The Ultimate Guide To Grill Types

There are several ways of categorizing the many types of grills you can find online. But the best way to categorize them is from a griller’s point of view. 

From fuel type, to the desired flavor, to grill functionality, there are several aspects to consider before buying the right grill. 

In this post, I’m going to tell you about each kind of grill and the variables you should consider when buying one. Let’s have a look at each of them.

It is a traditional grill that uses charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal as fuel. When charcoal is burned, it transforms into embers, which radiates heat essential to cook food. 

Charcoal grills are the oldest type of barbecue grills. In the old days, people used to use slow-cook hogs on charcoal. As BBQ’s smokey flavor became popular, people started cooking a variety of foods on the grill and found innovative ways to do it. People initially used Oil Drum BBQs, which are the predecessors of the charcoal grills of today.

How to Use a Charcoal Grill?

Grilling with charcoal requires time and attention, but the effort is well worth it once you bite into the delicious chargrilled food. 

Firing up a charcoal grill requires some skill, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it. People sometimes use lighter fluid to get the fire started, but it’s best to avoid this method if you enjoy pure BBQ flavors.  

Once the coal is hot and ready for cooking, be sure to monitor your meat and veggies with a food thermometer. You will need to pay special attention to the food because you cannot directly control the charcoal grill’s temperature. You can indirectly adjust the heat by controlling the flow of oxygen using vents of the grill or by adjusting the food’s placement in relation to the coal. 

Using a charcoal grill can be intimidating if you’re grilling for the first time. However, if you understand the best way to light a charcoal grill and get some practice, you’ll be using it effortlessly. 

Charcoal grills generally need more cleaning compared to other grills. Every time you grill, you need to remove the ash and clean your grill the right way. 

Types of Charcoal Grills

In the old days, BBQ pits were used for cookouts. However, charcoal grills have changed a lot since then. Today, charcoal grills come in the following varieties:

Barrel Charcoal Grill

A barrel charcoal grill is the modern adaptation of an Oil Drum BBQ. The grill has a barrel-shaped design with a heavier gauge metal that ensures a tight seal. 

A standard-sized barrel grill has a large surface area to cook food. This allows you to cook more food at the same time and even set up the grill as an offset smoker.

A traditional barrel grill has cast-iron grates that are capable of holding more heat. This results in excellent food searing and grill durability. Learn more about grill grates here.

Barrel charcoal grills cost around $90-$250.

Kettle Charcoal Grill

Kettle charcoal grills have a kettle-like shape, with a rounded bottom, and have a smaller grilling surface area than a barrel grill. Kettle grills employ a two-zone system for regulating grill temperature. 

As the kettle grill is portable and smaller in size, they’re a hit at camping and tailgating trips. You can find the kettle grills costing between $80-$250. 

Kamado Charcoal Grill

In recent years, kamado charcoal grills have risen in popularity among grill enthusiasts. They look like an elongated Kettle Grill and are akin to a large urn or egg.

Kamado grills are made of ceramic material, and it holds its temperature well in harsh weather. This means that Kamado grills can be used in every season. This makes them more versatile than Kettle grills.

These grills are typically much heavier, weighing between 150-500 pounds depending on size. Because of their mass, firing up a Kamado grill usually takes longer, about 45 minutes. 

Good kamado grills are expensive, they can cost you from $1000-$2000.

Pros 

• It is Great for Searing Meat
  To get a quick sear on the meat, the grill must have the ability to reach temperatures of around 600°F (315°C). This is no problem with a charcoal grill as it can reach temperatures of up to 700°F (370°C). 
• You Can Get a Smoky Flavor
  You can get a delicious smoky flavor only if you are using a charcoal grill. When the fat of the meat drips onto the hot coal, it’s instantly vaporized and gives leaves a smoky flavor as it transfers back to the food.
• They’re Inexpensive
  You can get a basic charcoal grill for as low as $25, while a moderately-priced grill can cost you approximately $150.

Cons 

• It Takes a Long Time to Heat Up
  Charcoal grills take 15 to 20 mins to reach cooking temperature. If you’ve not yet picked up the skills to light charcoals and adjust the temperature, cooking with a charcoal gill will take very long. This is why BBQ beginners rarely opt for a Charcoal grill.
• Fuel Cost
  You need to use fresh charcoal every time you grill. If you’re using premium Lump Charcoal, the costs can quickly add up. A 20-pound bag of charcoal costs around $35-$40.
• Cleanup is Messy
  Cleaning a charcoal grill and disposing of the residue could seem like a daunting task, but it’s easy to do when you have the right advice. If this is the only concern holding you back, you may want to check our tips on speeding up the cleaning process and disposing of the BBQ ash. 

Gas Grills 

Gas grills are the most widely used grill in the US because they’re versatile and easy to use. Unlike charcoal grills, they use natural gas or propane as a fuel source. They don’t require a lot of skill or time to fire up. This is why they’re preferred by beginners and quick service restaurants. 

Gas grills give you excellent control over the grill’s temperature. This means you can have a stress-free cookout with friends and family. Moreover, it is quite easy to clean and maintain. 

How to Use a Gas Grill?

To warm the grill before cooking, turn on the grill and close the lid so it can heat up to the right temperature. It may take 10-15 mins. 

Once the grill gets warm, put the meat and veggies on the grill and adjust the temperature depending on the flavor that you are aiming for. 

Types of Gas Grills

Gas grills were introduced in the 1950s. There are three basic types of gas grills:

Natural Gas Grill

Natural gas grills connect to the built-in gas line of your home. The most significant advantage of using a natural gas grill is you don’t need to buy fuel! If you don’t have a gas connection, we recommend getting one since it is cost-effective in the long run.

However, remember that being attached to a gas line will mean that the grill loses portability. You can improve the portability of the grill by connecting extendable hoses with freestanding grills, but mobility is always somewhat limited. Another disadvantage of natural gas is that it doesn’t burn as hot as propane. 

Natural gas grills are inexpensive, their cost starts from $100.

Propane Gas Grill

Propane grills utilize propane gas as a fuel source. Though it will cost you more since a gas tank needs to be refilled after a few sessions. However, propane gas grills are more popular than natural gas grills. This is because propane heats the grill quicker, which makes for a better grilling experience. 

Some propane grills offer a handful of cooking methods, including indirect heating and multi-zone cooking. They are easy to use and portable as well.

Propane grills can cost as low as $80. 

Flat Top Gas Grill

Flat top gas grills have a flat griddle on top made with uncoated steel. They are fueled by propane or natural gas. The food cooked on a flat top gas grill is juicy, but since the flame can’t directly sear the meat, it has less flavor than other types of gas grills. 

Flat top grills come in varying sizes, from 17-36 inches in length. These grills are portable and lightweight, so you can carry them anywhere. 

Moreover, flat-top grills are affordable, starting at $100.

Pros 

• Easy to Use
  Gas grills are easy to light, let you have direct control over the heat, and they cool down in minutes once you’re done grilling. 
• Lesser Fuel Cost
  Gas tanks are generally cheaper than charcoal packs. Gas tanks also last much longer since they can be turned off instantly when you’re done grilling. Therefore, no fuel wasted. 
• No Ash Disposal 
  Gas grills don’t require you to dispose of ash once you’re done grilling. This saves you the trouble of waiting for the ash to cool down so that you can safely dispose of it. 

Cons 

• No Smoky Flavor
  If you love the chargrilled flavor of BBQ, you won’t be happy with the taste. Don’t get me wrong, Don’t get me wrong; the food tastes good, and you can even get sear marks on your food, but it’s just not the real deal.
• There May be Restrictions on Using Gas Grills
  Gas grills are considered an open fire, and depending on the county you live in, this may violate your local fire code. Read this post to have a Fire-Code Compliant BBQ.
• May Need Special Attention for Storage and Maintenance
  It isn’t advisable to store gas tanks in your house or near elevators, doorways, exits, or stairwells. Also, when you clean your gas grill, you have to be careful not to push the food particles into the burner as this can affect the performance of your grill.

Dual Fuel Grills

Can’t make up your mind between a gas and charcoal grill? A dual-fuel grill may be the best option for you. Dual Fuel grills give you the best of both worlds; the convenience of a gas grill and the smoky flavor of a charcoal grill. This advantage of dual-fuel grills is making it a fast-growing favorite among businesses and households alike. 

How to Use a Dual Fuel Grill?

A dual fuel grill has two basic modes of working, one that uses gas, another that uses charcoal. You would use them just like a gas and charcoal grill, respectively. 

You can also use the gas burner to avoid the struggle of lighting a charcoal grill.

Types of Dual Fuel Grills

Single-Zone Dual Fuel Grill

Dual fuel grills that have a single cooking area for both the gas and charcoal mode of operation are called single-zone dual fuel grills. These are more compact than the other variants of a dual fuel grill.

Double-Zone Dual Fuel Grill

Dual fuel grills that have two cooking areas, one for gas and the other for the charcoal mode of operation, are called double-zone dual fuel grills. These take up more space but help serve people with different preferences. 

Multi-Zone Dual Fuel Grill

Multi-zone grills are the swiss army knives of grilling. They have more than two cooking areas that often feature a stovetop on the side of the grill. Some advanced girls also have pellet smokers and infrared grills built in it.

Pros 

• Simplifies Lighting of Charcoal
  Using the gas burner of a dual fuel grill, lighting your charcoal is as easy as pushing a button. Even if your grill does not have a dedicated charcoal lighter, you can always move the charcoal tray to the gas burner.
• Best of Both Worlds
  With dual fuel grills, you can cook on both gas burners and charcoal. With a dual fuel grill, you never have to serve BBQ that your guests don’t prefer.
• Space Efficiency 
  If you want to buy both charcoal and gas grills, but you have limited space, a dual fuel grill is the best option since it will almost always take up a smaller area.

Cons

• High Price
  If you want a premium grill that stands the test of time, dual fuel grills can be expensive. However, you can find affordable dual fuel grills for as low as $200.
• Often Less Effective
  With a dual fuel grill, manufacturers sometimes cut corners on the budget grills. This makes combo grills less effective than a grill dedicated to one fuel source. 

Smoker Grills

Smoker grills are used to smoke meat. BBQ smoking is a cooking method that uses smoke as an indirect heat source. A smoker grill has a long chamber for smoking the meat. 

Smoking meat renders tough pieces of meat into soft, delicious meat with a smoky flavor. 

How to Use a Smoker Grill?

To use a smoker grill, you need to create smoke inside the grill by putting wood chips on the heat source. Then place a water pan over the heat source to maintain moisture in the meat and protect the meat from direct heat. 

Then all you have to do is adjust the airflow of the smoker and wait patiently to dig into perfectly smoked meat.

Types of Smoker Grills

Smoker grills can use any fuel source as long as it heats the wood to create smoke for indirect cooking. 

Vertical Charcoal Smoker (Box and Drum Type Smokers)

A charcoal smoker uses charcoal as the heat source to heat the wood. These smokers take up less space, and requires you to switch the position of the meat often if you are using it to smoke more than one layer of meat. Charcoal is the recommended fuel type for BBQ smokers as it produces a beautiful, dark BBQ bark. 

Horizontal Charcoal Smoker or Offset Smoker

Offset smokers also use charcoal as their fuel source. They have the same design as a barrel charcoal grill with an additional firebox to the grill’s side. Wood is burnt as the firebox, and it escapes from a chimney that’s placed on the other end of the barrel. 

An offset smoker takes up more space than a vertical charcoal smoker. However, it doubles as a regular grill, which is a great advantage.

Pellet Smoker

Pellet smokers create smoke by using small, compressed pellets from natural hardwoods, like Apple, Hickory, Pecan, etc. These pellets are slowly and automatically fed to the firebox with the help of an auger motor. The consistent supply of pellets and automatically regulated blowers inside the smoker ensures that your meat gets an optimal smoky flavor.

A pellet smoker looks similar to an offset smoker externally, but internally, they work differently. The box attached to the side of the pellet smoker is used to store pellets while the firebox is inside the barrel of the smoker.

Gas Smoker

These smokers use gas as a heat source to create smoke. The heat from the gas is much more consistent than charcoal and therefore gives the meat an excellent wood-smoke flavor. If you want your meat to have less charcoal-like smoke flavor, gas smokers are a great choice. 

Electric Smoker

An electric smoker uses a heating element/ ignitor to heat the wood chips. The principle of creating smoke is very similar to a pellet smoker. The only difference is that there is no auger motor continuously feeding fresh pellets and getting rid of the used ash. Electric Smokers work as good as gas smokers. 

Pros 

• Comes in All Shapes, Budgets, and Sizes
  If you enjoy smoked meats, you’re sure to find a smoker that fits your needs.
• Doesn’t Need Too Much Attention
  Smokers don’t need extensive monitoring since it is cooked low and slow. Moreover, the apps that come along with premium smokers make your life much easier.
• Smoky Flavor
  In my opinion, food cooked on a pellet grill is the tastiest. You can mix and blend different woods to get the flavor that you love.
• Easy to Clean 
  Unlike charcoal grills, the ash is stored in built-in trays in a BBQ smoker. This makes cleaning and maintenance much easier.

Cons 

• Manual Control Isn’t Easy
  If your smoker isn’t automatic, getting the airflow right will take patience and practice. We recommend using a food thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat.
• High Fuel Cost 
  Buying high-quality wood can be expensive. Longer cooking sessions need more wood, which increases the cost of the cook.
• Expensive Equipment
  Smokers are generally costlier than regular grills. Their prices range from $200 to $4000, depending on the features.

Infrared Grills 

Infrared grills use infrared radiation to heat food. Radiant heat is created by burning propane or natural gas in a chamber under the heating plate. The heating plate can be made of steel, ceramic, or glass. 

People often have many questions about infrared grills since it is a relatively new technology compared to other grills. Read this article for answers to all the frequently asked questions about Infrared Grills. 

How to Use an Infrared Grill?

Using an infrared grill is almost identical to using a gas grill. The only difference is that infrared grills take the least amount of time (2-3 minutes) to heat up and can produce a tremendous amount of heat – more than 1200°F (649°C).

Pros 

• It Cooks Food Quickly
  Infrared grills cook food very fast due to the ultra-high temperatures. The high heat results in a great sear and produces perfectly juicy steaks. 
• Not Prone to Flare-Ups
  The infrared grills are not prone to flare-ups due to high-temperature. When anything drips from the food, it’s instantly vaporized because of the radiation. 
• Easy to Clean
  Since the food drippings are vaporized almost instantly, infrared grills need a lot less cleaning.

Cons 

• Relatively Expensive
  Given the latest technology, infrared grills don’t come cheap. Prices range from $200 for a small-sized grill to $1000 for a medium-sized grill.
• Cheaper Models Not Suitable For Low Heat
  Infrared grills of inferior quality are often incapable of delivering a small amount of heat. If you want to cook your meat low and slow, or you want to grill fish and vegetables, you need to test if the grill works well on low heat.

Electric Grills

If you cannot comply with local fire safety regulations while using one of the above grills, electric grills are the way to go. 

Electric grills are powered by traditional power outlets and are great for indoor use. You can use the grill outdoors, but you have to ensure an electricity connection. 

The food is cooked using electrically heated grill plates. The grill plates can produce grills marks, but they’re usually small and don’t offer a large cooking area. Electric grills are also not fit for smoking since they don’t use fire. 

Using an electric grill is as simple as using a waffle maker!

Pros 

• Ease of Use 
  The grill is as easy as plug and play. Simply find a power outlet, plug it in, and start grilling. 
• Easy to Maintain
  Among all the grills, the electric grill is easy to clean and maintain. You just have to clean the grilling surface. 
• No Need to Refuel
  As it is powered by electricity, you don’t need to worry about buying gas tanks or charcoal packs. 
• Affordable 
  Electric grills are not expensive at all; you can find a basic electric grill for as low as $100.

Cons 

• No Smoky Flavor
  The food cooked on electric grills lacks the traditional smoky flavor. 
• Not Suitable for Camping/ Tailgating
  Even though electric grills are small in size, they can’t easily be used on the go due to the unavailability of electrical power.

Portable Grills

Speaking of portability, what if you want to be able to grill on the go?

As you can imagine, there are many options for portable grills. From propane to charcoal grills, all grills come in a compact size. These grills are ideal for traveling, and you can take them to beach parties, camping, and tailgating.

Pros 

• Lightweight
  Portable grills are usually lightweight, which makes them easy to carry and travel-friendly.
• Affordable 
  Portable grills are inexpensive. You can find a portable grill for even $10, depending on the quality.
• Small Size
  Portable grills are incredibly space-efficient, so if you live in a studio apartment and want to own a grill, you may want to look into portable grills.

Con

• Small Grilling Surface
  Since portable grills have a small surface area, you can only cook limited food at a time.

Disposable Grills

Disposable grills are specifically designed for one-time use. 

They are made of lightweight aluminum material and use charcoal as a fuel source. Disposable grills are also portable, so they’re ideal for camping and other outdoor trips. 

People who don’t grill regularly often prefer disposable grills. If interested, check out my article on whether disposable BBQs are worth it. 

Pros

• No Cleaning Required
  The best part about using a disposable grill is you don’t need to clean out the ash after grilling. Once the grill cools down, you can dispose of the grill entirely.
• All Accessories are Included
  The disposable grills come with all the essentials, including foil pan, charcoal, and starter sheet.
• Budget-Friendly
  Disposable grills cost as low as $1. You can even get a family-sized grill for just $25.

Cons 

• Can’t Accommodate Larger Meat Cuts
  As disposable grills are small and have limited heating capacity, you can not grill a thick piece of meat on it as it may not fit or finish cooking.
• Easily Flares Up
  If you don’t use lean cuts of meat, a disposable grill flares up because of the short distance between the coal and meat.
• Not Environment Friendly
  Disposable grills can’t be recycled as they are not made of eco-friendly materials.

Summary

I hope this article helped you make up your mind on which grill you want to buy. 

If you’re looking for a smoky flavor, a charcoal grill or smoker is your best bet. 

If what matters most is convenience, then gas or electric grills are right up your alley. 

If you want both convenience and flavor, then an all-in-one dual fuel grill may be what you’re looking for.

If you’re just looking to grill once, get yourself a disposable grill.

I’ve included links to the recommended product for each type of grill for your convenience.

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