The Weber Compact Kettle 57 is a charcoal kettle grill with a 57 cm diameter, which Weber shows only in black. We have not had it in our hands and have not grilled anything on it. This text sets data side by side: Weber’s product page for item 1502061 (retrieved on 14 October 2026), Weber’s warranty page, the Amazon catalogue and the data sheets of our own reviews. Calculations and assessments of ours are marked as such.
We did not find a manual specifically for the 1502061 at Weber. Under “Compact Kettle” there is only an assembly guide made of pictures, and it belongs to the predecessor generation from 2012. Statements on safety, setup, lighting and cleaning therefore come from Weber’s general instructions for use for charcoal grills (document 71150, dated 13 August 2018). They apply to the whole range and describe features that are present or absent depending on the model. We therefore do not transfer ash catcher, table, thermometer and One-Touch system to the 1502061.
Context: the cheapest 57 in Weber’s Kettle range
On weber.com/DE on 14 October 2026, Weber lists ten Kettle items, four of them with a 57 cm diameter. In the Weber shop the Compact Kettle costs €149.99, the Original Kettle €179.00, the Bar-B-Kettle (item 1331004) €199.99 and the Original Kettle Premium €249.00. For the Original Kettle 57 (item 1502202), Weber lists a lid thermometer, the One-Touch cleaning system and two utensil holders on the bowl handle as features; none of the three appears on the Compact Kettle page. In return it is 2.5 kg lighter (14.5 kg for the Original Kettle 57) and costs €29.01 less there.
Weber describes the design as compact for anyone with limited space and still promises room for the whole family. The food comes closer to the charcoal, which is supposed to make hard searing easier. Nobody has measured this; it is manufacturer advertising. It is still plausible, because a shorter distance to the embers raises the radiant heat at the grate; this deduction is ours.
Our ASIN B0FTZKKJDQ belongs to exactly this item. Amazon’s catalogue lists 1502061 as the model and manufacturer part number, identical to Weber’s item number, and the catalogue dimensions of 98 x 63 x 57 cm match Weber’s figure with the lid closed. Weber does not link to Amazon on its product pages, so the match rests on model number and dimensions.
Bowl, grate and frame
Bowl and lid are porcelain-enamelled. According to Weber’s general instructions, this is a baked-on enamel layer on a steel bowl; on the product page both parts are called scratch-resistant and rust-resistant, and according to Weber they store heat.
According to the specification table and the feature list, the cooking grate is made of coated steel. The header of the same page says cast iron. The two statements contradict each other, and we follow the table, because the Amazon catalogue also gives coated steel. Weber also lists a charcoal grate and a mesh base.
Lid and bowl each have a handle made of glass-fibre-reinforced nylon, which Weber calls heat-resistant. There is a lid hook on the bowl for hanging the lid; according to the instructions it should not be hung on the bowl handle.
Three aluminium legs carry the bowl and, according to Weber, are rust-resistant, plus two all-weather wheels that are supposed to move easily. The product photo shows a round bowl with a domed lid on a tripod frame, a round vent disc in the lid and a handle on the side of the bowl. Between the legs, a flat silver tray hangs under the bowl; we read it as the ash catcher that, according to Weber, protects the patio or floor. This tray is the only cleaning feature Weber lists.
With the lid closed, the grill measures 98 cm in height, 57 cm in width and 63 cm in depth according to Weber, and 79.5 x 57 x 75 cm with the lid open. It weighs 12 kg. These are overall dimensions including handles and frame, from which no grate size can be derived.
In detail: air, coals and the two zones
A kettle grill regulates its heat through air. In principle it flows into the bowl at the bottom, passes through the coals and leaves the grill through the lid vent; more air means a hotter fire and earlier burn-out. According to Weber’s general instructions, the vents at the bottom of the bowl always stay open, and the lid vent is closed to about half so that the coals do not burn too fast. Our reading: with Weber, throttling is done via the lid vent.
Direct heat means: spread the coals evenly on the charcoal grate with the food above. Weber intends this for small, tender pieces with a cooking time under 20 minutes, such as burgers and steaks. Indirect means: coals on both sides of the food, a drip pan in between, lid closed. According to Weber, this is how you cook larger pieces from 20 minutes of cooking time and delicate foods, such as roasts or whole poultry. More on setting up the zones is in the guide to direct and indirect heat.
Weber does not list a drip pan for the 1502061, and the instructions mention charcoal rails or charcoal baskets only in case they are present. According to the instructions, the pan catches dripping meat juices, not aluminium foil, because foil blocks the air supply.
For the 57 cm bowl, the instructions give 30 Weber briquettes or 40 charcoal briquettes for direct heat. For indirect heat, 15 Weber briquettes per side apply in the first hour and 4 for each further hour; for charcoal briquettes it is 20 and 7. Our own calculation for three hours of indirect cooking with both sides loaded: 46 Weber briquettes or 68 charcoal briquettes.
According to Weber, you keep the lid closed whenever possible: the grate stays hot for searing, the cooking time shortens, there is less smoke, and because less oxygen gets in, there are fewer flare-ups. You should remove it to the side, not straight up, otherwise the grill sucks ash onto the food. With the lid closed, the food has to fit into the grill, with about 2.5 cm of space between the food and the lid. A thick roast or a whole chicken is therefore a question of fit.
Are 2,342 cm² enough for six to eight people?
On paper, yes: Weber states 2,342 cm² of grilling area, room for 13 burgers and room for grilling for 6 to 8 people. The figures come from Weber and apply to the entire grate area; we have measured nothing.
With indirect heat, the usable area shrinks. If the coals lie on both sides of the food, the part of the grate above the embers drops out for long cooking times, and Weber does not calculate what share that is. Our assessment: anyone cooking roasts or ribs indirectly for eight people has less free grate area than the manufacturer’s figure suggests.
By calculation, 13 burgers for eight people gives 1.6 burgers per head, and for six a good two (13 : 8 and 13 : 6, our own calculation).
For scale: according to Weber, the Compact Kettle 47 (item 1502054) has 1,548 cm², room for 9 burgers and for 4 to 6 people. The 57 therefore has 794 cm² or around 51 percent more grate area (our own calculation). In our price boxes the Compact Kettle 47 costs approx. €79 and the 57 approx. €102; per square centimetre of grate that is 5.1 against 4.4 cents.
Lighting, setup and care according to Weber’s instructions
According to Weber’s instructions, the grill belongs only outdoors, in a well-ventilated area, on a safe, level surface with no combustible material nearby; you must not place it on glass or on combustible surfaces. Weber requires at least 1.5 m of distance from any combustible material; this includes wood or treated wooden decking, patios and verandas, among other things. Our conclusion: on a wooden deck this cannot be met, because the grill itself then stands on combustible material. It must not be operated under a combustible structure, nor in a garage, in a building or in any other enclosed area. Toxic gases collect in enclosed spaces, and the product page warns of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.
For lighting and relighting, you may use neither methylated spirits nor petrol, and according to the instructions no alcohol and no other volatile substances either. Firelighters must comply with EN 1860-3 (an EU standard, applicable in the EU). Weber does not recommend charcoal lighter fluid; if you use it anyway, you never put it on hot or warm coals and do not place coals soaked with it on the grill either. The coals belong on the charcoal grate, not directly on the bottom of the bowl.
The grill is never left unattended while grilling and cleaning and is not moved during operation, because it gets very hot. You keep children and pets away and leave out clothing with wide sleeves when lighting and grilling. You never check by touch whether the grate, ash, coals or grill are hot. The instructions require heat-resistant grill gloves with contact heat resistance level 2 or higher according to DIN EN 407 (a German and European standard, applicable in Germany and the EU) when grilling, adjusting the vents, adding charcoal, using the thermometer and opening or closing the lid. According to the warning notice, you should not grill at all in strong wind; the tips add that strong wind raises the temperature of a charcoal grill.
To extinguish, you close the bowl ventilation and the air vent on the lid and put the lid on. Water is not an option: the instructions forbid using it to keep flames under control or to put out the coals. You remove ash and old coals only when the charcoal is completely extinguished and the grill has cooled down, and you may throw away both only when completely extinguished. You never tip hot charcoal where people walk or where there is a fire risk. You clear the ash from the bottom of the grill regularly so that it does not block the air supply.
You clean the grate after preheating with a grill brush with stainless steel bristles. You check the brush for loose bristles and replace it if there are any; Weber recommends buying a new one at the start of each spring.
Warranty and follow-up costs
The warranty table on Weber’s product page is graded by component: 10 years for bowl and lid, specifically against rust-through or burn-through, 5 years for plastic components (excluding fading and discolouration) and 2 years for all other parts. The table also contains a row on the One-Touch system (5 years), which Weber does not list among the features of this grill. The warranty field in the Amazon catalogue is incomplete and contains only a “2.”; we do not count it. The 2018 instructions for use restrict this further: the warranty applies only to use by individual private households, and it lapses if parts that are not original Weber parts are fitted, and also under further exclusions such as misuse, modification or lack of care. This passage is missing from the current warranty page.
Our price box lists the Compact Kettle 57 at approx. €102 at Amazon, a guide value that can change. In its own shop Weber charges €149.99 including VAT plus shipping (as of 14 October 2026); shipping is waived from an order value of €49, and returns are free. Anyone who buys a grill there gets 10 percent off the matching cover deducted automatically in the basket.
Weber shows accessories for the grill on the product page: cover €39.99, leather grill gloves €34.99 and a two-piece Precision grilling utensil set for €49.99. The Rapidfire lighting set costs €29.99 according to Weber’s page for the Bar-B-Kettle 57; for the 1502061 it is missing from the list. Cover, gloves and lighting set add up to €104.97 (our own calculation), so against the guide value of our price box that is around €207 for a start with cover, gloves and lighting set. Charcoal and firelighter cubes are not included. For the gloves, Weber does not state the DIN EN 407 classification that the instructions require; you check that yourself when buying.
What else comes into question?
Three kettle grills from our catalogue that we place alongside for the same buying decision:
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber Compact Kettle 57 (this one) | Cheapest 57 in the table, in Weber’s details neither lid thermometer nor hinged grate | approx. €102 | 8.4 | you want area for 6 to 8 people at the lowest price and add the thermometer and accessories yourself |
| Weber Bar-B-Kettle 57 | Built-in lid thermometer according to Weber (item 1502062) | approx. €129 | 8.7 | you want to read the lid temperature and can spend around €27 more |
| Enders Caldera Pro 57 | Two charcoal baskets for indirect grilling included, according to Enders | approx. €129 | 8.8 | you often grill indirectly and want charcoal baskets from the start |
| Weber Original Kettle Premium 57 | Hinged grate for adding coal, compatible with the Gourmet BBQ System | approx. €249 | 8.7 | you grill for long sessions and want to add coal or use GBS inserts |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change; the rating is our editorial assessment from the data comparison, not a measurement result. In this rating the Compact Kettle 57 is 0.3 to 0.4 points behind the other three. For the Bar-B-Kettle 57 it is worth a look at our review: under this ASIN, Amazon sells item 1502062 according to its catalogue, while Weber Germany lists a different model (1331004) under this name.
What Weber leaves open about the Compact Kettle 57
On Weber’s product page, in the specification table and in the general instructions, the following remains open:
- Scope of delivery: there is no included-items list. Whether a chimney starter, firelighter cubes, measuring cup, charcoal holder, drip pan or grill brush are included is undocumented.
- Lid thermometer: neither its presence nor its measuring range or accuracy.
- Ventilation: the text speaks of vents on bowl and lid, the specification counts one aluminium vent. A reliable number of vents cannot be derived from this.
- Grate: diameter, wire thickness, type of coating and whether it is food-safe.
- Materials of the charcoal grate, mesh base, ash catcher and lid hook; steel as the base material is stated only generally in the 2018 instructions.
- Measured values: distance between grate and embers, height of the space under the lid, maximum temperature, heat-up time, burn time and charcoal consumption specifically for this grill. Only the general guide values from the instructions exist.
- Country of manufacture, model year, conformity with EN 1860-1 (an EU standard, applicable in the EU) and other test marks.
- Spare parts: fit with the 1502061 and minimum availability.
- Assembly and shipping: time, tools and steps (only the predecessor generation from 2012 is documented) as well as shipping weight and packed size.
- Placement: balcony, windbreak, permanent outdoor use and a wall clearance beyond the 1.5 m to combustible material.
- Warranty: the full text of the terms, a PDF on Weber’s warranty page, we have not read.
Who the Compact Kettle 57 suits, and when another grill is better
It suits you if you want to grill with charcoal, mostly cook for groups of up to eight people and can manage with what Weber’s feature list includes. You buy everything else on top. If you almost always stay below the capacity of the 47, you do not need the 57 cm.
A thermometer is the first extra expense. If you want to read the lid temperature without buying one, you pay the price difference from the table for the Bar-B-Kettle 57. The lid thermometer only tells you something about the space under the lid, though; it does not measure core temperatures in meat.
It is the wrong choice for anyone who regularly grills indirectly for hours. With the Compact Kettle you set up the zones yourself; the Caldera Pro 57 comes with two charcoal baskets according to Enders, for the same extra cost as the Bar-B-Kettle. If you also want to add coal without lifting the grate (probably necessary with the Compact Kettle, our deduction from the design), look at the hinged grate of the Original Kettle Premium 57: €147 more than the Compact Kettle in our price box, and at 18 kg according to Weber, 6 kg heavier.
Without a garden of your own: first read your tenancy agreement and house rules, then buy, and measure the footprint with the lid open. The grill finder helps with choosing the type of grill.
