Grill Buying Guide

CR tests grills to fit various cooking styles and a wide range of budgets, from portable models you can take camping to larger grills designed to feed an extended family. We produce ratings of dozens of new grills each year, including gas, pellet, and charcoal models to suit everyone from the first-time buyer to the seasoned grill master searching for a replacement. Prices range from less than $100 to more than $3,000.

Gas grills: In our lab, we wire the surface of each gas grill with thermocouples and perform four temperature tests. We record a minimum of 3,240 temperatures on each grill. For preheat performance, we measure how hot the surface gets at the 10-minute mark because that’s when our data says most folks like to start cooking. We also assess how evenly each model heats—if you’re cooking a giant batch of burgers, you want them to finish at the same time. 

Our indirect-cooking test evaluates how well a grill maintains moderate heat, such as for cooking thick chicken breast without burning it. We also check the temperature range for each grill to make sure you can get it high enough to sear a steak and low enough to slow-cook ribs. 

We evaluate the sturdiness of each model using a giant tool that we designed to push and pull each one, to simulate the abuse the grill might suffer when moved across a deck or patio. And we collect data from more than tens of thousands of CR members about their gas grills to see which brands are more likely to last. Those findings are factored into the predicted reliability score you’ll see in our full gas grill ratings.

Charcoal grills: For this type of grill, we test each model with a full chimney of charcoal. We spread the layer of coals evenly across the base of the grill and wire the grates with thermocouples to measure how evenly the coals provide heat across the surface. We score charcoal grills on two temperature tests: one for evenness (again, ensuring that a bunch of burgers or hot dogs will finish cooking at the same time) and one for indirect cooking, for making tender, not burnt, chicken.

We also assess how easy it is to add coals while cooking—many new models have a trap door that allows you to add coals under the grates without disturbing the food while it’s cooking. We check how easy it is to adjust the air vents to control the heat inside. Finally, we look at how easy it is to clean each model and dispose of the charcoal ash.

Kamado grills: These also use charcoal, but their tall, deep shape and relatively small cooking surface help most of these models heat very evenly because all the heat is concentrated across the small grates. So we skip testing these models for evenness and instead focus on testing them on what they’re built for—maintaining high heat. Kamado grills can get to temperatures higher than any other type of grill, around 1,000° F. 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.

Pellet grills:  These grills are billed as a cross between gas and charcoal grills. Accordingly, we perform a hybrid of the gas and charcoal tests. We wire the surface with thermocouples, and test for evenness across the grates, indirect cooking, and temperature range. We skip the preheat test that we perform on gas because we’ve found that most pellet grills heat up quickly.

We also assess the ease of cleaning each model, as well as conveniences, such as locking casters, hooks, and side shelves.

Below is more detailed information about gas, charcoal, kamado, and pellet grills, including factors to consider when deciding which type of grill to buy and the various features of each. To find out how the gas, charcoal, and pellet grills we test perform, see our grill ratings. 

More Than Burgers
A basic gas grill is fine for cooking burgers and hot dogs, but if you also enjoy grilling fish and sizzling steaks with sear marks, look at the temperature-range score in our gas grill ratings. The higher the score, the better the grill is at cooking a variety of foods. If ribs or a roast is on the menu, you’ll want a grill that does well in our indirect-cooking tests. Indirect cooking is a great way to slow-cook large or tough cuts by placing the meat next to the fire, not over it, with the lid closed to retain heat. Check how the grills do in our indirect-cooking tests.

Bringing the Heat
Btu/hr. (British thermal units per hour) tells you how much gas a grill uses and the heat it can create. But ignore it as a measure of how well a particular model might sear your steak or how fast the grill will heat up. Our tests find that more Btu doesn’t guarantee faster preheating or better cooking—instead, look for a model that scores well in our preheating test.

About Burners
Keep in mind that for gas grills, burners are the most replaced part. Expect them to last two to 10 years. Burners with a warranty of 10 years should last longer than those with no guarantee. If you need to replace them, it’s a 10-minute job.

Ignore Infrared
Lots of gas grills come with infrared burners, which are meant to use intense heat to sear steaks or chops. CR’s advice? Ignore these burners when shopping. Our tests have shown repeatedly that infrared burners don’t sear any better than typical gas burners. Instead, use our temperature-range score to guide you toward models that can reach high searing temperatures as well as low temps for indirect cooking.

Look for Solid Construction
When shopping, you’ll want to carefully look over the construction of the grill. Jostle the assembled grill from several points to test sturdiness; the more stable, the better. Check the cart, wheels, lid, and firebox. Stainless steel carts with seamless construction and welded joints are usually sturdier than painted steel carts assembled with nuts and bolts. We assess the construction of gas grills in our sturdiness test. (We don’t put charcoal, kamado, or pellet models through this test.) Wheels or casters at all four corners or legs make a grill easier to maneuver. And wheels with a full axle are better than those bolted individually to the frame.

Recipe for Safety
Sturdy grills aren’t just better poised to survive multiple grilling seasons; they’re safer, too. Grill stability is important because it can prevent tipping. Avoid grills with sharp metal corners and edges. Test the handle: Your knuckles or fingers shouldn’t be too close to the hot lid. And though some flame flare is normal, the greater the distance between the grates and the burners or flavorizer bars, the fewer the sustained flare-ups.

Airflow
Charcoal grills rely on airflow to regulate heat. More air moving 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.

Accessible Coal Bed
When you cook for a prolonged period, you’ll need to add coals. Our testing shows that the temperature of charcoal peaks within 20 minutes after it’s lit. Look for a charcoal grill with a dedicated door to add coals to your fire, or one with hinged grates that allow you sneak in more coals or rearrange them while you cook.

Grill Size and Shape
Because charcoal briquettes all burn at about the same temperature, the size and shape of your grill will dictate how heat is concentrated or diffused. Wider models, including most barrel grills, can cook more foods at once, but over a thinner coal bed, so they’re better for a burger and bratwurst cookout. Kettle and kamado grills tend to have deeper and narrower coal beds, which can concentrate heat for searing or, if you close the dampers, slow the rate at which coals burn, for long, slow cooking.

Adjustable Coals or Cooking Grates
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—it’ll give you one more way to tame the flames and control the heat.

Safety
Charcoal grills pose some risks that other grills don’t. That’s because unlike a gas or pellet grill, where heat and flames are adjusted via controls, with a charcoal grill, you build and control the fire. Most grills have an upper limit to the quantity of charcoal you should add, to help prevent damage to the grill or a fire that can get out of control. Because the flames can be higher, and harder to tame, you should use only long-handled tools, such as tongs and spatulas, that are specifically designed for grilling. Additionally, wear a short-sleeved or tight-fitting shirt to avoid fabric draping over the flames. Always make sure to keep a combination fire extinguisher handy when grilling over charcoal. (Look for “Class ABC” on the label, which means the extinguisher is suitable for wood, electrical, and grease fires.) A garden hose is not a safe alternative—while water can extinguish lit coals, a grease fire, like those that result from any fatty food igniting, will spread if sprayed with a hose. 

Pellet grills blend the flexibility of a charcoal grill and smoker with the convenience of a gas grill. These grills all look about the same, and feature a large metal bin, or “hopper,” to which you add pellets made from the compressed sawdust of flavorful woods, such as oak, hickory, and mesquite. You can buy the pellets at a home center or hardware store. An electronic igniter draws out these pellets and lights them, creating heat and smoke, which imparts a distinct flavor to your food. An especially convenient feature: A thermostat allows you to adjust the heat to a precise temperature, something you can’t do with gas or charcoal grills. Prices for models in our tests range from $400 to $1,200.

Hopper: The hopper size determines how many pellets a grill can hold, and in turn, how long the grill will run before you need to add fuel. The larger the hopper, the longer the grill can cook from a single load. 

Temperature range: Look for a pellet grill with the broadest possible temperature range. Those in our tests run as low as 160° F and as high as 600° F, and even hotter on a dedicated searing zone. These models are more versatile because they can sear at high temperatures and slow-smoke foods at low temperatures. It’s worth noting that they generally can’t get as hot, or sear as well, as the best gas, charcoal, and kamado grills. 

Smoking: In general, smoking foods on a pellet grill is as easy as filling the hopper with the pellets of your choice and dialing in a low temperature, usually below 225° F. That makes it far easier than fine-tuning a gas or charcoal grill.

Searing zone: Most pellet grills have heat deflectors across the cooking surface that help prevent burning and flare-ups. But that can make it harder to sear food because all the heat is indirect, which doesn’t produce distinct grill marks. For searing, you’ll want a model that has a dedicated searing zone, which allows you to remove the heat deflector so that foods such as steak can be directly exposed to the flame. As a group, these models still don’t sear as well as the best gas and charcoal grills.