We put the best gas grills to the backyard man-test
If a dog is man's best friend, then a grill is his best contraption. As such, you'll need to know the best grills out there. Because, like a dog, a good grill will be around for decades. Read on for a list that'll make your neighbors green with envy—and Fido's belly full of BBQ scraps.
There are generally two types of grillers; the first is the patient purist, who uses charcoal for its even heat distribution, smokey taste and the ability to toss in flavor enhancing add-ons like mesquite wood chips. The second group is the weekend warrior who goes for a grill with gas, which means quick heat-up time and no need to haul around bags of coals.
The truth is, gas grills have come a long way and when it comes to convenience, they can't be beat. So, for you protagonists of propane, we tried out some of the best new grills out there and here's what we discovered.
Kenmore Cross Ray Infrared Grill
With 875 sq. in. of grilling surface, the Kenmore Cross Ray Infrared Grill, has enough space to cook over 35 burgers at once. Four main burners offer 48,000 BTU's of grilling power – perfect for charring the outside of a steak while maintaining your ideal degree of rareness in the center. The burners are independently controlled so you can cook a variety of foods at once, or cook indirectly on one side while wood chips smolder on the other. Smoke and flare ups are rare, leaving your food with a fresh taste while eliminating those burnt edges on your veggie skewers.
In addition to being a fierce grilling machine, the Cross Ray is beautifully designed and features porcelain coated grates, a temperature gauge, warming rack, side burner, storage cabinet, and an easy electronic ignition. What's better, clean up is practically effortless.--Erica Rubenstein, Creative Designer
$449, www.sears.com
Broilmaster Premium "P"
Nothing makes my husband happier than to be armed with a tray full of meat, a set of BBQ tools and a crowd of hungry people. And such was the case when he set out to test the Broilmaster Premium "P" Gas Grill.
He's very particular about his grills so I feared his commentary. But we (and our 8 guests) were all impressed. The Broilmaster heated up quickly and cooked our burgers and dogs to perfection. The meat was nice and juicy and the hot dogs were grilled to the right degree of crispness. Peppers and onions sautéed on a grill pan came out sweet and tender, charred just right.
We haven't tried out the rotisserie or built-in smoker yet but are thrilled that a moderately-sized grill ? great for an apartment balcony or smaller deck ? comes with exciting extras. We're salivating at all of our options: rotisserie chicken and lamb, smoked pulled pork and baby back ribs.--Leslie Fink, Recipes Editor and Weight Watchers Nutritionist
$1435 (with smoker shutter and rotisserie), www.broilmaster.com for stores
Char Broil Tec Series
When I heard that I was going to be trying out a grill with infrared technology I thought I was getting a microwave that I could take outside. But the fact is, infrared technology has changed the way I grill forever. How? By implementing a glass burner on the left cooking surface just below the grill grate to evenly distribute heat--meaning no cold or hot spots.
The glass burner also prevents small items from slipping through the cracks, but the best part is that you can actually steam or add flavor-enahancing sauces and marinades directly on the burner. There's no flare up, just a hot vapor of flavor coating your food. Yeah, sure, this grill has individually controlled burners, 680 sq. inches of cooking surface, works with liquid propane or natural gas and looks like a stainless steel sculpture. But trust me, the infrared cooking is what makes this grill a winner.--Jason Carpenter, Men's Editor
$699, www.lowes.com
Vidalia 628
If you want to cook outside all summer, or even all year, without ever turning on the kitchen stove or oven, this grill is all you need. The Vidalia 628 (cleverly named for the square inches of its cooking surface) pairs an ingenious indirect cooking system that functions much like a convection oven with a traditional open-flame grill so you can sear, smoke, steam, broil or even bake just about anything.
The left-hand side of the grill looks just like you'd expect: a stainless-steel grate over a 20,000 BTU burner. Meats and veggies cooked on this side brown quickly, crisping perfectly at the edges. Food placed on the right side of the grill, on the rack over the steam tray heated by another 20,000 BTU burner, turns moist and tender without charring, perfect for marinated lean meats. If you're feeding a crowd, you can cook a few whole chickens on the indirect side—no rotisserie required. Heck, come Thanksgiving, you could even cook a turkey on this cooking colossus.
Other handy features of the Vidalia 628 are an overabundance of accessory hooks, a pushbutton electronic igniter and multi-fuel capability. Yep, go ahead and swap the propane tank for charcoal or even wood if you feel so moved. No matter what fuel you use, this is one grill you'll be hot for all summer. --Arthur Bergman, Contributing Editor
$1750, www.vidaliagrill.com for stores
BBQ Grillware
This sleek stainless steel rocket-shaped grill is as beautiful as it is functional. It can cook up to eight of Dad's special homemade burgers at once and its 240 sq. inch cooking surface is spacious enough to whip up enough of any BBQ fare for a family of four. The best part? It comes fully assembled and uses a small one-pound propane tank. Yep, that means dad can just pull the rocket grill from its box, borrow one of his blow torch tanks and be ready to grill in five minutes.
The grill's compact footprint and wheeled base make it perfect for small patio cookouts. A powerful single burner with convenient self-ignition creates a ring of fire powerful enough to sear everything from chicken to steaks, while a sensitive burner control knob can bring the heat low enough to grill veggies or toast burger buns.
Although it lacks the bells and whistles of its full-size cousins (no side burners or accessory hooks, for one), this grill is a workhorse. Plus, Dad will look cool behind this bad boy, even if he's sweating a big t-bone.--Amanda Genge, Fitness Editor
BBQ Grillware One Burner Grill, $239, lowes.com
Vermont Castings VC3507P
The heavy cast-iron end caps on this grill's lid do more than work your biceps every time you check on your steaks: They retain heat to help foods cook quicker, even when using indirect heat. The porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates work the same way, efficiently conducting heat from the three 12,500 BTU stainless-steel burners to help foods cook evenly and impart those delicious fire-kissed grill marks.
With 400 square inches of cooking area, this grill is plenty big for a party, but we also had good results using just one burner to sear a pair of chicken breasts and a couple of portabello mushrooms (and toast a couple of low-cal buns on the warming rack). It seemed to take a while for the grill to get hot, but once it got there, things stayed fiery inside, even with periodic checking of the food.
This grill doesn't just feel solid, it also boasts a comprehensive warranty: lifetime on much of the exterior and cast-iron components, 10 years on the burners, and 5 years on just about everything else.--Steve Genge, Contributing Editor
$750, www.vermontcastings.com for stores
Thermos Grill2Go
This multi-tasking grill is easily portable to your tailgate, camping trip or off-road picnic. Assembly was fairly easy; in fact, the hardest part was trying to get the plastic light to hook onto the handle. Once I did put it together in our Manhattan office, I had no problem wheeling it out to the street or putting it in the trunk of a cab.
It can be used as a tabletop grill or set up on sturdy plastic legs that fold up for transport. The grill has dish-washer safe open-flame grates perfect for burgers, steaks and dogs. Use the DuPont Teflon Classic non-stick coated griddle for eggs, bacon or pancakes when those tailgates call for breakfast before a noon game. The LED Night Light can be removed and used as a utility night—a great feature for camping.
I liked all the "extras" that you don't normally look for when buying a grill, but make the whole experience more enjoyable: paper towel holder, side storage bin for holding grill tools, a trash bag holder and a place for my beer on the side shelves.--Diana Kelly, Editorial Assistant
$199, www.GrillLovers.com