Noe Mayotte considers himself to be the "King of the Grill."
"I love grilling because you're outside. You can enjoy the weather. You can enjoy the sunshine," he said.
Mayotte swears by his charcoal grill. But far more people are buying gas grills these days. Consumer Reports has tested almost 50, ranging in price from $130 to nearly $2,200
Flare-ups can be a big concern. Testers evaluate a grill by cooking rib-eye steaks. They look for flare-ups when turning over the steaks, as well as when the steaks are done.
"We also have our testers evaluate how evenly the grills cook both on low settings and high settings," said Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman of Consumer Reports.
Testers use sensors to record the temperature across the grill's cooking surface. A computer analyzes the results. The $800 Team Grill Patio Series Pro didn't do well.
"It probably seems like a great idea to be able to get a grill that's all decked out with your favorite team's logos. Unfortunately, we found it cooked unevenly," Lehrman said.
And the 27" Basic Solaire Grill didn't cook evenly either, and it costs $1,800.
Far better and for far less, the $900 medium-sized grill from Weber E320 topped Consumer Reports ratings.
For $300 less, the Charbroil Red is also highly rated. It's called "red" because it uses infra-red heating. It comes with a lifetime burner warranty, even heat distribution, and very good low-temperature grilling. It also features a built in temperature probe, tank gauge and digital timer, as well as a side burner.
Among portable grills the $280 Weber Q200 series is a standout. You can even buy an optional stand that doubles as a carrying cart. The cooking surface is quite large for a portable.
When it comes to extra features the side burner is most recommended by BBQ enthusiasts. Griddle plates and rotisseries were among the least-used features so you can skip them unless you know you are going to use them.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
