For decades, Britons have felt a primal urge to buy a barbecue each spring. Yet the process is often fraught with confusion, as marketing jargon and machismo dominate the BBQ aisle. Terms like snap-jet ignition, planchas, and kamados can leave shoppers overwhelmed. To simplify things, I took on the arduous task of grilling countless burgers, sausages, and vegetables to find the best affordable, straightforward barbecues that deliver great food. Whether you need a simple grill for bangers or a versatile smoker, this guide has you covered.
At a glance
- Best BBQ overall: Weber Bar-B-Kettle charcoal barbecue – £99 at Blacks
- Best budget BBQ: Argos Home drum charcoal BBQ with cover and utensils – £49.50 at Argos
- Best gas BBQ: Weber Spirit E-335 – £699 at Weber
- Best electric BBQ: Ninja Woodfire electric BBQ grill and smoker – £229 at Amazon
Why you should trust me
I have been a product tester my entire career, with near-annual testing of BBQs. I have tested dozens of models, from cheap disposable grills to £3,000 kamados, and written countless articles on how to use them. Beyond barbecues, I have tested air fryers, food processors, pizza ovens, and camp stoves, giving me years of experience with cooking gadgets.
How I tested
Starting in drizzly March, I timed the assembly of each barbecue. I cooked identical meals on every grill: courgettes, peppers, and aubergines to check for cold spots; halloumi for grill marks; pork sausages and veggie burgers; and a whole spatchcocked chicken to test low-temperature cooking and moisture retention. I used an infrared thermometer to measure grill grate temperature, handle heat, and exterior safety, and timed how long each took to reach 200°C. Bonus features like smoking attachments, side burners, and baking capabilities were also tested. I selected six BBQs from dozens of popular models under £1,000, filtering by customer reviews and price.
The best BBQs in 2026
Best BBQ overall: Weber Bar-B-Kettle charcoal barbecue
Price: from £99 | Fuel type: charcoal | Cooking area: 1,548 cm² | Dimensions: 47 x 56 x 91 cm (WDH) | Additional features: built-in lid thermometer, ash catcher, tool hooks, lower wire rack
What we love: Makes incredibly tasty food; easy to build; fair price. What we don’t love: Could be small for big parties; burns through fuel.
Weber claims this iconic kettle is the barbecue made for everyone, and it is true. I have used this model many times, and it remains the best BBQ for most people. It is effortless to light and use, makes great food, and is easy to store. Assembly via the Bilt app took just 35 minutes 27 seconds, with clear 3D instructions. The kettle design heats evenly to 200°C in 39 minutes 52 seconds, with only a tiny cold spot. Food tasted incredible: sausages and burgers were perfectly seared, and the chicken was crispy-skinned and juicy. The 47 cm diameter offers ample space for a family of four, yet it is compact enough for a shed. Made from steel and aluminium, it is largely recyclable and repairable with spare parts. The only downsides are that charcoal needs topping up after about an hour, and taller users may find it sits a bit low.
Best budget BBQ: Argos Home drum charcoal BBQ with cover and utensils
Price: £49.50 | Fuel type: charcoal | Cooking area: 2,485 cm² | Dimensions: 93 x 64.5 x 90 cm (WDH) | Additional features: weather cover, utensil set, warming rack
What we love: Affordable, yet food tastes great. What we don’t love: Flimsy parts.
This basic barbecue is capable of making tasty food for a low price. It is not the most attractive or sturdiest, but it offers incredible value, especially with included tools and a cover. Assembly was quick and easy. While not the best BBQ food I have ever tasted, results were consistent and exceptional for the price – better than gas barbecues costing 30 times as much. Burgers and sausages had a great sear, and chicken was perfectly juicy. Vegetables showed slight coolness along the edges, but not a dealbreaker. It is easy to recycle, and Argos offers replacement parts. The adjustable charcoal tray helps control heat. However, parts are poorly machined, requiring finagling to fit, and the lid does not close neatly, making chicken slightly drier. Cleaning ash is tricky, and carbon steel construction is prone to rust.
Best gas BBQ: Weber Spirit E-335
Price: £699 | Fuel type: gas | Cooking area: 2,894 cm² | Dimensions: 123 x 67.5 x 117 cm (WDH) | Additional features: built-in thermometer, side burner, sear zone, enclosed cabinet, warming rack
What we love: Simple and easy to use. What we don’t love: The low-heat burner is a little pointless.
This simple gas barbecue makes it easy to cater to a crowd. It excels at the boring bits that make a great gas BBQ. It has three main burners, a side burner, a handy table, and a warming rack. Assembly is simple, requiring very little faffing with wiring and gas lines. Results were unremarkable in a good way – as simple as cooking on a hob, with none of the hassle of lighting charcoal. It reaches grilling temperature in just 7 minutes 50 seconds. Burgers and sausages were reliably tasty, and the side burner cooked delicious bacon lardons. It is safe, reliable, and will last for years with replacement parts available. The low-heat burner was not useful, and assembly may require two people for the grill box. It is a touch expensive.
Best electric BBQ: Ninja Woodfire electric BBQ grill and smoker
Price: from £229 | Fuel type: electric and wood pellets | Cooking area: 1,240 cm² | Dimensions: 57 x 51 x 41 cm (WDH) | Additional features: digital control panel, smoker box, air fry/roast modes
What we love: Easy barbecuing for those averse to outdoor cooking. What we don’t love: Ongoing cost of wood pellets.
The Ninja Woodfire is for people who hate to barbecue. It is essentially a big air fryer, but its smoke attachment gives food a traditional BBQ flavour. Setup is as simple as plugging in a kettle. It works like an air fryer with a timed cooking programme, and the wood pellet smokebox infuses food with smoky flavour. Results were enjoyable: sausages tasted like frankfurters, burgers were tasty if slightly dry, and chicken was well-cooked. The hotplate-style design made excellent halloumi and ribs. It also has an air fry function and a bake function for banana bread. However, it emits noise at 55 dB, and without the smokebox, grilled vegetables taste no different from pan-cooked. Smoke pellets cost £14.99 per bag (about £1.30 per use), adding ongoing expense.
The best of the rest
Char-Broil Gas2Coal 330
Price: from £468.99 | Fuel type: gas and charcoal | Cooking area: 2,793 cm² (approx. 3,300 cm² with side burners) | Dimensions: 133 x 62 x 116 cm (WDH) | Additional features: built-in thermometer, charcoal tray insert, side shelves, warming rack, cabinet base
Best for: a gas/charcoal hybrid BBQ. This clever barbecue can cook using gas and charcoal. The gas function is unremarkable, but place a tray over the burners and it becomes a charcoal BBQ. Charcoal is blistering hot in just 15 minutes. The fuel change made burgers, sausages, and chicken legs taste much better. Coals stay hot for hours since they sit in a tray. However, it was awful to build – the manual did not match the app instructions, requiring guesswork. It is also expensive compared to a cheap charcoal BBQ.
Big Green Egg Minimax
Price: £925 | Fuel type: charcoal | Cooking area: 855 cm² | Dimensions: 54 x 56 x 59 cm (WDH) | Additional features: built-in thermometer, ceramic shell, carrier stand, precision vent cap, hood
Best for: a kamado barbecue. The Minimax is among the smallest and cheapest kamado barbecues. It uses heat-efficient ceramic plates to reach super-hot temperatures, and the tight seal allows smoking and roasting. The brand’s lumpwood charcoal produced some of the best burgers and sausages on test. Veggies were excellent, especially aubergine. An attachment (convEGGtor) created excellent indirect heat for roast chicken, resulting in crispy skin and juicy meat. However, it is expensive, and learning to use it properly is a steep curve for newbies.
What you need to know
What are the key features to look for?
The most important feature is a lid – it makes lighting easier, locks in moisture, and maximises smoky flavour. A hinged lid is more convenient than a removable one. Long-handled utensils, heatproof gloves, and tool hooks are essential. An ash catcher is handy for charcoal BBQs. Warming racks, side burners, and side tables can be helpful. A built-in thermometer gives a rough guide, but an infrared thermometer gun is more reliable; a probe thermometer for internal meat temperature is best. Smart features and wifi are fun but generally not worth the premium.
Types of barbecues
- Charcoal: Cheapest and tastiest, but messy with a learning curve.
- Gas: Simple like a hob, but requires propane tanks (faff to organise).
- Electric: Easiest – just plug in, but needs an outdoor socket.
- Kamado: Ceramic, excellent heat retention, expensive (from £1,000).
- Smoker: For low-and-slow American-style BBQ; pellet smokers are electric and easy, offset smokers are harder.
- Griddle (plancha): Flat surface for small items like shrimp, eggs, or pancake batter.
Gas vs charcoal
Barbecues sit on a spectrum: maximum flavour (charcoal) vs maximum ease (electric). Charcoal produces the best flavour as juices drip onto hot coals and create smoke, but it requires practice and cleanup is messy. Electric grills are convenient but food tastes like pan-fried. Gas sits in the middle – good burgers with less hassle, but propane tanks are a pain. Environmentally, electric is best (no direct emissions, uses as much electricity as an air fryer). Charcoal briquettes are renewable but rarely FSC-certified, and a charcoal BBQ for four emits more greenhouse gases than an 80-mile car journey. Gas produces about half the emissions of charcoal, but propane is non-renewable.
Can you buy a secondhand barbecue?
Yes. Many people buy BBQs they never use, so nearly-new models are available on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree for about half price. Check for rust – a little on the outside is fine, but excessive rust could be structural. For gas BBQs, check the gas connector and ignition wiring for leaks or breaks. Wiring may need sourcing from the manufacturer, but gas regulators are easy to replace. Clean thoroughly to remove carbonisation that could flake into food.
How to clean a barbecue
A clean BBQ is crucial for food and fire safety. Avoid wire grill brushes as they can leave metal shards. Instead, use a nylon brush, wooden scraper, or a scrunched ball of aluminium foil held in tongs. For the exterior, soapy water and a soft sponge work. An unclean grill can cause sickness and grease buildup is a fire risk.
