How to Choose the Best Grill to Suit Your Needs for the Ultimate Outdoor Cooking Experience

Choosing the best grill for your outdoor kitchen should be simple. However, with so many options and enough technical jargon and gimmicks to make even an experienced cook second-guess their decision, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and spend far more than you need to.

The truth is that the best grill isn't necessarily the biggest, most expensive, or most feature-packed. It's the one that ultimately fits your space and your cooking style the best, whether that's something you can easily fire up for weeknight dinners for the family, big enough for hosting summer barbecues, or one that will help you perfect low-and-slow smoking techniques at your leisure.

Having tested a wide range of grills, we've seen which features genuinely improve performance. In this guide, we'll break down the key factors to consider, from fuel type and cooking capacity to budget and maintenance, so you can choose a grill with confidence for your outdoor kitchen.

Choosing Your Fuel Type

The fuel you choose will have a larger impact on your grilling experience than almost any other feature. As such, this should be your first decision when choosing a grill.

The table below compares the main grill and smoker types to help you identify which best fits your cooking style:

Sizing and Space

One of the most common mistakes people make when buying a grill is picking something too big or small for their needs. Bigger grills tend to cost more, consume more fuel, and take up valuable outdoor space, so it's worth thinking realistically about how you cook.

For households of one to two people, compact grills with around 250-400 square inches of cooking space are usually sufficient. Families of four should look for approximately 450-650 square inches, while frequent entertainers may benefit from 700 square inches or more. This applies across gas, charcoal, pellet, and electric grills.

For gas grills in particular, you will be choosing based on burner count. Two-burner models are suitable for smaller households, and four- to six-burner models are better for larger families and entertaining.

Built-In vs. Freestanding Grills

For those designing an outdoor kitchen, a built-in grill can be a worthwhile investment. Built-in models offer a more professional appearance and integrate seamlessly with outdoor cabinets and worktops. They're particularly appealing if your outdoor space is already planned around cooking and hosting. These are often more expensive and can be more difficult to replace if your needs change later.

A high-quality freestanding grill is often the smarter choice for most people, offering far greater flexibility. You can reposition them to suit your space, move them into outdoor storage to protect them in the off-season, and take them with you if you move.

Unless you're committed to a permanent outdoor kitchen, a well-built freestanding grill balances the best of performance, value, and convenience.

The Features to Look For

For an appliance that excels primarily at searing and charring, there is a lot of filler language and 'exciting features' used by marketers to make a grill sound more enticing. Over-the-top functions such as rotisseries, steam injectors, and offset ovens can all be great fun, but they are almost always unnecessary.

Understanding which features are actually worthwhile and which are gimmicks can help you find the right model without wasting money. To find the best grill, you should focus on four key elements:

• Prioritize quality cooking grates: The grates are where the food meets the grill, making them one of the most important components. Ideally, you want either cast iron or stainless steel. Cast iron is the gold standard for retaining heat and producing restaurant-quality sear marks. They are incredibly durable, too; however, you will need to invest time into cleaning cast iron and regular seasoning to prevent rust. Stainless steel, on the other hand, is far easier to maintain, offering excellent cooking performance with durability (just don't expect as good a sear).
• Look for even heat distribution: This is harder to determine on a visual inspection; however, a grill that struggles to maintain consistent temperatures will make cooking more frustrating. On gas grills, look for flavorizer bars or heat tents positioned above the burners. These help distribute heat more evenly across the cooking surface while protecting burners from grease and food drippings. For charcoal and pellet grills, pay attention to airflow design and heat management systems, which play a similar role in preventing hot and cold spots. Reading reviews can also help with this.
• Invest in solid construction: A well-built grill will last for years with the correct maintenance. Look for thick stainless steel, powder-coated finishes, and well-sealed storage areas, which generally indicate durability. Warranty coverage can also prove a manufacturer's confidence, with longer warranties on burners, cooking boxes, and major structural components often a sign of better build quality.
• Look for brands: We are not pandering to brands here, promise. That said, our honest advice is to stick to the big names. We've tried a lot of no-name grills, and while they can save you a lot of money and can cook as well as big brand products, they are almost always badly machined. We've had to replace screws, drill new holes for mounting racks, and in one case, hammer a part into shape to get it to fit on a cheap grill. A Weber, Kamado Joe, Traeger, or Char-Broil grill comes with a warranty. They all have customer service and replacement parts available online.

These factors will ensure you have a solid foundation and a grill designed to last and perform. Anything else the grill adds, such as built-in lights, included food thermometers, and so on, is then a bonus.

The Best Grill Brands

There are several grill brands that have the expertise, reputation, and heritage to make outstanding grills, making the decision process simpler when looking to invest in quality:

• The Best for Premium Gas Grills: Through all of our testing, Weber has always come out on top for the best gas grills. The Weber Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Liquid Propane Grill has been rated our best grill overall. That said, with the name comes cost, making them some of the more expensive grills on the market.
• The Best for Charcoal Grills: There is a lot to choose from in charcoal grills. Weber makes several fantastic models, including the straightforward Original Kettle Charcoal Grill, available at Amazon. For a more premium, traditional pick, Kamado Joe is fantastic, with us rating their ceramic Classic Joe II 4.5 stars on review.
• The Best for Pellet Grills: Traeger Timberline has consistently performed best when it comes to pellet grilling, doubling as smokers for extra versatility. Models such as our beloved Traeger Grills Ironwood 650 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, from Amazon, are easy to assemble and even easier to use with temperature and pellet sensors. They are fantastic value for money.
• The Best for Electric Grills: As with most electric kitchen appliances, Ninja comes out on top for the best electric grills. The Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill is a fantastically versatile pick, with an XL upgrade available for larger families and hosts. They also offer a Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill, should you want the cooking experience year-round.

How to Maintain Your Grill

Maintaining a grill is the best way to protect your investment and ensure it lasts for years to come. A high-quality grill with thicker steel construction can easily last 15 years or more when properly maintained. Cleaning a grill properly after each use and seasoning the grates to prep a grill after winter, combined with a well-fitting protective cover, helps prevent corrosion and premature wear, preserving both performance and appearance over time. Many brands will design covers for each specific model, making finding the perfect fit quick and easy.

A key draw to premium grills is their repairability. Smaller components, such as grates, igniters, burners, and thermometers, can often be replaced individually for a fraction of the cost of a new unit. As a result, it is typically far more economical to maintain one well-built grill than to replace a lower-quality model every few years.

Understanding when to replace a grill, including signs of excessive wear or safety risks, should dictate how often you replace your investment.

FAQs

How Much Should I Spend on a Grill?

How much you spend on a grill will depend on your budget and the type of grill you want. Don't be tempted to go too cheap if you want quality and safety. Chef David Figeuroa told me that 'Quality comes at a price, as cheap grills often deteriorate quickly, costing more in the long run.' We suggest:

• $150-$250 for a good charcoal grill that won't break the bank
• $500-$700 for a quality three-burner gas grill. You're probably overpaying beyond the $700 mark.
• About $1200 for four- or five-burner grills that come with extras like side burners, digital thermometers, and rotisserie functions as standard.
• $800-$1200 will get you a good smoker with handy features like an inbuilt thermometer and an electric fan to maintain temperature.
• Expect to pay $1200-$2000 for a Kamado. Below $1200, you may end up with an appliance that has poorly-made parts. Above $2000, and you're overpaying for extras you don't need. 

Are Portable Grills Worth It?

Portable grills are naturally fantastic for cooking on the move, but they also shine in small spaces, too. If you live in a city and have limited outdoor space, for instance, a portable grill will let you grill without taking up too much space. You can keep the grill in a corner or grill on a tabletop, getting all the flavors of a full-sized grill without losing any space. Plus, because they're so small, portable grills are usually hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars cheaper than full-size grills.

That said, portable grills are small, and the grilling surface is usually no bigger than 200 square inches. You can cook a few burgers at once, but nothing else, and you'd struggle to grill larger items like a whole chicken. This means they're poor for feeding large families, or at least for feeding everyone at once.

What is the Difference Between a Smoker and a Grill?

Smokers are primarily used for smoking meats and other ingredients. They cook low and slow and infuse dishes with complex, smoky flavors. Smokers tend to be larger than gas grills, so you can usually cook more, but it takes a long time, and they are usually less versatile than gas grills.

Grills tend to be cheaper and more compact than smokers, and their features vary depending on the fuel type. Gas grills, for example, have handy bonus features like rotisserie functions, side burners, and warming racks for side dishes, but cannot smoke. If you want to sear and smoke with a single appliance, I recommend a charcoal grill. Keep a low temperature and add in some wood chips, and you have a fantastic smoker.

Can I Convert a Natural Gas Grill to Propane?

Most of the time, you can convert a natural gas grill to use propane. To do this, you'll need to change the natural gas connection to a propane tank, checking that your grill supports conversion in the owner's manual. If it does, you can usually find grill conversion kits at your local hardware store.

To convert, switch off the natural gas supply and disconnect the gas line. Replace the natural gas orifices, valves, and regulators with the new propane grill parts as per the manual, ensuring they are fully secured before use.

To finish outfitting your ultimate outdoor cooking setup, next, check out our guide to choosing the best pizza oven.

Love the latest product news and helpful shopping advice? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.