Maintaining a grill can become quite bothersome from the setting up to the cleaning process. We sometimes just want to get to the cooking and enjoy our burgers, but is there such a grill that minimizes that tedious work? Luckily, stainless steel grills just may be the answer. They come in all shapes and forms nowadays so that you can get all the benefits of grilling with half the clean-up time.
As heavy duty grillers ourselves who don’t necessarily do the best job at cleaning, this was a super fun review process. Below, we put together a list of the best stainless steel grills to help you get back to the best part of grilling: watching that meat sizzle! Whether you are a complete newbie, a more advanced user, or someone who just wants to grill on the go, we have something for all our readers. We reviewed some of our favorites to introduce you to the world of stainless steel grills.
Best Stainless Steel Grills
Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cart Style Grill – Beginner’s Pick
Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cabinet Grill – Best Overall
Cuisinart Tabletop Grill – Portable Pick
Weber Genesis II 4 Burner Grill – Pro’s Pick
Char-Broil 2 Burner Cabinet Grill – Compact Pick
The Best Stainless Steel Grills – Reviewed
Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cart Style Grill – Beginner’s Pick
We start our list with the Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Style Grill. It was easy to assemble and you can start cooking right away. It felt beginner friendly, yet quality enough that it will last. It’s on the more affordable side of grills, so if you are looking to get a decent propane grill, this is a great start. Simply push the ignition button, set it to the temperature you want, and viola! The cast iron grates will keep the heat in and cook your foods in no time. Because this grill is so easy to use and won’t break the bank, we think it’s the best stainless steel grill for beginners.
What We Liked:
- It includes an electric side burner for extra cooking, can be closed to place condiments on
- Can reach high temperatures easily, you don’t have to wait long to get your grilling on
- Easy to move around your yard as a cart styled grill
What We Didn’t Like:
- No hooks for hang utensils on
- Grill handle can get too hot and an oven mitt is needed to open and close the grill
Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cabinet Grill – Best Overall
We looked to find a high quality propane gas grill that’s also a great value, and this is it. The Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cabinet Grill is high on quality, but not too high on price. With its large cooking space and porcelain-coated cast iron grates, you can easily fit about 20 burger patties on it. It’s ideal for those who like to host parties with friends and family. Its stainless steel body is durable and it has precise temperature control. You can impress your company over with the sleek look, great taste, and efficiency of this awesome gas grill.
What We Liked:
- Temperature gauge on the lid for easy heat monitoring
- Simple, yet effective cabinet storage underneath the grill with 2 stainless steel doors to complete the look
- Sufficient cooking space to cook your meat and veggies at the same time
What We Didn’t Like:
- We wish there was a back panel to hide the propane tank, more for the look than for the functionality
- Long assembly, you could expect it to take about 1-2 hours
Cuisinart Tabletop Grill – Portable Pick
The Cuisinart Tabletop Stainless Steel Grill is our portable pick for the campers and beach grillers out there. It’s small size and easy set up, which makes it ideal for those who can’t wait to cook! I remember my last camping trip and the only thing it was missing was some freshly grilled food. This grill would have been perfect! For it’s small size, it fits a surprising amount of food and cooks pretty quickly.
Though it has strong heat, it doesn’t do great in terms of slow cooking food or regulating the heat, so I recommend that you cook foods such as burgers and hotdogs, or foods that won’t lose their texture from too much heat. Overall, this is the best stainless steel grill if you want to be able to grill wherever you are.
What We Liked:
- Easy to use gas grill, no assembly required
- Easy to clean with the right tools like a grill brush
- It’s made of stainless steel so it’s a little on the heavy side, which makes it feel pretty durable
What We Didn’t Like:
- Hard to regulate heat and slow cook food
Weber Genesis II 4 Burner Grill – Pro’s Pick
Are you an experienced griller looking for a serious propane gas grill? If that sounds like you, our pro’s pick might be for you. We chose the Weber Genesis II 4 Burner Stainless Steel Grill for its high quality design and reliability. You definitely pay for what you get for with this stainless steel grill. It emits an intense, even heat to whatever it is you choose to grill. Enjoy creating long lasting memories over some good company and good food.
What We Liked:
- 10 year warranty, we like a compassionate brand that takes of users who make such a long term investment
- Comes with app technology so you can check the temperature in real time from anywhere. If you can’t be next to your grill the whole time while cooking, this will come in handy!
- Capable of creating perfect grill marks on your meat
What We Didn’t Like:
- On the pricier side, especially compared to the other grills on this list, but a great value
- For something this hefty, you can expect the assembly to be on the more difficult and time consuming side
- You should treat this as a stationary grill, as it’s difficult to move with the propane tank
Char-Broil 2 Burner Cabinet Grill – Compact Pick
So all these big stainless steel grills are great and all, but what if you’re short on space at home? Our compact pick, the Char-Broil 2 Burner Cabinet Grill, may be the best stainless steel grill for you. It’s quite heavy and durable, yet affordable. You don’t have to worry about maintenance and set up is relatively simple. It also has a temperature monitor so you don’t have to guess the heat, and still has plenty of room if you’re cooking for a family of 5. It’s great quality, and a good fit for those who are limited in space at home looking to have a high quality stainless steel grill.
What We Liked:
- Foldable side flaps that allow you to keep this grill snugged in the corner and are useful for extra space while grilling
- Is pretty energy efficient and doesn’t use up too much gas
What We Didn’t Like:
- Doesn’t present enough heat for searing, but still great for burgers, veggies, and most meats
Picking the Best Stainless Steel Grill for You
All the grills that are presented have their own additional features than the main characteristics of a stainless grill, but we still want you to know what you should expect. We first want to go over some key traits and the advantages of stainless steel. Next we want to let you know what you should keep in mind when buying a stainless grill as it may not be the grill type for you. Lastly, we will present you with our picks, from beginner friendly to portable grills, we think you will find something that suits you.
Advantages of Stainless Steel Grills
- Unlike charcoal grills, stainless steel propane gas grills require very minimal maintenance. You don’t need to worry about the mess of using charcoal because these grills are powered with propane or gas. The cost of coal, liquid fluid, matches, and foil paper can add up over time, especially if you’re a frequent griller. To get going with a stainless steel grill, all you need to buy is a propane tank that will last you for years to come.
- You can expect these grills to heat up quickly for a faster grilling process compared to charcoal. Instead of waiting for flames to get large enough to cook your food, you simply start the ignition and turn up the heat. Your foods cook quickly and you won’t have to worry about the family getting “hangry.”
- The low maintenance also includes the lack of rusting or it just doesn’t rust easily. You still want to clean up the mess afterwards with a brush, but this factor just adds one less thing to worry about.
- The sleek look makes it fit in most settings. I’ve seen some beautiful backyards with a steel grill next to their pool. Some awesome memories were made by the poolside eating delicious burgers and steaks. It’s a beautiful, modern look that can fit any home.
- The grills are versatile. You saw from our list that they come in different shapes and sizes. You are sure to find an appropriate sized grill for your needs. Maybe you like hosting big events, or maybe you want something to take on vacations, you are sure to find a grill that can get the job done.
Factors to think about
So not all stainless steel grills are built equally, and not everyone will love the included/ lack of features. We wanted to let you in on some factors about these grills to see whether it’s for you, or if you should pass.
- The stainless steel grill can easily get scratch or bent. It’s not uncommon for grills to come in with dents or bents. Though they aren’t difficult to take out, it does happen more often than we would like to admit. Luckily, most brands give you credit back or send you a new product for products that come bent. The more unavoidable thing unless you actively do something to protect the steel is scratches. I recommend placing some type of cloth material so your knives of tongs don’t scratch the side panels.
- If you want that char taste on your food, you likely won’t get it from a stainless steel grill. That flavor is a characteristic of charcoal grills. What you can get sometimes from stainless steel grills, depending on how it’s designed, is the sear look and taste. This usually comes from propane infrared grills, but stainless steel grills can still reach and maintain that heat.
Bottomline is that these grills are great for heating up quickly, monitoring temperature, and being low maintenance. They are versatile in the function and size, so there is something for everybody. They are quite affordable and are pretty valued items, so you can expect efficiency and quality. So now let’s move onto our picks!
Our Picks – the Best Stainless Steel Grills
For you first timers out there, we are starting out with our best beginner’s pick, the Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cart Style Grill. It’s a great investment for those who are first using a propane grill or those who just want to get into grilling. It’s affordability and quality is what got us hooked. It has the typical feature of grills on the pricier side such as a side burner and a temperature monitor. Most propane grills are user friendly so you can learn to enjoy the grilling early on.
For the adventurer at heart, we chose the Cuisinart Tabletop Grill as our portable pick. For it’s small size; it packs a lot of space in terms of grilling. I imagine the perfect setting for this grill would happen when cooking some burger patties for some friends at the beach. It’s a mighty little grill with high heat, but that serves to be its bane as well. Temperature control is a little difficult on this grill, so it is recommended that you use it for food that doesn’t lose its quality from intense heat. Overall, it’s a durable little grill worth the price.
Not for the faint of heart, this next hefty grill requires some more experienced users. Our pro’s pick is the Weber Genesis II 4 Burner Grill for its size, quality, and longevity. So this will be on the pricier side and can become difficult to assemble, but once you get past that obstacle, the fun really begins. It’s got key features such as a temperature monitor, side burner, and storage space, which much others did not.
There is also neat bluetooth temperature monitoring in case you need to run back to your home. You can easily fit about 28 burger patties, so if you like to host events, this grill allows you the time and space to feed all those hungry people. If you are someone who likes to host events and are looking for a long term investment, this grill will accomplish the task. One last thing, this grill comes with a 10 year warranty, so you can have some peace of mind in case something happens to it in the long run.
So maybe you don’t have a ton of yard or balcony space at home, but still want the benefit of grilling up some great food. Our compact pick is the Char-Broil 2 Burner Cabinet Grill. It’s convenient for family celebrations at home as 2 burners is really all the room you need. It’s affordable, cooks fast so your kids won’t get impatient, and clean up is quick so you don’t get impatient. It has a nice tray that catche the mess and makes cleanup easy. There are convenient side flaps to place your utensils and condiments on, and the best part is that you can fold them. If you need to store it everytime, it fits naturally to any corner.
Lastly, our best overall pick was the Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cabinet Grill. We saw this as the best value and of quality grill. We appreciated the porcelain coated cast iron grates as it provided immense and pretty evenly distributed heat across the grill. It works well for a family of 5 who like the occasional company over. It’s sleek design makes it fit any household, though we do wish there was a back panel just to hide the propane tank at the bottom. It has a nice cabinet space, room for a decent amount of food, and the durability of the design is promising. A true bang for your buck deal.
Wrapping Up
After comparing all these great options, we found that for the average shopper looking for an everyday grill, the Char-Broil Performance 4 Burner Cabinet Grill is our best overall pick. You can’t beat the affordability, quality, and ease of use of this grill. It’s got all the best features of a stainless steel grill, with added benefits like storage, a side burner, and temperature monitoring. We provided some value grills and even more valuable information. We hope you learned a thing or 2 and considered whether or not a stainless steel grill is right for you. You will find that they are convenient, time saving, and quality grills that can meet anyone’s needs. Go create those memories around the grill and happy cooking.
