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Best kind of grill


National Hot Dog Day: The Best Grill for Your Frankfurter

July 20 is National Hot Dog Day, a day dedicated to one of our favorite summer staples. But whether you slather your frank in mustard, relish or even (gasp!) ketchup, the first step is grilling that wiener to perfection.

Picking the right grill involves a lot of factors, and It can get overwhelming quickly. We've gathered our best tips for finding the perfect grill for your needs. 

What kind of fuel do I want to use in my grill?

What kind of grill is right for you? The answer depends on what cooking style and level of convenience you expect from your grill. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type, so knowing their key characteristics will put you well on your way to a match made in barbecue heaven.

Deciding fuel type is one of the most important steps to the grill buying process. 

Chris Monroe/CNET

Gas

Gas grills are one of the most common fuel types. Built in a cart style, gas grills use either an attachable liquid propane tank or natural gas via a conversion kit connecting the grill to your home's natural gas supply line. 

The debate over natural gas or liquid propane burns hot. Natural gas burns cleaner in terms of greenhouse gases, it's cheaper to use and you won't have to bother with refilling propane tanks. 

Read also: How We Test Grills

However, you won't be able to move your grill around since it's connected to a gas line. Liquid propane is the more popular fuel choice, and it's portable. It's also pricier and needs refilling. The good news is many gas grills can accommodate both, so you don't have to choose right away.

With a gas grill, you'll have more control over the heat and how it is distributed across your cooking surface. Gas grills such as the Char-Broil Commercial 3-burner are great for adjusting between high heat for searing and lower heat for steady cooking. If you're looking to cook meats like whole chickens or racks of ribs for hours at a time, however, you'll have better results with a charcoal grill, pellet grill or smoker.  

What you cook is important to determining which grill you should buy. 

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Charcoal

Charcoal grills offer the traditional smokiness most people think of when they imagine grilled flavor. They come in lots of shapes and sizes, including the original Weber Kettle that introduced the charcoal grill design so widely recognized today. Charcoal grills have their quirks though, so you'll need to be prepared to put in some work if you go this route. 

Charcoal grills burn using charcoal briquettes or lumps of charcoal. That's where the smoky flavor comes from. You'll need to spend a little more time lighting the briquettes and preheating the grill than you will with a gas grill. You'll also need to clean the grill and dispose of the charcoal ash when you're done grilling. 

Charcoal grills might not be as precise or customizable as a gas grill when it comes to cooking, but they have a distinct flavor and are the most affordable option. You can find small, portable charcoal grills for as little as $50. 

The Traeger Timberline 850 is a pellet grill with a companion app for temperature control. 

Chris Monroe/CNET

Pellet grills

Pellet grills, like the Traeger Timberline 850, burn wood pellets and have an onboard computer to heat up to your desired temperature and add smoky, wood-fired flavor to your food. Pellet grills yield tasty meat, especially when slow cooked, but the pellets can be expensive and harder to find than propane or charcoal. Be prepared to call around or order online. 

Pellet grills use a hopper on the side to hold the food-grade wood pellets. Once you've ignited the grill with a switch and set the temperature, those pellets are moved into a burn pot by a rotating auger connected to the hopper. Pellet grills come in barrel or cart styles and prices range from around $350 to $1,300.

All the grills we've tested at the CNET Smart Home. 

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

What size grill do I need?

Weber and KitchenAid offer grills in bright, festive colors. 

Chris Monroe/CNET

Once you've decided what fuel type is right for you, think about the size grill you need. Most small to medium charcoal grills and two-burner gas grills will do just fine if you're cooking for four people or fewer on an occasional basis.

The Weber Spirit E-210 is a good example of a two-burner grill with plenty space. Grills are often measured in square inches. Grills in the 400-500 square inch range are large enough for most people. 

If you're the center of the neighborhood barbecue scene or have a large household, consider a larger model with four, five or even more burners. If you're dead set on having a gas grill, but also want to cook meats like whole chickens or racks of ribs with indirect heat, you'll want at least a three-burner model.

What extra features do I want my grill to have?


At the most basic level, a grill should just cook well. In addition to taking the right steps to prep your grill, there are a handful of extra features you can look for that will enhance your experience. For example, a side burner is a great place to heat up sauces or sides without dashing between your kitchen stovetop and patio. 

Weber's iGrill system includes a Bluetooth thermometer and it's compatible with iOS and most Android devices.

iGrill

If you think you might move your grill around during the season, make sure your grill comes with wheels on all four legs and an option to lock them.  

You can even up your grill with smarts. The Weber iGrill system is now on its third generation with the Weber iGrill 3. This accessory allows you to monitor the internal temperature of your food via the Weber iGrill app, probe device and iGrill compatible Weber grill like the Weber Genesis II E-335 on our gas grills best list. Traeger's app lets you remotely control the grill's temperature, set timers and view recipes with the tap of a button. 

No matter which grill is right for you, getting outside with friends, family and food is one of the best ways to spend a weekend.

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Charcoal, Gas, Electric, Pellet: Here's What Type of Grill You Should Buy

This story is part of Home Tips, CNET's collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

Summer has arrived, and that means it's grill time. Is your backyard cooker ready? Maybe it needs a deep cleaning. If it's good to go, start prepping for a cookout or low-and-slow barbecue session.

If not, maybe you should consider buying a new grill. The landscape is constantly changing though, and the great debate over which type of grill is better has only grown more complex with more options. It's no longer just about charcoal vs. gas.

If you have little grill knowledge or are in the market to replace your worn out one with a shiny new barbecue grill, here are the five main types of grills you can choose from.

Read our guides: How to buy the best grill

Charcoal

Enlarge Image

Unless you use a torch or electric starter, charcoal grills take time to light.

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

A classic and favorite among purists, the charcoal grill is often heralded as a superior or more authentic way to grill food. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, they all use charcoal briquettes (sometimes mixed with wood chips) or lump charcoal as a fuel source, which produces a distinct, strong and smoky flavor.

Cooking over charcoal is also an inherently slower way to cook that takes practice. Lighting a charcoal requires time, unless you enlist the help of a high-octane charcoal starter. Controlling the internal temperature of the grill is more difficult and less precise, and getting a charcoal grill up to cooking temperatures can take upward of 20 minutes. The cleanup is also a bit more tedious. Still, the flavor makes all the extra effort worth it. And you can use simple hacks to keep your charcoal grill cooking low and slow for hours on end too.

Charcoal grills are usually pretty affordable, starting as little as $30 and going up to $300. They also come in a bevy of different styles:

Gas

Chris Monroe/CNET

The other most common grill style is a gas grill. They usually come in a cart-style form factor or are built into a permanent outdoor cooking area with a varying number of burners.

The old debate used to be between charcoal and gas, but now there's a new debate: natural gas or liquid propane. Natural gas burns cleaner, is cheaper to use (anywhere from half to one-sixth the price) and no more running out or needing to swap tanks halfway through cooking. That said, with natural gas your grill becomes a permanent installation. You won't be able to move it around at will.

Liquid propane is still more commonly used and adds the convenience of portability. But you'll also have to plan ahead or do some rough estimations to guess how much cook time you have left on your current tank. Fortunately, if you have a gas link hookup at your house, you may be able to purchase a conversion kit for your existing grill or so you can enjoy both types of fuel.

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The benefit to gas grills is ease of use and precision. It doesn't take 20 minutes to fire up a gas grill; just turn on the gas, press the igniter and wait for it to reach your desired internal temperature. And if the grill is cooking too cool or hot, just adjust the dial. Cleanup and upkeep are much easier on gas grills, too, with no ashes to dump. Still, you'll be missing out on that smoky flavor (unless you get a smoker box).

While there are countless models to choose from with a handful of nifty features (like side burners or a rotisserie spit), the main decision you'll have to make when buying a gas grill is how many burners you'll need. Gas grills generally start at around $90 for two burners, but can go up to $1,000 and beyond for four- to six-burner grills.

Electric

Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Electric grills are generally much more compact and can sometimes be used both indoors and outdoors. Think George Foreman grills, but there are dozens of different styles and form factors -- countertop, pedestal, kettle, open face, cart, etc. One of the newer electric grill options available is a flat-top griddle with no lid.

Electric grills are the easiest to start -- just plug it into a nearby outlet and turn the control knob. As you would expect, however, they can only move as far as their power cord will let them go. If you don't have an outlet handy in your backyard, you'll need to relocate the grill or use an extension cord to bring the power to the grill.

Electric grills are often great alternatives for apartment dwellers who aren't allowed to cook with (or even store) a gas or charcoal grill on their balcony.

Like gas grills, they lack the smoked flavor of cooking with charcoal but are an affordable, convenient way to cook that's getting better with time. Electric grills start at around $50 and can cost upward of $600 for higher-end models.

Pellet

Chris Monroe/CNET

Pellet grills have been around for over 30 years but have seen a resurgence in the last few years. They can operate as a grill or smoker. Traeger is the best-known brand, but other companies have recently jumped into the fray. For instance, there's the Weber Smokefire and Cuisinart 4-in-1, both relative pellet grill newcomers. 

With a pellet grill, there is a hopper on the side of the grill that you will fill with food-grade wood pellets. Then to ignite, just flip the power switch on and set a temperature. An auger connects the hopper to a burn pot under the cooking grate and, as it rotates, it moves the pellets into the burn pot.

The grill also has what is called a "hot rod" inside that will ignite the pellets as they fall into the burn pot. The wood pellets burn and smoke, giving you that hardwood smoked flavor. You can cook on high heat, which is comparable to most grills on the market, or cook low and slow, truly making it the perfect middle ground.

Since a computer controls a fan to stoke the fire and the rate at which wood pellets are added to the burn pot, you'll have to be near a power source to use a pellet grill. And like a charcoal grill, you'll have ashes to clean up after each use.

Pellet grills typically only come in barrel or cart-style designs, though there are some exceptions to the rule. For example, some companies have begun making portable pellet grills. They're compact enough to take on the road or tailgating. The Traeger Scout is one such model, as is the Asmoke. Pricing for pellet grills can range from around $300 to $1,800.

Infrared

Rasmussen Iron Works

Infrared grills look like any other cart-style gas grill. In fact, they're usually powered by natural gas or liquid propane, but can also be electric. The difference is in how they cook.

Rather than using radiant heat by warming the air inside the grill, they use an electric or gas element to heat a solid surface, like ceramic, which emits infrared waves to heat the food. What you get is a grill that heats and is ready to use in just a few minutes and cooks evenly with no flare-ups.

Not to mention, infrared grilling is fast. They can often reach temperatures of 700˚F.

The true downside to infrared is the price. While entry-level infrared grills have come down to roughly $800, the vast majority will set you back $1,500 and beyond. That said, more infrared options are beginning to hit the market, such as Philips Avance smoke-free indoor grill.

Choosing the right type of grill

Ultimately, with so many options on the market, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Choosing the grill for your needs will depend on what you're cooking, the convenience you're after, your budget and even where you live.

If you're on a tight budget, infrared is out immediately. Charcoal is more expensive to use over time since the briquettes have to be replaced with each use. Electric or gas are your best budget options for long-term use and entry level pricing. And they're the most hassle-free with the least amount of cleanup.

For flavor, charcoal and pellet grills are generally accepted as the better options, but they will require more maintenance and higher running costs. Plus, you'll need time for your grill to get hot enough to start cooking. With a pellet grill, you're basically getting a two-in-one deal for a grill and smoker.

No matter which grill you choose, it's always a great excuse to grab your favorite six-pack, a giant slab of meat and invite a bunch of friends over to "test things out."

Master your grill with CNET's guide to everything you need to know about grilling.

How to choose a grill? The best grills on the Village Club blog

If you are thinking about choosing a grill for a summer house, garden or even for home use, this material will help you make a choice, or at least understand the main types of grills.

Charcoal grills

The simplest option and the most popular around the world are charcoal grills. This type of grill was invented by Mr. Weber by cutting a sea buoy into two parts: a barbecue base and a lid. The principle of operation is simple: we fill in the coals, kindle and cook on the grill. nine0007

What distinguishes such a grill from the usual barbecue, you guessed it, is the presence of a lid. The lid allows you to keep the heat inside the structure and regulate the cooking temperature.

The temperature is controlled by special valves located on both the lid and the base of the grill. By increasing the flow of oxygen (blowing), we increase the temperature inside.

These grills are the most inexpensive and usually last up to 4-5 years. The most popular grills in this category are produced by the American manufacturer Weber, known throughout the world for its excellent quality. nine0003

Charcoal smoker grills (smokers)

Another modification of charcoal grills is the barrel grill. This form was invented by port fishermen, having already cut a barrel of Shell oil in half. So the form factor "barrel" (barrel) appeared. Today, this form is not very popular, but is often used in the manufacture of universal grill-smokers, in which you can not only barbecue, but also smoke food in a hot or cold way. Marshall's quality smoker grills are popular with us, distinguished by their durability and excellent workmanship. nine0003

Ceramic kamado grills

Finally, the very best charcoal grills are, without a doubt, ceramic kamado grills. According to the principle of operation, they are similar to ordinary metal ones, but the material (ceramics) from which they are made makes the taste of products cooked in ceramic grills incomparable with anything. Ceramics helps to keep juice, freshness of products and eliminates overdrying during cooking.

The principle of operation resembles the well-known tandoor, when all the heat is concentrated under a clay dome. Ceramic grills are used by top restaurants and professional grilling enthusiasts around the world. nine0012

A big plus is that you can use kamado grills in winter - the grill hardly loses temperature. In Russia, you can buy American Big Green Egg and Primo grills. These grills differ in the shape of the ceramic bowl and the presence of accessories.

Gas grills

Gas grills continue to gain huge popularity in America and Europe, previously used only by professionals in restaurants. nine0007

This is due to many advantages of use: the ability to start the grill instantly and start cooking in 5-10 minutes, the convenience of precise control of the cooking temperature, the huge surface of the grate, thoughtful heat distribution and a variety of grill accessories.

The myth that “charcoal cooking is a completely different matter” will debunk the fact that all steakhouses use gas grills. Gas grills are usually made of stainless steel, differ in the number of burners, build quality and materials, as well as the principle of heating. Manufacturers are constantly improving models and introducing new technologies. For example, the Canadian manufacturer Napoleon is moving towards high-temperature IR technologies: additional SIZZLE ZONE ceramic burners are installed in Napoleon grills, allowing temperatures to reach 800C. Australian BeefEater gas grills offer their own heating method: gas burners heat metal plates above them, there is no open fire. Built-in gas grills can be installed indoors. All lines of gas grills from the best manufacturers Napoleon, Weber, BeefEater are presented in our store. nine0003

Wood grills

Wood grills deserve special mention. Typically, these grills are installed in gazebos or outdoor outdoor BBQ areas. You can complement the grill design with an additional chimney and remove the pipe from your gazebo. The principle of operation is similar to coal, only firewood is used as fuel. A small minus is the lack of a lid over the grill, although there is a heat-retaining dome that distinguishes a wood grill from a classic barbecue. Beautiful open flames, warming heat and many additional features make these grills the best for those who like to cook on charcoal for a large company. nine0003

If you have any questions, and you certainly do, call us at the Village Club. We have all the quality grills worthy of your attention. We know everything about grills and will always help you with the choice. We hope our article will help you choose which grill is best for you.

Photo taken in the Village Club store. (c) All rights to photographic materials belong to Village Club (TM).

Products from article

Weber GENESIS II LX S-340 GBS gas grill, stainless steel

202 896 rubles

Add to cart

Ceramic grill Big Green Egg Small SMALL (grid diameter 30 cm)

100003

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Weber Compact Kettle charcoal grill, 47 cm, black

19 900 rub.

Add to cart

We analyze the main types of modern grills

Dec 30

21 comments

Fire cooking is one of the oldest culinary arts. A few centuries before our era, people used a kind of grills to cook a variety of dishes. But barbecue technology does not stand still. So, for example, in the 18th century, brick barbecues ruled the world, and already in the middle of the 20th century, people saw the first spherical grills from Weber. The development of grilling and related technologies did not stop there - the grill market today is represented by a much wider variety of devices. And today we will consider their main types. nine0003

Article content


  1. Fuel
  2. Shape and design
  3. Grill dimensions
  4. Grill material
  5. Conclusion

By type of fuel

Depending on how heat is generated inside the grill, there are 3 categories of such devices:

Shape and design

To date, the most common grills are rectangular and round. They are the most versatile and practical in terms of their capacity and functionality. But much more important is the design of the grill itself. They are: nine0003

Actually, the first grills that had a closed design were the grills of the American brand Weber. They are still true to this concept, which makes them the best of their kind.

It is also worth noting that Weber were also the very first spherical grills. Even in rectangular models, a rounded cover is used, which allows you to concentrate heat flows on the work surface.

Size

It is conventionally customary to distinguish three categories of grills depending on their dimensions:



It is worth noting that this gradation of sizes is very arbitrary, and on the market you can find various intermediate options. So, the Weber Compact Kettle grill is considered an average option between full-size and compact devices. He has proven himself well both in field conditions and in cooking at the local area.

Based on material

Today, grills made of metal and ceramics are more common than others. Let's take a look at their features. nine0003

Barbecue grills

It is worth noting that in this article we have considered barbecue grills. In fact, this category is represented by a much wider variety of specific devices. This includes all kinds of skewers, and purely home contact grills, and salamander grills with one-sided heating, etc. They have a narrower specialization and are not used for barbecues.

21 Review

Posted by Sergey Feb 25, 2020

I often use these grills when cooking meat! The most delicious meat is the one that is cooked on natural fire and fresh air. All electric grills do not give a juicy and pleasant smell of meat. They can be used only when it is not possible to cook a dish in nature. Therefore, an electric grill will not replace the old fire grills, which come in many different types!

Posted by Oleg March 3, 2020 nine0003

Why not consider wood grills? Yes, they are massive and difficult to care for, but it is in them that the most delicious kebabs and steaks are obtained, especially if wood chips and firewood, such as fruit trees, are properly selected. Cast iron is cast iron, the aroma and taste of meat are amazing. Charcoal is also good, but the meat is not as juicy and tasty as wood-fired. If we consider gas, then they are suitable for a large family or company. Often industrial models of gas grills are chosen by restaurants, they are the most practical and relatively safe. Nothing special, normal oven. An electric grill is suitable for home use, but of course the taste is not the same, although an inexperienced layman will not feel the difference. nine0003

Posted by Vladimir Zharkov March 3, 2020

In my opinion, the most optimal is a metal grill. It is the most durable and not as heavy as ceramic grills. I have a metal grill myself and I don't know any problems with it! As fuel for the grill, I use the classic option - coal. I believe that coal has the fewest problems and is the safest type of fuel. There are no risks associated with gas and there is no dependence on the supply of electricity. I have a closed grill and it seems to me that with this design of the grill, the greatest roasting of the products placed on its grate is achieved. Tried to barbecue on the open and closed grill. In a closed grill, the meat cooked faster and the fuel consumption was less! nine0003

Posted by Olga March 6, 2020

It's hard to choose a grill that meets all your criteria. Still, the coal category is preferable, since I would like to get a product with the aroma of coals, and so that there is a lid. My husband and I often go out into nature, and when we were looking for a grill, we first of all paid attention to compactness and stability. With wheels it would be inconvenient on uneven ground. We have been using a grill from the manufacturer Weber for several years now, and so far we are not going to change. nine0003

Posted by Larisa March 7, 2020

I came across this article just in time! We are just choosing a grill for a summer residence - the barbecue season will begin very soon. I read it carefully, I realized that we need to take a closed-type charcoal grill. This is where we will look.

Posted by Veronica March 7, 2020

I prefer electric grills, we have one at home. The advantage is that it can be used indoors, besides it is compact and practical. I cook meat, fish and vegetables, you will lick your fingers! nine0003

Posted by Snezhanna Mar 8, 2020

I also think that the best view from a closed charcoal grill. In a closed grill, meat or fish with vegetables cooks faster than on a wood-fired grill, and there is less trouble. In my opinion, the best grill option is metal and not ceramic. A metal grill will last much longer than a ceramic grill.

Posted by Dmitry March 9, 2020 nine0003

After my transition to a proper diet at home, food became mostly steamed and stewed. My wife, of course, sometimes tries to indulge me with fried potatoes and meat, but this has become much less common than it used to be. We thought for a long time what type of grill to choose. After a while, we nevertheless decided to buy an electric grill, since both of us had long wanted this device. An electric grill is very well suited for home use. For me, this is an opportunity to fry delicious meat, and first of all, cooking more healthy food, in comparison with fried, fatty dishes in a pan. Bought a good and powerful electric grill. nine0003

Posted by Timur March 9, 2020

Posted by Max March 9, 2020

I love an open charcoal grill in nature, everything else seems not real and the taste is not the same.

Posted by Vadim March 10, 2020

The most delicious food is obtained on the grill and it is at a picnic, in the summer we often go on vacation.

Posted by irina March 10, 2020 nine0003

we have our own house. we often cook food outside near the house. A year ago, we bought a round metal grill with a charcoal lid. Very convenient and the food is juicy and tasty. Of the minuses, only heavy.

Posted by Elena Mar 21, 2020

We have an electric grill at our dacha, the meat is delicious, maybe a little less aromatic than cooked on the grill at a picnic, but we really like it for home barbecue gatherings.

Posted by Nastya Mar 22, 2020

We owned a prehistoric electric grill and were convinced that a huge amount of acrid smoke and other inconveniences was standard quality in this appliance. The grill was with a lid, most often poultry meat (turkey) was cooked. We tried a good modern electric grill at a party and radically changed our minds. Conveniently, all the meat is baked, even thick pieces. Now we are thinking about how to dispose of the old one and purchase a new one, of normal quality. nine0003

Posted by Kira March 31, 2020

I bought a compact electric grill for home use. For cooking sausages, shawarma, toast is enough with the head. At the cottage we cook on a charcoal grill. The purchase depends solely on the purpose of use.

Posted by Tatyana 1 Apr, 2020

A more profitable electric grill that can be used at home, and in the country, where electricity allows. Coal, of course, is good because it turns out more and more fragrant, but here it’s already an amateur, and you can’t use it everywhere. nine0003

Posted by Tamara 3 Apr, 2020

I didn't think that there are different types of grills. At home we use electric. And when it came time to buy a grill for a summer residence, I began to look for information. I read a lot about the properties and benefits of this or that type of grill and, of course, we will choose a charcoal one for a summer residence. According to the material and type (closed-open), we will also consult with my husband, because he will cook on it.

Posted by Martin 4 Apr, 2020 nine0003

As for the convenience of gas and electric grills, it's hard to disagree. You can even use electric at home. But the "haze" does not give any of them, and this is not the last in the taste of the finished meat. For me, for example, this whole process with kindling coal, smoke, when the fat is already starting to drip onto the coals - this is an important part of the process. Delivers no less than a ready-made steak or barbecue.

Posted by Veronica 4 Apr, 2020

Good afternoon! nine0012 I personally cook on electric.

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