Austin Gallery
Home & KitchenJune 27, 2026Updated June 27, 202619 min read

The Best Grills & Smokers of 2026

Weber, Traeger, Kamado Joe, Blackstone and more — gas, pellet, charcoal, kamado and griddle, sorted by fuel, by what you cook, and by budget.

By Justin Park · How we research

The right grill or smoker is a decade-long purchase that turns a backyard into the place everyone wants to be. But it's also a genuinely confusing buy: gas, charcoal, pellet, kamado, or griddle — each cooks differently, and the spread runs from a $149 icon to a $3,900 flagship. Pick wrong and you'll resent it every weekend; pick right and you'll cook on it for years.

This guide makes it simple. We've gathered the best grills and smokers you can buy on Amazon right now — Weber, Traeger, Kamado Joe, Blackstone, Masterbuilt and Pit Boss — sorted by fuel type, by what you cook, and by budget. Every cooker was verified live with current pricing, and we explain the gas-vs-pellet-vs-charcoal question in plain English so you buy the experience you actually want, plus the few accessories that genuinely matter.

In a Hurry?

The 4 picks that cover most readers. Tap to read the full review or buy direct.

Our Pick

Weber Genesis E-325

Weber Genesis E-325

$949.00

The do-everything gas grill most people should buy.

Best Smoker

Traeger Ironwood 885

Traeger Ironwood 885

$1,399.99

Hands-off wood-smoke BBQ, run from your phone.

Best Value

Weber Original Kettle 22"

Weber Original Kettle 22"

$149.00

The icon — real charcoal flavor for $149.

Best Griddle

Blackstone 36" Griddle

Blackstone 36" Griddle

$466.20

Smash burgers and breakfast for a crowd.

Best Overall Gas GrillOur Pick

Fuel

Propane gas

Burners

3

Grates

Cast iron

Warranty

Long (Weber)

Best for

Most households

Pros

  • Even, powerful heat across three burners
  • Legendary Weber build and warranty
  • Big enough for a family, simple to use
  • Holds value and lasts for a decade-plus

Cons

  • Not the cheapest gas grill
  • Gas-only (no smoke flavor)
For the vast majority of backyards, the Weber Genesis is the right grill. Three burners deliver even, reliable heat, the build quality is the best in mainstream gas grilling, and Weber's warranty and parts support mean it'll still be cooking in ten years. It's not the cheapest, but it's the one that makes 'should I buy a nicer grill next time' a question you never ask. The default recommendation.

Our Pick

The best all-around gas grill: powerful, dependable, and built to outlast everything around it.

Best Pellet Grill & SmokerBest Smoker

Fuel

Wood pellets

Control

WiFi app

Range

180–500°F

Best for

Set-and-forget BBQ

Pros

  • Real wood smoke with digital, set-it-and-forget-it control
  • WiFi — monitor and adjust from your phone
  • Grills, smokes, bakes, roasts — 6-in-1
  • Big capacity for briskets and butts

Cons

  • Pricey; needs a power outlet
  • Pellets are an ongoing cost
The Ironwood 885 is what made low-and-slow BBQ accessible to everyone: set a temperature, the auger feeds pellets to hold it, and you walk away — checking the meat from your phone. You get genuine wood-smoke flavor with none of the fire-tending of a stick burner, plus the range to grill, bake, and roast. For anyone who wants competition-style brisket and ribs without the all-night vigil, this is the one.
Check Price on Amazon →$1,399.99 · Traeger
Best Premium / Splurge

Fuel

Propane gas

Burners

Multiple + sear

Build

Flagship

Best for

Outdoor kitchens

Pros

  • Weber's no-compromise flagship build
  • Powerful dedicated sear station
  • Huge, even cooking capacity
  • The centerpiece of a real outdoor kitchen

Cons

  • A serious investment
  • Large and permanent
The Summit is Weber's flagship — the grill you buy when you're building an outdoor kitchen and want the last grill you'll ever need. Massive even capacity, a dedicated high-heat sear zone, and a build that justifies the price. It's overkill for casual grilling, but for the serious host who entertains constantly, nothing in the mainstream does it better.
Check Price on Amazon →$3,899.00 · Weber
Best Charcoal All-Rounder (Kamado)Most Versatile

Fuel

Charcoal

Material

Ceramic

Range

225–750°F

Best for

One grill that does it all

Pros

  • Sears, smokes low-and-slow, AND bakes pizza
  • Ceramic holds heat and moisture beautifully
  • Incredible fuel efficiency
  • A true do-everything cooker

Cons

  • Heavy and not portable
  • Charcoal means a learning curve
If you want one cooker that genuinely does everything, the Kamado Joe Classic II is it. The ceramic body holds temperatures from a low 225°F smoke to a 700°F+ steak sear, and it bakes a pizza beautifully too. It's heavy and takes practice, but committed cooks adore it — the most versatile single grill you can own, and the one a lot of enthusiasts settle on for life.
Check Price on Amazon →$1,199.99 · Kamado Joe
Best Budget & Best Charcoal ValueBest Value

Fuel

Charcoal

Size

22"

Legacy

70+ years

Best for

Pure charcoal flavor cheap

Pros

  • The most iconic grill ever made
  • Genuine charcoal flavor for $149
  • Nearly indestructible; cheap parts forever
  • Can smoke too with a two-zone fire

Cons

  • Manual fire and temperature control
  • No fancy features (that's the point)
Seventy years on, the Weber Kettle is still the smartest $149 in grilling. Real charcoal flavor, a build that lasts decades, and enough versatility (with a two-zone fire) to sear steaks and smoke a chicken. It asks you to learn fire — and rewards you forever. If you want the most cooking joy per dollar, start here; many lifelong grillers never feel the need to leave.
Best Griddle (Flat-Top)Best Griddle

Fuel

Propane gas

Surface

36" steel

Power

60,000 BTU

Best for

Smash burgers & breakfast

Pros

  • Smash burgers, breakfast, hibachi, fajitas, more
  • Huge 36-inch flat-top feeds a crowd
  • Fast heat and easy cleanup
  • A whole style of cooking a grill can't do

Cons

  • Not for indirect/low-and-slow
  • Steel needs seasoning and care
The Blackstone opened up a whole category of backyard cooking: the flat-top griddle. Smash burgers with crispy edges, diner breakfasts for ten, hibachi, fajitas, fried rice — things a grill grate simply can't do. The 36-inch surface and 60,000 BTUs feed a party fast, and cleanup is easy. It's not a replacement for a grill or smoker; it's the third cooker serious backyard cooks add.
Check Price on Amazon →$466.20 · Blackstone

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Best Value Pellet Grill

Fuel

Wood pellets

Control

WiFi

Functions

6-in-1

Best for

Pellet smoking on a budget

Pros

  • Traeger smoke and WiFi control for less
  • Big 780 sq-in cooking area
  • Grills, smokes, bakes, roasts
  • The value entry to set-and-forget BBQ

Cons

  • Less insulated than the Ironwood
  • Pellets are an ongoing cost
The Pro 780 delivers the core Traeger promise — real wood smoke with hands-off digital control and WiFi monitoring — at a notably friendlier price than the Ironwood. It's a touch less refined and insulated, but for most families getting into pellet cooking, it's the smart-money pick and a huge amount of grill for the money.
Check Price on Amazon →$999.99 · Traeger
Best Dedicated Charcoal Smoker

Fuel

Charcoal

Type

Bullet/vertical

Use

Low-and-slow

Best for

Competition-style BBQ

Pros

  • Competition-proven charcoal smoking
  • Holds low temps for 12+ hours
  • Pure wood-and-charcoal flavor
  • Bulletproof, simple, beloved

Cons

  • Smoker only (not a grill)
  • Manual charcoal management
The Weber Smokey Mountain is the charcoal smoker that wins actual barbecue competitions — and it's shockingly affordable for what it does. The bullet design holds a low temperature for 12+ hours, so you can smoke a brisket or a couple of pork butts to perfection with pure charcoal-and-wood flavor. If you want the real, traditional smoke (not pellets) and don't mind tending a fire, nothing at the price touches it.
Best Digital Charcoal Grill

Fuel

Charcoal (gravity-fed)

Control

Digital + WiFi

Modes

Grill, smoke, griddle

Best for

Charcoal flavor, no babysitting

Pros

  • Real charcoal flavor with set-and-forget digital control
  • Gravity hopper feeds charcoal automatically
  • Reaches high sear temps AND smokes low
  • Griddle insert available

Cons

  • More moving parts than a simple smoker
  • Needs power for the fan/controller
The Masterbuilt Gravity 800 is a clever bridge: it burns real charcoal (for flavor pellets can't match) but a gravity-fed hopper and digital fan hold your set temperature automatically — so you get charcoal taste with pellet-grill convenience. It sears hot, smokes low, and takes a griddle insert. For the cook who wants charcoal flavor without babysitting the fire, it's a genuinely smart design.
Check Price on Amazon →$899.00 · Masterbuilt
Best Electric / Small-SpaceBest for Balconies

Fuel

Electric + wood pellets

Functions

6-in-1

Size

Compact

Best for

Balconies & patios

Pros

  • Real wood-pellet smoke flavor from an electric unit
  • Grills, smokes, bakes, air-fries — 6-in-1
  • Compact enough for a balcony or small patio
  • No propane tank or charcoal mess

Cons

  • Small cooking area
  • Needs an outlet
The Ninja Woodfire Grill solves the apartment-and-balcony problem: it's electric (so it's allowed where propane and charcoal aren't), yet it burns wood pellets for genuine smoke flavor, and it does six jobs from grilling to air-frying. The cooking area is small, but for small-space dwellers who thought real smoke flavor was off-limits, it's a revelation.
Best Budget Gas Grill

Fuel

Propane gas

Burners

3

Brand

Weber

Best for

Reliable gas on a budget

Pros

  • Weber reliability at an entry price
  • Three burners — real family capacity
  • Simple, durable, easy to live with
  • The safe budget gas choice

Cons

  • Fewer features than the Genesis
  • Smaller side tables
The Spirit E-310 is the Weber to buy when the Genesis is more than you want to spend. You still get three burners, the same legendary build and warranty, and even, reliable heat — just in a slightly smaller, simpler package. For most families it's all the gas grill they'll ever need, at a genuinely fair price.
Best Portable Gas Grill

Fuel

Propane gas

Portability

High (with stand)

Range

250–700°F

Best for

Small patios & tailgates

Pros

  • Surprising power and even heat for the size
  • Comes with a stand — use it anywhere
  • Great for balconies, tailgates, campsites
  • Weber quality in a compact body

Cons

  • Smaller cooking area
  • One main burner zone
The Weber Q 2800N+ proves portable doesn't mean compromised. It puts out real heat (up to 700°F), cooks evenly, and comes with a stand so it works on a balcony, at a tailgate, or at a campsite. For small-space grillers or anyone who wants a take-anywhere gas grill that actually performs, it's the class of the field.

Head-to-Head

How the top picks compare

The two cross-shops that decide most backyards.

Weber Genesis (Gas) vs. Traeger Pro 780 (Pellet)

Everyday convenience vs. real wood-smoke BBQ.

Genesis E-325

Weber

Winner

Genesis E-325

Fast, precise, do-anything gas

$949.00
Check Price →
Pro 780

Traeger

Pro 780

Hands-off wood smoke + WiFi

$999.99
Check Price →

Our verdict

Winner: Weber Genesis E-325. It depends on what you cook most. The Genesis is the better everyday grill — instant heat, fast weeknight dinners, and the searing power gas does best. The Traeger is the better BBQ machine — real wood smoke and hands-off briskets, but slower to heat and less ideal for a quick burger. If you mostly grill, get the Genesis; if you dream of smoked ribs and brisket, get the Traeger. (Plenty of people eventually own both.)

Buy the Weber

Buy the Genesis if you mostly grill and want fast, reliable, everyday cooking.

Buy the Traeger

Buy the Traeger if low-and-slow smoked BBQ is what you're really after.

Weber Kettle vs. Kamado Joe Classic

The $149 icon vs. the do-everything ceramic.

Original Kettle 22"

Weber

Winner

Original Kettle 22"

Unbeatable charcoal value

$149.00
Check Price →
Classic II

Kamado Joe

Classic II

Sears, smokes & bakes — all in one

$1,199.99
Check Price →

Our verdict

Winner: Weber Original Kettle 22". Both are charcoal, but they serve different buyers. The Kettle gives you genuine charcoal flavor and decades of durability for $149 — the best value in grilling, and all most people ever need. The Kamado Joe costs eight times as much but is a true do-everything cooker: precise low-and-slow smoking, 700°F searing, and pizza, with superb heat retention. Start with the Kettle unless you specifically want one ceramic cooker to replace a grill, smoker, and pizza oven — then the Kamado earns it.

Buy the Weber

Buy the Kettle if you want the best charcoal flavor for the least money.

Buy the Kamado Joe

Buy the Kamado Joe if you want one premium cooker that smokes, sears and bakes.

How we
chose

Every grill and smoker here is genuinely available on Amazon with verified live pricing and real product imagery. Outdoor cooking is one of the best-stocked categories on the platform, so this list includes the true icons across every fuel type: Weber's full gas, charcoal and smoker lineup, Traeger's pellet grills, the Kamado Joe ceramics, the Blackstone griddle, and budget leaders like Pit Boss and Masterbuilt.

  • Sorted by fuel and by what you cook — gas (convenience), pellet (set-and-forget smoke), charcoal/kamado (flavor and versatility), and griddle (a whole other style).
  • Honest about effort — we tell you which cookers just work and which reward (and require) skill, so the grill matches your patience.
  • The accessories that matter — a wireless thermometer changes your BBQ more than another $200 of grill; we include the few essentials.

Austin Gallery may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. It never changes our rankings.

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The Full Guide

The Complete Grill & Smoker Guide

Every cooker we recommend — sorted by fuel, by what you cook, by budget, and by brand — plus the accessories that matter. Find your style and jump in.

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