Best Budget Grills Under $500 (2026)

The Kamado Joe Joe Jr. is a compact 13.5-inch portable ceramic kamado that brings full kamado versatility to small spaces, balconies, tailgates, and camping. It's the most portable cooker in the Kamado Joe line.

The 14-inch sibling of the Classic already in the catalog, rebuilt in 2026 as the Premier series. It is the same sealed drum design — charcoal basket in the base, meat hung from rods on hooks rather than laid on a grate — shrunk to a 14-inch barrel that Pit Barrel rates at four to eight people or up to six racks of ribs hung vertically. The Premier revision adds an elevated lid handle, a detachable single-tier heat shield so it can sit on a deck, and an attachable ash pan; it ships with the hook tool as standard, which used to be an upsell.

The Pit Barrel Cooker Classic is an 18.5-inch porcelain-coated drum smoker that hangs meat vertically over the coals on hooks. It's beloved in owner discussions for being nearly foolproof - light it, hang the meat, and walk away.

The Monument Grills Mesa 415BZ is a value-oriented 4-burner stainless gas grill with a Broil Zone sear burner, a clear-view lid window, and a side burner. Monument is a fast-growing direct-to-retail brand. Note: this model is no longer sold new as of 2026. Its current equivalent is the Monument Grills Mesa II 415BZ.

The Weber Smokey Mountain is the legendary bullet-shaped charcoal water smoker that has been the 'first real smoker' recommendation for decades. Two stacked grates and a water pan turn out competition-quality BBQ for under $500.

The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL is a 7-in-1 electric outdoor grill, smoker, and air fryer that burns a small box of real wood pellets for flavor while cooking on electric heat. It's owner discussions's go-to answer for balconies and apartments where charcoal and gas are banned.

Char-Griller's answer to the Weber kettle: a 22-inch porcelain-coated bowl with adjustable top and bottom vents and a removable EasyDump ash pan, at $150 against Weber's $229 for the Original Kettle Premium. It weighs 23 lbs, about 10 lbs less than the Weber, which is a build-quality difference as much as a portability one.

The Weber Master-Touch 22 is the upgraded version of Weber's iconic charcoal kettle, adding a hinged Gourmet BBQ System grate, a built-in thermometer, and a Tuck-Away lid holder. It's a benchmark backyard charcoal grill.

The Char-Griller Akorn is a budget kamado-style grill that uses triple-wall insulated steel instead of ceramic to deliver kamado-like efficiency at a fraction of the price. It's the popular gateway into kamado cooking.

The Blackstone 36-inch is the best-selling outdoor flat-top griddle in America, a 4-burner propane cooking station with a huge rolled-steel cooktop. It's the go-to for smash burgers, breakfast, hibachi, and big-batch cooking.

The Blackstone 28-inch is the compact 2-burner version of America's favorite outdoor griddle, offering the same flat-top cooking in a smaller footprint suited to smaller patios and families. It's a top-selling entry griddle.

The Weber Original Kettle Premium 22 is the iconic charcoal kettle that started backyard grilling in America, upgraded with a built-in thermometer, hinged grate, and sealed One-Touch ash catcher. It's the single most-recommended first grill in owner discussions.

The smallest full-size Weber kettle, an 18-inch bowl with 240 sq in of grate against the 22-inch model's 363. It keeps the One-Touch ash sweep, enclosed ash catcher and the same porcelain-enameled bowl and lid as its bigger sibling, so the only real difference is diameter. Weber sells it as the apartment-balcony and small-patio kettle rather than a budget version of the 22.

The 14-inch tabletop kettle, and the cheapest charcoal grill Weber sells. The Tuck-N-Carry lid lock clamps the lid to the bowl so the whole grill carries by its handle, then doubles as a lid rest once open. It is a true kettle in miniature — same porcelain-enameled bowl, same damper control — not a stamped-steel picnic grill.

Bradley's smoke source is unlike anything else in this catalog: instead of a chip tray or a pellet auger, a feeder advances a compressed hardwood puck onto a 125W burner every twenty minutes, then drops the spent one into a water bowl before it can turn to ash and acrid smoke. Load the tube and it produces nine hours of clean smoke unattended. The Original is the analog model - a dial for the 500W oven element, a separate switch for the smoke burner, and nothing else. Four 11 x 13 in racks, 572 sq in, a polished stainless interior.

The 22-inch tabletop is the best-selling portable griddle in America and the default answer whenever the question comes up about camping, tailgating, or balcony setups. Two independently controlled H-burners give you a real two-zone flat top - eggs and pancakes on low, smash burgers screaming hot on the other side - and 361 sq in is legitimately enough to feed six to eight people, which no portable grate grill this size can match. It screws onto a 1 lb propane canister and hits searing temps fast, though owners recommend the 20 lb tank adapter hose because it burns through the little green bottles quickly. Honest downsides: like every bare-steel Blackstone the cooktop rusts if stored damp, so seasoning and a cover are mandatory; the burners struggle in wind without a shield; the low-end simmer is touchy; and at 32 lbs it's luggable, not light. Quality control complaints (warped tops, sticky regulators) show up in reviews at a low but real rate, and the warranty is only a year. For the price of a nice dinner out, though, nothing else cooks this much food this portably.

The Q 1200 has been the default answer to 'best portable gas grill' for over a decade, and the review volume backs it up - it's one of the most-reviewed grills Weber sells. Unlike the thin folding camp grills it competes with, the Q is a real grill shrunk down: a cast aluminum cookbox that retains heat like a full-size Weber and porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that lay down legitimate sear marks on steaks and burgers. OutdoorGearLab has ranked it their top tabletop portable for years, and owner threads about balcony and tailgate setups almost always land here. Honest limitations: one U-shaped burner means no two-zone cooking, so thick cuts and bone-in chicken take lid management and patience; 189 sq in feeds about four people; it drinks 1 lb canisters, so most owners buy the adapter hose for a 20 lb tank; and the low-profile grease tray will flare if you never clean it. The regulator's low-flow safety lockout (weak flames after a bottle swap) is the most common owner complaint, fixable with the well-known reset ritual. Against a Blackstone 22 you're trading griddle versatility for real grill marks and a lid.

The grill that replaced the Q 2200 in Weber's US lineup and is now effectively the whole Q series here. Against the old Q 2200 it adds 14% more grate area (320 vs 280 sq in) and 50% more heat (18,000 vs 12,000 BTU), plus a separate 4,000 BTU "Plus" burner that lets the dome hold a genuine 250°F for roasting. Priced as the tabletop unit; the rolling stand is a separate $129.99 accessory, or $599 bundled.

The AS350 is the smallest real pellet grill in this catalog: 256 sq in, 49 lbs and a 4 lb hopper, aimed at apartment balconies, campsites and boats. ASMOKE's pitch is its ASCA system, which injects steam into the chamber to keep food from drying out at the low pellet volumes a small burn pot produces. A DC variant, the AS350DC, runs off a rechargeable battery for about $50 more — the only way to run a pellet grill away from an outlet.

A Walmart-exclusive Char-Griller barrel grill that sits between the Patio Pro and the Classic Cart: 520 sq in primary and 785 sq in total for $180. It uses the adjustable charcoal tray and dual-damper layout from the rest of the line plus the EasyDump ash pan, and adds a side shelf, which the cheaper models do not have. Char-Griller sells it only through Walmart, so it is not on the same dealer shelves as the Classic.

The Char-Griller Smokin' Champ is a barrel-style charcoal grill paired with a side firebox for offset smoking, offering large capacity at a budget price. It's a flexible, affordable charcoal grill and smoker combo.

The Spirit E-210 is the compact half of Weber's best-selling gas grill family - the current Snap-Jet generation of the 2-burner that thousands of small-patio owners have run for decades. The formula hasn't changed because it works: a porcelain-enameled cookbox that won't rust through (and is warrantied for 10 years against it), cast iron grates, Flavorizer bars that turn drippings into flavor instead of flare-ups, and burners that light on the first click years in. At 48 inches wide it fits patios and townhome decks where even the 3-burner E-310 feels bulky, and the 2025 refresh added per-burner Snap-Jet ignition and Weber Works rails for accessories. The honest limits: 26,600 BTU across two burners means preheating takes a while, a hard steakhouse sear takes patience, and two burners make real indirect cooking cramped - a whole chicken works, a brisket doesn't. Owners also note the current generation's lid can drip rainwater into the grease tray if stored uncovered. Against value rivals like the Char-Broil Performance, you pay roughly double up front and get a grill that routinely outlives three of them; used Spirits famously hold resale value.

The top of Weber's non-smart Spirit line and the model directly above the Spirit E-310 already in this catalog. It adds a Sear Zone — two Boost Burners that concentrate roughly 40% more power over one section of the grate — on the same 360 sq in primary grate as the current E-310. Priced as the LP version in black; natural gas runs $549.

The Weber Spirit E-310 is a compact 3-burner propane gas grill and one of the best-selling backyard grills in America. The latest redesign adds Snap-Jet ignition and a more modern cart.

A full-size portable: 320 sq in of cast-iron grate on a folding cart that collapses in one motion and rolls on two wheels like a hand truck. That is roughly the grilling area of a Weber Spirit compacted into something that fits a car trunk, which is what separates it from the tabletop Q series. Single 13,000 BTU burner, so it trades heat output for footprint. A Traveler Compact and an RV-specific version are also sold.

The Oklahoma Joe's Highland is the most popular entry-level traditional offset smoker, with a heavy-gauge steel cook chamber and side firebox for real wood-and-charcoal Texas-style barbecue. It's the classic stick-burner starting point. Note: this model is no longer sold new as of 2026. Its current equivalent is the Oklahoma Joe's Highland Classic. (2024 line refresh renamed Highland to Highland Classic (24203001); oklahomajoes.com $379.99 (reg $429.99), out of stock direct but stocked at Home Depot)

The Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker is the best-selling electric smoker in the US, a vertical cabinet with digital temperature control and a side wood-chip loader. It's the simplest way to smoke meat.

Napoleon's answer to the Weber kettle, and it is not a copy. The 21.5-inch cast iron grid sits at three selectable elevations and is hinged; a conical Vortex insert at the base of the bowl reshapes convection and funnels ash into the bucket; a smoke-stack chimney replaces the flat lid vent so wind and rain do not upset the draw. The lid is offset-hinged rather than lifted off, and the stainless extension ring is rotisserie-ready with covered spit ports. An 18-inch version sells for $319.

Traeger's tabletop pellet grill — a legless box meant to sit on a truck gate or picnic table rather than stand on its own. It runs the same Digital Arc controller and 8 lb hopper as the Tailgater but only 176 sq in of grate, and it ships with a cast iron griddle insert that the Tailgater does not include. Its 60 lbs is heavy for a tabletop, which is the one thing buyers consistently do not expect.

Traeger's folding-leg portable, and the larger of its two. It runs the Digital Arc controller rather than a WiFIRE board, so there is no app and no Super Smoke — you set a temperature on the dial and the grill holds it. The 300 sq in grate takes two chickens or three rib racks, which is more than most portables and enough that people buy it as a small patio grill rather than only for tailgates.

The Weber SmokeFire EX6 is Weber's WiFi pellet grill, notable for reaching 600°F to sear and using a steep-walled firebox for direct grilling. The 2nd-gen revision fixed many early reliability issues. Note: this model is no longer sold new as of 2026. Its current equivalent is the Weber Searwood XL 600.

The Char-Broil Performance Series 4-Burner is a budget-friendly stainless gas grill with a side burner, one of the most popular value gas grills at big-box retailers. Char-Broil targets the affordable mainstream.

The base 22-inch Weber kettle and the entry point to the whole charcoal ladder. It has the same 363 sq in grate and One-Touch ash sweep as the Original Kettle Premium above it, but drops that model's hinged grate, built-in lid thermometer and enclosed ash catcher for an open ash pan. Against the 18-inch below it, the extra four inches is the difference between fitting a two-zone fire and not.

The 26-inch Master-Touch is the largest kettle Weber makes below the Ranch, with a 508 sq in primary grate plus an 80 sq in warming rack. It carries the Master-Touch package — hinged stainless grate, Char-Rails, lid thermometer and Tuck-Away lid holder — on a bowl four inches wider than the 22-inch Master-Touch already in the catalog. Weber no longer lists a plain 26-inch Original Kettle, so this is the only way to buy the 26-inch bowl new.

Weber redesigned the Performer for 2026: it is a 22-inch kettle bowl mounted on a wheeled cart with a fixed side table, a bottom storage shelf and the Weber Works side rail for snap-on accessories. The grate, at 363 sq in, is identical to the Original Kettle 22 — what the money buys is the cart, the hinged grate, the lid thermometer and the improved ash catcher. It sits above the 22-inch Master-Touch and below the Smart version, which adds a Wi-Fi airflow controller.

A rectangular portable charcoal grill with legs that fold up and lock the lid shut for carrying. The 160 sq in rectangular grate suits long items — sausages, corn, a rack of ribs cut in half — better than the round Smokey Joe's 147 sq in. It is the charcoal twin of Weber's long-running Go-Anywhere gas model.

The Akorn Auto-Kamado is the steel Akorn body with a digital controller and a fan that manages airflow automatically, plus Wi-Fi so the temperature can be set from a phone. It is the cheapest way to get set-and-forget charcoal control — the feature that otherwise means a $2,000 Konnected Joe or a third-party fan controller. Everything below the controller is the standard Akorn: triple-walled insulated steel rather than ceramic, cast iron grates, and an EasyDump ash pan. Char-Griller no longer lists the Auto-Kamado itself — only its cover remains on the maker's store — and the $449.99 that once bought it now buys the plain AKORN Kamado with the cart. It is still widely owned and still turns up at retail, which is why it stays here.

A tabletop steel kamado: 155 sq in, 36 lbs, side carry handles, and the same triple-walled insulated body as the full-size Akorn. It is the cheapest kamado of any kind, and unlike the ceramic portables it can actually be carried by one person to a campsite or tailgate. Cast iron grates and a removable stainless warming rack come standard.

SnS Grills built its business on the Slow 'N Sear, a crescent-shaped charcoal basket and water reservoir that turns a kettle into a genuine two-zone smoker. The MasterKettle is their own 22-inch kettle with that insert included and a 304 stainless grate rather than the plated steel most kettles ship with. It competes directly with the Weber Master-Touch 22, and the difference is that the two-zone hardware is in the box rather than a $115 add-on.

Char-Broil's small-footprint cabinet grill, and the cheapest way into their FlavorMax cooking system — a perforated emitter plate between burner and grate that vaporizes drippings instead of letting them hit open flame. 310 sq in of porcelain-coated cast iron plus an 85 sq in swing-away warming rack, in a 44.5 in wide cabinet with foldable side shelves and locking casters. FlavorMax is the 2025 rename of what Char-Broil previously marketed as Amplifire.

The large end of Char-Broil's mainstream Performance line: five main burners making 36,000 BTU over 490 sq in, plus an 11,000 BTU side burner, in an enclosed cabinet. Char-Broil rates it at 28 burgers at once. It sits above the 4-burner cart already in this catalog by adding a fifth burner, the side burner, the cabinet and a 150 sq in warming rack, for roughly $180 more.

A tabletop portable built from cast aluminum rather than the stamped steel almost every grill at this price uses — the lid and firebox are both castings, which is why it survives being thrown in a truck. Two independently adjustable 304-grade stainless burners light by push-and-turn with no battery and no external flame. 263 sq in of cast-iron grid and a built-in lid thermometer. Nexgrill's Gourmet Plus insert is included.

Six main burners at 9,000 BTU each plus a 12,000 BTU stainless side burner — 66,000 BTU total — over 543.4 sq in of primary grate, for $309. Megamaster sells almost exclusively through big-box retail and competes purely on burner count and grate area per dollar; the stainless hood and control panel are the only premium touches. Liquid propane only, with no natural gas conversion offered.

Four stainless tubular main burners making 40,000 BTU, a dedicated 14,000 BTU sear burner under a 153 sq in panel of diamond-pattern cast iron, and a 10,000 BTU lidded side burner — 64,000 BTU total over 737.71 sq in. The rotisserie kit and motor are in the box. This is the stainless version; the GA5404H is the same grill in black. Royal Gourmet publishes only a total cooking area, not a primary figure.

Dyna-Glo's volume model and a fixture of Home Depot and Lowe's floors: four burners making 48,000 BTU over 461 sq in of primary grate, 136 sq in of secondary, 597 sq in total, with a side burner. The open-cart layout leaves the tank visible but drops the price against cabinet grills of the same size. Stainless steel with a black powder coating rather than bare stainless.

The portable that punches hardest on heat: 20,000 BTU from two independently controlled stainless burners over 275 sq in, in a 24 lb all-stainless tabletop box. That is more BTU than the Weber Traveler and the Weber Q 2800N+ combined, which is why it preheats fast and actually sears. Twist-to-start ignition, a lid thermometer, and folding legs that latch the lid shut for carrying.

Iron Forged is Blackstone's 2025-26 rebuild of the classic 28-inch cart griddle, and this is the hooded two-burner version. The change that matters is the Omnivore griddle plate — a ridged-underside plate that spreads burner heat more evenly than the flat plate on the Original 28 the catalog already lists, which is the single most common complaint about older Blackstones. It also adds a side-shelf accessory rail and a hood the Original 28 at $227 does not have.

A 28-inch hooded griddle with two drawers built into the cart base: one live 4-quart air fryer on its own 13,000 BTU burner, one 4-quart warming drawer. The griddle itself is the standard two-zone 34,000 BTU 28-inch plate. The whole point is that fries, wings and tots come off the same propane tank as the burgers instead of going inside to an oven.

Blackstone's 1,500 W plug-in griddle, with an LCD dial-set temperature readout and a ceramic-titanium non-stick plate instead of the bare carbon steel the propane models use. It runs on a standard 120 V household outlet and has a rotate-and-remove glass hood. This is the only Blackstone that works where open flame is not an option.

Blackstone's camping unit: a 12 x 14 inch griddle plate and a separate round side burner in one 25 lb case with a latching hood and a carry handle. Both run off 1 lb canisters or, with an adapter, a bulk tank, and Blackstone's propane chain system lets it daisy-chain fuel to a second unit. The side burner is what separates it from every other tabletop griddle — coffee, beans or sauce goes on the burner while the griddle stays clear.

The Traveler shrunk by about a fifth: 240 sq in, 11,000 BTU, 37 lbs and 34 inches wide folded, which is the difference between fitting in a compact car trunk and not. Same folding-cart mechanism and same warranty as the full Traveler. It also uses split cooking grates, so one half can be swapped for a griddle insert.

The tabletop Slate: 352 sq in and 16,000 BTU across two burners, with the same case-hardened, pre-seasoned carbon steel plate as the full-size Slate 30 and 36 the catalog already carries. The plate is the reason this line exists — Weber case-hardens it so it arrives ready to cook and resists the flash rust that defines ordinary griddle steel. It folds to under 10 inches tall with a hard cover.

Weber's full-size electric: 1,560 W on a standard 120 V outlet, 242 sq in of porcelain cast-iron grate, and a published max over 600°F — high enough to actually sear, which is what separates it from the low-watt electrics it competes with. A reservoir under the grate lets it add wood smoke, steam or boil, so it does more than one thing. This is Weber's answer for people who cannot use fire where they live.

The smaller Lumin: same 1,560 W element and same 600°F+ ceiling, but 180 sq in instead of 242 and 26 lbs instead of 36.5. It keeps the sear, smoke, steam and boil modes and ships with the steam and smoking reservoir. The trade is purely grate area and footprint — nothing is given up on heat.

The entry point to Ninja's Woodfire line: a 1,760 W electric grill with a small pellet box that burns about half a cup of wood per cook, so it produces real smoke without propane, charcoal or a gas line. It grills, smokes, bakes and roasts. It has replaced the seven-function OG701 as the base model on Ninja's own store, dropping the air fryer, broil and dehydrate modes to hit a lower price.

The top of the Woodfire line: 180 sq in, 1,760 W, seven functions including air fry and dehydrate, and — the reason to pick it — two built-in meat thermometers rather than one, so a brisket and a pork butt can each be tracked to their own target. Bluetooth app control pushes alerts to a phone. It sits above the Pro Connect XL the catalog already lists, which has a single probe.

Camp Chef's tailgating griddle: 425 sq in and 24,000 BTU across two burners, with a hinged lid that locks down for transport. The pitch is that it is a real cooking system rather than a tabletop toy — enough surface to feed a group, with a grease system designed around a parking lot rather than a patio. It takes Camp Chef's 16-inch two-burner accessories.

Halo's travel griddle: 289 sq in of pre-seasoned cooktop with two independently controlled zones, and a high-temperature silicone lid that folds flat instead of adding a rigid hood to the packing list. It runs on 1 lb canisters out of the box and on a 20 lb tank with Halo's conversion kit. The grease cup locks, which is the detail that separates a griddle that travels from one that merely can be carried.

The Trek is GMG's portable, and it runs off a 12V car battery as well as household power — that is the whole point of it. It carries 219 sq in on the main grate plus an upper rack, a 9 lb hopper, and the same 150–550°F range and PRIME app as the full-size Ledge and Peak. At $399 it is also the cheapest WiFi pellet grill from a known brand.

Z Grills' entry model, refreshed for 2026. It keeps the thing that makes the brand worth listing at all — a genuine PID 3.1 controller — at a price where Traeger and Pit Boss both ship simpler boards. 459 sq in, an 18 lb hopper with a cleanout door for swapping pellet species, two meat probes and a grease bucket. There is no WiFi at this tier; that starts at the 700-series.

The Highland Classic is the 2025 replacement for the long-running Oklahoma Joe's Highland, which the brand retired when it re-badged its whole offset line with the 'Classic' suffix. It is a true horizontal offset — firebox bolted to the side of a 616 sq in barrel chamber, with a second 263 sq in warming rack above — and burns charcoal with hardwood splits or chunks. Construction is thin painted steel rather than the quarter-inch plate of a Texas pit, so it needs gasket and baffle modification to hold a steady 250°F, which is the trade for the entry price.

Char-Griller's Competition Pro is a Home Depot retailer exclusive that pairs a barrel grill with a bolted-on side firebox — the same architecture as the Smokin' Champ already in the catalog, but with 720 sq in of primary grate instead of the Champ's smaller chamber, and an insulated body. It is the cheapest true offset in Char-Griller's line that ships with the firebox included rather than as a $99 add-on.

The smallest of Weber's three bullet smokers: a two-rack water smoker on a 14.5-inch charcoal bowl, the same diameter as the Smokey Joe. It runs the identical design as the 18-inch already in the catalog — charcoal ring at the bottom, water pan in the middle, two cooking grates above — scaled down to 286 sq in and 23 lbs, which is the point: it is the only WSM light enough to carry to a campsite or a tailgate. The small fuel ring is also the catch, since it holds enough charcoal for roughly 6 to 8 hours rather than the overnight burns the larger bullets manage.

The 40-inch step up from the 30-inch already in the catalog: the same insulated cabinet and side wood-chip loader, stretched to four racks and 970 sq in. An electric smoker heats with a resistance element and makes smoke by smouldering chips in a tray beside it, which is a fundamentally different mechanism from a pellet cabinet's auger — the smoke is thinner and more controllable, and you can hold 160°F for cold-ish work such as sausage or cheese. The viewing window and glass door are on the pricier Window and Legs variant, not this one.

Masterbuilt's current connected electric cabinet, and the model that replaced the older Bluetooth-only digital smokers. It is narrower and deeper than the 40-inch — 710 sq in over four racks — and adds WiFi through the Masterbuilt app with support for four meat probes, one of which is in the box. The cooking mechanism is unchanged: a resistance element plus a side-loading wood-chip tray, so the temperature ceiling is still 275°F.

A propane vertical cabinet, which sits between an electric smoker and a charcoal one: a single burner at the base heats a wood-chip tray, and the ThermoTemp thermostat opens and closes the gas valve to hold a set temperature the way a gas oven does. That thermostat is the distinguishing feature — most propane cabinets in this price band have a manual needle valve and drift with the weather. 960 sq in over four racks, and a 375°F ceiling that beats every electric cabinet here.

Pit Boss's largest electric cabinet and the direct competitor to Masterbuilt's 40-inch. A 1,650-watt element heats the cabinet and a chip tray beside it makes the smoke; there is no auger and no burn pot, so the smoke is the thin, controllable kind an element produces rather than the heavier output of a pellet cabinet. It undercuts the Masterbuilt 710 WiFi by adding 610 sq in at a lower price, and the 300°F ceiling is 25°F above Masterbuilt's.

The budget end of the propane cabinet category: a dual-burner 12,500 BTU gas vertical with four porcelain-coated racks and a manual needle valve rather than a thermostat. That is the key distinction from Masterbuilt's ThermoTemp — you set the flame and the cabinet drifts with the weather, which is why it costs $100 less. A door-mounted dial is the only temperature feedback.

This is the barrel grill Char-Griller has sold for decades under the Super Pro name; the 2026 catalog lists it as the Classic Cart Style Charcoal Grill, SKU 2175. It is a double-walled steel barrel on a cart with 550 sq in of primary grate plus a 260 sq in warming rack, an adjustable-height charcoal pan on a crank, and a side-firebox port so it can be converted into an offset smoker later. Compared with the Wrangler below it, it adds the crank-adjustable fire pan and the side-firebox port; compared with the Smokin' Champ above it, it ships without the firebox.

The smallest barrel grill Char-Griller sells, now catalogued as model 1616 (it replaced the older E1515 SKU the same shape was sold under). 250 sq in of cast-iron grate on a two-wheel stand, with the same crank-adjustable charcoal pan and EasyDump ash pan as the full-size Classic. It is the apartment-balcony and small-patio version of the barrel grill, not a scaled-down smoker.

A newer Char-Griller offset that sits above the Competition Pro and below the Grand Champ: 580 sq in of cooking chamber, 141 lbs, and a firebox that takes splits rather than only charcoal. It is the model Char-Griller added when the entry-offset market moved upmarket, and at $400 it competes directly with the Oklahoma Joe's Highland Classic.

PK's portable: a cast-aluminum clamshell on a molded cradle with cast iron cooking surfaces, 204 sq in, 39.5 lbs. The FlipKit is the second grate and charcoal grate that lets it be run as a covered grill or flipped open as a double-sided hibachi. It carries the same 20-year warranty as the full-size PKs, which is unusual for a portable.

Brisk It is the first brand to build generative AI into a pellet controller: its Vera software takes a plain description of what you are cooking and writes the temperature-and-time program itself, then runs it. The Zelos-450 is the entry model at 450 sq in, and the only one of the three currently in stock on Brisk It's own store. Hardware-wise it is a conventional adaptive-PID pellet grill with a 12 lb hopper and a 180-500°F range; the controller, not the cooker, is what you are paying for.

The RoadTrip 285 is the long-running standard for tailgate and campsite gas grilling: three independently controlled burners and 285 sq in on a collapsing stand that folds to a wheeled cart. Three burners is the distinguishing spec — nearly every rival portable runs one or two, so this is the only grill in its class that can hold three separate heat zones. It runs on 16.4 oz disposable cylinders, with an adapter needed for a bulk tank.

The Grill2Go X200 is Char-Broil's rugged portable: a cast-aluminum firebox and lid in a roll-cage-style frame, built to be thrown in a truck bed rather than carried carefully. It uses Char-Broil's Amplifire infrared-style cooking system, where a radiant plate sits between burner and food, which suppresses flare-ups and evens out the hot spots single-burner portables usually suffer. At 24.7 lbs it is half the weight of a Coleman RoadTrip, with 200 sq in instead of 285.

The Daytona is Nexgrill's direct answer to the 36-inch Blackstone, and it undercuts it while adding a stainless lid as standard rather than as an upcharge. 792 sq in of hot-rolled steel over four stainless burners gives 38,000 BTU, with two side shelves and a lower rack on the cart. Nexgrill sells almost entirely through Home Depot, which is where the street price lives.

Everdure is Heston Blumenthal's grill line, sold in the US through dealers rather than direct. The CUBE is its portable charcoal box: a single-piece porcelain-enamel firebox with a dual-wall heat shield that keeps the outside cool enough to sit on a table, plus a bamboo prep board and a food-grade storage tray that nest into the body for transport. The grate adjusts to three heights, which is the only heat control it has. At 15.4 lbs it is a genuine carry-anywhere grill, closer to a Weber Smokey Joe than to a full portable.

Char-Broil's Performance Series 36 is the brand's volume flat-top and its most direct Blackstone 36 competitor, sold on a rolling cart with four independently controlled burners. Char-Broil positions it below its own Deluxe version, which adds a hard cover for $150 more. It is a plain, inexpensive griddle — no lid, no electronics — aimed at buyers who want the cooking surface and nothing else.

A two-burner 22-inch tabletop flat-top, Char-Broil's answer to the Blackstone 22 tabletop that already sits in this catalog at $204. It is the same idea executed cheaper: two independently controlled burners on a rolled steel plate with no cart and no hood, meant to sit on a table or tailgate. Char-Broil also sells a folding-cart version of the same 22-inch plate for $299 if a stand is wanted.

The GD401 splits the difference between a griddle and a grill: half the 606 sq in surface is a flat top, half is a grill grate, over four independently controlled burners totaling 48,000 BTU. The legs fold, so unlike most four-burner flat-tops it packs into a car. Royal Gourmet lists it at $428.99 on its own store, but it sells for roughly $260-300 at Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot and Tractor Supply, which is the real street price.

Halo is in this catalog for its griddles only; the Prime300 is its countertop pellet grill and the one genuinely unusual thing in Halo's range. It runs from the included AC adapter or an optional 12V 5Ah lithium battery, making it one of very few pellet grills that works with no outlet at all. A 10 lb hopper gives 15-20 hours of runtime in a 49 lb countertop body, and a slide-control damper opens a direct sear over the fire pot.

The 300 Black Label is Louisiana Grills' tabletop pellet grill and the only portable in this catalog that ships with both WiFi and Bluetooth — the Traeger Ranger and Tailgater have neither. 333 sq in across a main grate and an upper rack, fed by a 10 lb hopper, in a 56 lb body with a cover and a meat probe included. It sits directly against the Traeger Tailgater at $500 and the Green Mountain Trek Prime at $399.

The odd one out in Pit Barrel's line and the only model in it with real dampers: a 16.5-inch porcelain drum with adjustable vents on both the lid and the base, which the Classic and Junior deliberately do not have. The mid-section lifts out so the base becomes a shallow hibachi for hot-and-fast grilling, and the hanging rack stays for smoking — Pit Barrel rates it at six racks of ribs. Priced at $275 against the $360 Junior, it is the cheapest way into the line and the only one you can actually dial down.

For fifteen years this was the default propane vertical: a 20,000 BTU cast-iron burner under a wood-chip tray, three damper valves, two adjustable racks and a jerky rack, and a 160-350°F range that goes low enough for sausage and high enough to bake. Camp Chef discontinued the Smoke Vault in April 2026 and it is gone from campchef.com entirely, though Sportsman's Warehouse and BBQGuys are still clearing new stock well below the $380 list price. It is listed here because it remains one of the most-owned propane cabinets in the country and the nearest thing to a reference point for anyone shopping the category.

The wide version of the Smoke Vault: identical 20,000 BTU burner, dampers and 160-350°F range, but a chamber six inches wider that takes a whole turkey or two full pork butts side by side instead of front-to-back. Three cooking grids rather than the 18's two-plus-jerky. Discontinued alongside the 18 in April 2026; it is the size worth hunting for on clearance, because the extra width is the only thing that separates it from the smaller model and it was only $60 more at list.

A vertical offset, which is a different animal from the horizontal offsets already in the catalog: the firebox sits at the base of a tall cabinet and heat rises through six adjustable grates rather than travelling sideways down a barrel. Dyna-Glo's wide-body version gives 1,890 sq in across those six grates, each rated to 25 lbs, with a porcelain-enameled charcoal chamber, a pre-installed high-temp rope door seal and a removable ash pan. At $349 it is the cheapest way to get close to 2,000 square inches of charcoal smoking space.

A straight vertical charcoal cabinet with no offset firebox - the charcoal chamber sits directly under four 196 sq in grates and the heat rises through them, with a separate wood chip box for smoke. Double doors keep the fuel access separate from the food access so refuelling does not dump the cooking chamber's heat. At around $149 it is the entry point of the whole charcoal-cabinet category and the cheapest smoker in this catalog that still gives you four full racks.

The propane answer to Dyna-Glo's charcoal cabinets and the natural replacement shopping target now that the Camp Chef Smoke Vault is discontinued. Two cast-iron burners totalling 20,000 BTU sit under a porcelain-enameled wood chip box, with four height-adjustable grates rated to 25 lbs each for 1,235 sq in, electronic pulse ignition and a top damper. The wide-body chamber takes a turkey across rather than front-to-back.

The 2025 revision of the Bronco and the model below the Bronco Pro already in the catalog. It keeps the two things that made the original Bronco worth buying - a side fuel door that lets you add charcoal without lifting the grate or the food, and an 8 lb charcoal basket rated for 14-plus hours - and adds dual side shelves, rubber-tread wheels and the rib hanger kit as standard. The grate lowers toward the fire for grilling, which is where the '& Grill' in the name comes from. 284 sq in of grate plus nine hooks on three hangers.

The grill that made Char-Griller's name and still the cheapest way to get 850 sq in of charcoal cooking surface in the US. Cast iron grates, a crank-adjustable charcoal pan, dual dampers, an EasyDump ash pan and — the point of it — a pre-cut side-firebox port, so bolting on Char-Griller's $100 side fire box turns it into a working offset smoker. That upgrade path is why it outsells everything else at this price.