weber_grill_alternative

Cheaper alternative to Weber grills?

I've been shopping around for a mid-ranged grill and have done a few hours of research looking at all the various brands and options available.

I'm looking for something that can do dual-zone cooking well (meaning probably 3 burners minimum) and a grill that has infrared or high temperature searing capabilities for steaks.

If price was not an option I'd probably go with the Weber Genesis E-330/S-330, but the $799 price tag is definitely on the steep side. I'm willing to pay for it if there aren't any other good alternatives but I thought I'd post and see if there is anything else that is close to the quality and performance of the Weber Genesis for cheaper.

I've researched the Char-Broil Quantum 4 burner model (http://www.charbroil.com/ProductInfo/. ) but reviews seem pretty mixed trending towards the negative side due to poor build quality.

Any suggestions for other brands that are worth considering? Thanks.

Weber grill alternative

Alternative to Wings

I love hosting Game Day parties for my family and friends. A house full of people I love, kids running wild, big screen TV’s, the best commercials of the year, endless amounts of food and oh yeah – a football game! What better way to spend a Sunday?

I try to serve a variety of food for people to nibble on throughout the day. There are the must-haves like nachos, chicken wings and pizza but I also like to offer a few healthier options, too. One of my favorites is Creamy Red Pepper Dip with Grilled Pita Wedges.

Creamy Red Pepper Dip with Grilled Pita Wedges

4 large red bell peppers

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 (16-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 large garlic clove, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whole wheat pita bread

1. Grill the bell peppers over Direct Medium heat until the skin is blackened and blistered all over, 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Place the pepper in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap to trap the steam. Set aside for at least 10 minutes, then remove the pepper from the bowl and peel away the charred skin. Cut off the top, remove the seeds, and roughly chop the pepper.

3. Place the chopped pepper in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

4. Brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil. Grill the pita bread over Direct Medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly marked.

5. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and serve with red pepper dip.

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The Best Gas Grills Under $500, 2015 Edition

Fire up your grill and get ready for some serious smoke.

The best gas grills under $500

Editor's Note: We've been longtime admirers of the folks behind AmazingRibs.com, the site dedicated to unraveling the science of barbecue and grilling. You won't find a better source for thoroughly researched and well-tested techniques, tips, and recipes for cooking with smoke and fire anywhere in the world. We're happy to welcome them to Serious Eats to drop some backyard cooking bombs this summer. Please also welcome back Max Good, the only person in the world whose full-time job is testing, rating, and reviewing grills and smokers. The database he maintains contains 500 grills and smokers ranging in price from $30 to $50,000. When it comes to grilling and barbecue equipment, nobody knows it better.

If you have a lot of money, it's as easy to select a great grill as to select a great wine. The trick is finding a great one that's also affordable. Of course, affordable is relative, so we have set the upper limit at $500 for this list, though some grills are considerably less expensive. All of these selections have won the AmazingRibs.com Best Value Gold or Silver Medal.

The iconic Weber Charcoal Kettle was born in 1952 and set backyards on fire around the world. It became an emblem of backyard BBQ, but long ago gas grill sales overtook charcoal. Heated debate routinely flares up between gas and charcoal advocates. My editor Meathead Goldwyn and I have at any moment 10 of each in our yards, and both have strengths and weaknesses (read more about their pros and cons on AmazingRibs.com). But there's always more to learn, and we look forward to you letting us know how stupid we are in the comments section.

Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen (Gray) Instant Read Thermometer, Perfect for Barbecue, Home and Professional Cooking

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Whatever grill you choose, we cannot emphasize this enough: Pay no attention to the cheap, inaccurate dial thermometers. Those ancient bi-metal heat estimators can be off by 50 to 100°F! Furthermore, they are usually located in the lid, not down on the grill where the food is. This is useful only if you plan to eat the lid.

To achieve your goal of backyard domination, you absolutely need an accurate digital thermometer, and if you're a data nerd, we encourage you to take a look at the database of ratings and reviews of more than 150 digital thermometers on AmazingRibs. Get one now and you'll never have to make excuses for overdone meats again, or, worse still, apologize to a guest who got sick from underdone chicken.

Gas became the fuel of choice largely because most perceive it as easier to use than charcoal: just turn a couple of knobs and start cooking. The convenience of gas is clearly valuable to the grilling public. Every year mass-market grill manufacturers scramble to offer more for less. Watch out, though, because cheap manufacturers often include bells and whistles, like cut-rate sear burners, side burners, and rotisseries, to entice you into buying their flimsy, low-quality junkers.

Manufacturers tout the number of BTU (British thermal units) their grills can produce, but that number can be very misleading. BTU does not indicate the amount of useful cooking heat a grill can generate; it just tells you how much fuel it burns. Naturally, larger grills with more burners will burn more fuel. Heat flux—that's BTU per unit area—is a much more useful indicator of a grill's searing power, and is something the manufacturers never tell you. We've calculated heat flux for you here and in the extensive searchable equipment review database at AmazingRibs.com. Typical flux for a gas grill is around 85 BTU per square inch.

Size matters. Two-zone cooking—setting up a hot direct zone and a cooler indirect zone—is an essential technique for good grilling. It can be done on those little two-burner gassers, but it's more difficult and cuts your already-small cook surface in half. We recommend a minimum of three burners. Furthermore, you want those burners set up side by side, not back to front, which will prevent you from creating indirect cooking zones. Fortunately, most grill manufacturers these days have stopped producing back-to-front-oriented grills.

The Classic: Broil-Mate 165154 LP Gas Grill

The Broil-Mate 165154 LP Gas Grill is a basic low-priced gas cooker with a design typical of the first gas grills made in the early 1960s: cast-aluminum body and an old-style 40,000 BTU Dual-H burner. Cast aluminum holds heat well, and the H-burner is actually two U-shaped burners fused together, with a separate control knob for each side. You could easily walk past this plain little grill in favor of a big shiny model that was made cheap to sell cheap and carries a one-year warranty—but if you're shopping in this price range, you would do well to stop and take a look. Broil-Mate's aluminum housing will not rust and comes with a limited lifetime warranty on the cook box, five years on burners and stainless steel components, and two years on everything else. Broil-Mate is one of five grill brands owned by Canadian BBQ manufacturer and distributor Onward Manufacturing.

Cooking Area: 400 square inches (about 19 burgers)

Heat Flux: 100 BTU/square inch

Broil-Mate 165154 LP Gas Grill

The Big One: Brinkmann 5-Burner Gas Grill

Brinkmann's 5-Burner Grill with Side Burner is mighty big for the bucks. You can see the cut-rate construction all around, from the thin metal body to the plastic control knobs, but for $200 you'll get features found on more expensive units. Although the 502-square-inch primary cook surface is large, it's not gigantic for the five burners, which accounts for the respectable heat flux rating of 100 BTU per square inch, providing an extra kick for high-temp searing.

Many owners like this grill, or at least feel it's worth the super-low price. A few have experienced buyer's remorse, although one wonders what their expectations could have been for this size in this price range. If you want a big gasser on a tight budget, you could sure do worse, but be sure to get a cover to extend its life.

Cooking Area: 502 square inches (about 24 burgers)

Heat Flux: 100 BTU/square inch

Brinkmann 5 Burner Gas Grill

The No-Flare Searing Champ: Char-Broil Commercial Stainless/Black 3-Burner Gas Grill

The Lowe's-exclusive Char-Broil Commercial Stainless/Black 3-Burner Gas Grills have been redesigned for 2015 with a few new features, like upgraded grates and a fuel level gauge. Infrared heat is intense, high-temperature radiant heat, but Char-Broil's Commercial grills allow you to dial it back for low and slow roasting as well. The cast-iron cooking grates on Char-Broil's Commercial line rest directly on top of stainless steel radiant plates that cover the entire grill area. There is almost no exposure to direct flame from the gas burners below, and consequently very little exposure to the convection heat that can dry up moisture in foods, resulting in juicy meats with no flare-ups. Click here to learn more about infrared, convection heat, and the thermodynamics of grilling on AmazingRibs.com.

Since the radiant plates are less than an inch from the cooking surface, you can do some serious searing with this grill. Those radiant plates get really, really hot. Cleaning the cook surface is a little different because juices and marinades don't drip down and burn up; instead, they collect on the radiant plates in the channels between the grates, but Char-Broil includes a fork-like scraper to address this. An added benefit to this design is low fuel consumption—with the heat source so close to the cooking surface, it takes less fuel to reach searing temperatures.

Cooking Area: 420 square inches (about 20 burgers)

Heat Flux: 61 BTU/square inch

Char-Broil Commercial Stainless/Black 3-Burner Gas Grill

The Reliable Standby: Weber Spirit E-310 3-Burner Grill*

Weber is the gold standard for backyard grills. It's hard to beat their design, construction, warranty, and customer support. The Spirit E-310 is Weber's entry-level gas grill line and was recently redesigned with significant upgrades that bring it closer in features and performance to the more sophisticated and expensive Genesis line. One big change is a reconfiguration of the burner layout. The burners used to connect from left to right, with control knobs on the right-side shelf; new models have burners that connect from front to back and control knobs on the front panel. This setup is not only better for two-zone cooking, but frees the right-side shelf for beverages, bowls, and cutting boards. Another nice feature is Weber's LP tank fuel gauge, which gives an approximate indication of fuel level by weight. Made in China.

Cooking Area: 424 square inches (about 20 burgers)

Heat Flux: 75 BTU/square inch

Weber 46510001 Spirit E310 Liquid Propane Gas Grill, Black

* The E-310 3-Burner actually lists for $599, but you can easily find it at all the big retailers for $499, so we couldn't resist including it on our list.

The Weber Alternative: Broil King Baron 440

Yes, Broil King has succeeded in capturing our attention. Their blossoming relationship with Lowe's brings a quality gas grill line that runs neck and neck with beloved Weber. The Broil King Baron 440 is a good-sized, good-looking four-burner with Broil King's patented Dual Tube Burners, which are designed to even out gas pressure from front to back and provide a consistent temperature across the cook surface. The cook box is deep and the hood is high, essential for Thanksgiving turkey. Production divided between Canada and the USA.

Cooking Area: 444 square inches (about 21 burgers)

Heat Flux: 90 BTU/square inch

Broil King Baron 440

Bonus! The Griddle: Blackstone 36" Griddle Cooking Station

The Blackstone 36" Griddle Cooking Station is an interesting, low-cost, large-capacity cook top. The 36" x 21" removable, cold-rolled steel griddle has a lip around the sides and back to keep your goodies from falling off, and electric ignition makes for convenient start-up. Plus, if you remove the bottom storage shelf, the legs fold up for easy transport.

Griddles are different from grills, and we do love our open flames, but boy, oh boy, are people who own these nuts about them! Specifically, they love their even heat distribution across a large cook surface and their high temp capability. Griddles also make it a snap to caramelize onions and peppers, or cook eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Easy to use, easy to clean, plenty of cook surface, and portable!

Cooking Area: 756 square inches (about 37 burgers)

Blackstone 36 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station - 4-burner - Propane Fueled - Restaurant Grade - Professional Quality

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All the tips and recipes you need for the perfect barbecue.

Max is the man in charge of finding the best products for the AmazingRibs.com Equipment Reviews section. Max loves barbecue so much that he took his barbecue sauce recipes, had them bottled, and now sells Black Swan Premium, All-Natural Sauces around the world.

Barbecue was not his first career. He earned a BA from Columbia College in Chicago and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Dana School of Music. He has been involved in every aspect of film, video and music production. He edited the 1991 Academy Award nominated documentary, "The Mark of the Maker" and "Universal Hotel", which is part of a permanent exhibit at the Dachau Memorial Museum.

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The Best Charcoal Grills Under $500, 2015 Edition

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Alternatives to Wire Grill Brushes

Clean your grill grates without dealing with wire brushes

By Derrick Riches

Wire grill cleaning brushes have developed a bad wrap recently. From the risk in ingesting wire bristles to the damage they can cause to porcelain coatings, there is a growing demand for something better. To be honest, I still like many of the wire bristle grill brushes, but I understand people who want to minimize the risk of a hospital visit because they have a wire bristle sticking through their stomach. These grill brush alternatives are innovative, effective, and certainly capable of doing . MORE the job of cleaning your grill grates. This list is in no particular order, so look for the one that best fits your needs.

The Great Scrape

When it comes to cleaning grill grates there are brushes and scrapers. Metal scrapers are not a good idea because they can chip or scratch porcelain coatings or the metal grates. This scraper is made from oak so it won't damage anything. While using wood to clean your hot grill might sound strange, this is actually a very good solution since it will actually conform to the cooking grates over time. This is a craftsman product and will require occasional coatings of food grade mineral oil to . MORE preserve the wood. Well taken care of, the Great Scape can last for many years and is a great tool for the ​grill or smoker.

The Grill Wizard Grill Brush looks and works like any standard grill brush but instead of hard wire bristles used replaceable metal scouring pads. Be warned that there are a number of imitators of this product that simply don't work as well and the manufacturer of this grill brush occasionally runs out of stock. This is due to an endorsement from America's Test Kitchen. I also recommend this brush if you can get a hold of one.

The Chargon is simplicity itself. This tool cleans a single bar at a time but can reach around to get at the bottom of the cooking grate just as well as the top. This tool works best on round, rod type cooking grates. This is not a quick clean grate cleaner, but it is amazingly thorough and perfect for deep cleaning. Durable and well made, this is the perfect tool for cleaning the underside of cooking grates without having to lift them out of the grill.

Grillbadger

Steering away from metal bristles, the Grillbadger is an all-natural, recyclable grill cleaning brush that used natural fibers. Of course, this brush is not for use on a flaming hot grill, since the bristles are combustible, but they are strong and nearly as dense as the metal alternative. This is a brush, so it works just like that most of us are currently using, and it does a good job of cleaning the grill. For those looking for a replacement for their metal brushes, this is an excellent . MORE choice.

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An old grill (or griddle) cleaning trick is to take an onion, cut it in half and use the cut side to scrub the hot surface clean. The moisture in the onion steams the surface clean while onion enzymes break down tough, grilled on food. The Grillion is built on this idea and comes with a special onion-cutting knife to give the onion grooves to fit the cooking grates. The cut onion then goes into a handle so it is easier to hold onto. The handle is certainly easier to work with than a fork. At the . MORE very least you can say that this is a unique product, of course, cleaning your grill is going to cost half an onion.

Grillstone Cleaning Block

Grillstone Cleaning Blocks look like pumice stones, but they are actually made from recycled glass though they work just like pumice. This means that the Grillstone Cleaning Block is very good at getting tough deposits off cooking grates and is a good product for serious cleaning. The manufacturer says that these stones (which are replaceable in the special handle) will ultimately conform to the pattern of the grill grates you use them on. I had one of these that I used for a long time, and I . MORE found that this grooving takes a long time if you have smooth finish grate and you have to consciously work to go over the grates the same way every time.

Char-Broil Nylon Bristle Brush

The standard logic in grate cleaning tools is to brush them while they are hot. This means a grill cleaning brush that can take temperatures well over 600 degrees F. But what if there was another way? Char-Broil has produced a line of grill brushes that are designed to be used on a cool surface. This nylon bristle brush has thick, stiff bristles that work pretty well at clearing away food deposits from the grill surface without any risk of ingesting a metal bristle. This works okay, but not as . MORE effectively as metal bristle brushes. Used while the grates are warm, after cooking is more effective, though. Certainly a viable alternative for those wishing to avoid metal brushes.

Grillfloss

Grillfloss might just be the most thorough grill grate cleaning tool on the market. Basically a metal rod with a swivel mounted hook on the end that cleans not just the top of the grate, but all the way around. The limitation is that Grillfloss is designed for metal rod grates, typically of a heavy gauge, and while methodical, it requires that each rod be cleaned individually. This means that it takes more time to get the grates clean. This is the perfect product for the patient person, serious . MORE about getting every bit of grime from their cooking grates.

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The Big Green Egg and Beyond: The 10 Best Kamado Smokers and Grills

[All photographs provided by manufacturers]

Editor's Note: Considering an upgrade in your backyard cooking setup this summer? You're probably looking for a little advice. We're longtime admirers of the folks behind AmazingRibs.com, the site dedicated to unraveling the science of barbecue and grilling. Please welcome back Max Good, the only person in the world whose full-time job is testing, rating, and reviewing grills and smokers. The database he maintains includes over 500 grills and smokers, ranging in price from $30 to $50,000. When it comes to barbecue equipment, nobody knows it better.

I'd say that kamados are the best residential outdoor ovens going. These charcoal-fueled devices are modern versions of the Chinese and Indian earthenware cooking ovens and urns that came into use several thousand years ago. Most look a bit like ancient burial urns, or giant eggs. Some are made of ceramics or refractory materials, the same stuff used to make kilns, crucibles, and pizza ovens—all extremely good insulators that store and radiate heat effectively. They're superb smokers and roasters, and they're unmatched as backyard pizza and bread ovens, because the sides and domes absorb heat and radiate it back like a professional brick oven, so the pizza and bread can cook properly from above. They're also great for paella and tandoori cooking. So it's no wonder that ceramic grills/smokers/ovens is a fast-growing category, with more competitors throwing their hats into the ring every year.

Considering a kamado? Let me be your guide.

A Few Pros and Cons

Ceramics are so well insulated, and the interior absorbs and radiates heat so evenly, that they are very good at holding steady temps. Get a kamado started, bring it to temp, and there's little need to touch it until the meat is ready. Kamados can be especially handy if you live in a cold climate and want to cook outdoors all winter.

The downside is that those thick walls take longer to warm up than some other cookers, and once they get hot, they stay hot. They aren't as nimble as a charcoal kettle, which can switch gears from warm to hot if you control airflow. Whatever you do with your kamado, don't overshoot your target temperature, or you'll be cooling your heels while the fiery beast cools down.

One more thing to think about: Kamado cookers are very heavy and can easily crack if dropped or knocked over. But when taken care of, they'll last forever. Some newer designs utilize modern fiber insulation clad in a steel casing. Each material has its strengths and weaknesses. Some cooks prefer the heat retention of ceramic over the steel models, but, on the other hand, steel doesn't crack. Then again, ceramic doesn't rust.

History of the Kamado

Early clay ovens appeared in China about 3,000 years ago. (The Chinese, as you may recall, also developed the fire-hardened clay we now call ceramics, as well as porcelain coatings.) Around 300 BC, this technology was exported to Japan, and the ceramic ovens were dubbed kamados, or "stoves."

How did the kamado come to the States? After World War II, thousands of Westerners stationed in Japan saw these wonderful cookers for the first time. Returning home, many brought kamados back, and some even started importing and selling them. One such entrepreneur was Ed Fisher, who sensed there might be an interest in these ceramic charcoal burners back in the USA. In 1974, he opened a store in Atlanta, and the Big Green Egg was born. Big Green Egg is now the most popular brand of kamado in the world, with legions of devotees who affectionately call themselves Eggheads.

But the Big Green Egg isn't the only kamado out there. You now have a wide range of choices in all different sizes, shapes, and colors.

Advantages of Oval-Shaped Kamados and Problems of Round Kamados

We are strong believers in the two-zone system for grilling. The concept is to place the coals on one side of the grill and leave the other side without coals. On a gas grill, you turn on the burners on one side, but not on the other. With two zones, you can move food from very hot, direct radiant infrared heat to mild, indirect convection heat, quickly and easily.

Oval-shaped kamados, like those made by Primo and Komodo Kamado, can easily be set up for two-zone cooking, but round kamados cannot. The oval shape enables more separation from side to side, while heat in the round models tends to even out rather quickly. Most round-kamado aficionados concede that their best way of creating different heat zones is by moving foods closer to or farther from the fire. This is done with various deflectors and rack systems that can be costly and awkward to manipulate.

Can You Grill on a Kamado?

Kamados can get mighty hot. We cranked a Big Green Egg until a column of fire shot out the top, and it was like a blast furnace inside. That's great for searing the snot out of thin meats like skirt steak that you just want to cook hot and fast, but once kamados get hot, they take forever to cool down. Along with the difficulty of creating a two-zone setup, this is why we believe most kamados function better as smokers and ovens than as grills.

If you really want to take your grilling skills to the highest level, then you need to master two-zone cooking and get a charcoal grill in addition to the kamado, or select a kamado that can do two-zone cooking.

Is It Okay to Use Regular Charcoal Briquettes?

Many kamado manufacturers recommend or even dictate that you use more expensive lump charcoal rather than briquettes. They argue that briquettes produce more ash than lump, and the ash can block airflow as it builds up over long cooks. Most kamado manufacturers also sell private-label lump charcoal, so they just might have a conflict of interest. Generally, we recommend using Kingsford Original Briquets in charcoal burners, because they're affordable, consistent, and readily available. Lump charcoal, especially the bargain-basement varieties, can be inconsistent. We've seen bags that were half pulverized charcoal dust and half large chunks of construction material. It's not unusual to find metal and plastic debris mixed in. Nonetheless, I personally prefer high-quality lump in a kamado over briquettes, because it's lighter and easier to stir around at the bottom of the deep firebox, while briquettes tend to get compacted.

Firing Up a Kamado

Do not use lighter fluid to start your charcoal in any ceramic cooker; that stuff can get into the porous interior, which is bad news. Instead, it's best to always use a chimney, electric starter, or firestarter.

Here's a trick we learned from Dennis Linkletter of Komodo Kamado: Fill the charcoal basket, bury one Weber paraffin firestarter cube in the pile of charcoal, and light it. It will ignite about five briquettes immediately around it. They will burn slowly, producing very little heat, and the combustion will spread gradually to unlit coals. When shooting for low-and-slow smoking temps of 225°F, once you get a fist-sized cluster of briquettes glowing, it's already time to shut down both the lower intake damper and upper exhaust damper to let just a small amount of air in and out. The smart move is to let your kamado slowly come up to the desired temp and stabilize, rather than risk overshooting your mark.

Easy as it is to maintain temps over a long period in these stable cookers, some like to go a step further and use thermostatic temperature controllers, like the popular BBQ Guru, which control cooking temperature by regulating a small fan affixed to the air intake damper. These gizmos enable you to run a kamado for days at low-and-slow smoking temps, with no babysitting.

But first, a cooker. Should you go for the Green Egg or look for another brand? Here are my top 10 kamado cookers for your consideration.

Uncrackable Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Grill

The Akorn is a double-walled, insulated steel egg that is much lighter and in some ways more durable than the popular Big Green Egg—and it's less than half the price. Char-Griller has mostly been known over the years for inexpensive grills, and, until now, you pretty much got what you paid for. But this design and Char-Griller's manufacturing process may be a match made in heaven. This cooker performs fairly close to traditional kamados at a fraction of the cost. Don't expect the Akorn to last forever, but if you're curious about kamados and you've been waiting for the right time and price, this could be it.

Cooking Area: 302 square inches (about 14 burgers)

Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black

Self-Starter: Vision Professional S-Series Kamado

Vision's Professional S-Series kamado has some unique and interesting features not found on other ceramic cookers. The bottom dampers are part of a slide-out ash drawer, which also has a slot for the included electric starter. And you gotta love the stainless steel two-level grates: The top grate is hinged for easy access to the lower level, which is also hinged for adding wood and tending to charcoal. This nice package deal includes a solid, powder-coated stand on four casters, with fold-down wood side shelves and a cover.

Cooking Area: 302 square inches (about 14 burgers)

Vision Grills Kamado Pro Ceramic Charcoal Grill S

Rule the Backyard Roost: Big Green Egg Large Ceramic Cooker

Many view the Big Green Egg as the Weber of kamados. Big Green Egg popularized kamado cookers in the US, and it's often viewed as the industry standard. In fact, some competitors design their kamados to work with Big Green Egg accessories. Big Green Eggs are available in seven models in progressively larger diameters—from 10 inches to 29 inches. This "Large Egg" (18 inches in diameter) is the most popular size—big enough for a 20-pound turkey. The BGE design is simple and built to last, with a limited lifetime warranty. They're manufactured in Mexico.

When you buy an Egg, you start with just the ceramic oven, and everything else is à la carte. By the time you add a few basics, like a stand and diffuser plate, the cost has gone up significantly. Eggs are not sold on the internet, but they have a lot of dealers coast to coast, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting your hands on one.

Cooking Area: 262 square inches (about 12 burgers)

Super Bowl of 'Cue: Grill Dome Infinity Series Large

Grill Domes are known for heavy construction, with top-quality 304-grade stainless steel, excellent heat retention, and beautiful enamel finishes. The ceramic was developed by Grill Dome founder Tarsem Kohli in Atlanta. Called Terapex, it's more durable than traditional ceramic, Grill Dome claims, and can withstand much higher temperatures. Instead of a ceramic-glaze finish, the six colors available come in baked-on enamel. The company believes these finishes help mitigate crazing, the tiny cracks that can form across the exteriors of glazed kamados. Either way, they sure are pretty.

Cooking Area: 254 square inches (about 12 burgers)

Grill Dome Infinity Series Ceramic Kamado Charcoal Smoker Grill, Black, Large

Two-Zone Kamado: Primo Oval JR

We'll go ahead and say it: We like these cookers better than the popular Big Green Egg. As mentioned above, kamados can also be used as grills for cooking hot and fast, but the cone shape of most of them doesn't make them ideal for two-zone cooking. There are a few exceptions, however, including the cookers from Primo, which are oval-shaped. They come with two-position split cooking grates that can be set up high for indirect cooking, or flipped over to position foods down low to the fire for searing. The split, half-moon-shaped grates allow you to accentuate the difference between a direct and an indirect zone by piling charcoal on one side and positioning one grate over it down low for a direct zone, with the other grate up high and away from the fire for an indirect zone.

Cooking Area: 210 square inches (about 10 burgers)

Primo 774 Ceramic Charcoal Smoker Grill, Oval Junior

Hitch a Ride: Broil King Keg 5000

Most kamados are made of heavy ceramic that can crack if dropped or knocked over, so they're not the kind of thing you tend to bring to a tailgate. Unless, of course, you have a Broil King Keg. It's made with lightweight fiberglass encased in powder-coated steel, and, while it's not light enough to pick up and carry around, it's easy to lift off the base and pop onto the optional trailer hitch. And if it does get dropped, this baby won't crack like Humpty Dumpty.

Broil King put together a nice package deal for the 5000 that includes a sturdy stand with big wheels and removable side tables, a multifunction tool for handling the grate and removing ash, and a secondary extender rack that hovers above the primary grate to provide extra cook surface. The side tables have handy tool hooks, and there's even a couple of bottle openers built into the handle.

Cooking Area: 280 square inches (about 13 burgers)

Broil King 911470 Keg 5000 Barbecue Grill

Red Is the New Green: Kamado Joe Classic

The Kamado Joe Classic is an elegant, well-crafted ceramic cooker that presents strong competition to other 18-inch models in the premium-priced market. This company pays attention to detail and offers upgrades, like top-quality 304 stainless steel cooking grates, as standard features while holding its prices just a bit lower than the other guys. In 2014, Kamado Joe introduced a unique multilevel grate and heat deflection system called "Divide and Conquer," which comes standard with this model at no extra charge. The system is a grouping of multilevel racks and deflectors that relieves some of the pain and cost of creating different cooking zones in a round kamado.

Cooking Area: 256 square inches (about 12 burgers)

Kamado Joe KJ23NRSH Classic Joe Stand Alone, Red

Kamettle? Kettlelado? The New Weber Summit Charcoal Grill

Introduced this April, the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill is a radical departure from George Stephen's original Weber Kettle. It's Weber's first major upgrade to the Kettle in decades. Sure, the prices are in line with Summit gas grills and premium-quality kamados on carts, but they're a big leap up from the Kettles we know and love. It's true that a regular classic Weber Kettle can grill and smoke, but the new Summits are just plain bigger and better in every way. You get more capacity, ease of use, and more versatility. It actually is an excellent dedicated charcoal smoker by design, and the adjustable coal grate that burns directly under the cook surface for better searing also makes the Summit an even better grill than the classic Weber Kettles.

Cooking Area: 452 square inches (about 22 burgers)

Weber Summit 24-Inch Charcoal BBQ Grill

BBQ Guru: Homdoor Charcoal Tandoor

The Homdoor Charcoal Tandoor is a traditional Indian clay oven with a stainless steel outer shell. It has no cooking grate. Put meat or vegetables (sweet peppers are especially good) on skewers, saving an onion or potato chunk for last to keep the meat from sliding off into the red-hot coals; lower the skewers into the open, upright cylindrical oven; and you can get tender, juicy seared meat and veggies in four to eight minutes.

Cooking Area: 144 square inches (about 7 burgers)

Homdoor Charcoal Stainless Steel Outdoor Home Tandoor Oven

Big, Bad, and Beautiful: Komodo Kamado Big Bad 32

Komodo Kamado makes some of the highest-quality, most striking cookers we've seen. Stunning assortments of inlaid tile finishes are available, but these cookers aren't just another pretty face. Attention to detail is evident in everything you see and touch, from the 304 stainless steel grates and hinges to the heavy-duty casters. And the casters have to be powerful to support this bad boy—it comes fully assembled and weighs in at almost half a ton. At 32 inches wide, this is the biggest kamado on the market. Want to make it even fancier? Plenty of options are available, including teakwood carts and gas ignition.

Cooking Area: 576 square inches (about 28 burgers)

Komodo Kamado Big Bad 32" Grill

All the tips and recipes you need for the perfect barbecue.

Max is the man in charge of finding the best products for the AmazingRibs.com Equipment Reviews section. Max loves barbecue so much that he took his barbecue sauce recipes, had them bottled, and now sells Black Swan Premium, All-Natural Sauces around the world.

Barbecue was not his first career. He earned a BA from Columbia College in Chicago and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Dana School of Music. He has been involved in every aspect of film, video and music production. He edited the 1991 Academy Award nominated documentary, "The Mark of the Maker" and "Universal Hotel", which is part of a permanent exhibit at the Dachau Memorial Museum.

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Alternatives to Wire Grill Brushes

Clean your grill grates without dealing with wire brushes

By Derrick Riches

Wire grill cleaning brushes have developed a bad wrap recently. From the risk in ingesting wire bristles to the damage they can cause to porcelain coatings, there is a growing demand for something better. To be honest, I still like many of the wire bristle grill brushes, but I understand people who want to minimize the risk of a hospital visit because they have a wire bristle sticking through their stomach. These grill brush alternatives are innovative, effective, and certainly capable of doing . MORE the job of cleaning your grill grates. This list is in no particular order, so look for the one that best fits your needs.

The Great Scrape

When it comes to cleaning grill grates there are brushes and scrapers. Metal scrapers are not a good idea because they can chip or scratch porcelain coatings or the metal grates. This scraper is made from oak so it won't damage anything. While using wood to clean your hot grill might sound strange, this is actually a very good solution since it will actually conform to the cooking grates over time. This is a craftsman product and will require occasional coatings of food grade mineral oil to . MORE preserve the wood. Well taken care of, the Great Scape can last for many years and is a great tool for the ​grill or smoker.

The Grill Wizard Grill Brush looks and works like any standard grill brush but instead of hard wire bristles used replaceable metal scouring pads. Be warned that there are a number of imitators of this product that simply don't work as well and the manufacturer of this grill brush occasionally runs out of stock. This is due to an endorsement from America's Test Kitchen. I also recommend this brush if you can get a hold of one.

The Chargon is simplicity itself. This tool cleans a single bar at a time but can reach around to get at the bottom of the cooking grate just as well as the top. This tool works best on round, rod type cooking grates. This is not a quick clean grate cleaner, but it is amazingly thorough and perfect for deep cleaning. Durable and well made, this is the perfect tool for cleaning the underside of cooking grates without having to lift them out of the grill.

Grillbadger

Steering away from metal bristles, the Grillbadger is an all-natural, recyclable grill cleaning brush that used natural fibers. Of course, this brush is not for use on a flaming hot grill, since the bristles are combustible, but they are strong and nearly as dense as the metal alternative. This is a brush, so it works just like that most of us are currently using, and it does a good job of cleaning the grill. For those looking for a replacement for their metal brushes, this is an excellent . MORE choice.

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An old grill (or griddle) cleaning trick is to take an onion, cut it in half and use the cut side to scrub the hot surface clean. The moisture in the onion steams the surface clean while onion enzymes break down tough, grilled on food. The Grillion is built on this idea and comes with a special onion-cutting knife to give the onion grooves to fit the cooking grates. The cut onion then goes into a handle so it is easier to hold onto. The handle is certainly easier to work with than a fork. At the . MORE very least you can say that this is a unique product, of course, cleaning your grill is going to cost half an onion.

Grillstone Cleaning Block

Grillstone Cleaning Blocks look like pumice stones, but they are actually made from recycled glass though they work just like pumice. This means that the Grillstone Cleaning Block is very good at getting tough deposits off cooking grates and is a good product for serious cleaning. The manufacturer says that these stones (which are replaceable in the special handle) will ultimately conform to the pattern of the grill grates you use them on. I had one of these that I used for a long time, and I . MORE found that this grooving takes a long time if you have smooth finish grate and you have to consciously work to go over the grates the same way every time.

Char-Broil Nylon Bristle Brush

The standard logic in grate cleaning tools is to brush them while they are hot. This means a grill cleaning brush that can take temperatures well over 600 degrees F. But what if there was another way? Char-Broil has produced a line of grill brushes that are designed to be used on a cool surface. This nylon bristle brush has thick, stiff bristles that work pretty well at clearing away food deposits from the grill surface without any risk of ingesting a metal bristle. This works okay, but not as . MORE effectively as metal bristle brushes. Used while the grates are warm, after cooking is more effective, though. Certainly a viable alternative for those wishing to avoid metal brushes.

Grillfloss

Grillfloss might just be the most thorough grill grate cleaning tool on the market. Basically a metal rod with a swivel mounted hook on the end that cleans not just the top of the grate, but all the way around. The limitation is that Grillfloss is designed for metal rod grates, typically of a heavy gauge, and while methodical, it requires that each rod be cleaned individually. This means that it takes more time to get the grates clean. This is the perfect product for the patient person, serious . MORE about getting every bit of grime from their cooking grates.

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Weber Grill Covers for Kettles, Smokers and Gas Barbecues

Weber grill covers have changed dramatically in terms of quality over the years. Weber covers used to last for 5-7 years (longer than the lifetime of the grills made by many of Weber’s competitors).

Around 2012 the quality standards dropped on these covers and they typically only lasted for two years.

In 2015 the durability of the covers improved and included a three year warranty. While the current Weber grill covers are not as durable as they were “back in the good old days” they are still better than they were a few years ago.

I have included links to the covers for the older Weber gas grills. Many of these covers are the original high quality versions that should last many years.

Weber Q Grill Covers

The Weber Q grill family has small, medium and large grill sizes. The small grills (100/1000 series) and medium grills (200/2000 series) can be used on an outdoor counter top or mounted on a cart. The larger grills (300/3000 series) are only sold as a cart mounted version.

Weber Spirit Grill Covers

There are several different grills sold under the Spirit line that are all shaped a little bit different.

For the classic Spirit grills such as the Spirit 500, 700 and 900 you are not going to find an original, perfect fitting, Weber cover. My best recommendation is to go with the cover that is currently being made for the Genesis grills. This cover will be a little large but should work just fine.

The newer Spirit grills consist of the 210, 220 and 300.

The Spirit 210 can be stored with the side tables either up or down. If you want to cover your Spirit 210 with the side tables down then the correct cover is the Weber 7105.

The official cover for the other Spirit grills is Weber 7106. Based upon the Amazon reviews and feedback that I have received it sounds like this cover does not fit very well.

I suggest getting the cover designed for the Genesis for your Spirit grill. This cover will be a little large but at least it will be able to cover your grill.

Weber Genesis Grill Covers

There are two sizes of covers for Genesis grills.

The cover Weber 7107 fits the newer Genesis 300 grills, the classic Genesis 1000 series grill and the Genesis Silver A and B. The cover will be a little large for the Genesis Silver A but will work okay.

The cover Weber 7552 fits the older Genesis grills that had an extended side table. This cover fits the Genesis Gold B/C, Genesis Silver C and the rare 2000 through 5000 grills.

If you have a Genesis Platinum B or C then the official Weber grill covers are no longer available. The best alternative I have found for these grills is a cover made by Classic Accessories.

Weber Summit Grill Covers

If you have an older Summit that has 4 burners then the official Weber cover (9892) is no longer available. These grills include the Summit Silver A/B/D, Summit Gold A4/B4/C4 and Summit Platinum A4/B4/C4.

The best alternative I have found for these grills is a cover made by Classic Accessories.

If you have an older Summit that has 6 burners then the official Weber cover (9893) is no longer available. These grills include the Summit Gold A6/B6/C6 and Summit Platinum A6/B6/C6.

The best alternative I have found for these grills is a cover made by Classic Accessories.

The newer four burner Summit grills have custom fitting covers available. The covers for these grills (Summit 420, 450, 460 and 470) come with a three year warranty and integrated storage bag.

The newer six burner Summit grills have custom fitting covers available. The covers for these grills (Weber Summit 620, 650 and 670) come with a three year warranty and integrated storage bag.

Weber Charcoal Grill Covers

The Smokey Joe Silver and Gold kettles do not have a cover but there is a carrying bag available. The carrying bag is too small for the 18.5 inch Jumbo Joe.

There is no cover available for the portable Jumbo Joe.

There are two covers available for the 18.5 inch One Touch Silver and Gold grills. The first cover is the “standard” cover. The “standard” cover is dirt cheap and gets sold to people who hate their lives. Do not buy the standard cover…your dog will bite you and women will shun you. The second cover, the Premium, costs about $20 and will last a couple of years.

The cover you need for 22.5 inch Weber One Touch Silver and Gold is the Premium cover (

$25). Do not waste your money with the “standard” cover.

If you have a 22.5 inch Weber One Touch Silver and Gold and bought the add on work table then buy this cover.

Weber Performer Silver, Gold and Platinum Grills

The Performer Silver has a small built in side table.

The Performer Gold and Platinum kettles have long side tables that accommodate more built in gadgets.

Weber One Touch Platinum

Weber used to make a kettle with two side tables, the One Touch Platinum. If your kettle has two side tables then buy this cover.

26.75 inch kettle

The 26.75 inch One Touch Gold is the best kettle that Weber produces. This grill deserves to be protected!

Weber sells this 37 inch grill for over a thousand bucks but never got around to making a cover that fits this beast. Go figure.

Weber Smokey Mountain Covers

There are covers available for the 18.5 and 22 inch Weber Smokey Mountain smokers but not for the 14.5 inch version.

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Which Genesis cover should I get for a Spirit E210 if I keep the side tables up?

Nancy, go with Weber 7107.

Which cover should I get for my Silver A which is about 60 wide, 42 high and 24 deep?

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Weber Charcoal Grill Replacement Cook Grate.

The 8 Best Gas Grills To Buy In 2017

No doubt, all of us like to host and attend the BBQ parties and we already know that the quality of food never comes from the flimsy grills. So, everyone wants a grill that fits the individual budget and cooking needs. On that note, we have compiled a list of best gas grills of 2017 that are suitable for most bbq lovers. This list is gathered over multiple weeks of hard work involving self-testing in our backyards and detailed reviewing.

Best Overall: Weber Spirit E310

Coming back with a recent redesign, the Weber Spirit E 310 NG comes packed with all the amenities that can get you grilling in no time. This grill offers a 32,000 BTU per hour input, divided between 3 high-grade stainless steel burners over a combined cooking area of 529 square inches. From the side burner to the extendible stainless steel workspace (with 6 hooks), the utilization of space is improved and the comfort is greatly increased.

This grill features a minimalistic design that offers everything, the bigger grills offer. A deep black and stainless-steel theme signals sophistication and elegance. Unlike its predecessor, this design features a user-friendly front end control knob panel for optimal user convenience. Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates provide superior heat retention while the durable porcelain-enameled shroud resists to fade, peel or rust.

It has an electric crossover ignition system that ignites the three burners almost instantly and porcelain-enameled flavorizer bars smoke and sizzle when cooking juices drip down on them which add flavor to the meal. Moreover, center mounted thermometer is installed on the hood for perfect temperature feedback whereas fuel gauge is installed to keep you updated about the fuel quantity every time. Lastly, I found the Spirit E310 to be easy to set up while being easily maintainable.

Best For Large Party Eat-Outs: Char-Broil Performance 650

Are you looking for a gas grill that can accommodate a large party eat outs easily? If yes, then you may know that these types of giant-sized grills are quite expensive, but Char-Broil ruled-out this phenomenon by launching the low priced Performance 650 6-Burner grill.

This new grill offers ample 650 square inches of the primary cooking area (which is sufficient to cook 25 steaks or 35 burgers) and 280 square inches of the secondary cooking area. Its main burner can exhaust 65,000 BTU while a side burner is capable of delivering 10,000 BTU.

Performance 650 uses propane tank as a fuel source and there is a fuel gauge monitor installed in it that measures the remaining fuel in the tank. The design of this grill is like its predecessor (Performance 475) but the power to size ratio is improvised which was not accurate in the previous model. Moreover, the quality of cooking grates is same as it was in performance 475 that makes it capable of retaining heat and dispensing it quickly. So, overall the upgraded model is much better than its earlier one and can efficiently handle the large party eat-outs.

Best Luxury Gas Grill: Weber Genesis II LX S-340

Weber recently introduced its LX (luxurious model) which has all those features that are not common in genesis ||. It has an enormous cooking space of 513 square inches and tuck-away warming rack (foldable) is of 156 square inches. There are three main stainless steel burners which provide 43,500 BTU-per-hour input however side burner provides 12,000 BTU-per-hour input. These burners provide even heat distribution on the cooking grates so that the food is evenly cooked.

One can easily prepare side dishes and sauces with the help of flush-mounted side burner. The Cooking grates of this grill are made of high-quality 7mm stainless steel to last for a long time. Additionally, it is equipped with enclosed cabinet for storage and one can use easily foldable side tables to hang cooking utensils within arm’s reach. The handle light of this is quite powerful as it illuminates the entire cooking area and when the lid gets closed, the light automatically turns off to save energy.

The grease management system included in this grill is quite robust as it saves from dangerous flare-ups and removes grease easily. Its infinity ignition system makes sure that burners ignite smoothly once the knob is turned. Moreover, the flavorizer bars catch drippings that sizzle and smoke, which add irresistible smoky flavor to food which everyone love. Though it is expensive, but luxury comes with the price. Isn’t It?

Best Tru-Infrared Grill: Char-Broil Performance 450

Those who love tru-infrared cooked food know that tru-infrared grills are not economical grills however Char-broil has introduced its new infrared grill which is quite affordable, keeps the food quality at its best and comes with the small size.

Let’s look at its design and features. With its three high-power burners and 450 square inches cooking area, it has given a tough competition to the grills of the same lineup. Its main burner is capable of delivering 30,000 BTUs whereas its flush lidded side burner offers additional 10,000 BTUs which are quite enough to cook good amount of food instantly. Furthermore, this grill offers 180 inches of the secondary cooking area along with ample side shelves that give enough space to cook delicious food.

Its convenient cart design (gives portability), Surefire electronic ignition system (provides quick spark), durable porcelain coated grates and temperature gauge are one of its additional exciting features.

Best High-End: Weber Genesis II E-310

Weber Genesis II series is one of the most durable and popular series in the weber’s line up. This series is popular for its sturdy design and grilling system. Although all the genesis grills are good but E-310 performed exceptionally well, so we decided to test this model and below is what we found.

Weber Genesis II E-310 comes with 3 stainless steel burners which produce 37,500 BTUs. It has 669 sq. in. of total cooking area that provides ample space in which 513 sq. in. is of primary cooking area and 156 sq. in. is of warming rack area.

Folding side shelves with tool hooks, open cart design, centre mounted thermometer, stainless steel heat deflectors, liquid propane fuel gauge, 168 lbs. of weight (helps in portability), stainless steel flovorizer bars, porcelain-enamelled cast iron cooking grates and 4 heavy duty wheels (in which 2 front wheels are lockable) are some of its exciting features.

Best Portable Grill: Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet

Who doesn’t love easier and faster cooking? And what about portability?

By keeping these questions in mind, Cuisinart launched its grill that gathered a lot of satisfied customers and upon testing this product, we have found following results:

This grill doesn’t offer those features which fully functional grills offer. The reason behind this is that the manufacturer of this grill has designed it to be the most portable grill in the market so, they have sacrificed some advance level features for the sake of portability.

It just offers 145 square inches of cooking space which is no doubt too small, but you can still cook few burgers or at least 8 steaks at a time. As it weighs only 13 pounds, you can carry it along with you wherever you want and don’t get confused about its build quality because this grill is meant to survive for years, not for few months. Although 5500 BTU is not what we usually get from high-end grills but quick startup, quality cooking grates, folding legs and most importantly the price tag are what that make this grill one of the best grills in the market.

Best Value Winner: Charbroil 280

The Charbroil Classic 280 grill is something that most homeowners have grown to be fond off due to its simplicity which brings it close to practicality. This grill has all the performance to fulfill moderate barbecuing needs as it features 2 burners that produce a combined total of 26,500 BTU, which is spread over an area of 280 square inches of cooking space (on porcelain-coated wire grates).

Piezo Ignition System (for a reliable spark with every push of the button), front placed control panel (provides ease of use for the user), porcelain-coated steel lid (designed to withstand the extreme cooking temperatures), metal side shelves (that offer extra work-space with built-in handles and tool hooks), porcelain-coated grates (to prevent food sticking and are easy to clean) and two 6 inches plastic wheels (that provide ease while maneuvering) are some of the attractive features of this grill.

In our test, we have found this grill better than other low-priced grills which couldn’t even reach optimal temperature. Although, there is no built-in thermometer to measure the internal food temperature and it has fixed side shelves but classic 280 still manages to do the job, ideally for the occasional grilling. So, for the price it definitely gives value accordingly.

Best For Small Spaces: Weber Q2200

Weber Q2200 is the upgraded model of Q220 which was considered one of the best propane grills. The recent upgrade to Q2200 has awarded it some remarkable changes and improved the build quality. With just 1 touch start option, 12000 BTU power single burner and a large hood to host a full-size chicken or a large size roast, it just delivers a lot as being a portable grill.

On the other hand, it weighs 42 pounds which nobody can carry alone, but it also provides the ample 280 square inches cooking surface which no doubt is too much for a portable grill. Moreover, two foldable work surfaces, adjustable heat option, mounted heat thermometer and optional griddle section are those features which made its way to our list of top liquid propane grills.

So people who are looking for the grill that is perfect for tailgating, portable enough to fit in tight space or best for camping can consider this grill.

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Your website really helped me alot. Thank you v much

You are welcome!

I was looking at some cheaper but best BBQ grills and ended up with Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Patio Bistro. Glad I did. This unit is well made, quick ignition system with up to 320 square inches grilling surface.

The grill comes with the well-written set of instructions. The hardware is all packaged in such a way that you open the plastic bag for the parts you need – its all numbered, nice.

The Grill ignites quickly and is small enough to fit in the small spaces.

I must admit that i found your website’s reviews are the only genuine ones among many other similar gas grill reviews websites.

Lastly, I am truly thankful for providing such unbiased and detailed information in this article.

I was looking for a best outdoor grill to fulfill my BBQ with a tight budget. A quick search took me to your site where I was able to skim & scan between the products you listed on the page. You did a fantastic job for each of the product reviews because the information is precise and up to date.

After spending just 10 minutes, I was able to decide that which grill suits me and which one to buy actually. I found Dyna-Glo Black Premium to be my next grill for BBQ. Thanks for your help.

You are always welcome 🙂

Rita Nielsen says

I am not sure why you don’t have at least one of the Broil King Grills listed. All the other comparative lists include at least one of the models.

We would love to test Broil King Grills soon and if we find one worth adding to our list, we will add it. Thanks for your input.

Was out looking for a new weber grill for my son in law. I was totally bummed out about weber being made in China. What a shame. Definitely looking for a different brand now, that is USA made.

I understand your concern but there are still many quality weber grills which are manufactured in the USA like Weber Genesis E-330.

Why isn’t Napoleon represented on your list? Were they just not tested?

This month 2 Napoleon grills made to our top 10 list. You can read their reviews on this website.