When BBQ season approaches, it only makes sense to start looking at the best grills to help you maximize your outdoor cooking efforts. Maybe your current grill isn't performing up to par or you need to buy one for the first time ever. Or you might just want to see what's out there before deciding to upgrade your current cooker—and fair.
If it’s been a minute (or ever) since you’ve shopped for a grill, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of great options on the market to fit every budget, whether you’re looking for a gas, charcoal, pellet or electric grill. But, of course, everyone has different needs to consider.
“The first thing you’ve got to look at is what you’re willing to pay,” says celebrity chef Myron Mixon, a five-time BBQ world champion and judge on BBQ Pitmasters. “Then, what are you comfortable with? Are you OK with lighting fires and working with charcoal or do you feel more comfortable with a gas unit?”
Paul Sidoriak, founder of Grilling Montana, a website dedicated to grilling recipes and guides, also recommends keeping in mind the amount of people you plan to cook for on a regular basis and how long you theoretically want to keep your grill around. “Are you keen to buy something that you're happy to use for five to six years or do you want something you can hand down to children? There's a huge discrepancy between the two.”
Canadian-baed grill masters Maddie and Kiki Longo say it’s also important to “determine where you are on the grilling spectrum.” Gas grills are great for beginners, they point out, while certain smokers are for the more advanced griller—and there are plenty of options in between.
Shopping for a new grill can be overwhelming given just how many different types are out there. (More on how to narrow down your search later.) We chose the best options that cover a whole range of styles and even budgets to help get you started. Whether your goal is to become a master of the neighborhood BBQ game or to just be able to cook up something delicious for your crew, here are the best options you can buy right now.
- Best Grill Overall: KitchenAid 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill
- Best Charcoal Grill: Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
- Best Gas Grill: Weber Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Propane Grill
- Best Pellet Grill: SmokePro XT 24 Pellet Grill
- Best Kamado-Style Grill: Char-Broil Kamander Charcoal Kamado Grill
- Best Flat Top Grill: Blackstone 4-Burner Liquid Propane Flat Top Grill
- Best Portable Electric Grill: Kenyon B70090 Frontier All Seasons Portable Electric Grill
- Best Built-In Grill: Weber Summit S-460 Built-In Natural Gas Grill
- Best Portable Pellet Grill: Traeger Ranger Tabletop Grill
- Best Smoker Grill: Weber SmokeFire EX6 Wood Pellet Grill
- Best Portable Grill: Coleman Portable Propane Grill
- Best Camping Grill: Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Stove
Best Grill Overall
A Propane Gas Option With Four Generous Burners And A Ceramic Rotisserie
- Pros: Plenty of grilling space, side burner
- Cons: Temperature gauge can fog up in humid conditions
- Dimensions: 52 x 49 x 26 inches
- Weight: 143 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 697 square inches
Everyone’s grilling needs are different, but this option from KitchenAid checks off a lot of important boxes that are sure to pleasure the average backyard BBQer. The propane (read: easy to operate) grill features four burners to give you 25 burgers worth of cooking space—plenty of room to feed your family and friends. There’s a ceramic rotisserie burner in case you want to cook up some chicken the old-fashioned way, along with a side burner for heating up sauces and sides. A side prep table allows you to hold your newly cooked foods or chop ingredients without having to saunter back inside. There’s even a pull-out tank tray for your propane tank, making it seamless to replace your tank as needed. Another nice perk: The stainless steel burners are covered by a 10-year warranty.
Best Charcoal Grill
A Classic Charming Option At A Price That Can’t Be Beat
- Pros: Nostalgic design, built-in thermometer
- Cons: No warming rack
- Dimensions: 22 x 27 x 40 inches
- Weight: 37 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 363 square inches
This Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill is iconic. It looks nostalgic because it’s as old as American BBQs; the first Weber kettle grill was fashioned based on a nautical buoy in 1951. This modern 22-inch take on the grill that more-or-less started it all has a porcelain-enameled lid for heat retention and a built-in thermostat—something the first version did not include.
The grill has 363 square inches of grilling space, but because of the design, has no secondary warming rack. It does have a removable ash catch, though, with a simple one-touch cleaning system. There’s also a damper on top to help you control the temperature without opening the lid and sacrificing all your trapped heat.
Best Gas Grill
A Propane Grill With Plenty Of Cooking Space, Including A Nifty Prep Table
- Pros: Easy starter, designed for even cooking and heat retention
- Cons: Assembly can be tricky
- Dimensions: 52 x 27 x 45 inches
- Weight: 114 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 529 square inches
Weber’s Spirit II E-310 is exactly what you need if you’re waffling between a two- and four-burner grill. It features a sizable 529 square inches of cooking space—enough to grill up plenty of burgers at once. This grill also features Weber’s GS4 Grilling System, which is specially designed to give you even and consistent cooking. Got prep to do? There’s a folding side table that easily pops up and down depending on your needs. Six tool hooks on the front allow you to keep everything in one spot for a seamless cooking experience.
Best Pellet Grill
An Affordable Pellet Grill That’s Easy to Clean
- Pros: Large pellet hopper, easy ash-clean-out mechanism
- Cons: Searing box is additional expense
- Dimensions: 24 x 47 x 50 inches
- Weight: 110 pounds
- Total rack area: 429 square inches
Camp Chef’s SmokePro XT 24 Pellet Grill is designed for backyard grillers who want a rich, smoky flavor in their meats without stepping all the way up to a smoker. Under the hood, there’s a generous 570 square inches of rack surface and the hopper holds 18 pounds of pellets, which is enough for a couple of hours of cooking. Controlling the SmokePro is designed to be straightforward; just select a “Smoke Number” from one to 10 that selects the intensity of the smoke taste. Then plug in the pair of meat temperature probes you can use to simultaneously to track your cook.
One thing that distinguishes the SmokePro from other pellet grills is the ash clean-out mechanism—pull out a single release and carry the ash away. It’s significantly easier to clean than many other pellet grills.
Best Kamado-Style Grill
A Compact Option With Next-Level Heat Retention
- Pros: Insulated double-wall construction, easy airflow control
- Cons: Not a true ceramic design
- Dimensions: 44 x 27 x 46 inches
- Weight: 117 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 469 square inches
This is Char-Broil’s take on the popular “kamado” style grill—a modernized version of the traditional Japanese earthenware cooking urn. True kamados are ceramic, which makes them excellent at retaining heat along with smoke and other flavors. This model uses insulated double-wall steel construction to affordably mimic the characteristics of ceramics.
The Kamander offers 327 square inches of grilling surface and another 142 square inches for warming. It also offers an innovative approach to airflow management. Instead of putting the air intake at the bottom, which is awkward and hard to reach, Char-Broil has air intakes in a top-mounted intake damper, which is much easier and more convenient to control. It also features removable ash and drip pans for simple cleanup.
Best Flat Top Grill
A Four-Burner Griddle-Style Option With A Generous Cooking Area
- Pros: Large cooking surface, powerful heating, solid construction
- Cons: Too large and heavy to be easily portable
- Dimensions: 62 x 22 x 36 inches
- Weight: 120 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 720 square inches
Flat top grills might seem more at home in a diner than in your backyard, but make no mistake: They make a superb cooking surface in your backyard, too. This Blackstone grill gives you a spacious 720 square inches of cooking space for all the burgers, meats and veggies you could possibly need. Thanks to four electrically-ignited burners, you can get a very consistent temperature across the cooking surface, or create four independent cooking areas, delivering 60,000 BTUs in total.
The grill is built like a tank—it’s made with a black powder coated steel frame with two rigid side shelves and is topped with a cold rolled steel cooking surface—and it rides on four heavy-duty casters (two of them lock) for easy maneuverability. In addition, its grease management system makes cleanup much less onerous. Grease is automatically funneled into a drippings pan, which you can empty and clean separately.
Best Portable Electric Grill
An Indoor-Outdoor Grill You Can Use Regardless Of The Weather Forecast
- Pros: Can be used indoors or outdoors, bottom stays safely cool while grilling
- Cons: Very limited grilling surface area
- Dimensions: 21 x 12 x 9 inches
- Weight: 32.9 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 155 square inches
The Kenyon B70090 Portable Grill is electric, and can be used outdoors—within reach of an outlet—or indoors, making it a year-round premium grilling tool. To prevent flare-ups and smoke indoors, the heating elements are concealed, and the non-stick grates are dishwasher safe.
Kenyon designed the Frontier grill so that it can be set on any surface, including a counterpart or table, without worrying about burning the surface. It has a somewhat modest 155 square inches of grilling surface, so don’t plan to grill a half-dozen steaks at once. But the unit preheats to 600 degrees in seven minutes and has an auto-shut-off mode, so you won’t forget and leave it on after the grilling.
Best Built-In Grill
A Quality 4-Burner Option That Can Become Part Of Your Backyard Decor
- Pros: Sturdy, high quality
- Cons: Installation can be tricky.
- Dimensions: 31 x 34 x 50.5 inches
- Weight: 233 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 580 square inches
A built-in grill gives you a polished look that fits right into your backyard decor. The Weber Summit S-460 features a sizable cooking area to help you fire up 20 burgers at once. This grill also offers up a built-in rotisserie and sear station, so you can have plenty of different meats fired up from one machine. An included smoker box allows you to add extra flavor to your cuisine, while backlit controls help you easily control the cooking action, even after dark.
Best Portable Pellet Grill
An Easy-To-Tote Option With Enough Space For Pop-Up BBQs
- Pros: Folds up like a suitcase, it’s a fully portable pellet grill
- Cons: Crazy heavy—takes two people to carry
- Dimensions: 21 x 20 x 13 inches
- Weight: 60 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 184 square inches
The Traeger Ranger is the intersection of two kinds of grills: a pellet grill and a portable, countertop cooker. Combine the two, and you can make richly smoky summer meats, anytime, anywhere. It closes up like a suitcase, but to be honest, it is a little on the heavy side. Clocking in a 60 pounds, you might want to enlist a second person to help carry it.
But in operation, the grill plugs into a nearby outlet and an electronic brain monitors the grill’s temperature to make sure that pellets are dropped at exactly the right rate to keep the temperature on track.
There’s a bright and readable digital display for controlling the grill, more like an indoor oven than an outdoor grill. There’s 184 square inches of grilling surface under the hood, and the hopper holds about 8-pounds of pellets at one time, which is good for about an hour of steady grilling—you’ll need to refill it at least once for an afternoon cookout. But all things considered, this is a truly elegant and well-designed pellet grill.
Best Smoker Grill
A Massive Grill That Can Run All Afternoon Without A Refill
- Pros: Enormous grilling area, wealth of “smart” and connected features
- Cons: Very expensive
- Dimensions: 57 x 30 x 46 inches
- Weight: 208 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 1,008 square inches
You might be inclined to describe the Weber SmokeFire EX6 as the Ferrari of pellet grills, but considering the 1,008-square-inch grilling surface, it’s more accurate to call it the minivan of pellet grills. Accompanying that enormous interior space is a huge hopper that can hold an entire 20-pound bag of pellets. It can literally run all afternoon without a refill.
Tightly integrated into the SmokeFire is an electronic control system; the grill has a large color digital display that helps you ignite the pellets and gives step-by-step grilling guidance, which it can send to your phone via Bluetooth. You can use the Weber Connect system to monitor temperatures remotely, boost the smoke for additional flavor, shut down the grill and more. Yes, this is one of the more expensive grills you will encounter, but the combination of enormous grilling capacity, pellet loading technology and digital controls makes this the envy of anyone who like to smoke foods in their backyard.
Best Portable Grill
A Compact 2-Burner Option You Can Take Anywhere
- Pros: Light and portable, dual independent burners
- Cons: Small propane tank runs out quickly
- Dimensions: 29 x 18 x 11 inches
- Weight: 25.6 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 225 square inches
Not everyone has a backyard to permanently set up a grill; you might only have a small balcony or fire escape on which to cook. And other folks might have a backyard, but also want a portable grill they can take tailgating or to the neighbor’s house. Whatever your needs, Coleman’s Portable Propane Grill is a compact, elegant solution. Despite a fairly small footprint—it’s just 29 inches long, weighs 25.6 pounds and is easily carried with two hands—it has 225 square inches of grilling space and two adjustable burners with two independent temperature zones.
The grill accepts standard one-pound propane cylinders and has an electronic ignition system for fast starts. On the underside, there’s an easily removed water pan for catching grease. And if you need to customize your cook, the cast iron grates are easy to remove and can be swapped out for optional griddles and stove grates.
Best Camping Grill
A No-Muss, No-Fuss 2-Burner Option That’s Easy to Pack
- Pros: Inexpensive, portable and time-tested design
- Cons: Only two burners; no stand, side shelves or other modern conveniences
- Dimensions: 4 x 22 x 13.7 inches
- Weight: 11 pounds
- Total Rack Area: 250 square inches
Not every grill needs to cost a lot, and frankly you probably don’t want to spend a fortune on hardware you’re hauling into the woods to take camping. That’s why it’s nice to see that Coleman still offers its classic gas camping stove; there’s a good chance this is the same stove your dad had when you were a kid. It’s inexpensive and suitably no-nonsense. You get a pair of adjustable propane burners, each delivering 10,000 BTUs with pressure regulators for consistent and reliable performance. The lid pops up and includes a pair of side wings which work together block the wind. And the whole thing is made of rugged aluminum and steel.
You’ll get about an hour of runtime from a 16.4-ounce propane cylinder, so just a couple of compact cylinders are all you need for most camping trips. Yes, you can get much fancier grills to take on your next camping trip. But the Coleman gas camping stove is simple and reliable, and there’s a certain nostalgic charm to this design which has gotten the job done during more camping trips than it’s possible to count.
How To Choose The Best Grill For You
“Best” is a relative term, but experts say there are a few different things to consider when it comes to figuring out the right type of grill for your needs. Here’s a breakdown:
Gas
One of the biggest perks with a gas grill is ease of use, Mixon says. You can simply fire it up and it’s ready to cook food within minutes. One con to consider, though, per Mixon: “You really don’t have the smoky flavor that you get from charcoal or a smoker.”
Charcoal
Sidoriak says that charcoal grills are a good option for people who are “flavor connoisseurs.” He adds, “a charcoal grill really adds a ton of flavor to foods.” A con to consider, per Mixon, is that charcoal can be messy and not everyone is up for dealing with it.
Pellet
Pellet grills are “the hottest trend in grilling right now,” Mixon says. They’re easy to use and allow you to get a wood flavor. “They’re also very clean and easy to use,” he says. The only con is that you’ll need to have pellets at the ready for whenever you want to grill.
Electric
Electric grills can be a “great solution” for when you want to cook indoors, Sidoriak says. They’re also often a good option for apartment building that may have strict codes around using propane, wood-burning or charcoal grills, he says. The only downside is that you won’t get as much flavor as you would with a pellet or charcoal grill.
What To Look For When Buying A Grill
There are a few major factors to consider when buying a grill. Keep these on the backburner.
- Number of burners: “Be realistic about your lifestyle—do you pride yourself on flipping 87 burgers at one gathering? Or are you the type of person who enjoys individually-wrapped frozen salmon filets for that one time you have a craving for grilled fish?” the Longos say. “Do not over-buy. Small grills work just as well as large grills.”
- A built-in thermometer: These are “nice to have,” Sidoriak says, but external food thermometers will also work just fine.
- Side burner: Mixon says these are definitely a good option to have. “I like to have a side burner to be able to do my beans and bacon, or to sauté something to go with the meal I’m prepping,” he says. If it comes down to spending an extra $150 on a grill with a side burner, Mixon says, “I would spend the extra money.”
- Side prep table: Experts say this is a must, if you can get it. “It’s imperative to have a side table, even if it’s a small one or a little shelf,” Sidoriak says. “It’s a nice place to stick a bottle of water or beverage, and to have a place to set your food.”
What's The Difference Between Gas And Charcoal Grills?
It seems like most people start out with a charcoal grill, but many eventually make the switch to gas. Both have a lot of pros and cons, though, and which one you get often comes down to your needs and grilling style. Charcoal grills are generally cheaper—hence they’re good starter models—and they’re often more portable.
That’s because charcoal grills are far simpler than gas alternatives; you need a bed for the charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid to help get them started. Gas grills, in contrast, need a fuel source like a tank of propane as well as fuel lines, valves and burners to deliver a carefully-controlled flame to the grilling surface. And most gas grills also include a starter mechanism to light the gas.
Are Charcoal Grills Better Than Gas Grills?
There are certainly some backyard chefs who think so. Charcoal grills are simpler and less prone to failure. They also can get hotter than most gas grills and make it far easier to get a rich, smoky flavor from your meats.
But while you may get a different answer if you conduct your own informal survey, many backyard chefs often prefer gas grills because they’re easier to light and you have a lot more temperature control. That’s because charcoal grills aren’t adjustable with the spin of a burner. Gas can also be a lot more convenient—you can stop buying charcoal and propane tanks and run a permanent gas line to the grill.
The bottom line is that neither kind of grill is unambiguously a better choice—choose the one that sounds like a better fit for your needs.
Are Expensive Grills Worth It?
There’s nothing wrong with an inexpensive grill. If you take care of it, even a cheap charcoal grill can last many seasons. And for the most part, your steaks don’t care what grill is cooking them.
But investing in a more expensive grill can pay dividends in a lot of different ways. Pricier models are more ruggedly built and easier to clean and maintain. And if you’re sizing up gas grills, more expensive models are often safer and more reliable, and can often be serviced, which can extend the life of your investment.
You can also count on more creature comforts from premium models. In general, more expensive grills have better burners that give you more precise temperature control. Better materials can give you more even heat distribution so it’s easier to cook multiple items more consistently. And don’t forget about additional burners, “sear zones,” warming racks, tool storage and other features that just make grilling easier and more fun.
Should I Get A Two Or Three Burner Grill?
This is a lot like asking if you need a sedan or an SUV. If you rarely grill for more than two to three people, a two-burner grill is plenty of space most of the time. But if you have a larger family or have a lot of backyard get-togethers, then a three-burner grill is important so you have the space to cook more food at once. When sizing up a grill, remember to think about all the things you might want to regularly cook, including browning buns and heating side dishes.
Are Weber Grills The Best Grills?
There’s no question that Weber makes very high-quality grills. In this article, Weber makes four different appearances—accounting for around a third of the list—and that’s because we independently judged them to be the best in class for each kind of grill. They’re well-built, include excellent technology and the warranty on some parts can be 10 full years.
That said, there are a number of excellent grill brands to choose from, and we would be confident with models from any of the companies included in this article.
