The grill is the centerpiece of your yard in the same way a range anchors your kitchen. For many people in this country, a grill is synonymous with summer and outdoor living, so it makes sense to choose one that’s easy to use and cooks up your food dependably. Each year, CR tests dozens of new grills of every type, in order for everyone, from the first-time buyer to the seasoned grill master, to find a model that’s right for them. BBQ Bill's Barbecue Grills, Ovens & Cookers https://bbqbills.com/barbecue-grills

When you shop for a grill, you can choose among gas, charcoal, and pellet models—each of which, according to our tests, has its own advantages. You might also consider gas-fueled flat-top grills, which feature a griddle-like surface instead of open grates, or kamado grills, which hold more charcoal than traditional charcoal grills. In this guide, we’ll dive into the pros and cons of different grill types, and what to look for when you’re shopping. The good news? While some grills in our ratings cost more than $3,500, others can go for as low as around $100, so there’s a grill for just about any budget.

Gas Grills: Factors to Consider

Gas grills are typically more convenient than charcoal grills because you simply turn the burners on to start the grill. In this section, we’re referring to conventional open-grate grills powered by gas. (Flat-top grills are also powered by gas burners, but they fill a different need, so we’ll address them in a separate section later.) To test how well gas grills cook, CR engineers wire each model with thermocouples, thus enabling them to perform a range of precise temperature-related tests. Our lab findings, along with a range of other considerations, can help you determine which model is right for you. Think about the following when you’re shopping for a gas grill.

Heat intensity in 10 minutes: This preheating score in our comprehensive gas grill ratings is more helpful than the grill’s Btu measurement in predicting performance. (Ten minutes is the typical amount of time people wait to start cooking, according to our data.) The higher the preheating score, the faster a particular model will heat up and sear your steak.

Ability to grill evenly: A high score in evenness performance means a big batch of burgers could finish at the same time.

Ability to maintain moderate heat: If ribs or roasts are consistently on the menu, look for a grill that receives a high indirect-cooking score. Indirect cooking is a great way to slow cook large or tough cuts—simply place the meat next to the fire, not over it, with the lid closed to retain heat. 

Temperature range: Just about any gas grill will do for cooking burgers and hot dogs, but if you also enjoy serving up a more varied menu, opt for a grill with a great temperature-range score. The higher the score, the more versatile the grill—delivering high heat for steaks with sear marks, for instance, and low heat for slow-cooked ribs. And while grills with infrared burners advertise intense heating capabilities, our testers report that a model’s temperature-range score is a better predictor of how well a grill will sear steaks or chops in your yard.

Construction quality: To find a durable grill, zero in on models with a high sturdiness score in our ratings. These grills ace a test in which we use a tool called a linear actuator, which measures the degree to which a grill’s metal frame flexes or bows under the stress of being pushed and pulled across a deck over time. Stainless steel carts with seamless construction and welded joints are usually sturdier than painted steel carts assembled with nuts and bolts. And wheels with a full axle are better than those bolted individually to the frame because the axle provides additional support to prevent flexing. Most grill warranties don’t offer much coverage for a bent cart or frame beyond the first year. But the better warranties often cover individual parts, like burners (see below), igniters, grates, and the firebox for up to 10 years.

Burner warranty: It takes only 10 minutes to replace a burner, but why not avoid it if you can? Burners are the most replaced part in gas grills—lasting anywhere between two years and 10. Choose grills with burner warranties on the high end, and avoid those with no warranty altogether.

Safety: Jostle the assembled grill from several points to assess its stability and likelihood of tipping over. Check the cart, wheels, lid, and firebox to see if anything feels flimsy or if the grill seems like it could be easily bent. Avoid grills with sharp metal corners and edges. Make sure that when you grab the lid handles, your knuckles or fingers aren’t too close to the lid itself, which will be hot. And though some flame flare is normal, the greater the distance between the grates and the burners or flavorizer bars, the fewer the flare-ups.

Gas Grill Types

Grill manufacturers differentiate models by the number of burners—typically two to six—but that doesn’t necessarily represent the usable cooking surface. That’s why we categorize the gas grills in our ratings (with the exception of portable grills) by the number of burger patties they accommodate. Consider how large your yard is and how many people you typically cook for and decide on a size that’s right for you.

Small grills: 18 or fewer burger patties
Midsized grills: About 18 to 28 burger patties
Large grills: 28 or more burger patties

Portable Gas Grills

Perfect for camping trips and tailgate parties, portable grills are also a suitable option for smaller decks and patios.

Small Gas Grills

Compact, nonportable grills save space and are a good option if you tend to have small cookouts. Most small grills have fold-down shelves to minimize footprint while not in use. Price and appearance vary—you’ll find everything from painted steel carts to stylish stainless steel.

Midsized Gas Grills

This is the most widely sold grill size. You’ll see basic grills with few features, as well as souped-up models with plenty of storage, LED lights, and backlit knobs for cooking after dusk. Many mid- to higher-priced gas grills come with burner warranties of 10 years or longer.

Large Gas Grills

Large grills have the biggest cooking surfaces. The higher-end models boast the highest-grade stainless steel and seamless construction, thicker grates, gliding drawers, extra storage space, and better-quality burners (plus, more of them). These grills often come with a lengthier warranty.

Gas Grill Features

Some grill feature are nice-to-haves, while others are musts for a safe, seamless cooking experience. Here are a few common offerings—and why they might, or might not, be worth it for you.

Heavy-Duty Grates

Stainless steel and coated cast-iron grates tend to be better for searing and maintaining even grilling temperatures. For the long haul, stainless is more durable.

Charcoal Grills: Factors to Consider

While charcoal grills take more time to start up than gas grills, they have their advantages. Most notably, you get greater control of the heat because the size of the fire you build dictates the heat (with a gas grill, you’re limited to the output range of the burners). Charcoal can also impart a smoky flavor that many people love. Be aware, however, that flames from these grills can be higher and harder to tame than those of other grill types, so you’ll need to be especially careful—for example, use only long-handled tongs and spatulas specifically designed for grilling, wear a short-sleeved or tight-fitting shirt, and keep a fire extinguisher handy. (To learn more about managing a charcoal grill, check out our article on how to cook on a charcoal grill.) We test each charcoal model with a full chimney of charcoal and spread the layer of coals evenly across the base of the grill. As with gas grills, we wire the charcoal-grill grates with thermocouples to conduct our lab tests. Our findings, plus a few other key factors, are important to keep in mind as you shop.

Ability to grill evenly: If you plan on frequently serving for large parties, a great evenness-performance score in our ratings is a must. We test this with thermocouples to make sure that a big batch of burgers or hot dogs would finish at the same time.

Ability to maintain moderate heat: Models with a high indirect-cooking score make for great slow cookers and can heat through a thick cut of chicken without drying it out.

Airflow: These grills rely on airflow to regulate heat. Allowing more air to move over the coals lets a fire burn hotter, while limiting the flow keeps coals just lit, for low-and-slow cooking. Look for a model with a tight-fitting lid and solid dampers or vents that are easy to control.

Coal-bed accessibility: Our testing shows that the temperature of charcoal peaks within 20 minutes after it’s lit. So when you cook for a prolonged period, you’ll need to add coals. Look for a charcoal grill with a dedicated door to add coals to your fire, or one with hinged gates that enable you to sneak in more coals or rearrange them while you cook. It’s also helpful when the grill makes it easy to dispose of the charcoal ash. All these factors are worked into our cleaning score.

Adjustability: Foods close to the coals sear faster but are prone to burning before they cook through. Look for a grill with a coal bed or cooking grates that can be raised or lowered with a crank—giving you one more way to tame the flames and control the heat.

Convenience: As with other types of grills, wheels and shelves make cooking on a charcoal grill considerably more efficient and pleasant.

Charcoal Grill Types

Charcoal grills are typically classified by their shape. These shapes dictate not only size but also how heat is concentrated or diffused. As you decide which kind of charcoal grill is right for you, consider which kinds of food you like to cook and for how many.

Charcoal Barrel Grills

Charcoal barrel grills are rectangular; many have helpful features, such as adjustable cooking grates and a door to add charcoal. Most also have a removable ashpan. These grills hold more food than a kettle or kamado (see below) grill—but over a thinner coal bed, so they’re better for a burger and bratwurst cookout. Keep in mind that they’ll also use more charcoal, so expect to add a lot of coals to build a layered bed for prolonged cooking.

Charcoal Kettle Grills

These classic charcoal grills are smaller than most barrel or kamado-style grills, so they take up less space on a deck or patio. The tapered shape lets you build a deeper bed of coals than you can with a barrel grill, so you can sear or cook for a longer time without adding coals. But charcoal kettle grills hold less food than most barrel grills, and most of the three-legged kettle grills we’ve tested aren’t as sturdy as barrel-style grills, which generally have four legs.

Kamado Grills: Factors to Consider

Kamado grills use charcoal—and whole a lot of it—to concentrate heat across their small grates, so you end up with food that’s truly evenly cooked. That makes them a fantastic choice if you want a perfectly seared steak or two. The catch? Their tall, deep shape means a smaller usable cooking surface than the ones on other types of charcoal grills. In the labs, we focus our tests on how well each model cooks at high heat and low heat. Use those findings, plus other key considerations, to decide whether a particular model is worth your money.

Performance at both high and low heat: Kamado grills are designed to reach a temperature of around 1,000° F—that’s higher than that of any other type of grill. We test each model’s ability to get that hot by quick-grilling thin-crust pizzas. We also test kamado grills on very low heat by cooking pork shoulder. To make sure you buy a model that’s both capable and versatile, find an option with a high cooking-performance score in our ratings.

Airflow: Just like conventional charcoal grills, kamado grills rely on airflow to regulate heat. Many have a gasket on the lid and even locking latches to create the tightest seal possible. Some also have multiple dampers, which make it easier to fine-tune the temperature. The models in our ratings with a high convenience score are most likely to have such user-friendly lids (in addition to other useful features, such as shelving and wheels).

Kamado Grill Types

Kamado grills are categorized by their materials. Traditional models are made from ceramic, which is thought to offer superior heat control. The alternative is metal, which is cheaper, but our tests have found that some of these models are capable of performing well, too.

Ceramic Kamado Grills

Ceramic grills have inch-thick walls all the way around, allowing them to retain heat longer than nonceramic grills, while you use dampers to fine-tune the temperature for cooking. The catch? They tend to have a higher starting price (those in our ratings start at $800) and they’re also heavy, weighing anywhere from 170 to 300 pounds. This makes them harder to transport from the store, assemble, and move around in your yard.

Nonceramic Kamado Grills

Nonceramic kamado grills are typically made of multiple layers of metal. With thinner walls than those of ceramic models, these grills are generally less expensive, with some large models costing as little as about $350. Nonceramic grills are also lightweight and easier to move and assemble than ceramic kamado grills. But they can feel flimsy, too, and some aren’t as well-insulated as the best ceramic models, making it more difficult to control temperatures.

Charcoal and Kamado Grill Features

While extra features are nice to have on a gas grill, they can make or break the experience of cooking charcoal. Here are a few that will not only help you control the charcoal but also ensure great results.

Adjustable-Height Cooking Grates

Adjustable-height cooking grates let you raise and lower food—the equivalent of turning down a burner on a gas grill. Get the food closer to the coals for searing or farther away to, say, cook a skin-on chicken breast all the way through without charring the skin. 

Pellet Grills/Smokers: Factors to Consider

Pellet grills blend the flexibility of a charcoal grill and smoker with the convenience of a gas grill. The models in our ratings have the same general design, and range from $200 to $1,400. A large metal bin, or “hopper,” holds pellets made from the compressed sawdust of flavorful woods, such as oak, hickory, and mesquite. An electronic mechanism draws out these pellets, which are then lit by an igniter, creating heat and smoke that imparts a distinct flavor to your food. A thermostat allows you to adjust the heat to a precise temperature—something you can’t do with gas or charcoal grills. Our protocol for evaluating pellet grills is a hybrid of our gas- and charcoal-grill tests. Use our findings, plus other factors, to help zero in on a model that’s worth your money.

Hopper size: The larger the hopper, the longer the grill can cook without your needing to add more pellets.

Temperature range: The models with the highest temperature-range score in our ratings are more versatile because they can sear at high temperatures and slow-smoke foods at low temperatures. (Those in our tests run as low as 160° F, as high as 600° F, and even hotter on a dedicated searing zone.) It’s worth noting, however, that pellet grills generally can’t get as hot as the best gas, charcoal, and kamado grills. 

Searing zone: If you like searing food, make sure the model you’re interested in has a dedicated spot. That’s because, in most pellet grills, the heat deflectors across the cooking surface (to help prevent burning and flare-ups) also often make it harder to sear. A searing zone allows you to remove the heat deflector so that foods such as steak can be directly exposed to the flame. Nevertheless, as a whole, pellet grills don’t sear as well as the best gas and charcoal grills, and they don’t produce sear marks.

Flat-Top Grills: Factors to Consider

Flat-top grills are the only type that lets you cook on a single, smooth surface (like a griddle) in place of grates. That means they’ll serve up foods you’d never consider on a conventional grill, like eggs and pancakes. These grills are also stellar at searing, making them great for burgers and hot dogs. They draw heat from a propane tank, just like gas grills. Without grates, you eliminate flare-ups, but also the signature grilled flavor that happens only when food comes into direct contact with a flame; you won’t be seeing any grill marks, either. Prices for models in our tests range from $250 to just over $1,000. We test flat-top grills just as we test conventional gas grills and recommend that you consider many of the same factors, including even heating and indirect cooking (see Gas Grills: Factors to Consider, above). But keep these factors in mind, too.

Burners: Flat-top grills typically have between two and four burners, each of which controls the heat over a portion of the grill’s cooking surface. Models with more burners can make it easier to regulate heat by keeping some parts of the grill hotter or cooler than other spots.

Size and design of the cooking surface: Models with a larger surface let you cook more food but may also take longer to heat up. Look for an option with a tall lip around the sides and back of the cooking surface, which can help prevent runaway hot dogs and asparagus from rolling off the grill.

Side burners: Some flat-top grills include a side burner, which allows you to use regular cookware to warm barbecue sauce, heat mac and cheese, or even boil corn while you cook on the grill.

The Tests

To determine the best gas grills, we tested top-rated models over two rounds. In the first round, we analyzed 13 grills, starting with their ease of assembly. Then, we checked how long it took to heat each grill to various temperatures, noting the full temperature range. Next, in separate trials, we grilled onion rounds at medium-high heat, beef burger patties at high heat, and burger buns at medium heat to evaluate heat distribution, cooking uniformity, and searing ability at different temperatures. Finally, we assessed how easy or not it was to clean the gas grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Throughout these tests, we paid close attention to overall ease of use, performance, design, and value.

For the second round of testing, we took the 10 best performers from the first round and put them through two more trials. First, we grilled skin-on, center-cut fish filets, checking for the grill’s nonstick ability and noting how well the gas grill handled a delicate protein. Next, we grilled strip steaks to check each grill’s performance with indirect heat grilling and searing. We took note of overall performance (responsiveness of control knobs, the doneness of the food, etc.) and ease of cleaning after grilling.

Factors to Consider

Size

While it’s important to factor in the overall dimensions of a grill, you should also account for the number of burners and the measurement of its cooking area (noted in square inches). The more burners you have, the more temperature zones you can create, which is useful for indirect heat cooking and preparing different foods at the same time.

For the required amount of cooking area, you can estimate about 70 to 100 square inches per person. For an average-sized family, a gas grill with between 400 and 500 square inches of cooking space should work just fine. If you regularly host large barbecues, then you may want to go bigger than that, looking into 600 or 700 square inches of cooking area or more.

Construction

When buying a gas grill, just as you would with a gas smoker or any other grill for that matter, sturdy construction is crucial since you want something that won’t wobble during use and will stand the test of time. Additionally, a well-made lid is important since that’s what traps the heat inside, affecting how well and fast your food is cooked.

Another key area to look at is the grates. These may be made out of cast iron, porcelain-coated cast iron, stainless steel, or porcelain enamel-coated steel. Each material has its benefits: Cast iron is the most durable and gives a great sear, while steel is often the most affordable and easy to clean. What you prefer ultimately depends on what you like to cook and how much you’re willing to put in money and effort.

Heat Output

The heat output of a grill is measured in BTUs or British Thermal Units. The overall BTU rating of a grill generally factors in all of the main burners, which is why you’ll see smaller gas grills with just two burners having a significantly lower BTU rating than larger grills with four or six units. In general, having a higher BTU rating or heat output means that a grill probably uses up more fuel. When buying a grill, don’t focus solely on scoring something with super high heat output. It’s necessary to consider what the overall temperature range is and how well the grill retains heat.

Features

On the whole, gas grills offer more features than charcoal grills. These may be something simple like wheels so you can move your grill around or a removable grease tray so you don’t need to make your own out of foil to catch fat drippings. The features can also be more advanced like a built-in thermometer to ensure you’re grilling at just the right temperature or a side burner to prepare a side dish without having to run back into the house to use the stove. Other features you may or may not want in your gas grill include heat zone separators, built-in lights, and viewing windows. Some of them even can accommodate attachments that enable you to use it as a rotisserie grill.

Price

Gas grills can cost as little as $100 and can go up to the thousands. Remember that when you’re choosing a gas grill, think of it as an investment. Going for something of lower quality and on the cheap end may just mean you need to replace it sooner and more often, which can add up. When looking at a gas grill’s price, consider its size, construction quality, and special features to determine its overall value.

Our Expertise

Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and avid home cook who has previous experience in cookbook publishing (and has left more than her fair share of messes on the kitchen floor while cooking). Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell among other publications. For this article, she analyzed insights from our in-house tests and conducted market research to determine which gas grills are worth buying.

Jason Horn is a commerce writer for Food & Wine who's spent nearly 20 years writing about food and drinks. He's written for Playboy, Travel Channel, Serious Eats, Liquor.com, and many more. 

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