Gas BBQ Grills Reviews

This report covers gas grills. Note that ConsumerSearch covers charcoal grills in a companion report. We found Consumer Reports magazine to be the best reviewer of gas grills, with testing updated annually. For its most recent test, the Consumer Reports' lab crew tests and rates 36 current grills, ranging from small portable grills to big backyard models. Each gas grill is tested for cooking performance and ease of use, as well as evenness of heating when cooking beef, chicken and fish.

We found an excellent collection of articles at About.com from BBQ guide Derrick Riches. Riches has covered the outdoor cooking industry for a decade, and he has some good information about grill manufacturers, along with analysis and reviews. The reviews are detailed, but Riches doesn't describe a testing procedure for these grills. While detailed and interesting, we don't rate this source as highly as Consumer Reports. However, Riches does a much better job covering the high-end of the market than Consumer Reports -- helpful if you're considering a showpiece grill that costs more than $1,500. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)

Other reviewers cover far fewer gas grills and aren't as up to date as Consumer Reports and About.com. ConsumerGuide covers a good selection of relatively inexpensive models, but hasn't reviewed a new gas grill in nearly a year. ConsumerGuide's testing procedures aren't adequately explained and appear to be fairly minimal.

The Charmglow 720-0234 (*est. $500) hasn't been recalled or accused of being unsafe by any publication, but we found more than 50 complaints about it at ConsumerAffairs.com. Both safety and reliability are issues. The major complaint is that the burners rust or disintegrate in a matter of a year or two. Furthermore, owners have had a hard time getting service from Brinkmann (which owns Charmglow) or replacement parts for the rusted-out burners.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission lists four gas grills recalled in the past 18 months: the Perfect Flame Four-Burner Gas Grills (sold only by Lowe's), Char-Broil Two-Burner Gas Grills Model 463720407 (sold only by Big Lots) and John Deere Gas Barbecue Grills (sold only by John Deere dealers), all because of potential fire risks due to defective parts. Weber Genesis 320 Series gas grills were also recalled due to an issue some had where the fuel hose would break or crack during shipment of the grill. That problem has since been resolved, and the grills have been retested and well-reviewed since.

Despite a surge in sales of charcoal grills, gas grills are still used more frequently. Gas grills are easier to light and control. Though they cost more than charcoal models, about 60% of grill purchases are gas grills.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Weber is the reviewers' choice for the top gas grills. Its grills are top-rated in all middle price ranges, as the company does not offer cheaper models (except in portable and compact grills). No easily available budget model tops reviews, but the Brinkmann 810-8410-S (*est. $200) is the closest contender. Reviewers often say the cheapest models work as well as mid-priced models, but they only last a few years. About.com's Derrick Riches is an exception. He says all cheap Char-Broil models are almost worthless: "What you get for that price is a basic, featureless gas grill that will flare-up, cook unevenly and generally perform like the cheapest grill on the market." On the other hand, other expert reviewers believe grills priced between $100 and $300 are just fine for basic family use.

At the high end, no brand or model dominates reviews. Instead, we found only favorable reviews for very large, expensive grills. Some are specialty products, like the Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven (*est. $3,990), or are better suited for some purposes than others.