What is it?
The Weber Master-Touch GBS C-5750 promises to be the do-it-all barbecue, whether you want to cook directly over charcoal or indirectly (even using it as a smoker), you can. With a wide range of optional accessories available it also means you can broaden what you cook on it even further. Stone-baked pizza anyone?
While there is a larger model with a 67cm diameter, it's the 57cm Master-Touch that we're testing here that should suit most families/cooking occasions, with a total cooking area of 2342cm2. That's if you're cooking with direct heat, if you're getting a bit more creative with your barbecuing you can place food in trays further down the bowl, with dedicated detachable metal grates moving the charcoal to either side.
If that isn't enough, then the Master-Touch comes with what Weber terms the 'Gourmet BBQ System' hinged cooking grate. This allows you to remove the central part of the grate and replace it with (optional) griddles, poultry roasters or pizza stones (to name a few).
The lid comes in with a built-in thermometer, while there's also a clever cleaning system. Rather than having to scope out a load of ash from the bowl, a lever at the bottom agitates it into an ash catcher that can then be detached and popped in the bin (once they've cooled down).
And while you can have your Master-Touch in black, it's also available in some more garden-friendly colours: slate blue, ocean blue and smoke grey. At £325 before additional accessories, it's certainly in the more premium end of charcoal BBQs, so is it worth the investment?
What's it like?
First off, and before you even entertain the thought of cooking, you'll need to assemble your Master-Touch. This isn't something to do if you've got a load of family or friends coming over expecting food straightaway as there are a fair few parts to put together. Set aside an hour (though you might find you put it together quicker than that) and take your time putting it together.
Once built, it's now time to get the charcoal going - you can do this how you want, but we used the optional Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter. It's a great way to light the charcoal quickly and easily, and once the charcoal is up to temperature, you simply pour them over the bottom grate.
How you distribute them though will depend on the type of cooking you're planning to do. We started off with some direct cooking, so placed them evenly at the bottom of the bowl, before placing the food grate on top. With the food on you can then pop the lid on - when you want to check on your food there's a neat lid holder, while the handle on the side has two little lips at either end so you can hang your tools from it.
We then tried some indirect cooking - the detachable grates split the bottom of the bowl into three sections. The middle is for when you place you food and either side sits the charcoal, delivering heat without grilling the food. We tried a spatchcock chicken that sat in a foil tray and it cooked perfectly. The heat retention was excellent - even without using the proper Weber briquettes the temperature was still nudging 200 degrees centigrade some 60 minutes later (the built-in thermometer is a really handy piece of kit).
Should I buy one?
At £325, it's not a cheap charcoal barbecue, but it's incredibly versatile. It's design means straight out of the box you can cook both directly and indirectly, while the optional attachments extend its use even further. If you're only likely to cook some sausages or burgers on it every now and again, it's probably a bit overkill, but if you're looking to cook on it regularly and with a variety of ingredients, then the Weber Master-Touch is a brilliant option.
