Top 10 Gas Grills under $250 for 2012

There are a lot of low cost grills on the market these days. Unfortunately most of these grills are very low in quality as well. This Broil-Mate grill may not be fancy or high quality but for the price (as low as $155USD in some places) it is a well built grill with a cast aluminum body and a dual control burner (dual zone cooking). This grill certainly won't last forever but it will outlast most any comparably priced unit. If you don't have a lot to spend then you owe it to yourself to seek this grill out.

Like most of the least expensive 2-burner gas grills on the market, this Fiesta Gas Grill at Home Depot this is lightweight and thin unit. Of course, for under $100USD you can't expect a lot. Fiesta Gas Grill is now a property of Onward Manufacturing. This grill is very similar to the other grills in this price range. Expect a flimsy grill that can do a pretty good job of grilling some burgers.

This is one of the bottom of the line for the Char-Broil gas grills. This particular version sells exclusively at Sears and K-Mart Stores. What you get is a single burner, dual zone gas grill. While the heat output is okay the evenness isn't. On the other hand this grill sells for around $100USD, which is a price that is hard to beat. These days this is the bottom end of gas grills so if this is the most you can afford you may consider it, but don't expect much. The thin body won't hold in the heat so you can't get a lot of versatility. As a basic burger burner it is an okay grill, but watch out for the flare-ups.

This is a typical $200 Kenmore gas grill (made by Char-Broil). Offering 4 main burners and a low powered side burner, you get a basic function grill for what really is a reasonable price. The porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates will transfer heat well and the 4-burner design, while a little excessive in this price range gives you a lot of heat versatility. The downside is that this grill isn't built with the best parts or the thickest metals. I would expect this grill to give you 3 to 4 years service if you keep it clean and covered and don't live on the coast.

Recently small grills have become a popular seller. Since many people live in smaller spaces the need for a "little" full sized grill has grown. This is Lowes answer to that problem. This store brand grill is about as basic as you are going to get, a simple 2-burner gas grill with a small footprint. Being simple is one of this grills strong points. Because it doesn't have all the extras, more money could be spent on quality, not to say that this is a top of the line grill, it is however better than other grills at this price (around $200USD) with all the bells and whistles.

The Brinkmann Portico collection are the latest entrants into the "patio" grill category. These smaller, but full height grills are perfect for the person who doesn't need to grill for more than a couple of people and who don't have the space for a large grill. This is a low cost and lower quality version of this grill. This 2-burner, no frills, gas grill sells exclusively at Home Depot for $140USD.

If you are serious about grilling and want a grill that delivers both high and even heat and gives you a lot of control, but don't want to spend a lot of money then this is a great grill for you. It might not look modern but Broil-Mate has been making great grills for years. This model will give you plenty of space at 400 square inches or primary cooking area and a total of 700 square inches, and plenty of power with its 44,000 BTU main burner output.

This is about as basic a gas grill as you are going to get. For about $100 you get two burners in a metal box. That's it. Of course the advantage is that this grill has few parts to fail. Of course this grill lacks quality as much as it does feature. The burners are lightweight, poor grade metal and will probably only last a year or two. On the other hand, for the price you can get a grill for the season that will do a decent job of grilling burgers and hot dogs. Don't expect it to cook well. The heat is low and uneven, but you can't beat the price.

This gas grill is where Brinkmann starts getting closer to a good grill. Without all the extras and stainless steel, this is a basic grill that is close to being worth the price. Typically of these style of grills, the internal components are thin and lightweight, meaning that they won't last very long, but it just might be long enough for you to get your moneys worth.