Best Outdoor Gas Grills for 2021

2020 has been a tough year (to say the least). The grilling industry was not ready for the growth they were about to experience with more people at home (sick of being indoors) looking to move outdoors by purchasing new grills and outdoor kitchens. When purchasing a grill we want to give you the most information whether or not you make your purchase with us. Though we surely hope you do!!

Now more than ever we see the importance of supporting  US Manufacturers. 

Our list of the Best Grills for 2021 (and beyond), will only be American Made. We list the brands along with the sizes available versus choosing one model. This is because we know that every backyard is different along with everyone's needs. One size does not fit all when it comes to grills. 

In fact, you are better off getting a smaller grill of quality than a large import that will fall apart!

Why Buy US Manufactured Gas Grills?

1. Consistency in Manufacturing - These grills are not made by machine alone. Many are hand crafted and quality tested before leaving the facility.

2. Parts Availability - This is so important!! Every single day we receive calls for grill parts that have been discontinued and not available in the aftermarket.

3. Quality - Each of the Grills on our list utilize the highest quality materials regardless of the category they are in. 

4. Performance - Does the heat in your grill remain consistent use after use? Consistent performance is key to grilling great food!

5. Warranty - A Grill Warranty is only as good as the manufacturer still being in business. If they close their doors, your warranty is no longer valid. Most of the grill manufacturers in the US have been in the business for multiple decades. 

6. Most of these companies are Family Owned - Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Alfresco, Artisan, Solaire, MHP, TEC

Top Rated Luxury Grills

Grills in the Luxury Grill market are engineered with the most elegant design and the highest quality materials coupled with exceptional performance and features. These grills have lifetime warranties on many major components. If your outdoor lifestyle includes unparalleled performance and quality, then a Luxury Grill is for you! More often than not, the Luxury Grills are the most popular in the Built-in Grill Market. All of the Grills we mention, can be on a Freestanding Cart. The Grill Heads of Twin Eagles and Alfresco can be removed from the cart at a later date if you choose to build an outdoor kitchen. You cannot with Lynx and Firemagic.

Grilling Tip : Never Grill with the hood down! These grills have a super high BTUs per burner and get get extremely hot! I know this may not be what you are used to but trust us when we say this! 

1. Twin Eagles

Twin Eagles is truly a leader in Luxury Grill Manufacturing. Manufactured in California and designed an engineered by Dante Cantel, Twin Eagles has perfected exquisite outdoor cooking equipment. Mr. Cantel is an award winning gas engineer with over 3 decades in the business. No wonder why he has the BEST grills in the market!

They offer an extensive product array for a Grillers Dream Outdoor Kitchen. These products include : Charcoal Grill, Wood Pellet Grill, Side Burner, Power Burner, Teppanyaki Griddle, Soft Closing Doors for Storage, Bar Accessories and more. 

They have 2 Luxury Lines to choose from : Premium and the Uber-Luxury Eagle One.

Premium Grills Feature :

• Beautiful Modern Design
• 25,000 BTU burners each constructed of 14 gauge 304 stainless steel
• High-quality ceramic briquettes
• Hexagonal stainless cooking grates creating more food to surface contact
• Heat Zone Dividers 
• Electric Hot Surface Ignition
• Hood assist system for easy lifting
• Interior lights with hood-activated light switch for nighttime grilling 
• Control Illumination 
• Extra Large 3-Position Warming Rack
• Large capacity smoker box
• Sizes 30", 36", 42" and 54" - TEBQ-36G is the Most Popular
• Available in Freestanding 

Optional Sear Zone - additional cost

Optional Fully integrated Rotisserie Motor - additional cost

Eagle One :

Eagle One has all the features of the Premium Grill but includes the Sear Zone and integrated Rotisserie Motor as well as :

• Extra Large 1/2" Hexagon Cooking Grates for greater heat retention and more food to surface contact.
• Black Glass Infrared Rotisserie Burner - reaches higher temperatures along with allowing the heat to disperse across the entire back of the grill.
• TempTrak Illumination - Gives you average temperature from the burners to let you know when its hot enough to sear (notice there is no heat indicator on the hood)
• Ambient Illumination - beautiful blue light that casts across the entire control panel
• Exact Control Illumination - LED lights around the control knob change color when the grill reaches warm, hot or searing
• Sizes 36", 42" and 54" - 36" is the Most Popular
• Available in Freestanding

2. Lynx

Do you know Lynx is named after the animal for its uncanny sense of smell and taste? They hav been manufacturing Gas Grills since the mid to late 90's. In fact, we were one of the first dealers. We absolutely love the beauty of these products. Not too much has changed in the design of the grill over the years just performance features mainly in the ignition and prosear design. Recently acquired by Middleby (brands include EVO and Viking), the Lynx brand joins a portfolio of powerhouse brands.

The  Lynx Grills have an exclusive self cleaning cordierite ceramic burners (no more cleaning burners!!). Thy have high quality briquette trays that spread and retain heat over the cooking surface. They offer a lifetime warranty on many components including Ceramic Burners, Trident Burner and Cooking Grates.

The addition of a pizza oven, griddle or power burner along with a huge selection of storage components, you can create an outdoor entertaining paradise.

• Design goes with virtually any backyard
• Exclusive 25,000 BTU burners each constructed of cordierite ceramic
• Optional Exclusive Trident Prosear - No additional charge
• High-quality ceramic briquettes
• Stainless rod cooking grates 
• Hot Surface Ignition
• Hood assist 
• Interior lights 
• Exterior Mounted Rotisserie Motor
• Smoker box
• Sizes 27", 30", 36", 42" and 54"
• Available in Freestanding 

3. FireMagic Echelon

FireMagic is owned by RH Peterson who has been manufacturing quality fireplaces and grills for over 60 years. The grills are manufactured with high-quality 304 stainless steel, have lifetime warranty on cast stainless steel burners, cooking grids and stainless steel housing. The Echelon series has a large variety of matching equipment to complete your outdoor kitchen including a griddle, side burner, power burner as well as a large selection of storage choices.

They are one of the only grills on the market that sizes the grill on the cooking area (not total left to right). This gives more cooking area than other same-sized grills with a large range of temperature control (up to 1,000 degrees and down to 200 degrees) 

Their top of the line series is the Echelon. We feel it is the most elegantly designed grill in the line-up.

• Modern Design
• Heavy Duty Cast stainless H Burners (BTU's vary slightly between the sizes)
• Optional Exclusive Trident Prosear - No additional charge
• Flavor Grids to distribute heat
• Heavy duty Diamond sear cooking grates
• Electric Hot Surface Ignition
• Hood Assist
• Interior lights
• Charcoal Smoker Basket
• Exterior Mounted Rotisserie Motor
• Sizes E660 30", E790 36" and E1060 48" - E660 is the most popular model
• Available in Freestanding 

Though they make a high quality product, our biggest con on this grill is the flavor grids. The briquette system is superior as it retains heat and metal does not.

4. Alfresco

Why did we start carrying  Alfresco Grills? This is a true story no exaggeration. A handyman came to our shop with a 56" grill that was given to him by a homeowner he worked for. The homeowner was a snowbird so when he returned to his home, his grill rolled into the Bay in Miami. The grill had sat in the saltwater for over 3 months. What we found needed to be replaced was the battery ignition and that was it (except for having to pull seaweed out of the grill). We immediately knew we needed to carry it. The Brand was Alfresco and the model was an AGBQ-56 on a freestanding cart. Here is some industry insider information - the founder of Alfresco was one of the original Lynx founders.

Alfresco is family owned (second generation) and manufactured in California. 

There is no product that Alfresco does not have to create a true chef's inspired outdoor kitchen! From their versa burner to refrigeration, they have it all.

• Beautiful Sleek Design
• 18SR stainless steel burner 
• High quality briquettes
• Integrated chain-driven commercial quality rotisserie 
• Optional cooking accessories gives you versatility (steamer/fryer, solid fuel insert, griddle and roasting pod)
• Air-cooled control knobs with Amber LED lights
• Integrated smoking system with dedicated burner and drawer
• Optional Sear Zone - additional cost
• Sizes : 30", 36", 42" and 56" - ALXE-42SZ is the most popular model
• Available in Freestanding  

5. Solaire

Solaire is made in California by family owned Rasmussen Ironworks. The were founded in the early 1900s. 

They kind of fit in the luxury rage because of the price of the 30" and larger and the mid range as you can get a 27" built-in grill just over $2000. They do not fit the typical luxury category because they do not have all the bells and whistles found in the above brands. I can promise you this... the more electrical features a grill has it will break. Be prepared to purchase the replacement parts. That is the beauty of Solaire.

They truly are simplistic to their design and engineering. One of the most simple grills to maintain and repair. The quality is outstanding.

• Simple Design
• Choose from a number of burner combinations of Stainless U Burner and Infrared
• Easily change burners from convection (blue flame to infrared)
• Optional Rotisserie Backburner
• Flavor Grids to distribute heat
• Stainless V grooved grid
• Battery operated Ignition
• Lifetime warranty on stainless steel construction, main burners and V-grilling grids
• Sizes 21", 27", 30", 36", 42", 56" - 27XL is the most popular model
• Available in Freestanding 

The only disadvantage we see on this grill line is they are very limited in their complimentary outdoor kitchen accessories. If you do not demand more than a grill and a side burner in your outdoor kitchen then Solaire is a great choice for you. 

Top Rated Mid Range Grills

All the brands in our Mid Range Line are affiliated with the Manufacturers in the Luxury Range. The High End manufacturers wanted to create brands that would close in price to the influx of imported brands that hit our shores. Some may be a little more money but it is worth the investment especially when building an outdoor kitchen. Keep in mind cutouts of grills all differ in size. Once you make your cutout, you are married to it. If the grill falls apart or a part is not available, more often then not you will have to modify your structure and that is more costly than purchasing a quality product. I cannot tell you how often we go through this (daily). 

We do want to make a shout out to  TEC Grills as these grills deserve to be on this list. They are 100% Infrared and that is the only reason why we did not put them on the list. Infrared is for a specific consumer. So for all our infrared lovers out there, invest in TEC! They are family owned in South Carolina, 100% Made in America and held the patent on Infrared Grilling for years. 

If you want a true infrared grill coupled with best in class customer support... invest in a TEC Infrared. TEC uses a unique system of radiant glass panels below the grates to incinerate food drippings. This creates a rich, smoky vapor that infuses into the food. You will fall in love with the Charbroiled flavor!

1. Delta Heat

Delta Heat is our favorite Mid Range Grill. Manufactured by Twin Eagles, this grill fits bill for budget friendly, quality, performance and features. There is no need to buy imported products when you have a high quality manufacturer like Delta Heat.

• Beautiful Sleek Design
• 15,500 BTU stainless U burners 
• High-quality ceramic briquettes
• Round stainless cooking grates 
• Battery Ignition
• Hood assist system for easy lifting
• Interior lights 
• Blue Knob LED Lights
• Warming Rack
• Optional Rotisserie Backburner and Sear Zone - Additional cost
• Sizes 26", 32", and 38" - DHBQ32 is the Most Popular
• Available in Freestanding 

Our wishlist... more complimentary cooking accessories. We would love to see a power burner, griddle and pizza oven. Hoping they will add them in the future.

2. Artisan 

Artisan is manufactured by Alfresco. Artisan has set the standard for affordable Luxury. Quality, and Performance, all made in the USA. They have 2 categories of grills : American Eagle and Professional.

American Eagle - is the value grill in the series. There are no electrical features (to break) and no rotisserie back burner. Ignition is battery operated. Offered in 26", 32" and 36". This grill is so easy to repair!

Professional Series - this series has all the Bells and Whistles. There are Blue LED lights above the knobs, interior lights and a rotisserie backburner. Offered in 32", 36" and 42".

An extended line of complimentary outdoor kitchen accessories including a pizza oven, side burners and storage components.

Features in Both Grills

• Beautiful Contemporary Design
• 20,000 BTU 304 18-8 stainless U burners
• High-quality ceramic briquettes
• Round stainless cooking grates
• Battery Ignition on American Eagle Series and Electric Ignition on Professional Series
• Heat protective wiring
• Hood assist system for easy lifting
• Warming Rack
• Optional Sear Zone - Additional cost
• Sizes 26", 32", 36" and 42" - AAEP32 is the Most Popular
• Available in Freestanding 

4. Sedona by Lynx

Sedona is Manufactured by Lynx Professional. The Sedona is a great choice. What we love is the design of the  Sedona is so similar in exterior design to Lynx that you can mix and match grills with outdoor kitchen cooking accessories and you will never know that you were combining 2 brands. So if you want the Sedona but you would like a griddle, you can purchase the Lynx Asado and they will compliment each other.

The Sedona Line is offered in 3 sizes both with or without a rotisserie backburner as well as with or without prosear. The body is constructed of 201 Stainless Steel but offers a lifetime warranty on the hood, firebox, burner, prosear and cooking grates.

• Beautiful Design
• 23,000 BTU 304 stainless U burners
• Ceramic briquettes (we think these could be better quality)
• Round stainless cooking grates
• Electric Ignition with a Battery Backup (this is a great feature. if you should lose power, the battery will ignite the grill)
• Hood assist system for easy lifting
• Blue LED Control Lights 
• Interior Light
• Warming Rack
• Optional ProSear and Rotisserie
• Sizes L500 30", L600 36", and L700 42" - L600PSR is the Most Popular
• Available in Freestanding 

5. AOG

Manufactured by FireMagic the AOG (American Outdoor Grills) is a great bang for your buck grill. AOG Offers 2 series of grills T and L. 

"T" series grills feature a push-to-light piezo (flame thrower valve) and does not have any electrical features such as lights.

"L" series grills feature an electric push button ignition system, interior halogen lights and knobs and requires 120 Volt AC power.

There are not many complimentary accessories for your outdoor kitchen. AOG only offers a single or double side burner, refrigeration and some storage components. So if you are looking for a simple yet function outdoor kitchen, you definitely want to check these guys out!

AOG Grills Feature :

• 304 stainless steel construction
• 304 Stainless U Burners 
• Vaporizer Panels
• 304 stainless Diamond Sear cooking grids - more food to surface contact.
• Back-lit, comfort touch control knobs (“L” series only)
• Halogen interior lights (“L” series only)
• Electronic push button ignition (“L” series only)
• Rapid Light” piezo ignition system (“T” series only)
• Optional Backburner with rotisserie kit
• Analog Heat Indicator 
• Heavy duty warming rack 
• Sizes available 24", 30" and 36"
• Available in Freestanding - Grill cannot be removed from cart if you ever want to build it in.

Top Rated Budget Friendly Grills

Unfortunately, in this day and age in order to get a quality gas grill you have to spend a little money. We always say spend it now or spend it later. You will purchase and spend more on throwaways from the big box stores over the years that it is worth investing in a quality grill to avoid the aggravation! Not much exists in the Budget category for US manufactured grills. You have Broilmaster and Broil King. Though these are not bad products but, we are featuring what we feel is the best and hands down it is MHP!

1. MHP

I know what your thinking.... this grill is not attractive. What if I told you it was one of the most indestructible and reliable grills on the market (even over the Luxury ones)? It is 100% true. This grill is simplicity at its finest. Though it may not be the most beautiful... it is certainly the most functional (and easy to fix). It is not a pretty grill that cooks a good steak.

MHP (Modern Home Products) is a second generation family owned business that was founded in the 1950's as a gas lighting company. In the 60's, they manufactured the first gas grill. The grill looks very similar to the first design keeping with the notion that if its not broken... don't fix it. 

The grill features a patented dual H burner that has 30,000 BTU's in the JNR and 40,000 BTU's in the WNK. The hood and firebox are cast aluminum making it last a lifetime. 

Our favorites are the  JNR (365.5 sq in) and WNK (433.5 sq in). They have a lifetime warranty on the hood, firebox, burners and cooking grates.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about MHP. I can own any grill on the market... my choice was a WNK. 

If you are looking for a high quality grill that will not break the bank and will last a LIFETIME then you will love the MHP as much as I do. 

Grills that are often mistaken for US Made are Blaze and Weber. Weber was sold a few years ago to a Capital Company. We can see the focus has shifted to profit versus quality and performance based on the rapid deterioration of the grills. They are now imported with the exception of some of the components on the Summit Series. 

With so many brands, features and choices... I know this can be a difficult decision. We, at The BBQ Depot, promise you that you will see a difference in quality and performance when you invest in a USA manufactured Grill! We are available to offer our expertise and offer you the choices that will fit your budget and needs.