Summer is well and truly in full swing and there is still time to pick up a new outdoor grill to make the most of what’s left of this year’s barbecue season. There are deals to be had across all kinds of sizes and ranges, and we’ve collected all of the best ones right here.
Weber’s 22-inch Premium Charcoal Grill is also a great deal for $80 more than the basic kettle above. Compared with the Original model, the Premium provides a better ash catcher (for less mess on your patio), a built-in thermometer in the lid (for help keeping a constant temperature when cooking low and slow) and a hinged cooking grate (for adding more coals without needing to remove the entire grate). The Premium model is also available in colors other than black.
Kamado grills are usually made from ceramics and boast amazing heat retention that lets you maintain a constant temperature for low-and-slow cooking. They can also reach high temps for grilling burgers and even pizza. Big Green Egg started the kamado craze and is still the leader in making the best-performing and best-looking kamados.
I bought a Big Green Egg last year and have smoked ribs, pork butts, whole chickens, chicken wings and my masterpiece to date, a 10-pound brisket. The brisket took all day — roughly 10 hours — and the Big Green Egg required very little on my part to maintain a constant temperature around 250 degrees. I tried cooking a brisket on a Weber previously and had to be much more involved in adding coals and adjusting the vents to maintain the temperature of the grill.
I visited the Big Green Eggs on display in my local Ace Hardware for years before finally trading in my trusted Weber for one. The cost is high, and goes even higher when you start adding accessories, including the stand (that is, a nest for your egg) and a ceramic heat deflector for long cooking times over indirect heat. After finally taking the Big Green Egg plunge, I have no regrets. The build quality is so outstanding that I plan to have my Egg for a very long time.
Just note that availability may vary depending on where you’re located.
At its current $450 discount, this Victory model is one of the most affordable ways to make the move to a kamado grill. A big reason it’s so inexpensive is it’s made from steel instead of ceramic. A ceramic kamado is better at retaining heat and more durable, but it comes at a much higher cost. This Victory kamado includes the whole kit — cart with casters, two built-in shelves, a grill cover, ash scraper and grate lifter.
As much as I prefer a charcoal grill, using a gas grill for tailgating or camping makes a lot of sense because you don’t need to deal with the mess of transporting a dirty, ash-filled grill in your car. Of all the portable grills CNET has tested, this sleek gas grill from Weber was the clear winner.
It’s easy to assemble and feels sturdy. The igniter works well, and the grill quickly climbs to temperature, reaching its advertised 500 degrees Fahrenheit in only 15 minutes. The flame is easy to control and keeps a consistent temperature throughout cooking, even when grilling with the flame turned low. It’s big enough to cook for a group of six people and features flare-out trays to hold your plates and grilling tools. And it comes in a bunch of fun colors.
