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The kind, the size and the budget, with every kind of grill compared on our scores.

Cart, portable or built-in, the parts worth paying for, and what the BTU number hides.

Kettle, barrel, kamado or portable, the parts worth paying for, and the budget, from our scores.

Controllers, hoppers, and whether paying more buys one that lasts.

One question narrows six types to one or two; then flavor, size and what to check.

By number of people, main grate against total area, and the best grill at each size.

Taste, heat, cost, cleanup and health, with our scores for both on one scale.

Searing, smoking, ease and reliability, with our scores for both on one scale.

Typical prices by kind, and the least you can pay for a grill near the top of our scores.

Why the BTU number on the box misleads, and what our scored grills show instead.

The six kinds of smoker, how each one works, and which is easiest to run, from our scores.

Kettles, barrels, kamados, portables and more: how each works and how they compare on our scores.

Gas and charcoal grills labelled part by part, and which parts wear out first.

The hopper, auger, firepot, igniter, fan and controller, in a cutaway.

Thick walls, two vents and a heat deflector, in a cutaway, and whether one is worth it.

Which wood suits beef, pork, poultry and fish, and chips vs chunks vs splits.

What is in them, how long a hopper lasts, and how to keep them dry.

What each part is made of, the magnet test, and what our scores show for each.

How each burns, what is inside, and which suits a kettle, a kamado or a smoker.

What to clean, what to leave, and mold, by kind of smoker.

What the CDC and an injury study found, and bristle free ways to clean.

Grates, heat bars, burners, cookbox and grease tray, in order, with our Maintenance scores.

After every cook and a few times a season, by grate material, without a wire brush.

Step by step, the oil to use, the after cook routine and how to fix rust.

Gas, charcoal, kamado, pellet and electric, from the warranties and reliability scores in our reviews.

With a chimney or without, how much to use, and how to tell it is ready.

What each vent does and starting settings for smoking, roasting and searing.

Smoker box, foil pouch or pellet tube, and the setup.

On a kettle, a gas grill or a kamado, and which foods go where.

The USDA safe minimums, steak doneness, and when brisket and pulled pork are done.

Our scores set against what each grill costs: where paying more buys a better grill, and where it does not.

The six categories, their weights, and how every score out of 10 is reached.