The Best Gas Grills Under $500

Unique, heat-spreading zigzagged steel plates beneath cast-iron grates made this grill the best at direct grilling. But its unusual interior layout left us struggling to figure out where to put water pans for indirect cooking, and there was nowhere to prop wood chip packets above the flames. Pulled pork roasted to tenderness but lacked smoke flavor. If you don’t care about indirect cooking, this is a great grill. One quibble: While we liked the side burner, its high, domed cover ate up space.

This handsome, roomy grill had five burners plus a side burner, but it ran hot and cold in different zones. Burgers got wedged under a protruding rotisserie burner in back, and a low warming rack blocked our spatula. The grease collection tray didn’t channel fat, creating a mess. A big 2-inch gap at the back of the lid, open holes in the sides, and an open back panel let too much hot air and smoke escape. While the pulled pork texture was “nice,” it lacked smoky flavor: “Not particularly grill-obvious at all,” said one taster.

It was the least expensive grill we tested, so we were dubious about its value. Toast was white with black stripes. The back of the grill surface was hotter than the front. We got visible grill marks on some burgers, while all steak came off the grill pale and soft. The open lid’s shape sent smoke straight into our faces. The cookbox was thin and flimsy, and nine large vents and a 2-inch gap across the back let smoke and heat escape; no surprise that the pork butt roast was still tough as a rubber ball after 6 hours of cooking. We repeated the test, putting meat just 7 inches from the lit burner; this time it was tender but “smoke was completely absent.”

Heating was uneven: Toast and burgers were randomly blackened or pale, and we threw about one-quarter of the burgers away, deeming them unfit to serve. Indirect cooking was more successful, with pork rating well for tenderness and lower for smoke flavor, but the grill needed constant tweaking to stay at 300 degrees, due in part to the thin construction of the cookbox. Also, the side holes and wide slit at the back let the smoke escape. Grates scrubbed down easily, but the grease tray was tiny. The deeply curved lid sent smoke into our eyes. The cabinet door fell off every time we rolled the grill.

The direct heat over most of this grill’s cooking surface was weak: Toast was too light, and burgers cooked unevenly. Meanwhile food on the back row scorched. Steak was “pretty sad,” with flabby, pale crust. The weak heat was a boon for barbecue, which came out tender and moist, but there was “no smoke.” Abundant vents channeled heat and smoke out of the cookbox, which was thin stainless steel. A very shallow grease tray was a hazard to move, and grease didn’t channel effectively, leaving the grill interior a gummy mess. A wheel popped off the cabinet halfway through testing.

Note: This grill was the original winner when we tested in 2016. It has since been replaced by a superior model, which is our new winner. This grill put a crisp, brown crust on burgers and steaks. It was equally good at barbecue, rendering tender pulled pork with real smoky flavor. Tasters raved: “Perfect smoke, supermoist and tender” and “the texture is spot-on.” With a heavy-duty cookbox of thick cast aluminum and enameled steel and just one narrow vent across the back, it was easy to keep heat steady and distribute smoke. The angle of the lid when open kept smoke out of our faces. Its large, secure grease tray made cleanup easier; the sturdy, compact cart rolled without a struggle.