6 Best Grills Under $500

Having a pellet grill of one’s own makes a big difference. It would mean that you don’t have to borrow one when invited for an outdoor arrangement for which part of the deal is roasting meat or if you are the host of an event for which the foods to be served are to be grilled in part.

At the same time, borrowing can be a viable option considering the fact that the price of grills can mean to shoot high up. Relying on other has its costs though and so, I am here today to share about grills under $300 which is a price that many can afford.

This article on the best grills under $500 is especially priceless because I will drive deep into the details of each of the machines described so you can be sure to know that you will be getting a comprehensive picture.

 

Pit Boss 700FB

For the reasons that we are about to share, the Pit Boss 700FB undisputedly ranks as number one on this list. Can you imagine for example that the company does not mind usage of other pellets should you find that you want your food to come out with AA particular flavour? That is not to say of course that Pit Boss pellets are not a thing in themselves.

Here are some more reasons for you to settle with the Pit Boss.

1. Cooking area. At the price of under $300, this grill is certainly a jack pot when it comes to the cooking surface area i.e. 700 sq in. The grids are made of cast iron and coated with porcelain so they are good at retaining heat.

 

The upper rack can also be adjusted or removed altogether depending on what it is exactly that you are cooking.

 

2. Cleaning. The grill has a pellet door which when opened will let the pellets pour out thus making it easy to empty for cleaning as well as the keeping of these pellets for later. One would equally easily switch flavours of pellets this way even in the middle of grilling.

 

3. Temperature. The pellet provides a broad range from which to select how to go about heating i.e. 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 500. The adjustments can be made on the grill’s digital panel. Once the temperature is set, the user can go on to start the grill using the electric igniter.

 

Also important to note is that the Pit Boss is thorough when it comes to slow cooking. You can easily set the temperatures and go on to do your other activities without worrying about whether your food won’t burn. This is enhanced by nuanced features such a as burn length. One has to keep in mind the amount of pellets placed in the hopper otherwise they can get burnt away upon which point everything stops.

 

4. Multipurpose. This grill can do a multiple of tasks including char-grilling, roasting, baking, searing, braising.

The Pit Boss 700FB is not without its limitations. Whilst its temperature is quite consistent, you should expect that there will always be fluctuations of anywhere between 15 and 20 degrees. This is especially true when the weather conditions are called so when you are camping outdoors as a case in point.

 

KingChii Pro 02

This is another grill for which once bought, you will never complain about the value for your money. Actually, it has formerly been sold at $500+ because of this very reason. Even now, you might not get it under $300 at places like Home Depot or Amazon.

The place that I would advise you to look first for this price tag is Walmart. Okay, let us look at the features which make the KingChii grill so outstanding.

1. Temperature. The grill will allow you optimal control over the heat settings that you wish to work with at any given point. This is possible through the digital dial in board on which you would enter the figures and then LED screen which facilitates the displaying.

 

The temperature range here is between 180 degrees Fahrenheit and 420.

 

2. Cooking. The grill is ignited with electricity and uniquely, its flame thereafter is clear and the smoke it gives off enchanting. As for the cooking area, it is divided into two parts so as to simplify one’s work i.e. the warming as well as the main grilling areas. The former area is much smaller taking up 115 sq in while the latter is 341 sq in.

 

This grill’s hopper is also quite huge as it can take up to 11 pounds of pellets at once there making it a perfect companion for slow cooking. You would only have to fill the hopper and then ignite the grill before heading out to do other things.

 

3. Build up. This grill is built to accommodate flexibility and movement. It has wheels for example so you can always move it around whenever you want to position it in a particular way. It also allows for the folding of its legs though thereby making it possible to place in a car trunk for instance if one is headed out as often is with grills.

 

4. Multipurpose. The grill can carry out exactly eight different tasks. So yeah, you are not going to spend your money on an equipment that you will need once in a while. It can roast, sear, bake, char-grill etc.

Also seeing that it would be working frequently, KingChii made the grill with a removable grid. Otherwise, foods would always mix if there is no proper cleaning between the cooking of one of them and the other

 

Z Grills Cruiser 200A

The Z Grills Cruiser 200A is certainly for you if you like your meat flavoured in very a particular way. It is masterclass when it comes to blending smoke. This is thanks to the many years that Z Grills as a company has been in business.

Actually, the grill we are reviewing is especially important because after all this while, Z Grills has finally decided to manufacture something for day-to-day consumers. Otherwise, it is not often that their products sell under $300. That said, they nailed it for their debut and here is why.

1. Cooking. Notwithstanding its size, the grill’s hopper is quite one to be relied on. It can carry up to 80Ibs pellets at once there giving you ample time to do slow cooking and so focus on other things. For context, this quantity is enough to go hours without introducing any other pellets.

 

That said, the cooking area is not enticing. Only 202 sq in. You can only prepare food for a maximum of two people. If you have a large family thus, or which to employ the grill in some other way that maximizes scale then the Cruiser 200A is simply not for you.

 

2. Portability. Size has its own advantages of course especially for people that want to employ their grilling as part of having fun in the wild etc. Here this grill will certainly rise to the occasion.

 

The Z Grills Cruiser 200A is constructed in a suitcase form complete with handles hence making it easy to carry around. You simply have to close the lid and then you will be set for your next destination. In terms of weight, we are talking here of a mere 40Ibs.

 

3. Temperature. The grill is also very good at maintaining temperature. This is especially key when one is cooking at slow and therefore desirous of consistence across wide scopes of time. Usually if less or more than set, the fluctuations will not fall outside the bracket of 10 degrees.

 

4. Durability. Trust this grill to last for a long time. This is thanks to it’s make up i.e. thick steel at the core with powder coating. Because the company believes in their product, the give a three year warranty.

The grill only has 110v power however, so I suggest that you carry an inverter so you can connect to your car if at all you intend to use it somewhere remote for considerable lengths of time. The Z Grills 200 A also does not have a meat probe.

 

Country Smokers Traveler

This grill is a new kid on the block. Make no mistake though it has surprised everyone for the time that it has been on the market. Before we explore the specific details, the best way to understand it is that it is close in its operation to the Asmoke AS300.

That is too say that one thing that is certain with the grill is that it is perfect for camping; like its name suggests.

Alright, here are further details;

1. Build. The grill is 17.5 inches in height, 24. 4 inches wide, and 13.6 inches deep. Its net weight is 43Ibs so yeah, not heavy and portable. The material used is heavy steal.

 

The Country Smokers Traveler also comes with a drip tray which is removable in order to simplify movement. Once you have arrived at the destination of grilling however, be sure to place it back prior to heating. Otherwise, you might find that grease will pour out to places in which you did not wish it to.

Something else that surprised us (because you don’t see it anywhere else), is that this grill has a lock for its hopper. As such, you can place the pellets in the hopper without waiting to reach the grilling point first.

 

2. Cooking. This grill does not exactly have a big cooking surface though it suffices for the price. In total, it is 256 sq in but it is divided up into two i.e. 191 sq in for the lower grate and 95 sq in for the upper. Accordingly, you can see how you utilize the divisions for your better food preparation.

 

Special about this grill is that it allows for both direct and indirect grilling. This is possible thanks to the slide cover which comes embedded within. To grill directly, one slides it over and then the fire is able to reach the food directly. Reverse the process and you are back to indirect grilling. This is such a phenomenal feature if you were to ask me.

 

3. Temperature. This grill heats up in no time and it is able to retain the set temperature without issues.

We don’t like the fact that this grill has a very small vent. It makes the release of smoke rather challenging. It is also the case that the latches at the front of the grill tend to get very hot in cases of cooking for a long time.

It is important therefore to wear cooking gloves when working with the Country Smokers Traveler.

 

Asmoke AS350

This product is Asmoke’s update of the AS300. If you have used the latter grill before, then you are most certainly going to like trying out the AS350. Here are the features that that I found captivating about this grill.

1. The pans. Unlike any other grill on this list, Asmoke introduced two pans in he AS350 that are simply magical. These are the ash pot as well the water pan. The ash pan serves to capture all the ash produced as the cooking happens. It is removable so if it fills up, you don’t have to wait until when you get finished a choice that would mean that the ashes will begin to float over your meat.

 

As for the water pan, it carries water as the grilling goes on and this helps to keep your food moist. This cooks meat in a way that only this grill can. Moreover, it reinforces the role of the ash pan through the steam which sometimes traps ash hence deterring it from proceeding up once the two meat.

 

2. Cooking. The grill allows 256 sq in of cooking area divided into two racks. The upper rack can be removed should you wish to cook something that is a little voluminous.

 

The AS350 also comes with a deflector plate on its inside. By sliding it, one is able to directly grill their food. If you are going to use this option however, it is important that you use it on a grill that is regularly cleaned lest an ignited pellet will escape without your seeing and cause a fire that you might only be able to see when it is too late.

 

 

3. Build up. At 49Ibs, the AS350 is portable enough to be carried in any place that you wish. And, it has a latch system to ensure stability whilst in use.

 

Knowing that it would be carried to many places then, it is essential that it is durable (which it is). The body is mainly stainless steel whereas the grates are coated in porcelain. To guarantee this, Asmoke gives a warranty of three years for this grill with an option of being extended to five years.

A350 temperatures overly fluctuate however, usually in the range of 30 degrees Fahrenheit to 50. One can always make up for this by setting it on temperatures higher or lower than what is intended having understood its behaviour overtime. Another issue with this grill is that is has a rather small hopper.

 

Even Embers SMK8028AS

Finally for our list is the Even Embers SMK8028AS, here is what we found fascinating about it.

1. Preheating. The grill preheats 10-15 minutes which is a competitive time stipulation. You might want to hold on longer though for the very first time as you would want grease that it came with to melt away. 45 minutes should be enough.
2. Cooking. The grill has a “SMOKE” and “COOK MODE” which can be used interchangeably. The smoke mode is for smoking your food as the name suggest and it does so whilst adding flavours. It ranges from P0-P4. The cooking mode on the other hand, ranges from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to “HIGH” (past 375 degrees).

 

You may choose to keep the cooking chamber lid open or not whilst cooking.

 

We did not like the fact that some parts of the grill are sharp i.e. they could easily cut you when cleaning it. I recommend that you use gloves to avoid this.