try the ProQ Excel 20) or want to spend as little as possible (try the Landmann Black Taurus 660).
