Best Grills For Beginners

The smells and flavors of seared, fire-kissed meat, with the waft of smoke in the air is something that people have craved since ancient times. Indeed, it would be hard to find someone who doesn’t love or at least appreciate grilled food.

Many people who rent or buy their first home write up a list of things they will need to buy when they move in. A lot of these lists have “Grill” right up near the top.

If you don’t have a lot of grilling experience it might be hard to sort out which grill is best for you. Many first-time grill buyers fear “Buyers Remorse” when considering an expensive unit. Yet cheaper grills often leave you frustrated with inferior quality equipment.

Look For Established Brand Names

One of the best ways to hedge your bets against grill buying remorse is to start shopping through well-known, established brand names. These are the giants in the industry, and they’ve earned their reputation by offering quality units to meet just about every need.

Do you pay for the name? With clothing manufacturers and a lot of other consumer brands you sometimes do pay a lot of money for the name. This is true to some degree with grill manufacturers. Though established grill manufacturers realize that they need to attract new customers, and they value future customer loyalty, by offering quality grills for beginners.

Some of the largest names in the industry include Weber, Char-Broil, Broil-King, Napoleon, Coleman, Cuisinart, Char-Griller, Dyna-Glo and Blackstone. Though there certainly are a few others that are worthy of your time. Including niche manufacturers like Traeger wood pellet grills and smaller grill manufacturers who are enjoying strong growth like Pit Boss, Masterbuilt, Smoke Hollow, Royal Gourmet, and PK Grills.

Which Is A Better Grill For Beginners Charcoal Or Gas?

Charcoal versus gas is perhaps the oldest argument in grilling history. To really sort through which one is best for a beginner, we need to take a quick look at the pros and cons of each.

Charcoal Grills

Charcoal has a deep tradition and is vaunted for the smoky fire-kissed flavor. It also tends to take longer to get the fire started. Beginners who use lighter fluid, instead of a charcoal chimney sometimes complain about tasting the fuel in the food. There also tends to be more cleanup with charcoal grills. Not to mention the fact that the fire needs to be completely put out before disposing of the ash, or you face a very serious fire safety risk.

Kettle-style charcoal grills are seen as a rite of passage for some. Though barrel grills and box-shaped charcoal grills with a friendly price point still deserve consideration.

Best Charcoal Grills For Beginners

8.5
Cuisinart CCG-290 18″Kettle Charcoal Grill Review

Cuisinart CCG-290 18-Inch Kettle Charcoal Grill

Some people feel that the classic charcoal kettle grill has been done to death by just about every grill manufacturer ...
9
Napoleon NK22CK-L-1 Charcoal Kettle Grill Review

Napoleon NK22CK-L-1 Charcoal Kettle Grill

Napoleon is a company that prides itself on offering quality grills. Sometimes this means they are designing their ...
8.5
Megamaster 810-0026  22″ Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill Review

Megamaster 810-0026 Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill

Charcoal kettle grills were one of the great hits of the 1950s and 60s. They were largely responsible for bringing the ...
8.5
Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Kettleman 16301878 Charcoal Grill Review

Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Kettleman 16301878 Charcoal Grill

Kettle style charcoal grills are thought of by many as the classic entry-level grill. There are some cheap versions out ...
9.5
Weber 16401001 Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill Review

Weber 16401001 Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill

In the 1950’s Weber essentially made their name in the grill industry with the popularity of their classic 22-inch ...
9
Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill Review

Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill

Key Features The Weber 741001 Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill is thought of by many as the classic charcoal ...
8.5
Cuisinart CCG-190RB Portable Charcoal Grill Review

Cuisinart CCG-190RB Portable Charcoal Grill

Portable charcoal grills earned a bad reputation in the 1970s and 80s. Many of those old units were made from very thin ...
9
Weber 15502001 22″ Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill Review

Weber 15502001 22" Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill

Weber’s classic 22-inch charcoal kettle grill has taken some criticism over the years for its simplicity, and the fact ...
8
Nexgrill 810-0025 Charcoal Grill Review

Nexgrill 810-0025 Cart-Style Charcoal Grill

Entry level charcoal grills tend to have little in the way of special features. Most are a simple box or a kettle that ...
8
Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS730CBO-D Barrel Charcoal Grill & Side Firebox Review

Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS730CBO-D Barrel Charcoal Grill & Side Firebox

Barrel style charcoal grills are one of the classics that harken back to before the 1950’s when kettle style grills ...
8
Char-Griller E1224 Smokin Pro Charcoal Smoker Grill Review

Char-Griller E1224 Smokin Pro Charcoal Smoker Grill Review

Barrel-style grills have a strong following that holds just as true today as they did thirty years ago when people were ...

Gas Grills

With gas grills, most beginners start out propane, which is available in portable tanks. A grill with a built-in igniter system lets you push a button or twist a knob to fire it up. Some larger gas grills with independent controls let you create dual heat zones for grilling different foods at their perfect temperatures. This is great for making hot dogs on one side of the grill on high heat and bone-in chicken over low heat on the other side of the grate.

8
Giantex OP3243 Propane Tabletop Gas Grill Review

Giantex OP3243 Propane Tabletop Gas Grill

One of the big knocks on portable gas grills is that they are usually good at searing food on direct heat, but not ...
7.5
Smoke Hollow 205 Stainless Steel Tabletop Propane Gas Grill Review

Smoke Hollow 205 Stainless Steel Tabletop Propane Gas Grill

The portable gas grill marketplace is sometimes flooded with cheap options that have a relatively short lifespan. Yet ...
9
Dyna-Glo Bronze DGA480BSP 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill Review

Dyna-Glo Bronze DGA480BSP 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

Most gas grill manufacturers offer a wide range from inexpensive or entry-level units, all the way up to their ...
8.5
Smoke Hollow VT280SS1 Vector 3-Burner Tabletop Propane Gas Grill Review

Smoke Hollow VT280SS1 Vector 3-Burner Tabletop Propane Gas Grill

In the past, tabletop gas grills were seen as utilitarian cooking devices that were meant to quickly sear up some meat, ...
8
Fuego F24C Professional Propane Gas Grill Review

Fuego F24C Professional Propane Gas Grill

Modern manufacturing techniques continue to open doors into creative options for many of our modern cooking appliances. ...
8
Coleman 2000014017 NXT Lite Tabletop Propane Grill Review

Coleman 2000014017 NXT Lite Tabletop Propane Grill

A portable grill is practically a “Must Have” item these days if you really want to make the most out of tailgating ...
8.5
Royal Gourmet Regal GB2000 2 Burner Gas Griddle Grill Review

Royal Gourmet Regal GB2000 2 Burner Propane Griddle

Outdoor gas-fired griddles are surprisingly more popular than you might think. They are especially handy if you have a ...
8.5
Char-Broil Performance TRU Infrared 450 3-Burner Cart Liquid Propane Gas Grill Review

Char-Broil Performance TRU Infrared 450 3-Burner Cart Liquid Propane Gas Grill

Infrared grilling continues to grow in popularity among outdoor cooking enthusiasts who want to be able to impart a ...
8
Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill Review

Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill

Propane grills are prized by many for the simple convenience and easy cleanup. The Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner ...
9
Pit Boss Grills PB100P1 Pit Stop Single-Burner Portable Tabletop Grill Review

Pit Boss Grills PB100P1 Pit Stop Single-Burner Portable Tabletop Grill

Pit Boss has put a lot of time and effort into developing a reputation for quality grilling products. Their largest ...

Electric Grills For Beginners

Of course, the itch for grilled food extends to more than people who rent and buy homes. To that end, grill manufacturers have done their best to offer some high-quality electric grills for people who live in apartments, condos, and townhomes where grilling on the deck or patio is expressly forbidden.

These grills and indoor electric cooking appliances are typically pretty easy to use, and most come with the kind of reasonable price point to insulate a beginner against buyer’s remorse. The famous George Foreman line of electric grills tends to be what people think of the most, but there are certainly other quality manufacturers in this niche that deserve your consideration.

The Best Electric Grills For Beginners

8.5
George Foreman GFO201 Indoor / Outdoor Rectangular Electric Grill Review

George Foreman GFO201 Indoor/Outdoor Rectangular Electric Grill

George Foreman grills are largely seen as one of the earliest pioneers of indoor/outdoor electric grills. The original ...
8
Techwood Indoor / Outdoor Electric BBQ Grill Review

Techwood Indoor/Outdoor Electric BBQ Grill

Portable electric grills are popular for people who live in condos, apartments or other arrangements where traditional ...
8
Giantex KC42178 1350W Indoor / Outdoor Electric BBQ Grill Review

Giantex KC42178 1350W Electric BBQ Grill

Electric grills started becoming popular in the 1990s, as nichrome heating elements started becoming affordable for ...
8.5
George Foreman GGR240L Indoor Outdoor Grill Review

George Foreman GGR240L Indoor Outdoor Grill

Convenience and versatility have typically been one of the common traits shared by the George Foreman line of grills. ...
7
Infrared Gas Smokeless Electric Hotplate & Kebab Grill Review

Infrared Gas Smokeless Electric Hotplate Grill

The indoor electric grill niche is growing quickly with a wide variety of manufacturers rushing to offer up their ...
8.5
Tenergy TG01 Redigrill Smokeless Infrared Grill Review

Tenergy TG01 Redigrill Smokeless Infrared Grill

There is a significantly large demand for compact and highly portable indoor grills. They are especially popular for ...
7.5
Philips HD6371/94 Smoke-less Indoor BBQ Grill Review

Philips Smoke-less Indoor BBQ Grill

For many people, grilled meats and vegetables can be comfort food as well as an occasional guilty pleasure. People ...
8
SEAAN Electric Grill Indoor Teppanyaki Grill & Shabu Shabu Hot Pot Review

SEAAN Electric Grill Indoor Teppanyaki Grill And Shabu Shabu Hot Pot

Shabu-Shabu hot pot and grilling has started to take the indoor grill world by storm. Seaan steps up to the table with ...
7.5
LIVEN SK-J3200 Electric Hot Pot with Grill and Non-Stick Coating Review

LIVEN SK-J3200 Electric Hot Pot with Grill and Non-Stick Coating

Hot pot, sometimes called Shabu-shabu, is a very popular Asian style of cooking with roots that run deep in both ...
7.5
Nutrichef PKFG16 Electric Indoor Fish Grill Review

Nutrichef PKFG16 Electric Indoor Fish Grill

Grilled fish is one of life’s little pleasures. Unfortunately, when you live in an apartment or condo that doesn’t ...

Kamado Grills

There are some people who would argue that kamado grills should be lumped into the charcoal grill category. There are even a few who would call them smokers. Still, there are enough kamado grills out there to give them their own niche category. Just bear in mind that quality units do tend to have a higher price tag. So, they are definitely an investment, but they have a tried and true history behind them.

Kamado grills can trace their roots over three thousand years to ancient China where they were used as earthenware ovens. Over the centuries they have been upgraded and given special materials by grill manufacturers. Some of which come from well-known names, while there are some manufacturers who specifically make only kamado grills.

Most use double thick ceramic walls which maximize and refract the heat produced by a relatively small charcoal fire at the bottom. Most are capable of very low temperature for doing things like smoking ribs and chicken drumsticks. Yet you can also dial them up to very hot temperatures for searing things like steaks, hamburger patties, and bratwursts. With a cordite stone or cast iron plate, you can even use them to make pizzas.

The ceramic construction spares kamado grills from the rust and corrosion issues that sometimes kill steel charcoal grills before their time. The lid seals and easy to adjust dampers also make them very thermally efficient, which in the long run can save you some significant money against the cost of charcoal.

So, while they are a slightly more serious investment than say a charcoal kettle grill, kamados are very versatile. If you happen to be in a place where you can splurge a little bit with your budget, a kamado grill is the sort of thing that can grow with you over the years.

Best Kamado Grills For Beginners

8.5
Char-Griller 6520 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill Review

Char-Griller 6520 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill with Cart

The Char-Griller 6520 Akorn Kamado Kooker make a strong attempt to marry the heat efficiency inherent in the design of ...
8
Broil King Keg 5000 911470 Kamado Grill 18.5″

Broil King Keg 5000 911470 Kamado Grill 18"

Versatility and efficiency are the two most attractive aspects of a kamado-style grill. While most manufacturers share ...
8.5
Primo 778+370 Ceramic Charcoal Smoker Kamado Grill Review

Primo Ceramic Charcoal Smoker Grill 778+370

Kamado style grills are very popular due in large part to their efficiency and interesting appearance. One of the ...
8.5
Viemoi Kamado V-XLarge Review

Viemoi Kamado V-XLarge

Egg style grills, which are also sometimes referred to as Kamado grills, have grown in popularity in recent years. ...
8
Lonestar Chef SCS-K15B Lifesmart 15″ Ceramic Grill & Smoker

Lonestar Chef SCS-K15B Lifesmart 15" Ceramic Grill & Smoker

Their basic design and common materials make kamado grills very versatile. This, of course, drives competitors in ...
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