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 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.
Adding a few small chips of wood to the charcoal will give your meat a more traditionally smoked flavor. Placing a pan of water underneath the grates where you will be putting your meat will help to catch drippings, keep the meat more moist, and enable the smoke to adhere weber bbq better to the meat. The SmokeFire EX4 has a 20-pound pellet hopper, as well as a DC-powered engine designed to prevent auger jams. It can even walk you through the grilling process, letting you know when it’s time to flip food—a handy option for novice grillers.
Both times we tested it, we found the grill was really easy to use, as it’s easy to light, has immaculate temperature regulation, and practically operates itself. It was the fastest pellet grill to reach 500 degrees, achieving it in under 10 minutes. It was also one of the better pellet grills when it came to searing steaks. This iconic brand’s grills are well-made, sturdy, easy to use, and come with a generous warranty. We tested popular models of pellet, gas, charcoal, and electric grills at our Lab where we thoroughly analyzed every feature and each grill’s overall performance.
The total count on three-burner grills tends to vary between 30,000 Btu and 40,000 Btu. Our research, however, convinced us that whether those British thermal units are applied efficiently, steadily, and evenly across the grates is just as important, if not more so. They’re compact, yet they remain big enough to accommodate a complete family dinner (say, chicken breasts, corn on the cob, and another vegetable) or burgers and brats for a party.
The Weber Spirit SX-315 Smart Grill is the smart version of our top pick, the Weber Spirit II E-310. The two models have the same bones—the same burners, side tables, and overall dimensions. The Spirit SX-315 connects to Wi-Fi and lets you monitor the meat probe through an app.
We tested the smart and more basic model, and while both gave us an impressive performance, the addition of the app gave us a more modern experience. If you’re looking for a well-built gas grill to sizzle your weber bbq steaks, the Weber Spirit II E-310 is our top pick for a gas grill. There’s also an improved ignition that we thoroughly enjoyed. Once you’ve picked out the best gas grill for you, don’t forget accessories.
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.