Classic grill bars
Charlie Oven Cooking Rack
At least two come with your oven
Long bars for bold grill lines on fish, burgers and chops.
Charcoal grill oven Grill the way top restaurants do.
The best restaurant kitchens grill in closed charcoal ovens. Fierce heat from the fire below, radiant heat from the oven all around, so meat and fish char fast and stay juicy. Now you can do it in your garden, with a Charlie: an outdoor oven and grill in one.
See the ways to grill250°C (480°F)fierce heat for a fast, hard sear
Two heats at oncethe fire below, the hot oven all around
Best Outdoor Oven 2024Good Housekeeping
Summer grilling in the garden, door shut, friends at the table.
Why a charcoal grill oven
Two heats at once
Top restaurants around the world grill in closed charcoal ovens. Chefs prize them so highly that many name the oven on the menu.
Below, the charcoal gives the intense direct heat that sears and chars. Around it, the hot walls and roof of the oven radiate heat back onto the food, so it cooks from above at the same time.
The result is a deep crust in minutes and meat that stays juicy. A Charlie Charcoal Oven brings that restaurant result home.
So many ways to grill
Change the rack, change the dinner
Every rack grills on the bottom levels, right over the fire. Pick the one that suits what you're cooking tonight.
See the cooking rack
Steak and chops
Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack
Fewer flare-ups
The V-shaped bars carry fat into a removable drip tray instead of onto the coals, so it doesn't flare up. Baste it back over the meat for extra flavour.
Kebabs
Turkish-Style Kebab Rack
Each skewer turns by hand
Grill different cuts side by side, from lamb shoulder to chicken thigh, right over the coals.
Prawns and vegetables
Perforated Plancha Rack
Nothing falls through
The holes let the flames and smoke reach prawns and vegetables that would slip between bars.
Grill below, cook above
Dinner on every level
While the steaks sear at the bottom, the levels above stay hot for roasting vegetables or warming flatbreads. A Charlie Charcoal Oven has nine rack positions behind one door, so everything is ready together.
With the door shut the heat looks after itself, and you get to sit down with everyone else.
From the grill
Charcoal grilled in a Charlie
Hungry yet?
Find the Charlie that suits your garden, then add the racks for the way you love to grill. Free delivery, a five year warranty on every oven and 0% finance with Klarna.
How it compares
Gas vs charcoal BBQ, kamado or charcoal oven?
Each one grills well in its own way. Here is how they compare, side by side. For more detail, see how a Charlie compares with a kamado or ceramic egg.
| Gas barbecue | Open charcoal barbecue | Kamado | Charlie Charcoal Oven | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat on the food | From the burners below | From the coals below | Fire below, with heat held in the ceramic dome | Fire below, plus radiant heat from the insulated oven walls |
| Flavour | Clean, little smoke | Charcoal flavour | Charcoal flavour | Charcoal flavour |
| Ready to cook | About 10 to 15 minutes to preheat | 15 to 20 minutes, once the coals glow | Usually 15 to 30 minutes | About 20 minutes to 250°C (480°F) |
| How it opens | Lid on top | No lid | Lid on top | Front door, like a kitchen oven |
| Cooking space | One grill, often with a warming rack | One grill | One round grate, more with add-on racks | Nine rack positions |
| Beyond grilling | Some roasting with the lid down | Mostly grilling | Also smokes, roasts and bakes | Also roasts, bakes, hot smokes and cold smokes |
The method
How to grill in a charcoal oven
1Light and heat up
Pile half a football of lumpwood charcoal in the centre of the grates and light it with one or two natural firelighters. Open both vents and close the door. You'll be at 250°C (480°F) in about 20 minutes.
2Set the vents
When the thermometer is 10°C (20°F) short of 250°C, set both vents to about a knuckle's width (2.5 cm) open. The heat holds there.
3Grill low, door shut
Grill on the bottom levels, right above the fire, and close the door so the oven's heat works on the food too.
4Turn once, then rest
Most things need just one turn. Rest steaks for a few minutes before you slice them.
Watch our chef
Grilling, start to finish
Four short films from our garden. Press play on tonight's dinner.
How to grill a bone-in ribeye
28-day aged ribeye on the Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack. About 8 minutes at 250°C, one turn.
Read the transcript
The Charlie Ovens do a lot of things really well, but it really does excel itself when it comes to cooking steaks. So I'm gonna show you how to cook the perfect bone-in ribeye. This is a 28-day aged piece of meat, and we're just gonna season it, and we're gonna cook it on the Argentinian grill racks. The grill's at 250 degrees. We want it nice and hot, and then we're just gonna leave it in there for about eight minutes, give it one turn, and it will be perfect.
Lamb burgers in a brioche bun
Lamb mince seared hard at 250°C for a smoky crust.
Read the transcript
I'm just going to do a really simple burger but using lamb mince instead of beef mince. We're going to cook it in the Charlie Oven to get that really nice seared smoky flavour into the meat by cooking it very hot at 250 degrees and we're just going to stack it into a brioche bun. Delicious.
Turkish kebabs on the kebab rack
Spiced lamb and chicken on the Turkish-Style Kebab Rack. Done within 5 minutes.
Read the transcript
I'm really excited to be cooking today with the Charlie Ovens and their amazing Turkish kebab rack. So to do it justice I have done pretty traditional Turkish kebab with some cumin, coriander, some chilli flakes, some lemon zest and some ras el hanout. I've also got green chilli, coriander and chilli flakes on the chicken kebabs as well. They're going to go straight in the base of the oven. It'll be a really hot oven, about 250 degrees. It's going to give that really nice hard char and sear on the outside and then we're going to turn them over after about two or three minutes and they'll be done. It doesn't take any longer than five minutes. Then we're going to take them out, take them off the skewers, just serve them in some lemon juice and some chopped parsley. Really simple.
How to grill a whole sea bream
Crisp skin that doesn't stick, at 220°C. About 5 minutes a side.
Read the transcript
I'm going to be cooking these beautiful bream on the Charlie Oven. All I've done is slash the skin a couple of times so the heat penetrates and then I've oiled the outside, a little bit of Maldon salt on the top and then we're going to slide them in the oven at 220. You need it nice and hot. The reason you need it nice and hot is so the skin doesn't stick. You also want to put the fish in facing away from you, so the spine of the fish is facing towards you. So when you come to turn it, the belly won't catch and you roll it over and the skin won't stick. You need to give it about five minutes a side and then just roll it over, and I'm going to serve it really simply. Just going to grill some tomatoes, serve it with some rocket and just at the end dust it with some za'atar, which is a sesame seed and oregano dry herb mix, and then just finish it with some olive oil.
What owners say
Rated excellent on Trustpilot · 4.8 out of 5 from 89 reviews · Read them all
“The Charlie is the best built and can easily do the jobs of all the other bbq I own!”Oliver King, Trustpilot review
“It gets used 4 or 5 days a week from steaks to pizzas to bread to full roasts.”
STC Clevedon, Trustpilot review“Bought the new kebab grill and it is amazing.”
Nigel Reece, Trustpilot review“Next cook was two 1.5kg porterhouse steaks.”
Peter Sorton, Trustpilot reviewGrilling times
How long to grill in a charcoal oven
Click a dish for the full recipe.
| Food | Oven temperature | Cooking time | Rack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone-in ribeye (video) | 250°C (480°F) | About 8 minutes, turned once | Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack |
| Thick ribeye steak | 250°C (480°F) | About 12 minutes | Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack, low |
| Sirloin steak | 220°C (430°F) | About 8 minutes, then rest | See the recipe |
| Persian lamb chops | 250°C (480°F) | About 10 minutes, then rest | Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack, low then higher |
| Lamb and chicken kebabs (video) | About 250°C (480°F) | Turn after 2 to 3 minutes, done within 5 | Turkish-Style Kebab Rack |
| Chicken souvlaki | 250 to 300°C (480 to 570°F) | About 8 minutes | Turkish-Style Kebab Rack |
| Joojeh kebab | 250°C (480°F) | About 12 minutes | See the recipe |
| Whole sea bream (video) | 220°C (430°F) | About 5 minutes a side | Charlie Oven Cooking Rack |
| Whole sea bass | 220 to 250°C (430 to 480°F) | About 14 minutes, then rest | Charlie Oven Cooking Rack |
| Prawns | 250°C (480°F) | 5 to 8 minutes | Perforated Plancha Rack |
| Beetroot and chickpea burgers | 220°C (430°F) | About 15 minutes | Flat Bed Plancha Rack |
Temperatures are read on the door thermometer. Thicker cuts take longer, so check with a meat probe.
From our kitchen
Charcoal grilling tips
Hot and fast for burgers
At 250°C (480°F) the outside sears before the middle overcooks.
Fish that doesn't stick
Slash, oil and salt the skin, and get the rack hot first.
Let kebabs char
Leave them for 2 to 3 minutes before the first turn.
Baste with the drippings
Take the fat from the Argentine rack's drip tray and brush it back over the meat.
Spine towards you
Put whole fish in this way round and the belly won't catch when you roll it.
If the fat catches
Keep the door shut and close both vents. Never use water.
Grill recipes
Charcoal grill recipes to start with
Charcoal Grilled Ribeye Steak on the Argentine Grill
A thick ribeye with a deep crust from the Argentine grill.
Persian BBQ Lamb Chops
Lamb chops with walnut and pomegranate, seared low then finished higher up.
Chicken Souvlaki Grilled Skewers
Lemony Greek chicken skewers, ready in about 8 minutes.
Whole Grilled Sea Bass
A whole sea bass with crisp skin and tender flesh.
Prawns with Chilli, Garlic and Lemon
Prawns on the plancha with chilli, garlic and lemon.
Beetroot and Chickpea Burgers
Beetroot and chickpea burgers for anyone not eating meat.
Keep cooking
More charcoal oven guides
How to cook pizza in a charcoal oven
Three pizzas at once, in about three minutes at 375°C.
Read the guideHow to roast in a charcoal oven
A whole roast dinner on several levels at once.
Read the guideHow to bake bread in a charcoal oven
Crusty loaves, flatbreads and sweet buns, with steam.
Read the guideChristmas dinner in a charcoal oven
An hour by hour plan for the turkey and every trimming.
Read the guideWhat is a charcoal oven?
How it works, and what to look for.
Read the guideHow to light a Charlie and control the heat
Lighting, vents and holding a temperature.
Read the guideHow to choose the best charcoal
Why big, dry lumpwood makes all the difference.
Read the guide
Restaurant grilling, at home.
See the ovens, or come and cook on one with us before you decide.
Your questions
Charcoal oven grilling questions
What is a charcoal grill oven?
A charcoal grill oven is a closed oven fired by charcoal that grills as well as roasts and bakes. The Charlie Charcoal Oven grills at about 250°C (480°F) on its bottom levels, right above the charcoal, while the hot oven around the food adds radiant heat. It is an outdoor oven and grill in one, with nine rack positions behind a front door.
What temperature should I grill steak at in a charcoal oven?
About 250°C (480°F), on the bottom level close to the charcoal. A 28-day aged bone-in ribeye on the Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack takes about 8 minutes, turned once.
How long does a charcoal oven take to heat up?
A Charlie Oven reaches 200 to 250°C (390 to 480°F) in about 20 minutes. There is no need to wait for the coals to burn down before you cook.
How much charcoal do I need for grilling?
About half a football of lumpwood charcoal. That holds a Charlie Oven at 200°C (390°F) for 4 to 6 hours. For a hard sear at 300 to 400°C (570 to 750°F), add half as much again.
Can I use briquettes in a Charlie Oven?
You can, but we don't recommend them. Briquettes contain binders and fillers, and because a Charlie Oven keeps the heat and smoke inside, the food takes on their taste. Large, dry chunks of lumpwood charcoal are best. Wood is only for a little smoke, never the main fuel.
How do I stop fish sticking to the grill?
Get the oven nice and hot, about 220°C (430°F), and oil the fish. Put it in with the spine facing you, so when you roll it over after about 5 minutes the belly doesn't catch. Watch our sea bream video.
How long do kebabs take in a charcoal oven?
At about 250°C (480°F) on the Turkish-Style Kebab Rack, turn them after 2 to 3 minutes. They are done within 5 minutes.
Which rack do I need for grilling?
At least two cooking racks come with every Charlie Oven, so you can grill fish and burgers from the first day. The Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack carries fat away from the fire into a drip tray, for steak and chops, and the Perforated Plancha Rack holds prawns and vegetables.
How do I stop flare-ups when grilling?
Grill fatty cuts on the Argentine Parrilla V Grill Rack, whose V-shaped bars carry the fat into a drip tray instead of onto the coals. If fat does catch, keep the door shut and close both vents. Never use water.
How is a Charlie Oven different from a kamado?
Both cook with charcoal and the lid or door closed. A kamado opens from the top onto one round grate. The Charlie Charcoal Oven opens from the front like a kitchen oven and has nine rack positions, so you can grill at the bottom and roast above.
Can I grill in the rain or in winter?
Yes. The Charlie Oven cooks with the door shut, so wind and rain don't affect the cooking chamber. You only need to step outside to put the food in and turn it.