Introduction

How much grill do you need?

Gas grills account for about 60 percent of sales, even though charcoal grills have risen in popularity recently. Although gas grills cost more, they're easier to light and control than charcoal grills, and they heat up more quickly. Among gas grills, however, experts and owners agree that a more expensive grill doesn't always guarantee better outdoor cooking. Tests show that cheaper models can outperform gas grills costing three to five times as much, at least in the short term. Long-term durability, on the other hand, varies widely among brands and models.

For this report, we studied reviews from a variety of sources ranging from experts at ConsumerReports.org, the Good Housekeeping Institute, and About.com, to owner feedback posted at sites such as Epinions.com, Sears.com, Amazon.com, and HomeDepot.com.

Note that this particular report is focused solely on gas grills. If you're shopping for charcoal grills, we cover them separately and comprehensively in a companion report.