Expert consulted: 
With a great grill in your backyard, you can serve up impressively juicy burgers, kebabs, and sausages with ease. But it’s an investment, and there are plenty of features, grill types, and sizes to consider. As a product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab, my colleagues and I have tested over 90 grills, including gas, combination fuel, and even portable models.
We use the same rigorous testing methodology to assess each grill on ease of use and the performance factors that matter most. By using a controlled set of tests, we can directly compare features such as design, power, and even the number of flare-ups when cooking chicken.
We constantly test the newest models in the Kitchen Lab, and our consumer testers use the grills to provide long-term feedback. All of our testing is designed to help you confidently find the best model for your home.
How we test grills in the Kitchen Lab
Market research
Before we get our hands on any grills, we research the newest innovations. From smart, Wi-Fi-enabled grills to dual-fuel models, we stay on top of the latest features and grill styles. We also attend industry trade shows and stay in contact with brands to ensure we don’t miss anything on the market.
When deciding which grills to test, we consider young and legacy brands. We prioritize models with unique or new features and upgrades, and we test the products consumers are most likely to see in stores.
Performance tests
Once we have the grills in our outdoor Kitchen Lab (a.k.a. in our staffers’ backyards), we start cooking.
Heat distribution: The first test we conduct assesses how evenly the grill heats. We cover the entire cooking surface with slices of white bread and heat them for a specific amount of time. This provides a great visual representation of any hot or cool spots.
Our top-performing grills in this test show even coloring on at least 90% of the bread slices.
Steak test: We grill sirloin steaks on a preheated grill over high heat (for charcoal and pellet grills, we preheat the coals for a specific amount of time). During cooking, we assess how much the grill smokes and whether the grates flare up.
We give top scores to grills that produce dark brown steaks with even, distinct grill marks and juicy, pink interiors within 20 minutes.
Chicken test: To assess how well a grill maintains a lower temperature, we grill skin-on chicken pieces on a preheated grill over medium heat. When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, we evaluate how evenly cooked it is and whether the chicken is golden brown and crisp on the exterior or overly charred. We consider how long the chicken took to cook and whether it produced any notable flare-ups or smoke.
Grills that earn top marks produce chicken with crisp, evenly golden (not charred) skin within half an hour.
Ease-of-use tests
No matter how well a grill cooks steak, if it’s difficult to use, we won’t recommend it. While we do consider ease of assembly, it doesn’t factor into a grill’s overall score because you can generally purchase grills preassembled.
Instead, our ease-of-use score depends on the helpfulness of the owner’s manual, ease of operation, and whether the grill includes certain handy features. We consider how easy it is to attach a gas tank or light the coals. We also give points to helpful accessories like warming racks, tool holders, thermometers, condiment shelves, and storage features. Wheels for repositioning and an accessible grease drainage system are also signs of a quality product.
Long-term consumer testing
Once we’ve run a grill through our standardized Lab tests, it goes to GH staffers and consumer testers to put it through the paces of regular home use. These testers provide ongoing feedback on performance and durability. This helps us identify potential issues with long-term use, such as rusting, broken parts, or changes in performance.
How we make our recommendations
When we recommend a grill, it’s earned top marks in our Lab tests and received positive feedback from home users. We compare results across cooking abilities, heat distribution, and ease of use to find models that perform well and are easy to operate. We also consider specs like size, cooking surface materials, fuel type, and price to create a well-rounded selection.
Meet the experts
Nicole Papantoniou
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Lab, where she oversees all product testing. She leads all of our grill testing and has tested more than 50 grills herself.
Lizzy Briskin
Lizzy Briskin is a contributing product analyst in the Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She wrote this testing guide based on the Kitchen Lab’s grilling methodology.
Nicole (she/her) is the senior director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen & Cooking Lab. She oversees all content and testing related to kitchen products, food, and recipes. She has worked at GH since 2019, and is a trained cook, published recipe developer, and seasoned product tester with nearly 15 years of experience. She has worked in test kitchens for national magazines and kitchen appliances brands, where she also helped develop products for the home cook. She earned a degree in journalism from SUNY New Paltz, graduated with a Grand Diplome in Classic Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute, and studied culinary nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute (both now part of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.)
