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Once summer comes I’m sure that most of us enjoy getting outside and grilling. It is a great way to socialize with friends and family and to eat healthier food. In this article, I am going to discuss the benefits of grilling and review what I think are the best grills under $500.
Invalid table id.Best Grills for Under $500
Blackstone 36 Inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle
This grill works on propane gas and it is our pick for this category, but we have solely reviewed the best gas grill for under $300 and our pick for the under $200 propane grill. You can definitely hold a party if you purchase it as it has 720 square inches of flat top grilling space. It is very versatile because you can cook such foods as eggs and pancakes on it as well as meat and vegetables. It is easy to use because it has a battery powered push button ignition so will light within seconds. You don’t have to struggle with matches as you would if you had a charcoal grill.
It comes with 2 shelves on each side of the grill. One shelf has a removable cutting board, a paper towel holder and trash bag hooks. To get rid of extra fat, there is a rear management system.
- NEW FEATURES - This unit comes equipped with Blackstone's new and improved side shelf giving the user a removable cutting board, convenient paper towel holder, and strategically placed trash bag hooks. PLUS Blackstone's new rear grease management system to help eliminate mess.
- RESTAURANT STYLE COOKING - With 720sq inches of flat top grilling, this griddle is perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cook eggs, pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese, steak, potatoes, teppanyaki style foods and more. Also enjoy a bottom shelf, side shelf and the NEW side shelf with cutting board, paper towel holder and trash bag hooks.
- REPLACE YOUR STANDARD GRILL - Replace your grill or BBQ with a Blackstone griddle and never look back! This grill is simple to use and easy to assemble, so you'll be cooking in no time. Eliminate the hassle of kerosene, charcoal and matches; This grill includes an easy start, battery powered push button ignition. With the simple push of a button your griddle is ready to go! Take the headache away from outdoor cooking and spend more time enjoying the outdoors
- HEAT RESISTANT HANDLE - The durable plastic handle is heat resistant allowing you to safely grab the handle bare handed. Plus, this high quality stainless steel construction can handle high heat, resists odors/stains and is dishwasher safe
- TRANSPORT WITH EASE - Easily wheel around your yard or transport from your backyard to the campsite thanks to the removable griddle top, fold up legs and four industrial strength caster wheels
The grill is very strong and can cope with all kinds of weather. It has a powder-coated black steel frame, stainless steel burners and a rolled steel griddle. It has wheels so can be moved easily. It can even be taken to a campsite as its legs fold and the griddle top is removable.
There are four individual burners which you can control from low to high. You don’t even have to have them all on the same temperature meaning you can cook foods with different cooking times consecutively.
Food doesn’t stick to the griddle top even if you don’t add extra fat.
The drain set-up isn’t that well designed and hot grease can run down the legs.
Z Grills ZPG-7002E 2019 New Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
This grill works on wood pellets and has an automatic feeder so you can just relax and let it do its job. It’s as easy to use as gas. There is an automatic temperature control which can be set anywhere from 180F – 450F. It is simple to clean as it has a waste oil collector. It is also easy to move as it has wheels.
- HUGE CAPACITY - Features 700 sq inches of grilling space that allows you to place all at once and cook efficiently. Great for Home, party, and tailgating.
- BUILT TO LAST - Sturdy construction equipped with a stronger stainless steel lid retains heat, resists corrosion, and makes the pellet grill long-lasting.
- PELLET GRILL TECHNOLOGY - Infuse your food with rich smoky flavor. Just put enough pellets into the hopper, pick your desired temperature and let Z Grills do the rest.
- 8-IN-1 VERSATILITY - Offers more versatility to smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue, and char-grill food with healthy wood pellet.
- SUPERIOR MOBILITY - Rugged wheels easily conquer any backyard terrain. Quickly roll your grill over snow, mud, sand, dirt, and any other terrain without break a sweat.
The grill area is 700 square inches which is enormous. The grill area is 19.2” x 26” and there is also a warming/smoking rack which is 6.9” x 27.5”.
The pellet hopper can hold up to 20 pounds of pellets. You can cook for 20 hours on this amount of pellets which is good going and very economical.
It is built of corrosion-resistant stainless steel so it is rust-resistant.
It has 8 functions; grill, barbecue, char-grill, smoke, roast, sear, bake and roast.
It comes with digital temperature controls which means that pellets will be added automatically to control the temperature.
It comes with a 3-year warranty.
You get a wood-smoked flavor.
If you want to change the pellets you have to remove them by hand.
A few customers have complained that it is difficult to control the temperature.
Weber Original Kettle Premium 26 Inch Charcoal Grill
This kettle grill is great for a party as it holds up to 19 burgers within a burger press. The lid and bowl are made of porcelain/enamel which won’t rust or peel despite the high temperatures, so you should have this grill for a long time. The lid slides into a lid holder meaning you don’t have to fiddle about putting it on the ground.
- Your purchase includes One Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill in Black | 2 Char-Baskets & Stainless Steel Hinge Cooking grate
- Grill dimensions: Lid Closed – 42.9"H x 27"W x 33"D | Primary cooking area – 508 square inches | Lid weight – 15 lbs. | Stand-alone grill
- One-Touch cleaning system with high-capacity ash catcher provides hassle-free ash cleanup
- Slide the lid into the Tuck-Away lid holder on the side of the grill to avoid placing it on the ground
- Porcelain-enameled lid and bowl retain heat, and won’t rust or peel | Premium stainless steel cooking grate is hinged for easily adding charcoal while grilling
This makes life easy. The cooking grate is made of stainless steel which is constructed in such a way that you can add extra charcoal even when you are cooking. It has 8-inch rubber wheels so that you can move it around your yard whenever you want.
This grill has a built-in thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature while cooking and adjust accordingly.
It has a handle which has hooks for hanging your grilling tools.
There is a heat shield which stops your handle from getting too hot while cooking.
The only con that I can see is that it can be a little difficult to assemble.
Char-Broil 463375919 Performance Stainless Steel 4-Burner Cabinet Style Gas Grill
This grill is made out of stainless steel and comes with a cabinet where you can store your gas bottle together with any grilling accessories you require. The stainless steel burners give even cooking.
The grease pan is covered with porcelain and is removable so can be cleaned very easily. The iron grates are also porcelain-coated and don’t rust so you can expect to have this grill for a long time.
- Your purchase includes One Char-broil Performance Series Liquid Propane Gas only Grill | Not convertible to Natural Gas | Rotisserie, cover or LP Tank are not included | Full Assembly required
- Grill dimensions – 24.5" D x 53.1" W x 45" H | Primary cooking area – 23” W x 18.5” D | Warming Rack area – 175 sq. in. | Weight – 114.9 lbs. | Main burner BTU – 36,000 | Back of cabinet – Open | Tents – Stainless Steel
- Exclusive Stainless Steel finish for increased style and durability | Not infrared grill
- Stainless Steel burners emit flame from the top to allow for even cooking | Reliable electric ignition to fire up your grill.Wheels:Locking Casters (2)
- Porcelain-coated grease pan is durable and can be removed for easy cleaning | Porcelain coated cast-iron grates are rust-resistant and made to last
The grill measures 50.4” W x 24.5” D x45” H. The primary cooking area is 23” W x 18.5” D and 425 square inches, but there is also a warming rack which is 20.2” W x 7.4” D. This is great to make side dishes or warm up buns for burgers. There are 2 side shelves which gives you plenty of space to prepare your food before grilling. These are also made of rust-resistant stainless steel.
There is a reliable electric ignition which fires up your grill in seconds.
The grates stop your food from sticking.
There are 4 stainless steel burners. You can switch all of them on or just one or two at a time, meaning that it is fine to cook for a party or just for the two of you.
When you are not using it the lid folds down.
There is a temperature gauge mounted on the lid so you can monitor the heat throughout the cooking process.
There are no cons with this appliance as far as I can see.
Benefits of Grilling
- You don’t have to add extra fat to your meat and vegetables. Meat cooks in its own juices and the extra fat drips out through the grates. If you cook, for example, burgers in a pan you will need oil and this doesn’t drip away even when you put the burgers in the buns. This means that your burgers will retain a lot of the added fat. The result is that the food you grill is much lower in calories
- Grilled vegetables are healthier because they retain minerals and vitamins, especially those vegetables which have a low water content.
- Meat preserves nutrients as well. Vitamins like thiamine and riboflavin are essential for good health and are well preserved with grilling.
- Grilling gets you outside and once there you might be more likely to take part in physical activities like playing ball or Frisbee.
What Type of Grill Should You Get?
There are basically four choices; charcoal, wood pellets, gas or electric. Electric is great if you live in an apartment where you can’t get outside. Gas is much cleaner than charcoal, but you don’t get the same smoky taste.
In addition, gas can cause flare-ups, but these are less likely with a charcoal grill. Gas grills tend to be more expensive than charcoal grills, but charcoal takes longer to heat up than gas. In the end, try to find a perfect grill for money invested.
I hope that you have enjoyed my selection of grills under $500 and that you have found one to suit. Grilling is one of the healthiest ways to cook food but is nevertheless totally delicious. There are so many ways to make your food taste different and marinating your meat or vegetables before cooking can lead to a great variety of tastes.
There is a great choice of grills out there be it gas, charcoal, or wood pellets. All have their advantages and disadvantages and everyone will have their favorite, such as we have our favorites for:
