The evolution of the Weber BBQ presents a highly interesting and entertaining story. To understand where the Weber BBQ came from and how it remains today, you have to journey back in time to the 1950s.
The Weber BBQ was created by an American salesman working for a Metal Works company in Chicago, Illinois. The company name was Weber Brothers Metal Works. The company was run by the father of George Stephen, Sr. – the creator of the Weber BBQ. While George’s main job was sales, he often tinkered with innovative products like fireplace equipment and mailboxes.

All inventions spring forth from a recognized need that will be fulfilled by the creation. The status of backyard BBQ in the 1950s was open charcoal braziers. They were merely open metal boxes or trays with an iron grid resting on the top. These types of BBQ’s were not efficient, very messy to use and produced less than perfect cooking results.
George Stephen, Sr. took two half-spheres that were used to create buoys and created the first Weber BBQ. At first, the BBQ did not work at all because there was no airflow with the top lid closed. Once holes were added to both the lid and the bottom, the BBQ became highly functional. The original Weber BBQ solved many of the maladies of the early type grills. There were no more ashes and smoke blowing in the face of the cook and throughout the yard. The heat was more evenly distributed so cooking quality vastly improved. Finally, the lid kept the smoke inside the grill to get a much nicer smoky flavour to the meat. The original name of the Weber BBQ as marketed was “George’s Barbeque Kettle.”
Over the years, many improvements were made to the kettle shape of the Weber BBQ. Wheels were added to the stand for easier mobility. The lid was made taller to hold more smoke inside the BBQ. The body of the BBQ was coated with porcelain enamel to decrease rust.
The kettle that appears to be a squashed egg-shaped gadget is still the beloved Weber BBQ. Although science cannot prove the claim, many BBQ enthusiasts will swear the meat cooked on a Weber BBQ is better tasting than meat cooked on any other type of shape of BBQ. With such a devoted following, the Weber BBQ will be around for many years to come.
Home Fires offers fireplaces, BBQ and other heating solutions of a wide range of brands. If you have any questions regarding fireplaces or BBQ equipment or are interested in buying one, you should get in touch with us right away!



