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57cm kettle barbecue: what to check before you buy

Updated: 23 October 2026

An amazon.co.uk search for a kettle can return covers, 47 cm bowls, or shallow 57 cm compacts under the same words. Choosing a 57cm kettle barbecue means fixing the diameter first, then the bowl depth, then the features that change the cook. This is the order of checks for a UK garden or patio. The five kept listings sit on the [kettle barbecue 57cm comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/kettle-barbecue-57cm). Figures are amazon.co.uk shelf prices from 21 October 2026. We read those listings and UK public sources. We did not run a lab cook. A purchase through our links may earn a commission.

An amazon.co.uk search for a kettle can return covers, 47 cm bowls, or shallow 57 cm compacts under the same words.

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On this page

What 57 cm refers to

On Weber UK’s Original Kettle family page, 57 cm is about 2,342 cm² and thirteen burgers, against about 1,548 cm² and nine burgers at 47 cm. That count is packing, not a measured dinner. Char-Griller’s title says 22-inch while a bullet says 57 cm, and KEYO’s title says 22.5 inch. Covers and the wrong bowl shapes were removed. Weber points couples at 47 cm and an average family, plus indirect grilling, at 57 cm. The head-to-head is Weber 47cm vs 57cm.

Compact bowl or original bowl

Weber’s Compact 57 cm (model 1502061) is sold as food closer to the coals. Riverside treats a shallow compact as better for burgers, and a deeper kettle for indirect cooks. That is a shop note, not a test. Here the Compact is £99.99, against Weber UK’s £139.99 for the same model. The Original is £169.99 and the Premium £239.00. Compact bullets list an ash catcher and wheels, not a thermometer. Original and Premium list a thermometer and One-Touch. A shallow bowl is the weaker tool for a chicken with coals banked aside. That layout is on the indirect heat page.

The features that change the cook

Two working dampers matter more than a colour badge. Both vents open for high direct heat, about halfway closed for lower indirect heat, and both shut only to put the fire out. A lid thermometer reads dome air, and only if the bullets list one. Compact omits it. Original, Premium and KEYO list one. Char-Griller’s specification bullets do not. Ash is a catcher, One-Touch, an EasyDump door, or a removable pan, depending on the row. Wheels are named on the three Webers only. None of those extras makes a balcony legal for charcoal.

Where you may light it

London Fire Brigade says outdoors only: not a balcony, not decking, not unattended, and ash can give off carbon monoxide for hours. GOV.UK bans charcoal in houses, tents, awnings and caravans. Cold ash goes on bare soil, not a wheelie bin. Weber UK says no spirit or petrol. BS EN 1860-1:2024 is the standard identifier, not a mark these ASINs were shown to carry, and none of the files shows UKCA. Ordinary cooking smoke is usually not a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 79. Lighting steps are on how to use a kettle barbecue.

How to read a messy listing

The Compact file prints 3.77 kg beside two dimension lines, 57 square centimetres against a 2,342 cm² bullet, and Nylon against enamel. The Original prints 2,552 cm² and 2,342 cm², with Plastic against porcelain bullets. The Premium repeats the 57 cm² clash. KEYO’s title says 348 square inches and a field says 348 square centimetres. Leave both strings. Char-Griller’s saved review bodies are United States or Mexico. KEYO has seven ratings, including one Vine note. Shelf prices run from £87.99 to £239.00.

Common questions

Is 57 cm the same as a 22 inch kettle?
Often it is the same diameter class. Weber uses centimetres. Char-Griller’s title says 22-inch and a bullet says 57 cm. KEYO’s title says 22.5 inch. A cover or a 47 cm bowl is a different object.
What is the difference between a Weber Compact 57 cm and an Original Kettle 57 cm?
Same diameter class, different bowl. Weber describes the Compact as closer to the coals. The Original bullets add a thermometer and One-Touch. In this set the Compact is £99.99 and the Original is £169.99.
Do I need a lid thermometer?
Only if you want a dome-air dial and the bullets list one. It does not read the centre of minced meat or poultry. The Compact bullets here omit it. The Original, Premium and KEYO list one. Food safety still needs a probe.
Will this fit a balcony?
No charcoal kettle in this comparison is for a balcony. London Fire Brigade and GOV.UK both ban barbecues on balconies and in enclosed spaces. Patio or garden only.
Why does one listing show two weights and two areas?
The Compact Amazon file prints conflicting weight, dimension and area strings. Other rows conflict on area units or material fields. Those are listing conflicts left visible, not measurements we re-weighed. Prefer the feature bullets and Weber’s published 2,342 cm² line for the Weber 57 cm class over a single broken field.
Is a cover in the search actually the grill?
Often the search mixes covers and grills. If the title is a cover, or the diameter is 47 cm when you wanted 57 cm, leave it. This folder kept five kettle listings only.
How many people is 2,342 cm²?
Weber frames 57 cm as about thirteen burgers on the grate and points an average family at that size. Riverside and listing bullets also talk about six to eight people. Treat those as packing and marketing guides, not as a counted meal we cooked.

Related pages

Sources

Public UK and maker sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the saved amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Weber UK: Original Kettle 57 cm, model 1502202 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Weber UK: warranty information (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Weber UK: Original Kettle size guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Weber UK: Compact 57 cm, model 1502061 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade: BBQ safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. BSI: BS EN 1860-1:2024 solid-fuel barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: nuisance smoke, how councils deal with complaints (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Food Standards Agency: cooking your food (retrieved 22 October 2026)