Go shopping for a new barbecue grill and you have three major choices: gas, charcoal, or pellet.
Gas is convenient. Charcoal let’s you control the heat by the size of the fire you build. Pellet grills, which burn wood pellets, provide unmatched precision and the taste of cooking with wood.
Paul Hope, home and appliance expert at Consumer Reports, says pellet grills eliminate a lot of the guesswork with barbecue grilling – one of the reasons why they’re growing in popularity.
“They offer you absolutely perfectly precise control,” he said. “You can literally dial in the exact temperature you would like to cook at, and the grill will automatically pull in the right number of pellets from the hopper and burn those pellets for heat. So, it’ll stay really close to the temperature you want, which obviously makes it great for even cooking a bunch of burgers at once, but also for slow smoking ribs or brisket.”
Hope says a pellet grill also eliminates those annoying flare-ups.
Right-size Your Grill
When it comes to buying a new BBQ grill, you really need to consider size.
“Make sure that any grill you buy is going to be able to hold everything you’ll reasonably likely be cooking at once,” Hope said. “So, if you want to be able to do a brisket or a couple of racks of ribs, make sure you’re getting a grill that’s big enough to accommodate all that.”
Consumer Reports has rated more than 200 gas grills. Here are a few recommend models available at two of the big box stores.
At Lowe’s:
Small: Permasteel PG-40301-BK ($365)
Midsize: Weber Genesis II E-310 ($780 – $940)
At The Home Depot:
Small: Weber Spirit E-210 ($569)
Midsize: Even Embers GAS8560AS ($1,000)
If you’re looking for a large grill, the Monument Grill 77352 ($750-$850) is CR’s top choice at both The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
More Info:
Best Grill Deals for Memorial Day 2022
Best Gas Grills for $500 or Less
Best Gas Grills to Buy at Lowe’s
Best Gas Grills to Buy at Home Depot
Best Gas Grills to Buy at Walmart
