What Are the Best BBQ Grills and Where to Buy Quality BBQ Equipment?

Key Takeaways

• The best BBQ grill depends on how you cook: gas offers convenience, charcoal delivers smoky flavor, and planchas provide precise, high-heat control.
• Heat distribution and temperature range matter more than size or features, especially for consistent searing and cooking larger or delicate foods.
• Build quality is critical, as materials like carbon steel and stainless steel directly affect heat responsiveness, durability, and long-term performance.
• A professional BBQ setup pairs a quality grill with carbon steel griddles and durable tools, allowing home cooks to achieve chef-level results outdoors.

Choosing a grill isn’t just about fuel type, aesthetics, or even size. It’s about the flavor, the cooking control, and the craftsmanship. Rex Kelly

In every category, the best BBQ grill depends on your cooking goals. Are you looking for quick weeknight meals? Fancy weekend sears? Precision plancha cooking?

Professional chefs know what to look for. They use material and heat responsiveness to get perfect grilling results. For a French outdoor approach to grilling, de Buyer’s carbon steel griddles and grill-ready tools are excellent. 

But when it comes to buying your next grill and grilling tools, you need to compare fuel types, materials, and cooking expectations. 

How to Choose Between Gas, Charcoal, and Plancha Grills

Choosing between gas, charcoal, and planchas/griddles comes down to space, needs, and present capabilities.

• Gas Grills: The convenience of a gas grill and the ease of adjusting the heat make these grills great for precise temperature control. However, gas grills cause about 9,287 fires each year, so they require careful attention. 
• Charcoal Grills: Give food a smoky flavor that’s difficult to achieve with any other grill type. The intense heat is a plus for classic BBQ enthusiasts, but charcoal is messy to work with and requires using lighter fluid. 
• Planchas and Griddles: These flat, high-heat-compatible surfaces are used for French-style grilling and fit directly on your grill. They’re excellent at cooking vegetables, seafood, and smash burgers; anything that would fall through the cracks in a standard grill. 

Keep in mind that gas and charcoal grills take up a lot of space and aren’t typically portable. Charcoal grills also have a higher learning curve. They require more technique and preparation. It’s not an insurmountable process, but it is more complicated than hooking the gas up and pushing a start button. 

de Buyer planchas/griddles bridge professional-grade control with home use, meaning they’re durable and high-performing yet approachable for home cooks. 

What Defines the Best BBQ Grills

A huge grill sitting in the front yard used to be a sign of culinary excellence; now, modern home cooks look beyond size and fancy gadgets for two main features: heat distribution and temperature range. 

You want a grill that can cook any dish you want, no matter where you place it on the grill. This make is achievable to cook large proteins or big batches. 

This is challenging to achieve on a gas or charcoal grill alone, but when paired with a griddle, you get superb heat distribution. The large, flat cooking surface of a griddle heats quickly and evenly. 

The temperature range will vary slightly between models, but gas grills tend to top out around 600°F. Charcoal grills top out around 1200°F. A griddle will heat as hot as the grill it’s placed on. You’ll only get smoky flavors from a charcoal grill, but an amazing sear is possible on any grill type. 

Why Build Quality Makes or Breaks Your Grill

For griddles, the metal type greatly affects heat retention and sear consistency. 

• Stainless steel: resistant to corrosion and ideal for even, consistent heating
• Carbon steel: superior for high-heat searing and responsive temperature shifts

Professional-grade carbon steel, like de Buyer’s Mineral B line, delivers restaurant-quality results at home. The high-quality carbon steel construction retains heat like a cast-iron pan, but it's lighter and more durable. 

The maintenance process is straightforward, and the superior quality means that it can take a beating. 

How to Build Your BBQ Setup Like a Pro

BBQ setups can take many different forms depending on your exact grill, area, and culinary preferences. However, these are the general steps you should take no matter what. 

Step 1: Select the Right Surface

Start with a gas or charcoal grill that fits your space. Grills should typically be at least 10 feet from the side of a building unless the manufacturer's instructions say otherwise. Purchase accordingly. 

Add a carbon steel plancha or griddle for precision searing and simple, portable cooking. 

Step 2: Choose the Tools That Matter

Use high-heat utensils, like tongs and spatulas, made of stainless or carbon steel. Tools must be sturdy enough to withstand force at extreme heat. Flimsy nonstick tools will degrade under this heat. 

Step 3: Think Beyond the Grill

de Buyer griddles aren’t the only tool you need. Carbon steel pans that can move from flame to oven come in all shapes and sizes. 

A Mineral B carbon steel grill pan features raised ridges that create textbook grill marks. The Mineral B Pro pans are all excellent with high heat. 

Stand-alone grills aren’t the only option for high-heat cooking. 

The French Way to Grill and Why Chefs Love Planchas

We’ve used the term plancha and griddle interchangeably, and they’re very similar pans. The plancha is a type of griddle that concentrates heat in the center of the pan. 

The evolution of modern cooking metals means we can achieve high heat across the surface of a pan without thinning the metal (as in a plancha). The term plancha refers to a traditional French technique for even, high-heat searing that carries over to the de Buyer griddle. 

The griddle's carbon steel surface locks in flavor without flare-ups or smoke, and it’s built for open-flame and convection cooking. 

Caring for Your Grill and Cookware

With proper care, your grill will perform better and better, developing character over time. The goal in caring for a griddle is always to remove moisture and residue and rebuild a light, protective layer after heat exposure.

Use the following checklist after grilling:

• Let the cookware cool slightly (carefully, as it will be extremely hot), then rinse with hot water and scrub with a brush or sponge to remove food residue.
• Avoid soap on carbon steel; stainless tools can handle mild soap if needed.
• Dry with a towel, then briefly warm the griddle to evaporate any remaining moisture.
• Apply a very thin coat of high-smoke-point oil to carbon steel surfaces to maintain seasoning and prevent rust.
• Avoid putting carbon steel in the dishwasher, and never leave it soaking in water.

Before first use, season the griddle. With a large pan like a griddle, this is easier to accomplish in the oven. You season by heating the pan, adding a thin layer of oil, and letting it lightly smoke before cooling. Over time, the surface will darken into a natural nonstick patina that enhances performance.

You may also use stainless steel grilling tools. These won't require seasoning, but they do need prompt cleaning. For grill grates, a quick oil wipe after cleaning helps reduce sticking and corrosion.

Beware of rust. This corrosive chemical reaction is a griller's worst enemy. Always dry cookware immediately and store it in a low-humidity area. 

The de Buyer Difference in Outdoor Cooking

de Buyer’s legacy of French craftsmanship stretches back to 1830. Our passion for the culinary arts and dedication to crafting exceptional cookware are evident in everything we do. The professional carbon steel and stainless collections are examples of premier French cookware that perform well both indoors and outdoors. 

The de Buyer difference means eco-responsible manufacturing made in France with sustainable materials. Authenticity and quality are what we prioritize, not trends. 

Bring French Precision to Your BBQ

The best BBQ setup depends on how and what you love to cook. Choose gas for convenience, charcoal for flavor, and add griddles for precision. 

de Buyer’s cookware brings pro performance outdoors with carbon steel planchas/griddles and grill-ready tools. Explore de Buyer’s professional collections and discover tools that turn your backyard cooking hobby into French-level precision.