Summer grilling advice

Summer’s off and running! And that means your grill should be, too! But if your grill has flame-broiled its last burger, don’t sweat it. 

Consumer Reports’ tough tests reveal great grills for under $300.

You can easily spend thousands on a new grill, but Consumer Reports says you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a fancy grill. 

It’s not going to make your food taste any better.

CR has a specially designed lab just to test grills. The good news: You can get a good grill for under $300. 

If you want a grill that heats up fast and evenly cooks food, the Even Embers GAS2400AS for $220 is a great option if you tend to cook a lot of the same foods at the same time. 

If you want to cook up a variety of foods at the same time, you want a grill that offers a decent temperature range. CR tests for that, too. 

Temperature range is important because a grill that can cook at a broad range of temps can cook way more food, and it can do it easier. 

So you can sear a steak on one side of the grill and slow cook a piece of chicken without burning the skin on the other.

The RevoAce GBC1748WS for $227 from Walmart delivers. It’s also sturdy and well made. 

If you prefer charcoal grilling, the Weber Kettle Grill 22" 14402001 for $239 consistently earns very good scores for evenness. 

Ready to take your grilling beyond the grates? CR also checked out several flat-top grills … 

A flat-top grill fills in the gaps left behind by a regular grill. 

So instead of having grates, it’s got a smooth surface, a lot like a griddle, which makes it ideal for anything you’d order from a diner. 

Things like pancakes, bacon, eggs, grilled cheese are all great on a flat-top.

The LoCo 36" 2023050166 for $800 earned top scores. It has special burners that cycle on and off to maintain the temperature across its very large cooking surface.

You can cook for a crowd on the budget-friendly flat-top from Blackstone 28" 1517 which starts at about $260. 

CR also checked out the Ninja Woodfire Electric and says it’s a great alternative to flame grilling. It also doubles as an air fryer.