What Is The Best Grill To Own? Top-Rated Gas, Charcoal and Pellet Grills.
Picking out the right BBQ grill is no easy feat these days. There are dozens of options spanning multiple fuel types ranging in price points from just a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. What’s best for someone along the Florida coast may not be the best option for a person in rural Montana.
For over two decades Just Grillin Outdoor Living has served the greater Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota area with their outdoor living needs. We represent only a fraction of the grill brands available. However, our selection is carefully curated to provide value, quality, reliability and performance to give grillers a positive experience.
Yes, ultimately, we sell grills. But our goal isn’t to just sell you a grill. It’s to help you find the grill that best fits your lifestyle and budget. We test dozens of grills yearly to help you understand what you can reasonably expect from each grill. In this article, we will cover what the best grill to own for different fuels types is.
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Gas Grills
The best gas grills to own are made by brands that you most likely have never heard of before. There’s not a ton of marketing money spent in this industry beyond a few select brands such as Blackstone, Broil King, Traeger and Weber. But none of those brands come close to the brands and grills we’re going to introduce you.
Top Luxury Gas Grill Choice
Alfresco ALXE Gas Grill Series
Alfresco Grills makes arguably the best gas grill you can own. Made in the USA, these grills offer quality, performance and reliability. Alfresco makes their ALXE-series grills in multiple sizes: 30-Inch, 36-Inch, 42-Inch and 56-Inch. Prices range from the low $5K’s to well above $15K for their largest grill.
The quality of the stainless steel is as good as it gets with any grill. That matters when you live in a cold, humid or coastal region. The BTU output for each burner is roughly 27,500. That means each burner is roughly double the strength of most average-to-entry-level gas grills, if not more. The grill has safety features to help prevent the control panel from overheating which adds to the grill’s longevity.
There are dozens of features to like from the customizable accessory inserts like the infrared sear burner, thick stainless steel grates, hidden rotisserie motor, bright interior lighting, smoker box and full-width drip tray. The warranty on the grill is one of the best in the industry with a limited lifetime on most stainless components and a two-year parts and labor coverage for the first two years of ownership.
Top Premium Gas Grill Choice
Artisan ARTP Professional Gas Grill Series
The Artisan ARTP Professional Series Grills are very well made and offer consistent performance. Price points range with Artisan from the low $2k’s to upwards of $5K for the largest size. Artisan makes two lines: American Eagle and ARTP. The difference between the two lines comes down to a handful of features. In our professional opinion, the ARTP line is the model to target. It’s available in 32-Inch, 36-Inch and 42-Inch sizes.
While not as robust in construction as compared to the Alfresco, the Artisan is very well built and will be a grill you own for a long time. There are a handful of accessories to add to the grill to have a better experience such as the infrared sear burner or drop in griddle.
The Artisan’s warranty varies based on the component. The burners are covered for 15 years, all stainless parts (excluding briquette trays) are covered for 10 years, and the grill comes with a 1-year parts and labor coverage.
Top Entry-Level Gas Grill Choice
TrueFlame Gas Grills
TrueFlame is a relatively newer brand. The makers of the product have been manufacturing another popular grill for many years prior to creating this brand. While the high $1K to nearly $4K range might not seem like entry-level pricing, for full stainless steel appliances, this is about as budget friendly as it gets for a product worth spending money on.
TrueFlame Gas Grills will have a nice appearance and come with moderate features for not as demanding of a griller. The grills feature interior lighting and an illuminated control panel. The strength of the burners, 14,000 BTU’s each, is right in line with most entry-level grills.
If you’re looking for something on the less expensive side but want your grill to feel more like the premium to luxury options, the TrueFlame line would be worth exploring.
Charcoal Grills
The best flavor comes from charcoal grills. Charcoal grills range in price from around $100 to upwards of $3K. The difference in cost usually comes down to the sturdiness of the grill, insulation and features. Your cooking skills do a play a factor in this decision as if you don’t know how to cook with charcoal, you may not unlock all the benefits of this type of grilling.
Top Luxury Charcoal Grill
Kamado Joe Third Generation Grills
The Kamado Joe Third Generation Series Grills are as good as it gets with charcoal grilling. Made from premium ceramics, these grills are well-built and versatile. They use lump charcoal as fuel. Lump charcoal is a superior product compared to briquettes.
The third-generation grills are available in two sizes: Classic and Big Joe. Both grills have the same features, the difference is just the size of the grill. This line comes standard with an airlift hinge, charcoal basket, advanced diffuser system (SloRoller) and an upgraded cart. These grills are very easy to use despite the misconception that they are not user-friendly.
The premium ceramics help hold temperatures steady for consistent, juicy results and better fuel economy with the grill. While flavor will be similar to that of food from a Big Green Egg or Primo, the Kamado Joe has the best user experience of the bunch by far. Smoke, roast, bake and sear all with one grill. Kamado Joe setup allows you to cook directly and indirectly at the same time for chef-like results.
Top Premium Charcoal Grill
Weber Performer Deluxe 22-Inch Kettle Grill
The Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill is a solid choice for a charcoal grill that doesn’t cost nearly as much as the kamado grill options. The performer is basically a premium Weber Kettle on a cart that gives you prep space and storage. The Performer Deluxe comes with a gas-assist lighting option for the charcoal.
The Performer is a 22-inch diameter which offers plenty of space to be able to create two different heat zones in the grill. The warranty of the Performer is good with a variable warranty ranging from 10 years on some parts and 2-5 years on others.
Weber Kettles have a reputation for lasting decades and the Performer Deluxe is right in line with that (obviously with the proper care). At a price point of $550 and change, this is a good option for a price-conscious consumer that wants something a little more upgraded than an entry-level charcoal grill.
Top Entry-Level Charcoal Grill
Consumers Choice
This might not be the exact answer you’re looking for or expecting. Once you are looking at charcoal grills priced $299 and under, there’s not really a right or wrong way to go. A Weber Kettle is most likely your best bet but don’t overthink it. At these price points, there’s no particular grill that rises above and is worth that much more than any other you deem.
What’s actually most important here is you pick a grill you use and then grow with. As you develop your skills, you will eventually replace with a grill that adds convenience to your routine, lets you expand your culinary options and will create better results.
Pellet Grills
This category of grills has exploded in recent years. If you read numerous other articles on this topic, the likelihood is that Traeger and Pit Boss will rank high on other review sites lists. Those grills do not make our list, and for good reason. We love pellet grills and their capabilities. These grills are a middle ground for flavor below charcoal but above gas grills.
Top Luxury Pellet Grill
Yoder Smokers YS640S Pellet Grill on Competition Cart With Storage Drawer
When it comes to pellet grills, you will not find a better made pellet grill than a Yoder Smoker. Made in the USA, these pits are designed to mimic offset smokers for maximum smoke flavor. The YS640S has a two-piece heat diffuser that allows you to cook over an open flame at 600° F. You can add sear grates to raise that temperature to 700° F plus at the grates.
Using a smart Wi-Fi and Bluetooth controller, the grill can be controlled remotely (when connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) so all you have to do is put your food on and take it off. The cloud connection allows you to go anywhere and control the grill (while connected to Wi-Fi).
The YS640S is made of 1/4″ thick steel and is very durable. While the competition cart with storage drawer is an upgrade above the standard cart option, it’s very well worth it for the ability to easily move or transport the grill and have onboard storage for accessories.
The warranty and customer service are industry leading. Yoder’s never go on sale so there’s never a bad time to get one once you decide this is what you want. Clients only regret after owning a Yoder was that they waited and didn’t do it sooner. These pellet grills are the gold standard above anything available.
Top Premium Pellet Grill
Memphis Grills ITC3 Pellet Grills
The Memphis ITC3 Pellet Grill line is the best option for someone wanting an all stainless steel pellet grill. These models range in price from $4,500 to over $6K. They actually cost more than our top luxury pick. The reason they aren’t our luxury pick is due to the app experience. That said, these grills perform very well and have many great features.
Memphis Grills make it easy to smoke or sear. The Pro models goes up to 650° F and the larger Elite size goes up to 700° F. The all stainless grill body is easy to clean and care for. The same company that owns Alfresco and Artisan now owns Memphis. These grills are made with the same skilled craftsmanship as those luxury and premium gas grills.
If you plan to build a pellet grill into an outdoor kitchen, this is the pellet grill to do it with. Memphis has been a consistent product in a niche category for many years.
Top Entry-Level Pellet Grill
Weber Searwood XL 600 Pellet Grill
The Weber Searwood Xl 600 Pellet Grill is an incredible option when you’re looking to get your first pellet grill or want to replace your Pit Boss, Traeger or Green Mountain. The Searwood can cook between 180° F (Smokeboost feature) and 600° F. The grill is very user friendly and is ready to cook at any temperature.
Weber designed the grill to be easy to clean. The Searwood is available in the Xl size and a smaller size too. The grill is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capable with Cloud Connection. You can customize your experience with a variety of accessories like a griddle, roasting basket, rotisserie, sear grate, wok and baking stone.
With price points starting around $900 and topping out around $1,200, this grill has many top features that justify the high price for an entry level grill. Most grills at this price point will not go above 500° F. Weber even offers a 90-day money back guarantee if you don’t like the grill.
Still Need Help Choosing A Grill?
Even when we are telling you what you should aim for in a grill, you still may be wrestling with the idea of one of these grills mentioned in this article. Usually our clients have their eye on a particular model and this article didn’t validate that prior research. That’s okay.
We are experts in this field and want you to enjoy your experience with cooking at home. Our goal is to offer well made products for different stages of your cooking journey from beginning to chef-level expertise. Just Grillin Outdoor Living’s showroom is in Tampa, Florida. We have been this area’s leading provider of quality outdoor appliances for over 20 years.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact our team here, visit us in store or call us at (813) 962-1700. Our team of experts would be glad to help you find the grill that suites you best.
