We Tested 99 Grills—These Are the 6 Worth Buying

How We Tested Grills

We test grills year-round, with many of our winners undergoing extensive testing with our experts in their everyday lives—at real tailgates, camping trips, and at home—so that we can update our recommendations and insights on long-term usability and more on a regular basis. Over the past year, we’ve also tested 99 grills in our Lab, cooking up everything from flank steaks to onions to slices of white bread, which can accurately assess how even the heat is across your grill grate.

We’ve also interviewed grilling experts to get their insights on what are the most important elements of successful grilling. During testing, we assemble each grill ourselves, paying special attention to timing and ease of assembly; analyze every facet of the grilling process; and clean the grill afterward. To date, we’ve grilled: 

• 200 pounds of chicken wings
• 80 pounds of hamburger
• 63 pounds of flank steak
• 50 pounds of baby back ribs
• 46 chicken breasts
• 40 pounds of bone-in ribeye
• 15 pounds of bratwurst
• 10 pounds of strip steak
• 10 pounds of snapper
• 50 pounds of yellow onions

We Observed

• There are a lot of choices. Charcoal grills come in a wide range of sizes, styles, prices, and complexities. While it’s possible to grill food on a rusty grate over a coffee can, unless you’re on a survival mission, it’s best to opt for something better. How much better is up to you.
• Design can matter. Some features make grills easier to use, while sturdiness is also important. A heavy lid keeps heat in, but can be difficult for some cooks to wrangle on their own.
• Cooking style and experience matter. If the cook plans on grilling burgers and brats all summer, a high-end grill will be a waste of space and money. An experienced cook who is practicing for competition cooking will have entirely different needs.
• Cleaning is a part of cooking. If the grill is difficult to clean, the ashtray is difficult to access, and food always sticks, the grill will get less use than one that’s simple to maintain.

We Rated

• Ease of Use: Let’s face it, if a grill is difficult to use, cooking can become a chore. 
• Design/Features: Some cooks will love wireless control and apps, while others want something much simpler. The size and shape of the grill also matter, depending on what’s being cooked. It’s simple to line up rows of sausages on any grill, but slabs of ribs or whole turkeys aren’t as easy to fit.
• Performance: Of course, performance matters. It doesn’t matter how pretty the grill is, if the food cooks inconsistently, or worse yet if it can’t produce the grill marks or sear you’re looking for.
• Ease of Cleaning: While most grills manage to burn off food debris from the grates, the location and ease of emptying the ash and grease are also a consideration.
• Value: While it’s often true that you get what you pay for, no one wants to overpay for what they’re getting. If the extra features won’t be used, there’s no need to buy the highest-priced model to get those extras.
  

Long-Term Testing Takeaways

After all of our different tests that have spanned several years, we have to admit that there is no single grill that’s perfect for every person. But the good news is that there’s a vast array of grills to choose from.

The newest grills are getting smart, with digital controls, automatic heat regulation, and apps. While some of us love digital controls, there’s nothing wrong with opting for grills that are manual only.

For any grill, precise heat control is most important for long cooks. Quickly grilling burgers and hot dogs doesn’t require nearly as much finesse.

What to Look for in a Grill

Fuel Type

Grill categories are broken down by fuel type: gas, charcoal, or wood pellets. Gas grills—both liquid propane and natural gas—are as easy as using a stove. You simply turn the knobs to control the burners, and shut it off when you’re done. There is some regular maintenance needed, like cleaning the grill grate or washing out the grease pan. The tradeoff is your food won’t get the smoky flavor imparted by charcoal or wood.

Charcoal grills tend to be cheaper than gas models, but they require more effort for cooking. You need to learn how to get the charcoal to catch flame and how to properly place them in the grill. "With a kettle-style charcoal grill, I almost always place lit coals on one side and leave the other side without coals," says Christie Vanover, the publisher of Girls Can Grill. "This allows me to cook food over high heat (over the coals) when I want to sear the meat or veggies and over medium or low heat when I want to smoke the food or cook it more slowly." You’ll also have to wait for the coals to cool before being able to clean up. As with all grills, you’ll need to deep clean to keep the grill cooking, but the assembly is fairly simple.

Pellet grills use wood “pellets” that are fed from a hopper into the grill. This is great for smoking foods at low temperatures, since the pellets give off a consistent heat and a full hopper usually lasts for hours. They give your food a wonderful smoky flavor. But pellet grills are definitely more expensive than other types, and there are more parts that could break if not maintained properly. They also generally require power to run the automatic feed, which means the grill will need to be placed near an outlet.

Capacity

What size grill you need does really come down to how many servings you need to cook at a time. For most households, a grill with a cooking area of under 500 square inches is more than enough for weekday dinners and weekend get-togethers. If you regularly cook for a crowd, or have a larger household, getting a grill with more than 500 square inches of space should be a priority.

Maintenance

All grills need regular cleaning and maintenance to operate properly. "It’s best to do a deep clean at least once a year," says Vanover. "The best time is right before winter, so it’s fresh and clean for the spring. If you live in a climate where you grill year-round, consider doing a deep clean every six months.

"Gas grills are the hardest to deep clean, because it involves taking out the grates and burners," she says. "Charcoal grills are the easiest to clean because they have very few components." 

At the very least, you should clean your grill grates after cooking to remove stuck-on food and grease. It’s advisable to thoroughly clean your grill a few times every year to remove any grease inside the grill whether that’s a drip pan or simply wiping down the inside of the grill bowl. Additionally, using a grill cover will help protect the exterior from any corrosion. 

FAQs

What are the best rules for grilling?

For grilling safety, definitely clean your grill and grill away from your house. Preheating is also good to do, and don’t turn on the gas when the lid is closed. When it comes to food safety, a good rule is to keep your meats separate from other foods before cooking. This will protect against any cross-contamination. 

"My number one rule for grilling is to cook food to temperature, not time," says Vanover. "The USDA has set internal temperature suggestions for every protein. These recommendations not only ensure the meat is fully cooked and safe to eat, but they are also set to ensure the meat is at its peak point for flavor and juiciness.

"Another rule that’s important is to wait to sauce your meat until after it’s almost fully cooked," she says. "Sauce usually has a lot of sugar. If you add sauce too early, it will burn before the meat is fully cooked. If you want to add flavor earlier in the cooking process, consider a good rub or a marinade."

What are the methods of grilling?

You can grill either with direct heat or indirect heat. Direct heat is placing your food directly above the flame. Direct heat is desirable for high heat and getting a great sear. Indirect heat is when the food is off to the side of the flame. It’s very important to position your vents correctly so that the air flows over your food. Indirect heat is more often used at lower temperatures, for longer periods of time, with larger cuts of meat, and/or for smoking. 

What are the big differences between a gas grill and a charcoal grill?

Besides the obvious fuel differences, gas grill have a higher upfront cost while charcoal grills are often on the inexpensive side. Gas grills will be a faster preparation since you don’t have to preheat or wait for the coals to cool. Charcoal grills will impart more flavor into your food, and you have more fun with the experimental aspect of cooking with them.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

The Spruce Eats Editor Siobhan Wallace compiled testing data from our official Lab to compile this roundup. Her mother once left the gas grill lid closed with the gas on and saw the resulting fireball.

Expert product tester and writer Donna Currie also updated this story with insights into several grills she owns and has been using for years as well as tips and tricks she has learned while flipping, charring, and smoking in her backyard.