Finding a good quality grill is probably the largest component of grilling. However, it can be hard to find one that is actually affordable. Because grills have a huge price range, most people, especially beginners, want to know what stores and locations have the best deals.
Who has the best deal on grills? Typically, stores like Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart have the best deal on grills, although sales at other locations happen all the time.
As summer is upon us, most families see having a grill as an absolute necessity. To avoid breaking the bank, learning about where you should purchase your grill is a must. Additionally, learning about what the best quality grills are is another thing you should invest your time in.
How to Find the Best Deals on Grills
If you’re in the market for a new outdoor grill, your timing couldn’t be better. Whether you’re an all-out grill master or just somebody who loves playing host at backyard barbecues, you can save money.
How To Get The Best Deals on Grills:
- Use Price Trackers
- Look for holiday sales
- Get a Sam’s Club Membership
Plug almost any popular grill into a Price Tracker and you’ll see the prices dropping toward the end of summer. Take the Char-Broil 36,000 BTU 3-Burner Gas Grill, for example.
On Amazon, this gas grill was going for $175-$199 at the beginning of the year. By the end of July, that price had dropped to $139.
The gist here is that when it comes to your wallet, the longer you can hold off on buying a new grill, the better. According to Consumer Reports, the best deals on gas grills are actually in September.
Retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s have carved out a serious niche in the outdoor grilling market. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that they’ll likely keep about 20 percent of their inventory so that they’ll have a minimal assortment all year long.
If you’ve got a Sam’s Club membership, they usually drop the prices on Vision Grills Kamado grills to just $299 toward the end of summer.
If you enjoy lighting a fire and smoking foods (not just grilling), then a charcoal grill may get you the most bang for your buck.
Either way, you’ll get what you pay for. Investing in a grill that was originally priced at $500 to $600 will get you a product that will last many years if you take care of it.
On the flip side, going with a $100-grill that’s marked down to $50 isn’t bad either, just don’t expect it to still be around a few years from now.
However, it is still quite possible to save money while still making a reasonable compromise.
Fuego F21C-H Element Hinged Propane Gas Grill
The Best Grills for the Money
Almost any food tastes better when it’s grilled. The smoky flavor and high-temperature-sear that a charcoal grill can kiss choice cuts of meat with are the stuff culinary dreams are made of.
Best Value Grills:
- Weber Spirit II E-310
- Napoleon Charcoal Kettle Grill
- George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Grill
- Cuisinart Petit Gourmet gas grill
For those that adore the ease and consistency that comes from cooking with propane, Weber’s Spirit II E-310 offers the perfect balance of build quality and features, at a reasonable price.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 may be the brand’s entry-level grill, but it didn’t act like a lesser product when it came to performance. It is a great grill to use, producing perfect sear marks on burgers, evenly cooked chicken, and picture-perfect asparagus.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 isn’t the cheapest grill on the market, but it’s absolutely worth the price. When you take all the factors into account, including performance, ease of use, and aesthetic appearance, it’s a great option.
It can’t hold quite as many burgers as our upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis II E-310, but the 18 or so burgers that do fit will be cooked evenly to perfection. Cuisinart’s Petit Gourmet gas grill is another great option for a grill on the go.
If you prefer the rich, smoky flavor that results from cooking over charcoal, Napoleon NK22CK-L Charcoal Kettle Grill or Smokey Joe Premium our pick for full-sized and portable charcoal grills, will make you happy.
The Napoleon Charcoal Kettle Grill is rated one of the highest charcoal grills. For starters, it sits on four legs instead of the standard three that most kettle grills come with; making it both sturdy and stable.
Its ash bucket is larger than most and has a wide-grip handle that keeps your hands nice and clean as you remove the ashes.
Clipping the ash bucket into place may be a bit tricky at first, but once you figure it out it stays put without a problem.
Finally, there’s the grill’s wide, round rim that rests in the middle of the coal bed while you’re cooking.
It’s been proven capable of holding 12 to 13 burgers at a time and creates a gorgeous overall char when cooked over direct heat. Raking the coals for indirect heat is nearly effortless: its wire cooking grate has hinges on each side that allows access to the briquettes underneath.
Additionally, the vents on the top and bottom of the grill are easy to open and close. All of this worked together to create an ideal heat distribution for indirect heat cooking.
Being able to control the airflow is important when cooking over charcoal; the bottom vents control the heat of the fire, while the top exhausts hot air and smoke out of the grill.
This grill may cost a bit more than other kettle-style grills, but it’s totally worth it. It really has it all–performance, sturdy construction, and solid design features.
Finally, if you live in a place where cooking over an open flame is frowned upon, there is still a grill for you. The George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Grill is compact, runs off of electricity and sized to fit smaller outdoor areas or even in the corner of your kitchen.
Gas Grills Under $500
If you love spending time outdoors in the backyard through as much of the year as possible, there’s a good chance that one of the things that keeps you out there and loving every minute of it is a grill.
They are fantastic for those who love to entertain and have family and friends come over on the weekend and holidays. They can be an area where people gather, talk, and cook while having a cool beverage on a hot day.
When it’s too hot inside to cook, or you just want some grilled meat and veggies, nothing beats a quality gas grill.
Of course, if you are just now starting to look at the options you have available for gas grills, you will find quite a few options out there. If you are trying to stick to a budget of $500 or under, there are a range of brands and offerings, but some are going to be better than others.
The Best Overall Brands For Cheap Grills:
- Weber
- Spirit
- Performance
Therefore, you want to be sure that you are taking the time to choose from only the very best.
In addition, there is information on what you should look for when choosing a grill, why a gas grill can be better than charcoal, and even some tips for maintaining your grill properly.
Weber is a well-known brand name when it comes to grills, and they have built a solid reputation over the years. When you start to look at all of the features and benefits that come with this grill, it is easy to see whey.
The Spirit II E-310 comes in liquid program or natural gas options, and you can even choose from four different colors, which is something that not all grills can offer. If you are looking for a certain aesthetic, you can find black, white, red, and blue options available.
Of course, it’s not about the way the grill looks, it is about how it works and cooks and all of the features that it can offer. One of the best features is certainly the size of the grill.
On the main cooking area, it can offer 529 square inches of cooking space. This should be plenty of room to cook a number of different items at once, even for a relatively large group of up to seven people.
The grill features Infinity Ignition and it is guaranteed to ignite every time that you try to start it. This isn’t just a claim – it’s something that the company backs up with their 10-year warranty.
The grill features Weber Flavor Bars, which help to catch drippings that will smoke and add a nice, flavor to your food. It features a grease management system, which will help to reduce the risk of any flare ups in the grill. You can easily remove and clean the drip tray.
Maybe you don’t need to have a grill that’s quite as large as the Spirit II above. An option that you may want to consider from another well-known brand in the world of grills is the Char-Broil Performance 300. With this grill, you will have 300 square inches of cooking space, which is still quite a bit of room.
There is also a 100 square-inch swing away rack. With this stainless steel gas grill, you will find a temperature gauge mounted right on the lid. This should make it easy for you to know exactly what the temperature is at all times in the grill and allow you to have better heat control.
The grill features electronic ignition, which will provide you with startups that are fast and reliable. The unit features a storage cabinet below the main grill area, which will provide you with easy access to the propane tank when you need to turn it on or off, and to change it out.
This space is also a perfect location for you to put all of your accessories. The metal shelves that are on the side of the grill fold down when you aren’t using it, so it takes up less space.
The grill sits on four durable caster wheels, and two of these wheels can lock. When you have them all unlocked, it will be easy to move the grill around from one area of your patio, deck, or yard to another.
Two of the caster wheels are able to lock, which is going to ensure that the grill is as stable as possible, and that it won’t move when you are cooking.
If you don’t have as much space, and you want to get a budget grill that still has plenty of great features, this is going to be a stellar option. It is one that you are certainly going to want to check out.
When you need a little extra space on your grill, the Performance 475 could be a nice solution. The grill can provide you with 36,000 BTUs on the gas grill itself, and with 10,000 BTUs on the lidded side burner.
It provides you with 475 square inches of main cooking space, which is ample room for most users. In addition, it also offers up 175 square inches of cooking space on a porcelain swing away rack.
The unit features a stainless steel lid and handle, which not only looks great, but also adds some extra durability to the grill. This grill has a grill pan that is easy to remove, which should help to make cleaning and keeping the grill in good shape easier.
It also offers a thermometer on the lid, which will let you know what the temperatures are inside. This can provide you with added heat control.
The electronic ignition system will make sure that starting up the grill is easy every single time that you need to cook. There are also side tables, which can provide you with the prep space that you need.
The side with the burner has a lid, and when the burner is not in use, you can simply close the lid to have some additional work space.
Moving the grill from one area to another is easy thanks to the two wheels. The other two legs are fixed, and they will provide this grill with more stability when you are cooking.
You do not have to worry about it moving or rolling at all. There are many nice features about this grill that might make it just what you need for you and your family and when you are entertaining.
How Long Should a Grill Last?
Ultimately, the lifetime of a grill depends on the amount of maintenance that the owner performs, and the amount and type of weather the grill is exposed to.
The longevity of any gas grill is directly correlated with its level of protection from the weather. Any gas grill that is left outside uncovered will rust out in 2–3 years and become unusable in less than five.
You can expect to replace a gas grill every third year or so. However, a gas grill that is kept in a covered area out of the elements could last indefinitely. You would have to replace some internal parts like the burners periodically, but that cost is significantly less than the cost of a grill.
On the other hand, a ceramic cooker, Kamado, can last for decades with or without covering. Some of the metal parts like bands and hinges may rust with this type of grill, since ceramic cookers suffer from the vulnerability to cracks in the ceramics.
Things to consider when looking at grill longevity:
- Weather
- Keep your grill covered
- Maintenance
- The make of your grill
How to Maintain a Grill
Gas barbecue grills, which will soon be getting heavy-duty use at many homes, should be given a spring cleaning and checkup to ensure efficient and safe performance during the cookout season.
Overall cleaning of a grill, to remove grease, dirt and possibly insect nests, is a good first step. Keep the owner’s manual nearby when working on the grill, in case specific instructions are needed for any of the steps. If the propane gas tank is already hooked up, make sure it is turned off at the tank valve.
Steps For Cleaning Your Grill:
- Remove cooking grids
- Wrap nozzles
- Use a soft brush
To clean a portable gas grill, remove the cooking grids and briquettes. Unfasten the burner, which is generally held to the bottom of the grill housing with a screw or two, and remove the burner by slipping it and the attached venturi tubes up through the grill housing.
Venturi tubes are the long, bent tubes that extend from the bottom of the burner to the gas outlets.
To keep dirt and debris out of the gas outlets while cleaning, wrap the nozzles with aluminum foil. The gas outlets are generally located at the front of the grill under the control panel. Be sure to remove the foil after cleaning is finished.
Dirt and grease can be scraped from inside the housing with a putty knife or paint scraper.
Use paper towels or rags to wipe loose debris from the housing, and then scrub the interior grill housing with soapy water and a stiff brush. A soft brush should be used on the painted exterior of the housing. Rinse the housing with clear water and let dry.
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