For grilling, the two important rules to follow are that you’ll need about a pound of meat per person and that you’ll need 72 square inches for each of those servings. For a family of four, 400 to 500 square inches is sufficient—that allows enough room for sides, extras, or the occasionally dinner guest without being too big a grill for everyday use. We weber charcoal grill like how two of the main burners and the sear burner can form a special sear zone on command. And those who tend to cook after dark will appreciate the built-in LED lighting system. It illuminates the cooking area automatically when you pop open the hood. We’ve tested the best gas grills on the market to find the perfect one for your budget and needs.
For that reason, Weber offers generous warranties; years for the cookbox on almost all their full-sized models. Other grill parts, like the knobs, grates, and burner tubes have slightly shorter warranties, ranging from three to 10 years. Charcoal grills are much cheaper, however, and they can burn hotter than gas grills, creating a better sear. But charcoal takes time to light, and you have to be comfortable with moving around coals and fiddling with vents to control the grill’s heat. It offers the same quality as our top pick, but it’s more compact. The E-210 has a cast-aluminum firebox, an enameled steel lid and open cart, and two side tables.
Once the last burger in the basket reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit, the batch is finished. A good burger in this test is one that has both a nice outside char and a slightly pink center. Grilled chicken should have a crispy skin and meat that is cooked through fully but not dry. We perform this test in three rounds, giving us a solid average cooking time for each grill. Whole chickens are cooked on indirect, medium heat until both breasts reach 165 degrees F. That’s an aesthetically pleasing compromise, but reaching through the side bars and around the panel to open and close the tank was frustratingly difficult.
Depending on the grill size, that means turning one or two burners off completely. To determine the best gas grill and get a feel for how these grills perform in a variety of cooking scenarios, we perform three tests. Based on different meats, methods and heat settings, these tests show us how efficiently and evenly a grill does (or doesn’t) cook.
We checked each grill’s ability to maintain a uniform, gentle cook by grilling a cut-up whole chicken over medium heat. This two-burner grill is great for grilling novices or for folks with limited space. However, it lacks some of the versatility—and heat output—of our other picks. weber bbq The Ducane Products Company began as the Ducane Brothers Metal Fabricating in 1946. It moved three years later to Little Ferry, New Jersey and manufactured warm air furnaces. This article was updated by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats.