5 Best Grills for Beginners

BBQ is a fantastic method to prepare food while also enjoying the beautiful outdoors. If you’re a beginner at grilling, it’s essential to choose the best grill that can serve different purposes and is within your budget.

If you don’t know much about grills and aren’t sure which one is best for you, it can be a difficult decision to make, especially if you have no previous grilling expertise. That’s where we can help. 

Whether you’re looking for a gas grill, charcoal grill, or electric grill, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best grills for beginners.

Best Grills for Beginners: Quick Summary

Are you in a hurry? Please look at our top picks for beginners based on the essential features.

• Char-Broil Performance 300 (Best Gas Grill)
• Weber Original Kettle Premium (Best Charcoal Grill)
• Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Grill (Best Kamado Grill)
• Camp Chef SmokePro Slide Smoker (Best Pellet Grill)
• Weber Q 1400 (Best Electric Grill)

What Type of Grill is Best for Beginners?

When purchasing an outdoor grill, the two most popular options are gas and charcoal — but electric, kamado, and pellet grills are also good alternatives. 

Choose your grill based on how often you will grill, how much storage room you have, what kind of taste profile you desire, as well as the amount of time and attention you are comfortable devoting to the cooking process.

For each type of grill, here is the essential information.

Gas Grill

The most common grill is a gas grill. It is fantastic since you can change the burner knobs to manage the cooking temperature better, plus they light with a push of a button, heat rapidly, and are simple to clean up after. If you’re looking for a grill that doesn’t require a lot of time and effort, this is the best option for you. Keep in mind that you’ll need a propane tank or a natural gas line on your property to power the gas grill.

Charcoal Grill

To light a charcoal grill, you’ll need briquettes or lump charcoal. A charcoal grill requires more attention and effort, and it takes longer to heat up and cool down, but because it gets hotter, it produces a better, more robust barbecue flavor than a gas grill. It’s primarily for grilling enthusiasts who are willing to put in the effort.

Kamado Grill

Kamado grills heat with charcoal but have thicker walls than traditional charcoal grills, often ceramic. They can become as hot as a pizza oven for long, slow smokes and maintain that heat well.

Pellet Grill

Pellet grills, which use electricity and hardwood pellets created from wood scraps to heat, are becoming more popular. Pellets give dishes a great, natural woody flavor, but they’re pricey.

Electric Grill

Electric grills are convenient and easy to use. You can use them indoors or on an apartment balcony. But if you cook steaks or hamburgers on an electric grill, they may not taste as good as those from other grills.

Best Gas Grill for Beginners

Last update on 2024-10-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

We think the Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 2-Burner Gas Grill is the best gas grill for beginners.

The grill has Char-Broil’s TRU-Infrared cooking system, which prevents flare-ups and ensures even temperatures across the entire cooking surface, making cooking easier. The perfect heat distribution also helps your food come out juicy and tasty. The results you can get on this grill are better than some of the more expensive grills.

With 16,000 BTUs spread across two stainless steel burners, you get 310 square inches of primary cooking space. There is also a porcelain-coated 95 square inch warming rack. 

Two foldable side shelves provide you with more work and prep areas. Furthermore, the closed cabinet gives additional space for keeping tools and supplies.

An electronic ignition system provides quick and easy ignition at the touch of a button. The removable grease pan will make cleaning more straightforward, and it also comes with a grate cleaning brush.

Pros

• No flare-ups
• Even heat
• Cabinet design
• Easy to use
• Easy mobility

Cons

• Requires extensive grate cleaning

Best Charcoal Grill for Beginners

Last update on 2024-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If you’re looking for your first charcoal grill, the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch Charcoal Grill is a great choice. 

The top and bowl of this Weber grill are porcelain-enameled for maximum heat retention, and the grilling grate can handle up to 13 burgers at once. You can monitor and control the inner temperature using the built-in lid thermometer and dampers on the lid. 

Depending on the food and taste, you can cook directly or indirectly. The plated steel cooking grate features a hinge that adds charcoal while cooking. You can hang the lid on the side of the grill with the angled lid hook, keeping it off the ground.

You can easily remove the ash catcher from the Weber charcoal grill once you’ve finished cooking and dispose of it using the one-touch cleaning system.

Weber offers a 10-year warranty on the bowl and lid, a five-year warranty on the one-touch cleaning system and plastic parts, and a two-year warranty on the remaining parts (The warranty excludes rust-through, burn-through, fading, or discoloration).

Pros

• Classic design
• Simple to use
• Cleanup is a breeze with the ash catcher.
• Portability

Cons

• A little unstable

Best Kamado Grill for Beginners

Last update on 2024-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Kamado grills are more expensive than traditional charcoal grills. The Char-Griller Akorn kamado grill is an excellent alternative if this is your first kamado grill and you don’t want to spend a lot of money until you’ve had a chance to cook with one.

For those on a tight budget, Char-Griller makes low-cost barbecues. Even if their grills aren’t precisely ‘top of the line,’ the company’s ultimate goal is to provide customers with grills that are dependable and do the job they need them to without breaking the budget.

The Char-Griller Akorn has a durable construction of 22 gauge steel and comes with cast iron cooking grates. It has a powder-coated exterior finish and a porcelain-coated steel interior finish.

It also features 314 square inches of primary cooking space plus a 133 square inch warming rack for 447 square inches. For a kamado grill, that is a lot of cooking space.

This triple-walled Kamado can retain heat well and keep temperatures between 200 and 700 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use this grill as a traditional grill, getting it hot and cooking food quickly, or you can use it to slow cook your dinner.

With features like a lockable lid, two folding black metal shelves, an easy-to-empty ash pan, and a built-in temperature gauge, you’ll feel like you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with this grill.

Although the Char-Griller Akorn is not a ceramic kamado, it is still a terrific kamado grill for beginners.

Pros

• Durable metal structure
• Energy-efficient design
• Great versatility
• Wide temperature range
• Easy to clean

Cons

• No smoking accessories

Best Pellet Grill for Beginners

Last update on 2024-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Pellet grills are convenient and versatile, and they use electricity to do most of the work. When it comes to pellet grills for beginners, we found Camp Chef SmokePro Slide Smoker is one of the best choices because of its high quality and reasonable price.

It is a medium-sized pellet smoker with a large cooking area of 811 square inches, including a 429-square-inch lower rack and a 382-square-inch upper smoking area. You can easily smoke two chickens and one brisket simultaneously for your family.

It comes with a digital PID controller, which allows you to adjust grill temperature more accurately between 160 and 500 degrees. Moreover, you can turn the dial to select the preset temperature and mode you want, so your cooking will be a lot easier.

With Camp Chef’s Slide and Grill Technology, you can use indirect smoking mode to smoke beef brisket and direct flame mode to cook steaks.

The automatic auger that supplies the grill with wood pellets is one of the grill’s most notable features. An additional convenience of this grill is its auto-start electronic ignition, which eliminates the need for lighter fluid and matches to get the grill up and running. 

Thanks to the integrated grease drain and removable ash cleanout system, cleaning is a breeze. You will love how simple it is to clean.

This pellet grill has many extra features, like two stainless steel meat probes, adjustable smoke settings, a large pellet hopper, and a side table for holding utensils. These additional features make this model a better fit for beginners.

Pros

• Stable temperature regulation
• Easy to cook and clean
• Large cooking area
• Slide and Grill Technology
• Built-in stainless steel meat probe

Cons

• Challenging to clean excess pellets

Best Electric Grill for Beginners

Last update on 2024-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Weber Q 1400 is one of the best electric grills for beginners. This tabletop model comes with a 1560-watt heating element, 189 square inches of cooking surface, and a 6-foot grounded cord.

The Weber Q 1400 has an attractive design with a cast aluminum lid and body, a large grip handle, control knobs, and ergonomic side handles. The infinite heat control settings allow you to customize the internal temperature, and the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates give your food a great sear. 

Most of the Q 1400’s parts are already assembled when it arrives, making it a breeze to set up. It is also easy to clean because it includes an easy-to-remove catch pan for any drips from the meat you’re grilling.

This electric grill’s sleek design and high performance make it an excellent choice for people who want to save space while still enjoying the fantastic steaks and veggies on your balcony.

Weber also offers the Q 2400, 280 square inches of cooking space for a little higher price if you need more cooking space.

Pros

• Durable construction
• Heats up quickly
• Infinite heat control settings
• Quick assembly
• Easy to clean

Cons

• No built-in temperature gauge

Things to Consider When Buying a Grill for Beginners

Many variables must be taken into consideration when purchasing an outdoor barbeque grill. The following are the most important things.

Cooking Style

The first thing to consider is which grilling style is best for you. The most popular grills on the market are gas grills. They have a great flavor, are versatile, and are easy to prepare. 

Pellet grills are a terrific alternative to charcoal grills if you want a pure hardwood flavor. It would help if you considered the grill’s heating system together with your preferred cooking style.

Direct heat, indirect heat, or a combination of both are the most popular grill heating methods. A stainless steel flame tamer is used over the burner on direct heat grills to help spread heat and reduce flare-ups. Indirect heat is achieved utilizing a briquette system that absorbs heat and distributes it upwards onto the cooking surface, evenly distributing the heat.

Charcoal grills are a popular alternative for a strong smoke flavor. Some grillers may buy a charcoal grill in addition to their gas grill to get the best of both worlds.

Material

Cast aluminum, sheet metal, cast iron, or stainless steel are the most common materials for the grill’s primary body. Professional kitchen equipment is almost always made of stainless steel, which is also the most expensive. Watch out for the frame as well as the body. 

Many “stainless steel” grills have painted steel frames that are susceptible to rust. You should inspect the grill’s construction after you’ve decided on the material. 

Cooking Area

When shopping for a grill, you need to ensure that the cooking surface can handle the number of items the manufacturer claims it can. You should use a larger grill if you plan to cook a whole chicken or some other large piece of meat.

Features

What about adding a smoker box, more burners, a rotisserie burner, lights, or any of a slew of other features to an existing grill? 

It is important to remember that a simple grill can accomplish many things and that most of the accessories are rarely used. Don’t spend money on features you won’t utilize.

Warranty

A company that is confident in its products would provide an excellent warranty. When it comes to purchasing a grill, the type and length of the warranty are critical considerations.

Cost

You get what you pay for when it comes to grills. Reputable brands are more expensive than lesser-known names, and they don’t care. 

Big companies have a reputation to maintain, and they go to considerable lengths to ensure that their products meet the highest quality standards.

There are no guarantees of quality when you buy from lesser-known brands. It’s worth noting that it’s probably a knockoff if you locate an inexpensive grill with many bells and whistles.

Conclusion on Best Grills for Beginners

I hope this post has helped you narrow down your search for the best grills for beginners to meet your needs. Pick your grill and start satisfying your cravings for a BBQ from the comfort of your backyard.