Best Grills for Beginners of 2026
Grills, griddles and pizza ovens our reviews rate as right for someone new to outdoor cooking.
Your first grill should be easy to light, easy to control and easy to clean.
Skip the gadgets for now. A simple, well made grill teaches you more and lets you down less.
Our grill reviews found these picks forgiving, so dinner turns out well while you learn.
We tested 122 grills for beginners for this guide. Most of them do well on how easy they are to use. Where most fall short is how long they last, so that is where the picks below stand apart.
Our picks
- Best overall
Weber Spirit EX-325 Smart Gas Grill Nothing else near this price lights each burner one-handed and then reports grill and food temps to a phone. $599 at Amazon - Easiest to use
Weber Traveler Compact Portable Gas Grill One lever, one knob, a self-locking lid, and 37 pounds against the larger Traveler's 49, with no assembly published. $349 at Amazon - Best for the money
Weber Smokey Joe 14 Charcoal Grill At $54.99 the bowl and lid carry the same ten years Weber puts on kettles costing several times more. $54.99 at Amazon - Best gas grill for beginners
Weber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill Two Boost Burners give one grate two real working heats, at close to 86 BTU per square inch over the primary grate. $499 at Amazon - Best charcoal grill for beginners
Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill 22 Leads Weber's 22 in kettles on price: $149.00 buys the same 363 sq in fire the dearer models sell with extras attached. $149 at Amazon - Best electric grill for beginners
Weber Lumin Compact Electric Grill Cast iron under porcelain on a 26.00 pound body Weber says can be left outside in the rain. $399 at Amazon - Best pizza oven for beginners
Ooni Koda 2 Pro Gas Pizza Oven Twin side burners, listed at 33,000 BTU/hr, drive a 0.8 in cordierite floor to 950 °F; a 30 minute warm up costs it. $798.95 at Amazon - Best grill for beginners under $300
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22 One-Touch blades push ash into an enclosed catcher, warranted five years, so emptying it is one lift and no grey drift on the patio. $219 at Amazon
Prices are what the retailer charged when we last checked. More on each pick below.
Best grill for beginners overallWeber Spirit EX-325 Smart Gas Grill
Weber did not build a better Spirit here, it built one that reports back. On a long, slow cook that is genuinely useful, and the alerts are not oversold. Buy it for the waiting, not for the fire.
Good to know: Removable grease tray helps, yet cast iron wants oiling and there is now a probe, a display and cells to mind.
Easiest to useWeber Traveler Compact Portable Gas Grill
Buy the Compact if the back of your car is what decides the argument. It keeps the bigger Traveler's iron, its lever and its wheels. Nine inches come back for a hundred dollars. What it takes is elbow room on the grate, and there is none to spare.
Why it won this award: One lever, one knob, a self-locking lid, and 37 pounds against the larger Traveler's 49, with no assembly published.
Good to know: The five-year headline reaches the cookbox and lid only; the lever and hinges doing every trip's work sit in the two-year bracket.
Best for the moneyWeber Smokey Joe 14 Charcoal Grill
The Smokey Joe is the whole Weber kettle argument, shrunk and priced at $54.99. Two dampers, porcelain enamel, and ten years on the parts that rust. Just settle what the grate is made of before you decide how to look after it.
Why it won this award: At $54.99 the bowl and lid carry the same ten years Weber puts on kettles costing several times more.
Good to know: Porcelain wipes down and the catcher lifts away, but the feature list names no One-Touch sweep to push ash into it.
Best gas grill for beginnersWeber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill
Buy the E-325 if you want two working heats on one grate without banking coals. The Sear Zone is a genuine change in how a Spirit gets cooked on. Just understand what Weber did here. It did not add fire; it gave the fire an address.
Good to know: The grease tray slides out and empties fast, but chipped enamel on cast iron rusts.
Best charcoal grill for beginnersWeber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill 22
The kettle answers its own question. Weber took out the instruments, not the cooking, and then priced its griddle above the grill. If you will read coals rather than a dial, $149.00 buys plenty of fire.
Good to know: The lid hook and tool hooks help, but no thermometer is listed and refuelling means lifting the whole grate off the coals.
Best electric grill for beginnersWeber Lumin Compact Electric Grill
Weber did not build a weaker Lumin here. It built the same element with less metal to heat. That is a real difference, not a downgrade. Take the Compact if 180 square inches suits your table, knowing the saving is modest.
Good to know: The heating element carries two years while the cookbox, lid, grates and plastics all carry five.
Best pizza oven for beginnersOoni Koda 2 Pro Gas Pizza Oven
The Koda 2 Pro is still a pizza oven first. Its thick stone and twin burners exist for pie after pie.
Good to know: Spark ignition and a probe in the box help, yet 66 lb and a half hour to ready make every session a planned event.
Best grill for beginners under $300Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill 22
Weber did not make this kettle cook hotter. The $80 buys the third hour: refuelling without unloading, and a dial to tell you when. If your cooks end before the first coals fade, the plain Original is the smarter buy.
Good to know: $229.00 at Weber buys the $149.00 Original's cooking plus three convenience parts; a burgers-only cook pays $80 for little.
Questions people ask
What is the best grill for beginners?
Our top pick is the Weber Spirit EX-325 Smart Gas Grill. Weber did not build a better Spirit here, it built one that reports back. On a long, slow cook that is genuinely useful, and the alerts are not oversold.
What is the best value grill for beginners?
The Weber Smokey Joe 14 Charcoal Grill. At $54.99 the bowl and lid carry the same ten years Weber puts on kettles costing several times more.
How much should I spend on a grill for beginners?
Most of the grills for beginners we tested cost between $120 and $400. Our top pick costs about $599. Across all our scores, paying more buys a little, and much less than the price tag suggests.
Which brand makes the best grills for beginners?
Of the brands we tested at least twice here, Weber did best across its 21 models, ahead of Napoleon. A single great model matters more than the badge, so judge each grill for beginners on its own.
Is gas or charcoal easier for a beginner?
Gas is easier. It lights with a button, heats fast and the knobs control the heat. Charcoal takes more practice but gives a smokier flavor. Many people start with gas and add charcoal later.
What temperature should meat be when it is done?
Use an instant read thermometer, not guesswork. Food safety guides say chicken is done at 165 F and ground beef at 160 F. Steaks, chops and roasts are safe at 145 F after a short rest.
Should you oil grill grates before cooking?
Yes, lightly. Heat the grill, then wipe the grates with an oiled paper towel held in tongs. Oiling the food itself also works well. Either way, food sticks less and releases cleanly.
How often should you clean your grill?
Brush the grates after every cook while they are still warm. Empty the grease tray often, since old grease causes flare ups. Give the whole grill a deep clean a few times a year.
How we picked
Every pick comes from our own testing, scored the same way across six things that matter to an owner. The overall pick is the highest Avid Griller Score. Easiest to use and best for the money go to the top Ease of Use and Value scores. Every other pick is the top overall scorer of its fuel or kind, or priced under the limit at the retailer we checked. How we score.
Looking for something else? See all our best grill guides.