The Willy L Classic is the second of four versions of a charcoal grill cart from Schickling. It comes with a double-walled lid with thermometer, two side shelves and a charcoal pan that can be adjusted across five levels. On Amazon it costs approx. €663 (as of 05.10.2026), and it is delivered as a kit.
Schickling is based in Visbek, Lower Saxony, and calls the grill 100% Made in Germany. According to its own statement, the brand has existed since 2014, and the legal notice names EdelDesign GmbH. For the Willy L, the manufacturer writes about classic grilling over direct embers. In our catalogue it is listed under charcoal grills.
Is the Willy L Classic made entirely of stainless steel?
No. Besides stainless steel, Schickling mentions galvanised and powder-coated steel on the Willy L page, used for all black coated parts, especially in the base.
The manufacturer distributes the stainless steel grades like this: 1.4301 (V2A) for the grates and load-bearing parts such as the grill legs, 1.4016 for the base plate and side shelves. The charcoal pan and ash pan are also made of stainless steel according to Schickling, and the manufacturer describes the charcoal pan as resistant to deformation. A note from materials science, not from Schickling: 1.4301 is the common chromium-nickel steel, 1.4016 a nickel-free chromium steel that is less corrosion-resistant. Schickling uses it where there is no direct heat and no aggressive influences. The manufacturer justifies the painted steel in the base with the same reasoning. Schickling counts the legs as stainless steel, and the Classic has no base cabinet.
The promotional claims differ. On the category page the Willy L is listed as “100% stainless steel”, the Amazon listing speaks of the entire grill cart being stainless steel, and the claim that every screw and rivet is stainless steel appears only there. The general manufacturer FAQ, by contrast, names only two painted or powder-coated components, gas bottle holder and base cabinet, and is aimed at gas grills and cabinets. We go by the Willy L page, because only it names components and materials.
Even stainless steel does not stay flawless on its own. In its FAQ, Schickling explains flash rust: foreign rust particles from dust, pollen or metal abrasion settle on the surface and show up as brown dots. They can be removed with stainless steel cleaner or flash rust remover, and according to the FAQ stainless steel does not need oiling.
On origin: Schickling says it makes everything metal itself, with the sheets cut, folded, welded, ground and assembled in Visbek. Among other things, the thermometer and wheels are bought in.
In detail: charcoal pan, lid and air
The charcoal pan can be set to five levels. This allows the heat to be regulated precisely, Schickling writes, and the handles stay cool. The principle is simple: the closer the embers are to the grate, the more heat arrives there, and in the lower levels it gets milder at the grate.
The Amazon listing speaks of adjusting the grill “during operation” in five levels. Schickling itself writes only about the pan and its cool handles.
The grate consists of three removable stainless steel segments with 6 mm thick bars and 1.2 cm spacing between them. According to Schickling, they are removable for cleaning and for accessories.
The lid is double-walled, made of stainless steel, and carries a thermometer up to 500 °C. What the grill actually reaches depends on the charcoal and air supply; the scale says nothing about that. Two walls keep the heat in the cooking chamber better than a single sheet, because the air between them conducts poorly. According to Schickling, there is a second grilling level under the lid for delicate food, and it makes indirect grilling possible.
Indirect means: embers on one side, food next to them, lid closed. This way the outside of thick cuts does not burn before the middle is done. For heat zones, Schickling sells charcoal dividers; our guide Using direct vs. indirect heat properly explains how to set up zones.
For air, the Amazon listing names two vent sliders on the back of the lid and punched ventilation holes in the charcoal pan. The rear view at Schickling shows them as well. More air makes the charcoal burn hotter, less air dampens it.
At the front there is a flap that serves as a heat shield and makes adding charcoal easier. It gets hot, so according to Schickling grill gloves always belong with it. According to Amazon, you add charcoal without removing the grate. As fuel, Schickling names charcoal, briquettes and split wood.
Kit, dimensions and wheels
The Willy L comes as a kit, which is how the FAQ can be read. There, Schickling names four large models, Big Rocket, Rocket, Einbau Big Rocket and Profistar, which are delivered pre-assembled by freight; all other grills come as a kit in parcels, and the Willy L is not among the pre-assembled ones. According to the FAQ, assembly takes 2 to 4 hours depending on model and experience, and all parts are screwed together and numbered. If you do not want to do the screwing yourself, you can book the assembly service, by phone or email only: 10% of the sale price plus a €50 shipping flat rate, so €116.30 for the Classic in the direct shop.
According to Schickling the weight is 42.5 kg, while the Amazon catalogue lists 99.2 lb (pounds), converted 45.0 kg. The manufacturer’s dimension drawing, a rendering, is labelled “Dimensions of the charcoal grill” and gives 110 cm width, 47 cm depth and 115 cm height with 85 cm working height, while Amazon gives 114 × 51 × 109 cm. A grilling area cannot be derived from this; it is stated separately: 55 × 33 cm. The two side shelves measure 34 × 24 cm, carry up to 25 kg according to Schickling and are removable or foldable.
In the Amazon image, which looks like a rendering, two large wheels sit on one narrow side, the legs on the other side end without a wheel, and a lower shelf lies between the legs. Handles protrude under the side shelves; Schickling writes of a handle under the shelves that makes moving and lifting easier. The Amazon listing describes smooth-running solid rubber wheels and adds that the handles under the shelf stay pleasantly cool during grilling and allow quick moving. Neither Schickling nor the Amazon listing gives approval for moving the charcoal pan or the cart with embers in it; we would do both only once the charcoal has gone out and cooled down.
Basic, Classic, Deluxe or Pro: which version?
The Classic is the Basic plus a double-walled stainless steel lid with thermometer and two side shelves, and costs €288 more in the Schickling shop. If you do not need a lid, the Basic will do; Deluxe and Pro add swivel casters and a base cabinet, and the Pro also adds a rotisserie.
According to the manufacturer, the Basic costs €375 at 22.5 kg, the Classic €663, the Deluxe €877 at 54.5 kg and the Pro €1,042 at 58 kg. Between Basic and Classic there are therefore 20 kg. The equipment list on the Classic page ticks off what belongs to the Classic: ash pan, charcoal pan, height adjustment, side shelf and grill lid yes; swivel caster, base cabinet and rotisserie no.
From the Classic to the Deluxe it is €214. The caster set costs €39.50 on its own, the base cabinet with soft-close doors €175, together €214.50, so the package is on a par with the individual prices. With the Pro, the rotisserie is added, €165 in the shop, exactly the individual price of the rotisserie with back burner.
Accessories and what the grill costs in the end
Schickling sells cover, chimney starter and charcoal divider separately: the Defender L cover for the Willy L for €39.50, a stainless steel chimney starter for €42.50 and the charcoal divider for €15.50. For the grate there is a cast iron grate set of three segments of 33.5 × 18 cm each for €69.50, suitable for Henry L and Willy L, a Plancha L for €115 and a rectangular pizza stone, 38 × 30 cm, for €21.90.
If you add cover, chimney starter, charcoal divider and the caster set to the grill, that is €137 more and, by our calculation, €800, without fuel and without the assembly service.
Safety and care: what Schickling writes
What follows in this section comes from the manufacturer’s FAQ, category page and blog, and applies there generally to charcoal grills or grills, not to the Willy L alone. We did not find an operating or assembly manual for the Willy L as a download, neither as a PDF nor on the product page, FAQ or support; according to the FAQ, an assembly manual is included with the kit, and for many models there are video instructions on the product detail pages and on the manufacturer’s YouTube channel.
The safety list in the blog (“Safety when grilling with charcoal”) has eight points:
- make sure it stands firmly, ideally on concrete or asphalt, so the grill does not tip over
- “Only use outdoors such as on a terrace!”
- no flammable materials such as garden furniture, leaves or curtains in the immediate vicinity
- keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher ready
- for controlled and safe lighting, use a chimney starter, standing firmly on level ground and lit outdoors only
- do not leave the charcoal grill unattended while in use
- wear heat-resistant grill gloves and keep children and pets away while the grill is in use or still hot
- let the grill and charcoal cool down completely after use before you clean or dispose of the ash
In its section on safety and technology, the FAQ mainly deals with gas grills. It advises at least 50 cm distance from walls, furniture and other flammable materials, considers sufficient ventilation under a canopy decisive, and says the grill must always stand on a stable, level and non-flammable surface.
The blog’s lighting checklist has five points: do not use methylated spirits or petrol; not too much charcoal at once, better to add it in layers; do not load the grill too early, but wait until the embers have glowed through evenly; have grill gloves, tongs and grill brush ready; make sure the ground is fireproof, especially on the terrace.
As a general rule for every charcoal grill, regardless of what Schickling writes: glowing charcoal releases carbon monoxide, which collects in enclosed spaces, so the grill never belongs in a garage, tent or living space.
On cleaning: the stainless steel grate elements are dishwasher-safe according to Schickling, as is much grill accessory; the Amazon listing says the same for the three segments. The FAQ advises against aggressive scouring agents and steel wool, because they can damage the surface. The ash pan can be pulled out to the front, and Schickling advises emptying it regularly and wiping it with a dry cloth. Ash and grease build up on vent sliders and air openings and can impair the oxygen supply; a small brush or a dry cloth is recommended.
On timing, two pages contradict each other. The FAQ says it is easiest to clean the grill while it is still slightly warm: remove coarse residue with the grill brush, then work with warm water and a cleaner. The safety list in the blog, by contrast, demands complete cooling before cleaning. We consider the stricter rule the safer one.
What Schickling does not state
On the Schickling pages we read (retrieved 06.10.2026), the following information is missing:
- setup advice that explicitly applies to the Willy L, such as distances and balcony use
- a note on carbon monoxide
- an instruction on extinguishing the embers; the blog only mentions cooling down
- maximum temperature, heat-up time and burn time
- capacity of the charcoal pan and distance of the five levels to the grate
- accuracy of the lid thermometer
- sheet thicknesses of body and lid, load capacity of the grate, weight of the charcoal pan
- whether and which wheels are included in the delivery: number, material and diameter
- whether the fourth grate element in the infographic belongs to the Classic and what it is
- which components of the Classic are coated or painted
- whether the dimensions apply with the lid and shelves open or closed
- shipping method (parcel or freight), shipping weight and packaging dimensions
- price of a replacement charcoal pan
- test marks or standard testing such as EN 1860-1 or GS
- a manufacturer’s guarantee beyond the statutory warranty; we do not reproduce the guarantee field in the Amazon catalogue because we do not know its terms
What else is worth considering?
Three grills from our catalogue, each for a different reason:
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schickling Willy L Classic (this one) | double-walled lid with thermometer, charcoal pan with 5 levels | approx. €663 | 8.7 | you want to cook indirectly under a closed lid and control the embers via the height of the pan |
| PK Grills PK360 | cast aluminium body, grate 24.8 × 15.8 inches according to PK Grills (approx. 63 × 40 cm) | approx. €499 | 9.0 | you want cast aluminium instead of stainless steel and need more grate |
| Schickling Walter XL Basic | grate 71 × 45 cm, but no lid and no side shelves | approx. €475 | 8.5 | you need a lot of grate area and will grill uncovered at first |
| Everdure HUB II | electric ignition coil for the charcoal, rotisserie up to 40 kg | approx. €2,503 | 9.4 | you want to light without a chimney starter and have a power socket at the grill spot |
The prices are guide values from our price box and change; we read the Willy L price on Amazon on 05.10.2026. The rating is our editorial assessment from the data comparison, not a measurement result. The details on the PK360 come from pkgrills.com, retrieved 06.10.2026, those on the HUB II from the Everdure manual and from everdure.com. More models are in our charcoal grill comparison.
Who the Willy L Classic suits, and when another grill is better
On price, the PK Grills PK360 is €164 below the Willy L Classic, the Walter XL Basic €188. The Everdure HUB II, at €1,840 more, costs almost four times as much. The Walter XL, however, lacks the lid; with lid and side shelves, the Schickling shop lists it as the Walter XL Classic for €833, €170 above the Willy L Classic.
Compared with the Willy L, the Walter XL leads on grate area: it has more in both grate dimensions, 16 and 12 cm. Schickling calls the Willy L suitable for up to 10 people and the Walter XL Classic for up to 20, and in the blog the Willy L is called an everyday companion for the small family. If you regularly grill for more than one family, you should weigh up the Walter XL.
If you want to cook indirectly, you need a lid. In both series it comes with side shelves as the Classic, which from the Basic is €358 for the Walter XL and €288 for the Willy L. If you move the grill often, factor in the swivel casters. On a balcony, the house rules decide first whether charcoal smoke is allowed; our guide Grilling on a balcony explains the legal situation, and what Schickling writes about balcony and garden is in the FAQ further down. Whether a charcoal grill suits you at all is something the Grill Finder clarifies with a few questions.
The Willy L Classic is wrong for anyone buying because of “entirely stainless steel”; the base is not. It is also wrong for anyone who grills only two or three times a year. They assemble a kit and pay for a lid and shelves they rarely use; for them the Basic is enough, which according to Schickling has a stainless steel grill pan, a height-adjustable charcoal level and a three-part grate.
