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Not only is Labor Day considered the de facto end of summer, but it’s also celebrated by cooking meats outside in the searing heat of some sort of charcoal or propane cooking device. In other words, a grill.
Once considered the domain of the suburban dad, the grill is a multi-use instrument of culinary athleticism that everyone wants to—and can—master. Over the years grills have evolved, taking on different forms and offering new methods of taming fire to the will of the cook, causing some chagrin among many traditional grillmasters.
It wouldn’t be a national holiday without a fiery feast mixed with some money-saving deals. The grill is the perfect tool for Labor Day, because nothing says day of rest like sweating over a red-hot metal grill and flipping burgers ad infinitum. (Remember, you only flip a good steak once.)
Here are six different grills to get you started on your Labor Day labors, slaving over a hot flame:
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
When you think of a grill, you generally think of a Weber brand charcoal grill. This is the entry-level grill, something you’ve used or at least seen at a party where someone has not distributed the charcoal correctly. The classic charcoal grill is the Weber Original, and it gets the job done. The porcelain-enameled lid keeps in the heat and a built-in thermometer serves to assist your grilling skills. While you can get kettle charcoal grills for less, at $165, this Weber kettle is built to last.
Lifesmart Kamado Ceramic Grill
Our ancestors used to cook in clay pots. The Lifesmart Kamado grill is based on the concept of a mushikamado ceramic pot, except instead of cooking rice, it’s for smoking, roasting or searing meat. The Kamado uses a chunk of pure charcoal instead of chemicals we tend to use in our kettle grills. Between that and a simple airflow system and a ceramic build, the Kamado is a near perfect meat-cooking device. Plus, with the end of summer, all Lifesmart Kamado grills are steeply discounted at Home Depot right now.
Nexgrill Barrel Charcoal Grill/Smoker
There are electric grills and smokers (which won’t be mentioned any further, as these are just blasphemous), charcoal smokers, barrel smokers and hardwood pellet smokers. There are also affordable smokers like this Nexgrill Barrel Charcoal Grill/Smoker for only $99. While that might seem inexpensive for a smoker, it gets the job done for a supplementary cooking tool. It’s the most basic of the smokers, but what more do you really need?
Napoleon Triumph 495 LP Grill with Side Burner
Currently all Napoleon grills are on rollback at Walmart, so you can get this Napoleon Triumph grill with side burners for around $500, more than $200 off original price. That’s not a bad deal for such a beast of a grill. Sure, it’s propane, so you might feel a tad guilty not using charcoal, but it still makes a good flame. It has five burners including a side burner, so you are covered with cooking space. This is a full-size grill with 57,200 BTUs of flame power and 665 square inches of grilling area so load it up with meats and veggie skewers and get cooking.
Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane Gas Grill Griddle
At $75 off its list price, this Royal Gourmet 5-Burner Propane grill is ready for anything you put on it. The glory of a flat top grill is being able to cook a mess of eggs and bacon at any point in the day, like you’re a short-order cook in a diner. The Royal Gourmet stainless-steel tube burners under the plate provide equal heat distribution and with 65,000 BTUs of cooking power, this flat-top grill is ready to cook basically any meal from pancakes to steaks.
Pit Boss Grills BBQ Pellet Grill and Smoker
There is something pure about cooking meat over hardwood pellets. That’s wood, not charcoal or propane, but wood. Like in the forest. The Pit Boss Grills BBQ Pellet Grill and Smoker offers temperature control as well as a flame broiler side plate for that perfect sear. This is the grill you want if you are working on that recipe for a perfect brisket. Smoke it with natural hardwood to bring a piece of Austin to your backyard. Currently on sale at Amazon for $550, this grill is the closest thing you are going to get to digging a hole and smoking your meats in it.
