Best Grills for 2025: Grilling Season Is Back and So Are My Top Recommendations

Pros

• Huge cooking area with 860 square inches of space
• Rotisserie adds a whole new dimension to grilling
• The gas can weight helps you know when you need to refill.

Cons

• A 4-hour construction time means you really need to love your grill

Why I like it:

We've been recommending the Monument grills at the top spot for years now and every time I test a new one, it has some upgrades that I can't imagine living without. The new Eminence 605 is a six-burner behemoth designed to grill food in any way you can imagine. It has modern conveniences, like an app to monitor the built-in temperature probes, and a searing station on the side that you can use to brown off corn and vegetables. It even comes with a gas can weigh scale that helps determine when your gas is low.

Who is it for:

The Eminence 605 is a griller's grill. Its six-burner, 860 square-inch cooking area is perfect for larger families and those who cook for many people. The rotisserie spit has a dedicated back burner for a more even cook. I've used it for chicken, beef and even a large shish kebab and it perfectly cooked them all. Because of the high heat burners, the grill heats incredibly fast, taking just 7 minutes to reach 425 degrees so you can cook almost immediately. If you're looking to grill a diverse selection of foods for many people, then the Eminence 605 is perfect for you.

Who shouldn't buy it:

Building the Eminence was a labor of love. It took me and my colleague three hours to assemble it, the longest it's ever taken to make a grill. The box is filled with tiny little pieces that need to be assembled, a lot of which feel like they could have been assembled earlier in the process. This is not a grill for the casual user or someone cooking for two or three people.

Pros

• Excellent build quality for a budget grill
• 582 square inches of cook space is big enough for a large family
• The built-in hooks, bottle opener and easy to clean spaces make it a great choice

Cons

• The ash tray is thin and will warp over time if not well maintained

Why I like it:

When I first moved out to the High Desert in California, I knew I wanted a grill that could handle enough food for a party. I also knew that moving was expensive, so it had to be affordable. I picked up this heavy-duty grill at Walmart and was instantly impressed with how well it was constructed. After putting it all together, there was a heft to all the materials that made me think it would stand the test of time and it has. The easily removable ashtray made keeping the grill clean a breeze. The thermometer on the top is helpful for smoking meats, especially if you don't want to keep lifting the lid and losing the heat. Little touches like the bottle opener and the hooks under the shelf were also helpful. I used this grill for nearly six years before I moved again. Even when I left, the new owners used it with their families.

Who is it for:

If you want the taste that only charcoal can give you but have a limited budget, the Expert grill is excellent. The large cooking area means you can cook a big family meal with no issue, and I really like the little touches like the adjustable cooking rack. As the coals burn down, they radiate less heat. Being able to move the grates down to be closer to the coals lets you use them for longer and gives you greater control of your cooking times.

Who shouldn't get it:

Charcoal grills are not for everybody. Several states don't allow charcoal for fear of forest fires and it takes longer to get a charcoal grill going. If you want an instant grilling hit then gas is the way to go. You'll also need to clean a charcoal grill more often than a gas one as the coal dust can corrode the metal over time.

Pros

• A tight lid seal makes the smoking experience much more efficient
• The light on the lid and pellet hopper make evening cooking much easier
• The mobile app and WiFire feature lets you keep an eye on your meat without lifting the lid.

Cons

• Traeger grills are expensive. There's just no getting around it.

Why I like it:

Seeing Traeger at the top of this list shouldn't be surprising, considering the brand truly popularized the pellet grill. While there are many choices in the Traeger lineup to choose from, after testing the latest Ironwood XL, it was clear that this is the one that can do it all. There is a smaller version, the Traeger Ironwood, which has all the same features as the XL model but more than 300 square inches less cooking space. If you don't plan on cooking large pieces of meat like brisket or for large groups of people, then the smaller model might be for you. The WiFIRE features allow you to monitor grill temps, pellet levels, food temps with the included meat probes and more. The control system combining a rotating knob and touchscreen makes tuning the grill to your needs a snap. I also like the Traeger app, which has many recipes to send straight to your grill. The biggest downside is the price, which is quite expensive.

Who is it for:

The Traeger Ironwood XL gets the top spot for smokers because of more than just the large cooking area. It's because it offers the complete package for pellet grills. It does a great job of managing its pellet use. When I cooked for 24 hours on it with meals ranging from pork chops to beer can chicken and pork butt to brisket, the Ironwood XL handled it all wonderfully. With a 165- to 500-degree temperature range, it can cook any way you want. If you're looking for something versatile that can cook burgers, veggies and entire smoked briskets, then the Ironwood is an excellent choice. There is little this grill can't do when cooking outdoors.

Who shouldn't buy it:

There is no getting around it: any Traeger grill is expensive. They are built to last, and you can see the craftsmanship that went into the design but they aren't for those on a slim budget. Only think about picking this up if you have the thousands of dollars needed to make the purchase.

Pros

• The largest cooking area & pellet hopper you've ever seen
• Mobile app to control heat and monitor cooking

Cons

• I wish it had a seal around the lid like the Traeger does

What I like:

The Recteq brand may be a bit under the radar compared to others like Traeger, but the Flagship XL 1400 does some things the Ironwood XL cannot. With a massive 1,437 square-inch cooking surface, you can cook a whole lot of food. Like, 75 hamburgers at one time. Enough to feed the entire block.

With built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, using the Recteq app makes it easy to monitor the grill temp and meat temps with the included probes. You can't check the pellet level from the app like with the Ironwood XL.

Because the Recteq Flagship XL 1400 is built like a tank, including the heavy bullhorn handles, it does an excellent job at maintaining an even temp across the grill. This is largely thanks to the heavy cast iron burn pot deflector and the large stainless steel smoke and heat deflector.

Who is it for:

The Flagship XL is for people who are serious about cooking for everybody. People with massive families or small businesses could use the XL to smoke and grill for dozens of people easily. To complement the large cooking area, the Flagship XL 1400 also boasts a massive pellet hopper, easily handling more than 40 pounds of wood pellets. It also did a good job of cooking efficiently during the overnight brisket smoking during testing. So if you are looking for long, slow cooks this could be for you.

Who shouldn't buy it:

Almost everyone who grills or smokes casually should avoid the Flagship XL. It's just too big for the average person to use comfortably and if you're only smoking a rack of ribs or enough wings for four getting it up to temperature will use too much fuel for it to be worthwhile.

Pros

• Perfect size for two to four people to smoke a single meal
• Uses just 1 cup of pellets per meal
• Multiple functions like air frying and grilling make it a versatile smoker

Cons

• The side pellet holder can become clogged if you don't maintain it well.

What I like:

The Ninja Woodfire has all the convenience of an indoor electric grill and air fryer, with the addition of a small smoking hopper that lets you burn pellets. These pellets add a distinctive smoky taste to anything you are cooking without the need for an entire smoker. I've cooked chicken, salmon and beef on the grill setting using just a cup of pellets, saving much time and money compared with a full-size smoker. It even works with the air fryer so it is easy to make crispy wings with an Applewood smoke taste.

Who is it for:

The Woodfire is perfect for those who love the taste of smoked meat but don't have the time or space for a giant pellet smoker. It's big enough to cook a decent-sized turkey or several large cuts of meat, and the pellet used is tiny compared to a full-size smoker. If you want a quick smoke fix for a few friends, the Ninja Woodfire is perfect.

Who shouldn't buy it:

Anyone looking to smoke large cuts of meat like brisket or pork shoulder over a long period of time should look for something larger than the Woodfire. It's designed for single meals, not large parties or giant cuts of meat. The pellet hopper only holds one cup of pellets. That's not enough to smoke a haunch of beef.

Why I like it:

Like all Traeger products, Flatrock's quality and usefulness can't be overstated. Some foods, including tacos and smash burgers, just can't be cooked on a standard grill, but a flat-top griddle makes them a breeze. (By the way, if you've never had a smash burger, you need one in your life. They're amazing.) I recommend the Flatrock, even though it's pricier than a Blackstone, because of the build quality and the placement of the griddle top. The top is sunk into the grill, meaning the heat stays in for longer, and the seal around the lid keeps it from getting as rusty in the off-season.

The Flatrock uses Traeger's Pop and Lock system for accessories so if you already have one of the brand's smokers, you can mix and match what you need. You will need to cure the Flatrock's surface, but I enjoyed creating just the right surface for my needs. I use the Flatrock more than any other grill and it is my go-to for burgers and tacos.

Who is it for:

Griddles are a grill genre that's pretty unique. The Flatrock is great for anyone who loves making tacos, breakfast burritos, Japanese teppanyaki or smash burgers. The heavy grill top requires some maintenance to keep it looking good but the flavor from a properly cured griddle top is hard to beat.

Who shouldn't get it:

If this is your first foray into cooking on a griddle, the Traeger may be too expensive to start. Its price is the biggest barrier to entry so I would start with one of the smaller Blackstones to see how you like it.

Pros

• Easy to carry out to a campsite or for tailgating
• Even heat across the cooking surface, even out in the bush
• Includes a spirit level to keep your oil from spilling while on an uneven surface

Cons

• This really should have a cover as standard if you're expected to travel with it.

Why I like it:

Halo has made some excellent products in the past few years, including a pizza oven that I liked when testing, but this griddle is a stand-out product. On top of all the standard testing I do with grills, I got to take it for the first camping trip of the season and it held up like an absolute champ. The cooking surface heated evenly, with two distinct burning zones and because of the inspired idea to include a spirit level and adjustable feet, I could set it up on a rickety picnic table and not have my eggs run to one corner. That spirit level is such a good idea.

I love having a giant griddle to cook for my huge family at home but the Halo tabletop griddle is perfect for making a few smash burgers or breakfast burritos without using a ton of gas. In fact, the Halo can use the large propane tanks or the smaller green ones just as easily.

Who is it for:

Anyone who wants to take their grilling on the road would do well with the Halo griddle. Camping is obviously the first place I thought about but you could easily take it to your friend's house to help supplement the grilling situation there or just tailgating at a cookout. It's heavy -- it's a thick grill pan, after all -- but not so heavy that you couldn't get it to just about any campsite.

Who shouldn't get it:

The Halo is really designed to be moved around and used in a portable environment. If you aren't planning to move it around, there are better choices. That said, it's good for getting out from the shed for the occasional grilling session.

Pros

• Premium look and feel, which it should have for the price
• Remote monitoring with the app gives you peace of mind even when smoking
• Can produce very high heat, making cooking a variety of meats a breeze.
• Maintains consistent temperature for 12+ hours on one load of charcoal

Cons

• That price tag is as high as the temperature
• Heavy at 250 lbs - difficult to move

Why I Like it:

Kamado grilling cookers are distinctively egg-shaped wood-burning grills. They impart a delicious smoky flavor to everything and this is the best grill in the bunch. They can run low and slow for hours at smoker temperatures and sear at high heat levels that go well beyond the capabilities of gas grills. That's hot enough to create true steakhouse steaks and real wood-fired pizza like a pro griller.

These abilities are attributed to the thick ceramic used to form and line the grill, which is similar to what is used for a pizza stone in the top pizza ovens. That ceramic does an amazing job at holding heat, allowing you to use far less charcoal than you would in a traditional charcoal grill and get more smoke and heat from it. On our slow-and-low barbecue grill test, we adjusted grills to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107 degrees Celsius) and let go of the controls to see what happens. In this trial, the Konnected Joe demonstrated excellent temperature stability. Thanks to the Wi-Fi connectivity, you can monitor and set temps for your ceramic cooker from the comfort of your AC.

Who is it for:

Kamado grills are niche and designed for the griller's griller. Their smaller size makes them difficult to use for big parties but the charcoal flavor that you get from the high-heat environment is hard to beat. If you're a grill aficionado, then the Konnected Joe might be right for you.

Who shouldn't buy it:

Kamado grills are a niche product. They give fantastic results but you'll need to learn a new way to cook if you want to use them right. This isn't going to be for the family griller who just wants to cook some burgers and hot dogs. There are better grills for that.