How we test barbecues

Some barbecues are packed with high-spec features, but cook tasteless food. Others look basic, but cook a delicious feast. 

The only way to tell if a barbecue is any good is to cook on it, which is why Which? does exactly that in our independent lab tests. Our recommended Best Buys take the risk out of choosing a new barbecue. 

Find out which grills give top-class results in our barbecue reviews.

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What are Which? Best Buy, Don't Buy, Great Value and Eco Buy barbecues?

Best Buys

These are the barbecues that excel the most in our tests. Gas models need to score at least 79% to be considered a Best Buy and a charcoal barbecue must score at least 77%. But you should still read our reviews to find a barbecue that best fits your individual preferences.

Don't Buys

Poor-performing barbecues that receive a substandard score of 45% or lower are Don't Buys and should be avoided. Amongst other things, these barbecues will have disappointing cooking abilities or be tricky to use, so there will be far better options for your money.

Great Value barbecues 

How much buyers are willing to spend on a barbecue varies dramatically, so that's where our Great Value recommendation comes in.

Great Value models do pretty well in our tests - scoring 65% or more. They're also at least 20% cheaper than the average cost of a barbecue of a similar design in our tests - such as another gas/dual fuel model. These are models highlighted by our experts to go for if you're looking for a bargain. Some Great Value barbecues will score high enough to also be Best Buys.

Eco Buys

When you next need to buy a barbecue, the most sustainable option will be an Eco Buy.

To be an Eco Buy, a barbecue will need to use either gas or electricity as its fuel source because these burn off less pollutants directly than when using charcoal. It also needs to be built to be long-lasting to reduce the number ending up in landfill each year.

A barbecue must have done well in our tests, scoring at least 70%. It has to have scored five stars for its preheating time and four stars for its cooking performance, the quality of its build, and how easy it is to clean. It will also have gained at least three stars for how easy it is to manoeuvre so you don’t have to keep it outside all year and risk it rusting quicker. 

Only around one in 20 barbecues are sustainable enough to be Eco Buys.

See our round-up of the best barbecues to see the Best Buys, Great Value and Eco Buy models we recommend. 

Video: how we test barbecues

In this video you'll find out what it takes for a barbecue to earn our coveted Which? Best Buy recommendation, and how a Best Buy could make a real difference to your summer mealtimes.

How well does the barbecue cook?

To find out how well each grill cooks a typical barbecue feast, an independent chef cooks three sausages, a marinated chicken thigh and a pork-and-vegetable kebab on each barbecue, using all of the features on offer. 

We then taste and rate the food on how evenly cooked it is, how tender and succulent it is, its flavour and appearance. 

We are looking for succulent food that is tender and moist, evenly cooked all the way through and consistently browned. The food should have the delicious authentic smoky flavour and an appetising char-grilled appearance. 

See our shortlist of the best barbecues. 

How easy is the barbecue to use?

We light each barbecue and time how long it takes to reach a perfect cooking temperature, then how long it takes to cook a range of common barbecue fare including kebabs, sausages and chicken.

All of the different cooking features are used during our trial, including the grill, griddles, warming racks, storage shelves, side burners and hoods. 

Finally, the chef assesses how simple each barbecue is to clean, looking at whether the components are easy to remove and wash in a sink or dishwasher, how easy it is to get rid of fat drips and ash, and to clean out the cooking chamber of the barbecue.

See our guide on how to clean your barbecue. 

How easy is the barbecue to build?

To find out how simple you’ll find putting your barbecue together at home, we assess how easy each model is to build. 

We time how long it takes to assemble from scratch and rate how easy the instructions and diagrams are to follow.

We look for missing parts and bits that fit together poorly.

We list useful features in our pick of the best gas or charcoal barbecues and buying guide. 

How well made is the barbecue?

We know that you want a barbecue that is safe to use and won't topple over if someone walks past it or while you're cooking in the slightest breeze. 

Once built, we inspect the quality of finish of the barbecue, looking for parts that are constructed of durable materials and are well-finished to avoid rusting. 

We also rate how well it's made, downgrading those with sharp edges that may cut fingers, or flimsy materials that will make it wobbly or difficult to cook on.

After our cooking tests we check to see whether any parts of the barbecue have been damaged by being used.

How easy is the barbecue to move and store?

If you keep your barbecue in your shed or garage, you’ll want one that’s easy to move around. We assess how heavy each barbecue is to move, how stable it is when you’re wheeling or carrying it, and how easy it is to manoeuvre.

We look for wheels and dedicated handles to help with lifting and wheeling, and check whether any shelves are likely to bang against legs.

Should I buy it?

Each of the assessments described above goes part way to making up a total test score, which is the percentage figure we award each barbecue. 

But certain assessments are more important than others and so carry different weights:

• Ease of use 35%
• Cooking ability 30%
• Ease of assembly 5%
• Build quality 15%
• Stability 10%
• Portability 5%

A gas or electric barbecue needs to score at least 79% to be considered a Best Buy, and a charcoal barbecue must score at least 77%. 

Those scoring below 45% are highlighted as Don't Buy models that are so bad that we think you should avoid them altogether. 

Test scores for older barbecues

In 2013 we changed the way we scored barbecues. For models tested before 2013, the score was based on:

• Cooking performance charcoal/gas: 40/35%
• Ease of use charcoal/gas: 30/35%
• Assembly and quality of finish: 15%
• Stability, safety and manoeuvrability: 15%

When the barbecue was tested is noted under the specification tab of each review.

Though you can generally compare results for barbecues tested before 2013 with those tested after, the results don’t directly correspond. However, each score still gives a very good indication of the overall performance of the barbecue.

Once you've got your new barbecue, follow our top tips on how to cook on your barbecue.