How to Choose Your Grill

Gas or charcoal? Built-in or freestanding? This is the honest, no-nonsense rundown of what actually matters when you're buying a grill — so you end up with the one that fits how you actually cook, not what a salesperson says you should want.

Start With How You'll Use It

Before you even look at specs, answer three questions:

• How often will you grill? Weekly? Daily? A few times a year?
• How many people do you typically cook for? A family of four needs a very different grill than someone hosting 20-person backyard parties.
• Do you cook, or do you BBQ? Burgers and steaks are "cooking" — low-and-slow ribs and briskets are "BBQ." Different tools for different jobs.

Everything that follows flows from these answers.

Fuel Type: The First Real Decision

Gas (Natural Gas or Propane)

Gas is the default for a reason. It lights in seconds, heats up fast, and lets you dial in the temperature without babysitting. If you want to grill on a Tuesday night after work without planning ahead, get gas.

Natural gas hooks directly into your home's gas line — no refilling tanks, cheaper per BTU, but it requires a gas line to the grill location. Propane is portable and works anywhere, but you'll run out mid-cook at some point.

Charcoal

Charcoal grills run hotter and deliver real smoke flavor gas can't match. They're cheaper to buy, but they take 20-30 minutes to get going, they're messier, and temperature control takes practice. If flavor matters more than convenience, charcoal wins.

Pellet

Pellet grills are the modern compromise — wood-fired flavor with electronic temperature control. You load wood pellets into a hopper, set a temperature on a digital display, and the grill maintains it. Great for smoking, roasts, and low-and-slow. Not ideal for high-heat searing (though newer models are getting better at this).

Wood (and hybrid wood/charcoal)

Brands like Arteflame run on pure wood or a wood/charcoal mix. Maximum flavor, maximum effort. These are for people who see grilling as a ritual, not a weeknight chore.

Built-In or Freestanding?

Freestanding

A grill on legs or a cart. You can move it, take it with you when you move houses, and it doesn't require any construction. Most people should buy freestanding.

Built-In

Designed to drop into an outdoor kitchen island — either one you have built, or a prefab island. Built-ins are a commitment: they assume you're creating a permanent outdoor cooking space, often with a sink, storage, a side burner, and refrigeration alongside.

Built-ins generally look more polished and integrate with other components, but you'll spend meaningfully more on the grill itself plus the island or construction around it. Budget accordingly.

Size & Burner Count

Cooking surface is what actually matters — not burner count. A 32-inch grill with three burners might give you more usable space than a 30-inch grill with four crammed-together burners.

Bigger isn't always better. A 42-inch grill for a family of three means you're heating empty real estate every time you cook — which costs more fuel and delivers worse results because the heat disperses.

Materials Matter More Than Marketing

"Stainless steel" ranges from flimsy rolled sheet metal to heavy-duty 304-grade. The grade matters because it determines rust resistance and how long the grill will last outdoors.

• 304 stainless steel: Best grade for outdoor grills. Resists corrosion, handles high heat, holds up for years.
• Marine-grade 316 stainless steel: Even more corrosion-resistant. Worth it if you live near the ocean.
• Cast aluminum: Lighter, rust-proof, distributes heat well. Common in higher-end freestanding grills.
• Generic "stainless": Assume it's 430-grade (lower nickel content). Cheaper, but will develop surface rust over time.

If you want 304 stainless construction without paying premium-tier prices, Sizzler grills by Summerset use the same 304 stainless as Summerset's higher-end TRL and Alturi lines at a more accessible price.

Features Worth Paying For

• Infrared burner: Delivers intense, direct heat — makes steaks taste like they came off a steakhouse broiler.
• Rotisserie kit: If you love whole chickens or pork loins, worth every dollar.
• Lighting: Interior lights and control-knob lighting make a real difference for evening cooking.
• Heavy-duty grates: Cast iron or thick stainless rod grates hold heat better and produce better sear marks than thin wire grates.
• Wi-Fi / app control: Gimmicky on gas grills, genuinely useful on pellet grills where you're managing long cooks.

Features That Are Usually Not Worth It

• Smoker boxes built into gas grills: They produce minimal smoke flavor. If you want to smoke, buy a smoker or pellet grill.
• Extreme BTU numbers: Raw BTU output doesn't equal better grilling. Efficient heat distribution matters more than total output.
• Touchscreen control panels on basic gas grills: Analog knobs work better and last longer outdoors.

Budget Expectations

Here's what honest price ranges look like in 2026:

• $400–$900: Entry-level freestanding gas grills. Fine for occasional use. Expect to replace in 5–7 years.
• $1,000–$2,500: Mid-tier freestanding and entry-level built-ins. Solid stainless construction, better grates, longer life.
• $2,500–$6,000: Premium built-ins and high-end freestanding. Marine-grade stainless, infrared options, serious warranties.
• $6,000+: Professional-grade (Hestan, top-tier Blaze, custom builds). Restaurant-quality, lifetime build.

The Bottom Line

The best grill is the one you'll actually use. If convenience keeps you from firing it up, get a gas grill. If flavor is the whole point, get charcoal or wood. Pick a size that matches your household, invest in real materials, and skip the gimmicky features. Everything else is preference.