We've said it before, and we'll say it again, grilling is an all-season activity. You don't care what the weather is like. You'd brave anything, from wind to snow, just to have delicious flame-kissed food. Grillmasters also know that one grill simply isn’t enough. The best grills get the best results so who knows, maybe you'll find your second or third grill here (and that's okay).
There are a lot of grills out there and some traditionalists will use the more basic cooking systems that require more monitoring and careful attention. Yet others are more techie and let modern technology take out the guesswork. No matter what your preference is, there’s a perfect grill for you.
Camp Chef 36 in. WiFi Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker with Sidekick
With so many amazing grills out there, it’s a losing battle trying to name the best one around, because not everyone will agree. So, after much deliberation, we awarded the Camp Chef 36-inch Wi-Fi Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker With Sidekick as the best overall grill. We selected it because of its versatility and performance. Being a pellet grill, you have the option of infusing your food with smoky flavor as with a charcoal grill or smoker. You can also grill with almost the same speed and intensity as a gas grill. It has a slide and grill flame management system, which under a direct flame will produce temperatures of up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit (although the digital controls range from 160 to 500 degrees F).
The included sidekick, including a cast-iron griddle (sold separately), also cooks with actual gas and is a handy tool for achieving heavy sears, toasting bread/buns, or any other type of cooking you might need a flat top for. It has a chamber capacity of 7,000 cubic inches and a cooking rack area of 1,236 square inches. It has a straightforward digital control panel for selecting your temperature and smoke levels. Finally, the icing on the cake is the four-probe Wi-Fi-enabled smart grilling system that allows you to monitor your meat’s temperature through the control panel or a smartphone app. On top of everything, the stainless steel design makes this beautiful grill easy on the eyes.
Traeger Pro 575 Pellet Grill
Since we went with the enormous and somewhat pricey Camp Chef Pellet Grill and Smoker as our best overall grill, we decided to feature the slightly smaller and more affordable Traeger Pro Series 575 as our pick for the best pellet grill. You can’t go wrong with the company that literally invented the craft of pellet grilling, which is why the Traeger Pro Series is the bestselling grill in the world (according to the Traeger website). The 575 represents the amount of square-inch cooking space. This grill is a perfect medium-sized pellet grill that can handle entertaining multiple guests. The Pro Series features a new D2 drivetrain that allows for faster startup every time, digital temperature control that goes up to 500 degrees, and app-controlled grilling through Traeger’s WiFire technology.
George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill
George Foreman is still knocking out the fat and the competition when it comes to electric grills. This grill is affordable, easy to clean, and compact. The great thing about it is the ability to be used indoors (in a well-ventilated space) in cases where the backyard BBQ you planned gets rained out. The 240 square inches of cooking space can hold up to 15 burgers and has five pre-set temperature levels.
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill
If there were a runner-up to the best overall grill category, the Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill would clinch that title. This charcoal grill has withstood the test of time thanks to its American-made craftsmanship. The porcelain-coated bowl and lid are impervious to rusting or peeling no matter how long they’re left out in the elements. The hinged grate flips for easily adding more coals and the one-touch ash cleaning system is a useful feature of the premium edition.
Breeo Outpost
Despite the recent increase in the popularity of glamping, camping is all about minimalism, especially if you’re a backpacking enthusiast. If you’re looking for the best camping grill you can use over a campfire, then look no further than the simple and lightweight Breeo Outpost. The surface can be raised and lowered to decrease or increase the cooking temperature. When your food is ready, just swing the grill plate away from the fire to take it off the heat, unlike most other over-fire camping grills that fold out over the fire and can be hazardous to retrieve.
Weber 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker
Although you can technically smoke meats in any of the above grills (with the exception of the Foreman), the Weber 22-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker was specifically designed for the task. This smoker-grill combo is essentially a drum-style version of the Weber kettle grill. It boasts a massive 726 square inches of cooking space to smoke briskets, butts, and turkeys galore. The large fuel door comes off to easily add coals or wood, and the silicone temperature grommet provides an accurate temperature reading.
Cuisinart 22-Inch Round Gas Flat Top Grill
This gas outdoor flat top grill from Cuisinart brings diner-style cooking to your backyard. What sets this flat top grill apart from others is the tight-fitting lid with a damper, which provides more cooking versatility. The enclosed heat allows you to slow-roast foods like with a traditional grill or makes homemade pizzas at a high temp. The two independently controlled burners allow you to control hot and cool zones on the grill. Cleanup is also easy with the 360 outer grease pan that funnels it to the cup below. One thoughtful feature that we also liked was the paper towel holder that lets you quickly clean up messes.
Weber Traveler Grill
By looking at this list, you can probably tell that when it comes to dependable grills for any occasion, Weber is hard to beat. The Weber Traveler is a recently released addition to the Weber family of products that will let you achieve high-quality grilling anywhere. With this portable grill, you can easily grill for large groups with its 320 square inches of grilling space, and it flattens down to fit in the trunk of a car and features wheels that make it extremely mobile. You also won’t need to haul around bulky propane tanks because this grill optimizes propane usage and is designed to run off of 1-pound cylinders.
