Men’s Journal Grilling Awards: Meet the Best Grills of 2024

Spring is when grilling takes off in earnest across America. As the days lengthen and weather warms, the sound of meat sizzling on hot grill grates becomes summer’s soundtrack. And the smell of charcoal or pellet smoke drifting over fence lines? It’s sweeter than any cologne. For barbecue diehards, the shift in season doesn’t mean much. For them, grilling and smoking is an all-year affair. No matter your devotion to grilled meat and veggies, the one constant denominator is we’re all in pursuit of the best grills and techniques.

That’s where the 2024 Men’s Journal’s Grilling Awards come into play. We highlighted the best grills in major categories—gas, charcoal, pellet, portable, outdoor griddle, and smoker—plus pizza oven and grill tools for good measure. Along with sharing our top picks with full reviews of each category winner, we also awarded superlatives in each, highlighting what and who they’re best suited for.

We’d be remiss to forget the star of most grilling sessions: the best cuts of steak and how to grill them to perfection, no matter which method you choose.

No matter your preference or culinary aspirations, there’s a grill or barbecue option to suit your style. Whether you’re drawn to the simplicity of gas, the primal allure of charcoal, or the appealing aroma of wood smoke, grilling is easy to learn but takes time to master. Behold, the best grills of 2024. 

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Best Smokers of 2024 The Best Smokers of 2024

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Not all smokers are created equal, and our rundown of the best smokers cherry-picks top-of-the-line machines for cooking low and slow. Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Drum Smoker wins our top spot. It’s a classic drum-style smoker with welcome features like a heavy-gauge steel construction, unique air management system, and a sealed lid—plus it’s a bargain.

The Best Gas Grills of 2024

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Best Gas Grills of 2024

If you live in the real world where you have to get dinner on the table between soccer practice and homework, or need to cook 12 burgers on the fly because a bunch of friends showed up for the game and stayed for dinner, gas grills are for you. Our favorite is Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner, which offers a high-quality build, easy-start ignition, high heat levels, modular accessories, and quick cleanup. Other options on our list of the best charcoal grills include portable grills and stylish cookers.

Who better to learn how to grill a steak from than Curtis Stone?

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How to Grill a Steak

Chef Curtis Stone is brilliant at demystifying grilling. His hybrid butcher shop/fine dining restaurant, Gwen, which earned a Michelin Guide star, hand cuts some of the choicest grass-fed steaks sourced from premium farms. We got his hot take on how to grill a steak. In particular, the perfect porterhouse, a cut of beef that presents its own set of challenges.

Solo Stove Ranger Cast Iron Griddle Top + Hub, Blackstone 17” Griddle, and Bayou Classic Cast Iron Camper’s Discada are among the best outdoor griddles of 2024.

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Best Outdoor Griddles of 2024

Flat-tops are having a moment and finding their place next to traditional grills in backyard patios across the nation. The overall best outdoor griddle from our testing is the new Camp Chef Gridiron 36. It has a seasoned top, clever grease management, notches on the cooktop sides to hold tools, and a hinged cover to trap heat and protect the griddle. Read our full Camp Chef Gridiron 36 review.

The Best Pellet Grills of 2024

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Best Pellet Grills of 2024

In our roundup of the best pellet grills, we broke them down by type and highlighted their features to help you understand the marketplace a bit better. Our pick for the most covetable is Traeger Ironwood, a sophisticated and versatile grill built to smoke and roast for years—if not decades—to come. Read our full Traeger Ironwood review.

Best Pizza Ovens of 2024 The Best Pizza Ovens of 2024

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Our best pizza ovens lineup is dedicated to nightly dough-slingers and weekend entertainers who want to expand their outdoor kitchen. The best outdoor pizza oven is Ooni Karu 16. Though pricey, it provides consistent, even cooking and fuel flexibility in a thoughtfully designed package that’ll keep you churning out wow-worthy pies all summer long. Read our full Ooni Karu 16 review.

Best Portable Grills of 2024 The Best Portable Grills of 2024

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We sifted through the glut of portable grills to find the few that are sturdy, easy to transport, and durable for our best portable grill showdown. PKGo Hibachi is the most elite portable grill. It’s totable, but big enough to offer dual heat zones, and has a locking cover that makes it easy to travel with. Bonus: It can be used as a cutting board and tray.

Best Charcoal Grills of 2024 The Best Charcoal Grills of 2024

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Our lineup of the best charcoal grills begins with Kamado Joe Konnected Joe, the best overall. Equipped with a ceramic, thermal-regulating shell and a built-in automatic electric heating element that ignites the charcoal, this refined kamado-style cooker includes an internal fan to regulate temperature, so your smoky grilling session is hassle-free and perfect every time. Read our full Kamado Joe Konnected Joe review.

Best Grill Brush and Tools of 2024 The Best Grilling Brushes and Tools of 2024

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Good grill tools are a must and the best grill brush is chief among accessories. That’s why we picked Weber 18-Inch Three-Sided Grill Brush as our best overall grill tool. It’s robust, strong, and a total steal. At under $20, this workhorse makes properly cleaning and preparing your metal canvas between grilling sessions a breeze. For more recommendations, check out the best grill brushes and tools.

Best Cuts of Steak to Grill The Best Cuts of Steak to Grill.

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Even if you know your porterhouses from your T-bones, a cow’s eight major primal cuts yield more than 30 different ones, depending on the butcher’s fancy. Which should you grill for your upcoming barbecue? Our guide to the best cuts of steak to grill is the only blueprint you need. 

Best Online Steaks The best online steaks bring the butcher to you.

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Back in the early 20th century, a new technology allowed cattle raised in the heartland to reach your local butcher shop: refrigerated rail cars. The rise of the mega-supermarket might have shuttered the doors of many neighborhood butchers, but now coolers—packed with often flash-frozen cuts of meat kept cold on dry ice—toted by your favorite delivery guy are bringing the best online steaks right to your front door like the old days, only different. We tapped Porter Road as our best online steak butcher overall for its hyper-local operations, personal service, and guaranteed quality.

Are Indoor Grills a Waste of Time? Are Indoor Grills a Waste of Time?

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It’s a Tuesday night, just before dinner and you don’t feel like dealing with the grill outside. Maybe you don’t have 20 minutes to wait for charcoal to ignite or the grates are gunky. So, you plug in an electric grill inside on the countertop or toss a cast-iron grill pan onto the range and crank it to high. After all, grill marks are grill marks, right? Not really—find out why we argue indoor grills are a waste of time.

Types of Grills We Tested Charcoal Grills Kamado Joe Konnected Joe is the best charcoal grill you can buy now.

Clay Abney

For those just starting out, or have only ever used a gas (propane or natural gas) grill, it’s always good to pay homage to the basics—the humble kettle charcoal grill. “They’re hard to beat,” says Steven Raichlen, master of the backyard barbecue revolution, journalist, lecturer, TV host, and author of 32 books on the subject matter. 

You can do all five methods of live-fire cooking on a charcoal kettle grill—direct and indirect grilling, smoking, spit-roasting, and caveman-style right on the embers. “People always ask me, ‘What grill would you take on a desert island?’ A charcoal kettle grill.”

Gas Grills Char-Broil Commercial Grade 4 Burner is the best gas grill you can buy now.

Graham Averill

Gas grills, are of course, one of the most popular options,..