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Are you shopping for a new grill? If you love outdoor cooking, the end of summer and into early Fall can be the easiest time of the year to find the best grill deals. Many retailers still have fat inventories to move. Even though grilling is steadily becoming a year-round activity, early ordering and overestimating demand caught many retailers by surprise. So you win. Getting outside and grilling is a great way to enjoy the weather (no matter the season) while making a delicious meal. If you’re looking for a new outdoor grill, search no more. Inventories will likely be much lower and the deals not as good in another month, but if you shop now you’ll have a greater selection and lower prices. You’ll find all of our top picks, and more, below!
When it comes to choosing an outdoor grill, there are plenty of decisions to make — fuel type, number of burners, portable or stationary, and extra features such as smokers and extra burners. The choices are seemingly endless. We cover the basics so you can make an informed decision when choosing a cheap grill.
Gas grills are the most popular type of outdoor grill. Most are designed for use with propane, but some of them run on natural gas from your utility provider. Gas grills are best for quick and easy use — that is, they heat up much faster than charcoal grills and are way less messy. The main disadvantage of gas grills is they lack flavor when compared to charcoal grills.
Charcoal grills use briquettes as fuel, which means they take more time to heat up. Briquettes are also more expensive than propane. However, if you don’t mind the extra prep time, cost, and grill cleaning, the flavor that charcoal provides cannot be matched by a gas or electric grill. Also, charcoal burns at a higher temperature than gas, so you can achieve a great sear on meats with charcoal as a heat source.
Electric grills are powered by electricity and heat food using heated grill plates. Though not incredibly popular for cooking outside, electric grills are useful for people who live in apartments or other areas that prohibit gas or charcoal grills. Obviously, electric grills produce food that lacks that smoky flavor that charcoal grills provide. The upside? Electricity is cheaper than charcoal or propane. However, not all outdoor areas have an easily accessible outlet to plug in to.
Portable grills can be any of the above fuel types — charcoal, gas, or electric. The major upside of portable grills is that you can take them anywhere, so, they are great for camping, tailgating, trips to the park, and more. The major downside to portable grills is that, because they are generally small, you cannot cook food for a whole party on them. If you are cooking for a large crowd with a portable grill, you will have to cook in batches, which takes extra time and means some people have to wait longer for their food.
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