Which bbq should i buy

On the side, there's a burner for heating beans or sauce. And best of all: We saw no smoking or flareups when cooking. When it comes to cooking, three-burner stainless steel grill is just about perfect. When we tested a previous model in this Spirit line, it heated evenly and turned out steaks with gorgeous grill marks that were beautifully rare and juicy in our testing.

Chicken came off the grates golden brown, moist and tender — and all this with very few flare-ups. The grill comes with porcelain enameled cast-iron grates that cook up to 25 four-inch burgers at once, a stainless side table and a gauge to give you an idea how much gas is in the tank. This Char-Broil grill heated quickly and evenly in our tests and didn't flare up once. It turned on with no effort at all, and got hot enough to sear steak and chicken without burning it.

This model features Char-Broil's Tru-Infrared technology, which is basically a large metal plate that sits below the cooking grates and traps the foods' juices as it cooks. Once the juices hit the plate, they steam and infuse the food with more flavor.

Results were juicy and not dry. In addition to the Char-Broil's cooking performance, we liked the simple, two-knob design that quickly responded to adjustments. When done cooking, the entire grill was easy to move and store away. This Weber kettle is iconic in the industry and well-loved by consumers, so it's not surprisingly a best-seller and its slightly less expensive version has over 1, positive reviews on Amazon.

The structure is sturdy with solid accessories and a removable lid that can be rested on the side of the grill, and it can be rolled around easily for storage in the off-season. Traeger is known for its wide assortment of large pellet grills designed to grill or smoke a lot of meat at once at a precise temperature.

They heat up more quickly than charcoal grills and require less prep work no fussing around with coals that won't light or are hard to spread out. Simply plug them in, and the inner mechanics move pellets from the hopper into the "fire pot" where they're heated.

From there, a fan moves the heat and smoke into the grill to cook food. It also connects to a recipe app that allows you to program and monitor the cooking process, a useful tool because foods could take hours to cook.

It offers square inches of cooking space and has an pound hopper. This grill is great for taking on the go. In our tests, it created nice grills marks on burgers, hot dogs and buns. On the flip side, they are typically pricier than other types of grills.

But even then, it's not the same. These use electric plates with a heating element embedded in them to cook the meat. They come in indoor and outdoor varieties. Electric grills are perfect for people who have limited outdoor space. While the cooking results from electric grills may look the same as their fire-powered cousins grill marks and everything… , the taste is dramatically different. Good old-fashioned charcoal grills — a timeless classic that never goes out of style.

These types of grills typically use charcoal briquettes for firepower. The smoky flavor they give the meat is second to none, which is probably why they are so popular. While they certainly require a lot of effort to get the fire going, not to mention the cleanup process that awaits you thereafter, the result is certainly worth the extra effort.

So, if getting that authentic barbecue flavor is important to you, this is the grill you should buy. They get a lot hotter than gas or electric grills, so once you get the fire going, your food will get cooked a lot quicker.

On the flip side, the preheating process is slower than other grilling options. They are messier and have to be cleaned out after each use. For many Americans, the backyard barbecue is an integral part of summer—or any time of year.

The pandemic has only made that more true, as backyards became the spaces of choice for gathering, either with immediate family or safely socially distanced.

The grill is really the centerpiece of your yard in the same way the range anchors your kitchen. Consumer Reports has no stake in the age-old debate over which form of fuel is the best for barbecuing, and our testing experts find advantages to all three.

Gas is more convenient because you simply turn the burners on to start the grill. Charcoal, whether you have a regular charcoal grill or a more specialized kamado grill, gives you a greater degree of control—you determine the amount of heat by the size of the fire you build.

Pellet grills, which use wood pellets, are meant to offer the taste of cooking with wood, plus unmatched precision—they have digital thermostats that allow you to dial in a precise cooking temperature. Because of these differences, we test each type differently. 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 more than grills, including gas, pellet, and charcoal models to suit everyone from the first-time buyer to the seasoned grill master searching for a replacement. 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, temperatures on each grill. 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 38, CR members about their gas grills to see which brands are more likely to last. 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 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.

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 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.

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. 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. 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. Ignore Infrared Lots of gas grills come with infrared burners, which are meant to use intense heat to sear steaks or chops.

Ignore these burners when shopping. 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.

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. 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. Grill stability is important because it can prevent tipping. Avoid grills with sharp metal corners and edges. You close the hood and the barbecue does the work for you. Many are Wi-Fi enabled, letting you monitor and control the temperature via an app.

There is a bit of a learning curve involved and the cost of pellets could add up. Barbecuing accidents are more likely to occur if you live an apartment block.

Before buying a new gas barbecue for your balcony:. Alternatively, you could consider an electric barbecue — unfortunately though, there aren't many on the market. They produce less smoke, have accurate temperature control and are easier to clean. Most cooks suggest you look for a half-grill, half-hotplate cooking surface, although a larger barbecue provides more flexibility, allowing you to use more of the surface you need and leave part of the barbecue unused.

Cast iron hotplates are more susceptible to rust; if you live in a coastal area, enamel or stainless steel hotplates are recommended. Stainless steel has varying degrees of quality. To check the quality, place a magnet on all stainless steel areas. If it sticks, the stainless steel is more likely to rust; if it doesn't, it's better quality.

A good hood will open enough so it doesn't blow smoke in your face with reasonable resistance against accidental closing from gusts of wind etc. Double-skin hoods will reduce the external temperature. Make sure it's easy to access all of the cooking area as some hoods can restrict access with the warming plates.

Look for clearly labeled controls with positive stops at both the high and low position. Check to see that they are easy to grip and turn. Knobs that slant out from the fascia are easier to see, ensuring you don't have to bend over.