With the weather warming up and the days getting longer, it can only mean one thing for those who love to spend their waking hours outside soaking up with sun with friends and family – barbecue season. The smell of meats and smoky sauces wafting from a neighbour’s outdoor grill is enough to whet the appetite and have you heading for the local butchers for the best cuts to grill up, and with UK lockdown rules now allowing up to six people or two households in a garden, when better than to start planning some of those all-important gatherings?
But, if you unearth your barbecue to find it has seen better days and you really fancy upping your game this summer – all that limit-free socialising from June 21st will be long-awaited – you’ll need a swish grill to impress. Whether you prefer cooking over charcoal, gas or a hybrid grill we have rounded up a complete selection of barbecues you can get for a 2021 event to remember. From Char-broils to Traeger Grills, these barbecues will make you the envy of your neighbourhood.
The Weber Traveler
Type: Gas
The Weber Traveler is the perfect gas barbecue for anyone who wants delicious barbecued food away from home. With a compact fold for minimal storage space and a large barbecuing area so that the entire meal is ready to eat at the same time, it’ll make your whole barbequing experience stress-free. The Weber Traveler’s low-to-high temp range barbecues everything from pancakes to seared steak while also being purposefully designed to optimise gas usage. The slim and sleek barbecue is also very easy to transport, meaning it’ll be up and cooking in no time, wherever you are.
Price: £439.95
Where to buy: weber.com
Kamado Joe Classic Ceramic Grill
Type: Charcoal
These world-renowned ceramic grills pack the latest technology and meticulous craftsmanship inside each iconic red barbecue. The thick-walled, heat-resistant shell locks in smoke and moisture at any temperature. With a heat range of 107°C – 400°, you can cook anything from low-and-slow dishes to grilling and searing at scorching temperatures. Other features include a flexible Divide and Conquer cooking system, a heavy-duty rolling cast iron cart, a precision ventilation dial and a patented slide-out ash drawer for easy access and cleaning.
Price: £899
Where to buy: hayesgardenworld.co.uk
Bar-be-quick Kamado Egg BBQ Grill
Type: Charcoal
This Bar-be-quick barbecue is a thick-walled cooker that imparts a rich, smoky flavour to meats, fish and vegetables. Relatively unchanged for centuries, air flows through the grill’s ceramic body and out of its vented dome. Used by Michelin-starred restaurants, the 21” Ceramic Kamado Egg Barbecue Grill brings both style and substance to any garden. With its easy-to-use design, high-spec ceramics, and seven different cooking modes, it is great for every occasion and offers endless cooking options – you can sear steaks, roast chickens, bake pizzas, slow-cook stews, smoke fish and more – the possibilities are endless.
Price: £529
Where to buy: barbequick.com
Kamado Joe – Kettle Joe
Type: Charcoal
The latest barbecue from Kamado Joe, the Kettle Joe is the first of the kettle-grill category to integrate a ceramic firebox and the ability to fit a SlōRoller – Kamado Joe’s revolutionary innovation allowing the versatility to transform a grill into an oven or smoker. This accessibly-priced grill has a surface area of 56cm, allowing ample space to grill or smoke large joints or prepare a feast. The Kettle Joe is also the first of its kind to feature a ‘divide and conquer system’ – multilevel, half-rack design, which doubles cooking space and allows you to cook on different levels and surfaces. The Kettle Joe’s ceramic firebox also ensures the chamber remains hot for longer periods of time – perfect for smoking, braises, bakes and roasts.
Price: £599
Where to buy: bbqworld.co.uk
Char-broil – Gas2Coal 440
Type: Hybrid
The best-selling barbecue from Char-broil – this hybrid converts from gas to coal in a matter of seconds, so you can quickly add the smoky flavour of coal whenever the mood takes you. The latest model features high-quality stainless-steel burners, porcelain-enamelled cast-iron grates, a patented stainless-steel charcoal tray and ‘SureFire’ electronic ignition. Heavy-duty wheels ensure stability and easy mobility, and each barbecue is now expandable from the side, using the new storage system accessories for neat storage of larger accessories such as pizza stones and griddles.
Price: £599.99
Where to buy: charbroil.co.uk
Char-broil – Professional CORE
Type: Gas
Another exquisite barbecue from Char-broil, The Professional CORE line (B2, B3 and B4) is a high quality range of TRU-Infrared grills delivering maximum performance and stylish looks. This barbecue comes with double-layer cold-rolled stainless-steel lids and chrome-front knobs with smart red LED illumination. More features on this gadget-filled barbeque include the sturdy stainless steel lid, which has an in-built temperature gauge to support temperature regulation, and robust end caps for stability and durability, and a grilling surface of heavy porcelain enamelled 8mm thick cast iron, designed to provide optimum cooking space.
The CORE grills have a high-quality look and feel, thanks to the use of high-grade stainless steel, the modern design of the lid and the elegant and structured control panel. The light-up feature brings greater grilling pleasure as well as improved safety, and the SureFire electronic igniter on the front panel is a neat, easy and quick way to get the barbecue fired up.
Price: £449 for B2, £619.99 for B3, £719.99 for B4
Where to buy: charbroil.co.uk
Char-broil – Professional PRO
Type: Gas
The PRO range (S2, S3 and S4) is the most advanced of the professional grills from Char-Broil, offering maximum performance, versatility and convenience. The high quality design includes an extra high double-layer cold-rolled stainless steel lid to provide constant temperatures and optimal insulation, and an elegant and structured control panel. Each model can be expanded through Char-Broil’s innovative accessory system that enables storage add-ons to be clipped to the side. Other great features include stainless steel burners in a deep-drawn, single-piece firebox – creating shorter heat-up times, a large bottom shelf to store gas bottles up to 11kg, a gas bottle gauge, integrated bottle-opener, a SureFire electronic igniter and a fold-down side shelf.
Price: £549 for S2, £719.99 for S3, £819.99 for S4
Where to buy: charbroil.co.uk
Traeger Grills – Pro Series
Type: Hardwood pellet fuel
The best-selling wood pellet grill in the world, these grills uses WiFIRE technology that allows you to monitor and adjust your grill anytime, anywhere from the Traeger app on your phone. An easy-to-use controller maintains precise temperature for consistent results every time you fire up your grill. The Pro Series barbeques (PRO 575 and PRO 780) also come with a built-in meat probe, allowing you to monitor your food’s internal temperature without lifting the lid.
Price: £899 for PRO 575, £1,199 for PRO 780
Where to buy: traegergrills.com
Napoleon – Phantom Rouge Special Edition 425 RSIB
Type: Gas
The Phantom Rogue Special Edition 425 RSIB showcases premium Napoleon features such as three stainless steel main burners, an infrared Sizzle Zone side burner and a rear burner for crispy rotisserie cooking. Added features include stainless-steel grill grates and an integrated multifunctional warming rack, designed to make entertaining a breeze. You’ll never be left in the dark with this luxury matt black grill, the ergonomic knobs are backlit to ensure the Phantom grill is the star of the show all night long.
Price: £1,369.99
Where to buy: napoleon.com
Traeger Grills – Ironwood Series
Type: Hardwood pellet fuel
Designed to elevate your craft, making wood-fired meals faster, easier and packed with more flavour, this high-tech barbeque series (Ironwood 650 and Ironwood 885) also uses WiFIRE technology so you can control your grill from anywhere. With a temperature range of 75 – 260°C, it also comes with double sidewall insulation for consistent temperatures in any weather, and a digital meat probe so you can get precise temperature readings. There is also a Super Smoke Mode, allowing you to enhance the rich, smoky flavour of your food.
Price: £1,499 for Ironwood 650, £1,699 for Ironwood 885
Where to buy: traegergrills.com
Weber – Genesis II Series
Type: Gas
With a world-class grilling engine, four powerful burners, and iGrill 3 smart technology compatibility, this barbecue has raised the bar in the cooking game. The gourmet barbecue system is porcelain-enamelled and comes with cast-iron cooking grates, a stainless-steel lid and a built-in lid thermometer for the optimal cooking experience. The design of the Genesis II Series allows it to be equipped with all the power and features you need for amazing and unique food, while also looking slick and chic in your garden.
Price: £1,521.45
Where to buy: weber.com
Weber – Summit Kamado
Type: Hybrid
The durable, dual-walled insulated steel and unlimited potential of the Summit Kamado make this unique barbecue a must-have. It quickly reaches desired temperatures, maintains heat for all-day smoking, and the gas ignition makes lighting charcoal as easy as pushing a button. The Summit Kamado’s ‘One-Touch’ cleaning system also allows for a hassle-free clean up, making the whole cooking experience enjoyable for all.
Price: £1,888.95
Where to buy: weber.com
Traeger Grills – Timberline Series
Type: Hardwood pellet fuel
The pinnacle of outdoor cooking, featuring the most cutting-edge grill technology to maintain precise temperatures every time, this advanced barbeque will leave everyone in awe of your cooking. With a temperature range of 75 – 260°C and ultimate WiFIRE technology, you can control the temperature of your grill from anywhere. The Timberline Series (Timberline 850 and Timberline 1300) also comes with a downdraft exhaust to circulate smoke for maximum flavour, and a magnetic bamboo cutting board for a convenient workspace alongside three tiers of stainless-steel grates.
Price: £1,999 for Timberline 850, £2,499 Timberline 1300
Where to buy: traegergrills.com
Napoleon – Phantom Prestige 500
Type: Propane gas
From Napoleon, the Phantom Prestige 500 is a barbecue you can show off with features such as the four stainless steel main burners, an infrared rear burner for rotisserie dishes, and an infrared Sizzle Zone side burner for searing restaurant quality steaks. The new multi-functional warming rack insert also adds another dimension of grilling options, and the new wave cast stainless steel grill grates ensure long-lasting heat on the main grill surface and the side burner. Safe and stylish evening grilling can be enjoyed with the colourful safety glow illuminated control knobs, which stand out against the matt black grill. With this barbeque, you really will be the envy of your neighbours.
Price: £2,399.99
Where to buy: napoleon.com
