Grilling season is the light at the end of the tunnel after a long hard winter, of months and months of rain, and seemingly endless dark and dingy evenings. Nothing feels better than the first warm spring afternoon spent preparing ribs for your family and friends.
What you probably don’t miss about grill season is the constant discussion about which grill brand is superior. Your best mate has an opinion. Your father-in-law has an opinion. Your cashier has an opinion.
It’s hard to avoid people’s fervent beliefs about grills, especially in a barbecue loving town.
It would be easier to give in to the first person who tells you what you should buy, but don’t do it! When it comes to picking a grill, if you don’t pick something that works for you then you’re wasting your time.
We’ve put together this article to show you what the 5 best Grill brands out there have to offer.
We will talk to you through all the important points like the length of the warranty, grilling space, and what they burn.
We have also put together a comprehensive buyers’ guide and have answered some grilling FAQs; so that once you finish reading this article you’ll be fully prepared to buy the perfect grill for you.
In A Hurry – Here’s Our Top Pick
Pit Boss
Here are three of the top options:
Our number one choice is the brand Pit Boss. This brand specializes in smokers and their machines have become the cooker of choice for many Texan BBQ chains. Their machines look sleek and provide an extraordinary amount of grilling surface.
The most popular Pit Boss ranges provide over 750 square inches of grilling space. They keep their grills a reasonable size by making their grill taller and including multiple shelves within the grill. This means you can cook two briskets and multiple stakes at once without taking up half your garden.
The Pit Boss can cook a lot at once and look good whilst doing it. We love the classic designs and colors that the main Pit Boss ranges come in. Not having to look out of your window at an ugly grill in your garden is a huge plus for us.
The highlight of the Pit Boss systems is the temperature adjustment system that comes with all their smokers. This system allows you to adjust the number of pellets being fed into the smoker, giving you significant control over the temperature of the smoker. These pellets come in a wide range of flavors and burn times.
Using a smoker, which has a slow cook time, will add a complexity of flavor to your meals and will leave you with very tender meat.
The one minor downside to using a Pit Boss machine is that you can only use Pit Boss brand pellets with them. Users who have tried to use other pellet brands with their smoker have reported clogging in the feeding shoot.
On the plus side, Pit Boss has such a wide range of pellets available that everyone will be able to find a flavor that they love – our favorites are Hickory and Apple Wood.
Pros
- Good price
- High-Quality Design
- The brand offers a wide flavor range of pellets
- 5-year warranty
- Unique temperature adjustment system
- Huge grilling area
- Multiple grilling shelves
Cons
- Feeding shot can sometimes clog
- You have to use Pit Boss pellets
Best Grill Brands – Comparison Table
Pit Boss – Reviews
Our top brand is Pit Boss, a company who are experts in producing world-class pellet-burning smokers.
For us, Pit Boss is a head above the rest for two main reasons. Firstly, pellet burning smokers flavor the meat in a superior way, and secondly, we love the temperature control options that the Pit Boss Smokers provide.
Let’s start with the most contentious issue – the pellets. All Pit Boss smokers run using a pellet-burning system. There is a temperature gauge that regulates the number of pellets that are being fed into the fire.
The issue most people have with the Pit Boss smokers is that you can only use their own brand of pellets, which are fairly priced, but not the cheapest pellets on the market.
Those who have tried to use other pellet brands have reported clogging inside the feeding shoot (if you use Pit Boss pellets you will not experience any clogging).
The good news is that Pit Boss pellets are some of our favorites on the market. They are very slow to decompress so you can store them between grilling seasons. They have an amazing range of flavors, our two favorites are Hickory and Apple Wood.
Pit Boss as a brand is famous for its well-designed and well-produced machines. They offer a 5-year warranty on their smokers and have a highly celebrated customer service team. We’re confident that you will have very few issues with your smoker, and in the unfortunate event that you do, Pit Boss will happily sort them out for you.
Another highlight of the Pit Boss smokers is the unbelievable amount of grilling space they bring to the table. Looking at the Sportsman Series from the outside you’d struggle to guess that it offers over 1000 square inches of grilling space.
Pit Boss approach their grilling shelves in a really smart way. By making the smoker taller they can add extra shelves over the fire, taking what could have been a 450 square inch grill up to a 1000+ square inch grill.
We love that we can have this much grilling space without having our smoker take up half our yard.
However, our absolute favorite element of the Pit Boss Smoker range is its temperature control system. Through this system, you can control the number of pellets being fed into the fire, and therefore you have a very tangible control over the temperature of the smoker.
This control allows for 8-In-1 Cooking Versatility – Grill, Smoke, BBQ, Roast, Sear, Braise, Char-Grill, and Bake.
- Good price
- High-Quality Design
- The brand offers a wide flavor range of pellets
- 5-year warranty
- Unique temperature adjustment system
- Huge grilling area
- Multiple grilling shelves
- 8-in-1 cooking options
- Feeding shot can sometimes clog
- You have to use Pit Boss pellets
Traeger – Reviews
Traeger is another market-leading Smoker Brand. Traeger Smokers are powered by electricity and burn wood pellets.
These are sleek looking smokers with a classic design. They are high-quality smokers that can be controlled by WIFI. These smokers do have a few small flaws, like an ineffective cover, only burning branded pellets, and having the highest price points on this list.
The Traeger Smokers are some of the most expensive grills on our list, but they are definitely worth the money, particularly if you are a fan of smokers. These smokers come with a sleek, classic looking design.
The one issue with the design is that despite looking good the hood/cover doesn’t work perfectly on every model.
The hood has a habit of not completely sealing when closed, so when you’re cooking it lets out heat, and when it’s being stored it has been known to let a lot of water in. However, the frame of the smoker is reinforced and copes well against the elements.
As you’ve probably noticed we love smokers, one of the main reasons for this is that we love this method of grilling because of the depth of taste a smoker can give meat. Just like Pit Boss, Traeger has its own range of wood pellets.
We don’t love them as much as the Pit Boss range but they are a close second. Their Mesquite and Hickory flavors are delicious. They are well pressed but will eventually become dusty.
Like the Pit Boss smokers, you have to use the brand’s own range of pellets or risk clogging the feeding system.
The Traeger models come with a WiFi/Bluetooth and sometimes even Alexa controlled temperature gauge. This makes the Traeger models a lot more user friendly as you don’t have to physically adjust the pellet level like some brands require you to do (or as you would with a charcoal machine).
This adjustment allows the grill to offer a 6-in-1 cooking option.
The Traeger grills offer up to 720 square inches of grilling space. This is not quite the 1000 square inches Pit Boss can offer, but it’s still more than enough to cook for a large party. Each series offers a different size grill, so bear this in mind if you’re looking to purchase one.
- Classic design
- 6-in-1 cooking options
- Uses pellets or wood
- The brand offers a wide range of flavored pellets
- Wifi, Bluetooth, and Alexa options
- Reinforced frame
- Up to 720 inches of grilling space
- High Prices
- Poor quality covers
- Have to use Traeger pellets
Weber – Reviews
Our third choice is the brand Weber – this brand has a lot to offer, including grills of all shapes and sizes, as well as wood-burning, electric, and gas-powered grills. Weber is famous for its generous warranties and high-quality products.
Weber offers a really wide range of shapes, sizes, and types of grills. When it comes to size and shape they offer small, portable grills with about 120 square inches of cooking space, to the traditional style standing grill with 550 square inches of grill – and many options in between.
From Weber you can purchase grills that burn wood and pellets, to get deep, smoky flavors in your meat. You can also get propane-powered grills that cook quickly but don’t add a huge amount of flavor. They also offer the very traditional charcoal grills that cook slowly and supply just a hint of smokiness.
Weber as a brand has long been celebrated for the quality of its grills. They even offer a generous 10-year warranty on most of their grills.
One of the major flaws of these grills is that they are very expensive. However, you can be sure that if you invested in a Weber grill it would still be alive and kicking in a decade’s time.
- Offer both charcoal and gas grills
- Easy to clean
- Stainless steel frames
- Many size and shape options
- Expensive grills
Masterbuilt – Reviews
For our next choice, we’ve decided to add a bit of a wildcard – Masterbuilt standing smokers. This brand offers something a little different from the rest of the brands on this list. These types of smokers are perfect for those who want all the benefits of grilling without having to commit the time or the effort.
These free-standing smokers offer a very low maintenance take on barbecue. Simply load up your meat, set the digital thermometer, and leave your meat to cook for half a day. You can even use Bluetooth to adjust the temperature these smokers burn at.
The smokers come with a draw for wood chips or pellets, and a small section to insert water. These sections are both easy to remove and clean. The whole smoker is easy to clean as all the draws can be removed and the size of the smoker means there are no hard to reach areas.
These are not the best looking smokers in the world but they are ideal for anyone who doesn’t want the hassle of spending hours sweating at the grill. On the flip side, if you’re looking for that traditional grilling experience then you’ll want to stay away from these smokers.
There are a few models from Materbuild that have a record of being poorly made. The three models we listed above are highly rated, however, when it comes to this brand it’s important to be picky and do your research.
- Huge range of options – electric, gas options
- Modern Options – Bluetooth and Digital Options
- Great Prices
- Super Easy to Use
- Easy to Clean
- Perfect for beginners
- Can add chips or pellets to increase flavor
- Optional 4 years insurance
- Not the grilling experience
- Some models have quality issues
- Not very good looking
Royal Gourmet- Reviews
Royal Gourmet is another brand that offers an extensive range of products, so much so that everyone will be able to find a product they like amongst this lot. They offer all of these grills at great prices. These grills will be a great option for beginners who don’t want to commit to a more expensive grill.
Royal Gourmet offers grills in every shape and size you can imagine. They also offer griddles and smokers. These grills are well-made, however, they will not last as long as some of the other grills on this list. Where Weber offers a 10-year warranty, Royal Gourmet only offers a 1-year warranty and does not sell replacement parts. However, if this is your first grill and you are not looking for a long-term commitment this might appeal to you.
- Amazing prices
- Many options for size and style
- Many power options (wood, electric, gas)
- Large grilling spaces available
- Cheaply made
- Short 1-year warranty
Best Grill Brands – Buyers Guide
The Perfect Grill
Buying a grill is a big commitment, whether this is your first or your seventh grill, the market is developing so quickly year on year that even grilling experts struggle to keep track.
That’s why we put together this buyers’ guide. It will talk you through all the elements you’ll have to consider when purchasing your new grill.
Size
The first thing you should consider when purchasing a grill is what size you require.
This may not seem like a big deal right now, especially if you’ve never bought a grill before. But if you’ve ever been stuck out in the rain begging a stake to cook faster because you still have two more people to cook for and no space left on the grill shelf… you’ll understand why this is important.
Grill sizes are most commonly measured in square inches. When we say ‘grill size’ we don’t mean the size of the whole machine, what we’re referring to is the cooking space on the grill shelf.
If you’re cooking for two people, a 250 square inch grill is a great option – that’s enough space to cook a brisket with a few veggies on the side.
If you’re cooking for 4 people then we would suggest looking at grills around the 450 sq inch mark. Depending on the appetite of these 4 people you may be able to go a little bit smaller or want to look at something larger.
If you want to be able to cater for parties then you need to look at getting something bigger than 550 square inches. Parties are meant to be fun, you don’t want to be stressing out about not being able to fit everything on your grill.
550 square inches is enough space to cook a couple of racks of ribs, a burger or two, and a pile of those all-important grilled veggies.
Type of Grill
Your next important choice will be what type of grill you want to buy.
Read on to find out the differences between the three most popular types of grills:
Charcoal
The good thing about charcoal grills is that they are some of the cheapest grills on the market. However, this is balanced out by the fact that charcoal is a lot more expensive than gas and pellets.
Charcoal is a great option for those of you who want to make a day of grilling. Charcoal grills cook at a low heat and can often take hours to cook bigger pieces of meat, but you will be left with very succulent meat.
Where gas grills provide next to no extra flavor to the meat, charcoal grills will add a subtle smoky flavor to what you’re cooking.
Cooking with a charcoal grill is a great option but it requires some practice to get it right. Beginners may want to try a more simple system.
Gas
Gas is the least traditional type of grilling, however, is it currently the most popular grilling method in the US. One of the major benefits of using a gas-powered grill is they are simple to use.
They are the perfect choice for beginner pitmasters and casual grillers that just want to wheel their grill out once in a blue moon.
Gas grills are the most expensive type of grill, however, after the initial investment, you’ll quickly see savings (compared to using a charcoal grill) as gas is so cheap.
Gas grills cook at a high temperature allowing you to get crispy meat, quickly. If you want a low pressure, speedy cooking experience then gas grills will be a great option for you.
The main downside of using a gas grill is that they don’t provide the trademark barbeque smokiness like smokers and charcoal grills do. You do lose this in exchange for much quicker cooking times.
Smoker (Pellets or Wood)
If you’re looking for that complex, smokey Texas-style BBQ flavor then you’re going to want to pick yourself up a smoker. The smokiness a smoker can provide you with is a lot more intense than charcoal.
One of our favorite things about using smokers is that they give you a lot of control when it comes to the flavor of the smoke. By using different types of wood, or flavored pellets you can add new levels of flavor to your cooking.
Smokers are generally powered by either propane or electric. They work at a lower heat than charcoal and gas, so cooking with a smoker takes a lot longer. They will give you a deeper flavor and more delicate meat.
Smoker prices fall in between Gas and Charcoal grill prices. The pellets tend to be cheaper than charcoal but more expensive than gas. Wood on the other hand tends to be more expensive than both.
Smokers are a great option for experienced grillers but beginners that spend the time learning to use the system will find it really rewarding.
Warranty
As with any type of product the longer the warranty on a grill, the better.
Try to avoid grills that offer no warranties. Some companies will offer 1-year warranties, others 10-year, and some will even offer lifetime warranties.
Accessories
Many brands will include a range of accessories with their grills. These can include pellet buckets, tongs, grill covers, and other items that will improve your experience at the grill.
If your chosen grill doesn’t come with any accessories, check out our guide to The Best Grilling Accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many people entering the world of barbecue and grilling for the first time often have a lot of questions.
Below we have answered the three most common questions we’ve been asked about the topic:
Which type of grill works better – charcoal, gas, smoker?
This depends on your definition of ‘better’. If you’re looking for a grill that cooks quickly then you’ll want a gas grill, the same goes for if you’re looking for an easy to use grill.
If you’re looking for a grill that provides the most tender meat, with the most complex flavor then you should choose a smoker. They are very slow cookers though.
If you’re looking for the most traditional way to barbeque then you’ll want to pick a charcoal grill.
Can grills be left out in the rain?
Most grills will come with a waterproof grill cover which will allow you to keep the machine outside, even in the rain.
If the grill doesn’t come with a cover, check the instructions from the manufacturer to see what they recommend. Many grills will be absolutely fine in the rain, but we would always recommend checking the instructions before doing this.
Should I clean my smoker?
This is a little bit of a controversial topic in the world of barbequing. Some pitmasters swear that allowing the ash to build up in their smokers only adds to the complexity of the flavors they create.
However, other pitmasters, like Aaron Franklin – the current darling of the Texan BBQ scene, insist that smokers should be cleaned in between every use. Franklin believes that a build-up of ash in the smoker does not lead to a deeper ‘smokey’ flavor in the meat, but in fact, results in bitterness and leads to the meat burning quicker.
Whether you clean your smoker after every use is your own choice, but we do recommend cleaning it at the beginning and end of every grilling season.