Grills for Every Budget
A guide to common features in three price ranges
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Shopping for a grill? Here's what to expect from three prices ranges, followed by five must-have grills.
$300 or less
Grills in this price range usually have a shorter warranty on burners. Not every grill at this price will have the convenience of an electronic igniter.
A CR Best Buy, the Nexgrill 720-0830H midsized gas grill was superb in preheating performance, meaning after 10 minutes, you can toss burgers on the grill and they'll start sizzling. The grill was also superb in evenness when preheating, and cooking on low and high, indicating that the cooking temperatures are the same no matter where you put food on the grill. There are four burners, stainless grates, an electronic igniter, and a side burner.
One of the least expensive grills tested, the midsized Char-Broil is a CR Best Buy. It has four burners, coated-cast iron gates, an electronic igniter, and a side burner. But there are just two wheels, so moving this grill requires some lifting. Preheating was superb, while evenness, temperature range, and indirect cooking were impressive.
This KitchenAid large sized grill scored a Very Good in overall performance. Features include: Converts with natural-gas kit, 545 sq. in. of shelf space, two wheels and two casters for easier moving, and searing infrared burner(s). The KitchenAid 720-0893 also comes with condiment tray(s), lighted controls, a slide-out tank tray, and a cover.
$1,000 and up
Expect high-quality stainless, the heaviest-duty grates, and burner warranties of 10 years or longer. Features might include searing burners; rotisserie burners; and LED lights inside the grill.
The only large grill to make our top picks, this Napoleon is also the most expensive. This grill earned a Very Good overall score, delivering impressive evenness, and superb temperature range and indirect cooking. Preheating was good after 10 minutes, so you'll want to preheat longer to speed up cooking and get nice sear marks. The grill offers lots of stainless, five main burners, a side burner, a rotisserie, and a long burner warranty, but the igniter is rotary. A natural-gas version is also available.
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