How we test grills, smokers, and barbecue accessories

1. We buy some products ourselves, and others are supplied by the manufacturer, which we always disclose. This approach lets us test and review more products than we otherwise could.
2. We never accept money for reviews to avoid conflicts of interest.
3. We cook on every grill like it’s our own, testing a range of recipes to see how it performs across different grilling and smoking styles.
4. We evaluate each grill in various categories, including build quality, ease of use, performance, features, and value.
5. We compare similar products at similar price points to help determine the best value products.

Why we focus on cook tests

To keep our reviews objective and practical, we run every grill and smoker through multiple real-world cook tests. That means smoking ribs low and slow, grilling steaks hot and fast, roasting whole chickens, and more.

These are the same types of cooks you’ll be doing, and testing them helps us evaluate heat control, consistency, capacity, and ease of use in a way that actually matters.

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! One of our followers on YouTube pointed out how thorough our review process was:

We evaluate thermal performance using industry-leading thermometers from ThermoWorks to keep the manufacturers honest.

The value of product comparisons

This is some of the most valuable info in our reviews. You won’t get honest side-by-side comparisons from social media, because who’s buying two of the same type of grill just to compare them? (besides us that is).

How we decide which grills to review next

When deciding which products to review next, we consider the type of grill or smoker, its availability, and its popularity. We especially look for products that are good value.

We also like listening to what our audience requests in YouTube and blog comments.