Best Grills Under $400! [ Wood Pellet, Charcoal, Propane Gas ]

We decided to test all of the best grills under $400 and find the best one for you. After hours of research and testing, we came up with a list of our top 6 favorite grills for this year.

Looking For the Best Grills Under $400? Here Are Some Features to Consider

1. Temperature range: Ideally, you want your grill to reach temperatures between 200-500°F. This allows for low and slow cooking, as well as high-searing heat for those perfect grill marks.
2. Ignition type: Look at the ignition system of your grill. Make sure it’s easy to light and reliable so that you can get cooking without any issues or hassle.
3. Cooking area: The size of the grilling surface makes a difference in how many burgers or hot dogs you can make all at once. Choose a model with enough space for all your food needs.
4. Fuel type: Do you prefer charcoal grilling or gas? Different fuel types have different pros and cons, so decide what works best for you before making your purchase.

Top 3 grills under $400 on 2023

Best outdoor grills under $400

The best pellet grill under $400

Z GRILLS ZPG 550B Review

The best portable wood pellet grill under $400

The best  kamado ceramic grill under $400

Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill FAQ

Problem: You just bought a new Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill, but you're not sure how to season the cooking grate.

Seasoning the cooking grate is an important step in ensuring that your food doesn't stick to the grill and that it cooks evenly. If you don't do this step, your food will likely end up charred on one side and undercooked on the other.

Solution: Rub a thick slab of onion or potato over the entire surface of the cooking grate before each grilling session. The juices from the onion or potato will help prevent sticking and staining.

Problem: Trying to cook a big piece of meat low and slow can be difficult, especially if you don't have the right equipment.

Not everyone has the time or know-how to cook a big piece of meat low and slow. It can be tough to get it just right.

Solution: The Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill makes slow cooking easy. With this grill, you can set the temperature and let it cook for 8-10 hours without having to add more coal. Plus, the thermal efficiency ensures that your food will come out perfectly cooked every time.

Problem: Do you want to get into smoking meats, but don't know where to start?

Smoking meats can seem intimidating, but it's really not that hard. You just need the right equipment.

Solution: The Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill is great, but it doesn't come with an adjustable rack and I found that the ceramic diffuser really helped my grilling experience. If you want to make your own grill even more impressive than what's already on hand (and add some extra beauty), try filling up one side of this smoker's steel drum bucket full of sand before placing briquettes around inside or above them wherever suits best.

 

Welcome back to Little Pig Barbeque! Today we’re reviewing one of my favorite grills, the Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado. This grill is perfect for those who love BBQ but want an easier and quicker cooking experience without sacrificing flavor or quality ingredients that can’t wait around on your smoker (darned thing). We’ll be getting into all sorts of stuff today so stay tuned if you’ve got some time constraints like me or just need something simple in order to get dinner started quickly.

If you’re in the market for a Kamado-style cooker, whether it be big or small and you don’t want to spend too much money on them. This video is perfect then because I am going over some of my favorite affordable alternatives that will get your mouth watering while cooking delicious food without breaking anyone’s bank account.

You’ve got to see this! Come with me, I’ll show you how great these grills can cook. The Char-Griller Akorn is our pick of the day and it won’t be long before your mouth water from all that juicy goodness coming off a cooked meal onto one’s plate. 

This isn’t a new cooker; it’s been out for several years. There is plenty of information on the internet, YouTube, and Google about this product so you know all there is to learn before making your purchase decision.

So, I’m not going to tell you anything new that can’t already be found on the internet. But let me give a quick run-through of why this product may very well become your favorite Kamado.

This cooker is not your average ceramic-style pot, it’s metal

It has double-wall insulation to keep food warm, and an air gap all around its top & bottom which means it will be able to hold onto heat better than most other pots out there.

The Weber gas grill is a great starter product, but I have found that the Akorn brand provides better performance. This one holds my food at just about perfect temperature and it’s very easy to use.

This grill has a ton of features! I’m just going to take you through some that really caught my eye.

The cheap and easy way to get a great backyard grill is by going with this cooker. You can find it at Walmart, Lowe’s Home Depot, or anywhere else for under $300.

Anyway, let’s get into this first thing. You’ll notice you got these nice side tables here – they’re very nifty indeed. I’ve had pork on my previous visits with no issues at all; everything has been stable and easily stored when not in use (both of ’em fold down for storage). With the tables down, you can slide this into a small space. It works perfectly.

Here, it has some hooks for your tools which is a nice feature.

Use that often for my tongs and even the grill brush or grapefruit scrubber! So far this product works perfectly as advertised – no complaints from me.

The wheels on this grill are not anything special, but they get the job done. There are two LA-style front wheels and then you have a swivel castor with an unlockable back tire for added portability. This thing is so easy to control with one hand. There’s no problem going in any direction you want, and it feels really stable.

The bottom of this handsome barbecue has a shelf that’s perfect for holding your heat deflector or charcoal when grilling. If you want, it can be used as an extension to reach ingredients.

The temperature control is so easy. For controlling your temperature, you got this nice sliding vent. Just like an oven, you have a dial with numbers on it that lets your cook know what setting they need to use for their dish – whether it’s low heat or high.

If you’re smoking at around 225-250, it’s going to be about 1. And that leaves a very narrow gap for your airflow there.

The dial on this thing is really easy to adjust and understand, which makes cooking with it a breeze. You can set the temperature quickly without getting lost in all those numbers. The grill is perfect for those who want to cook at precise temperatures. It won’t fluctuate more than 10 degrees all day long, so you can be sure your food will always stay warm or hot. 

Well, this grill gets up to 700 degrees on the thermometer. I’ve had it pegged out just playing around with fire: no problem at all! One chimney of lump charcoal will reach that temperature before you know what’s happening (700).

You can get a really nice sear on food with high heat, but it’s not necessary for most other cooking methods. I don’t know why you would want to use such intense flames when there are much less harsh temperatures out there that create similar results and take far less time.

The durable metal construction of this grill makes it strong enough to withstand any accident. The sleek design and easy-to-use features will have you cooking like a pro in no time. The durability of this grill is unrivaled. It can stand up to even the most stubborn tip, bump or fall without cracking.  

Well, if you tip over a big green egg or bump into something really hard then there’s a good chance that crack will spread across your whole cookware. This grill is built like a tank. Built to last and stand up against even the most stubborn of flames, this thing will be around for years with you – so long as it doesn’t get blown away by some unexpected breeze.

Let’s open it up and check the inside out.

This smoker has some great features, like the double-wall insulated cooking area which keeps food warmer longer. This will be perfect for those who want their meat slow-smoked or low and gentle.

The heavy-duty stainless steel frame is perfect for cooking meals or wrapping food to keep it warm. The warming rack can also be removed and washed easily, making this an excellent addition even if you don’t use it often. So, this will be either a good thing or bad depending on how you look at it.

The best part about these cast-iron grates is they can be seasoned whenever you want to smoke or grill

This means the seasoning won’t wear off as quickly and it’ll last for a really long time. But when you heat it up for the first time and make sure to keep your spice rub well-done, not only will that burnt flavor be gone but so too any chance of seafood stink happening.

What you can see here is that there was some surface rust. But after a quick wipe with my handkerchief and then brushing it off, all of this will scrape away easily. I’m probably going to do some low and slow cooking with it next time, so I’ll spray the griddle beforehand. When you heat up your food on this thing quickly after applying seasonings like a liquid sauce or oil will keep them from burning while they’re sitting there waiting for me.

The quality of the sear marks is really good. This product intelligently channels heat to ensure even cooking all over your food, which results in a beautifully browned crust on top while staying tender inside.

The center insert here actually comes out. It will pop up and I believe you can get some accessories to go in there! Not sure what would work, but saw videos on YouTube of guys putting their own little things into this compartment like straps or clips for more storage space if needed. Well, I don’t have any special tools to help me with my grill. It’s just an open flame that smokes everything over.

I’ll get this grade out of the way so we can move on. I set it underneath for a minute.

The accessory is really great. I ordered it and you can use it as a pizza stone, but unfortunately, this accessory doesn’t come with the purchase – you have to buy it separately (but for less than $30/40$).

This accessory is perfect for anyone who wants to cook with low and slow heat

It lets you have that same type of experience on your gas grill, just like what happens when using an oven-friendly unit such as a Kamado Joe or Green Egg. People have said that the material is really durable, but some people reported cracks after a few months of use. I don’t know if it’s because they didn’t take care or something else entirely happened so be careful and don’t drop.

The Char-Broil Egg has many similarities to other styles, but there are also key differences. The most notable difference is that it features fire bowl technology instead of metal inserts within the inner pot for ash disposal like you find with big green eggs; this means more durability and easier cleanup. You can use this grill to fill up with typically in AMO. You would have lump-style charts, but if you want an even easier way then just brick ETS.

The holes on this great grill allow for the ash to fall through just like any other type of charcoal grill, which means you don’t have as many messes and can easily clean up after yourself. The reason you can’t use brick ETS in other grills is that the holes are small and get clogged easily with ash. But, if you use briquettes I found that it is not only easier on the earth but also there are no problems when burning. 

Well, this is what we call a heat deflector and it helps hold the temperature in. You got an air gap around which is great for holding onto that warmth. We’ll get our deflector back here so that it works just as well.

I can already tell that this is going to be an amazing product! The first thing people usually complain about with big green eggs is how hard it seems to clean. You have to take all this stuff out. You’ll sweep up the Ash into your cart and then get underneath it, where you can kind of vacuum away any remaining particles with a brush or mop head before sweeping them back outside again so they don’t come inside. 

The designers behind this design have chosen to use a latch system so that when you flip the switch on one side, all of its counterparts will become accessible. So now you’ve got a fully charged Ash in there. All that’s left to do is dump it out if there are any little pieces of grease or anything like that And they just slip right back into place.

You may think that by clamping the heating element in place, you’ll lose all of your heat or maybe even some smoke out. But this isn’t true. When that’s clamped in, that’s gonna push that thing up to the gasket seal.

The build quality is really impressive. It has no smoke or heat leaking out of it, which you can’t do with a traditional-style Kamado because they’re designed to let through as much airflow possible for fast and even cooking without compromising on safety standards.

This thing is so versatile, it’ll please any palate. If you’re on a budget and can only get one cooker then this would be my recommendation for what’s right at $300. You can do anything you want with your smoker. You may have noticed that I didn’t say “smoker” – it’s because there is no such thing. A good quality grill will get the job done just as well, and in some cases better than a traditional pitmaster’s tool of choice for many years now. You can also do some intense searing on meats or fish while grilling them at high temperatures for a longer period of time in order to achieve certain flavors that are only found by cooking these types of foods this way.

The best temperature to run your grill is about 250-275 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you fill it up with charcoal, I’ve had the fire burn for 10 hours before without stopping. The food is evenly cooked all the way around, and anything you put on turns out great. And honestly – there’s not much more to it than that. You just throw some smoking wood onto your fire; then sit back and enjoy your time. You can put your food on and not have to worry about it until it’s done.

The product is built extremely well, and you’ll be really impressed with how sturdy it feels.

I’ve seen some complaints that the negative side of this product is rust. Yeah, it’s gonna start rusted immediately when you bring your outdoor fire pit inside and leave for an extended period of time without using protection from rain or snowfall; but if taken care of with regular cleaning then there shouldn’t be any problems.

I had another one before this, and it was outside for about two years. The rust wasn’t bad though – just some surface grime on the bolts or screws that hold its legs together (no big deal). They were just a little bit rusted, but not enough that I thought it would be hard to clean up or ruin them. 

In order to keep your grill safe from the elements, it is important that you do not forget about its exterior. Just keep it covered and make sure you’re storing things properly in the winter months. That’s all there is to do.

Well, if you like this cooker then I want to know what’s up with it. Let me know your thoughts on the product.

Hope you found this review of the Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Grill helpful. The information it provides will be sure to enhance your knowledge and experience with any future purchases!

The best grill and griddle combo under $400

Royal Gourmet GD401 FAQ

Problem: You're out camping and realize you don't have the right adapter to connect your propane grill to your RV.

This can be a major problem if you're wanting to cook up some burgers or steaks while on vacation. Not only is it frustrating, but it can also be quite dangerous if the connection isn't made properly.

Solution: The Royal Gourmet GD401 comes with a regulator that will fit any specifications of the propane tanks, so you'll never have to worry about not being able to cook up your favorite meals while on the road.

Problem: I'm not sure what the material of my griddle, grates, burners, and flame deflectors is.

It can be hard to tell what kind of materials your grill or griddle is made out of. Cast iron is a popular choice because it heats evenly and lasts for a long time, but other materials like aluminum can also work well.

Solution: Royal Gourmet has you covered with their GD401 model. This grill features cast iron grills and griddle, as well as enameled aluminum flame deflectors for even heat distribution. Plus, the whole thing is easy to clean so you can spend more time cooking and less time scrubbing!

Problem: It's hard to know if you're buying a grill that will actually stay hot.

A lot of grills claim to have high heat, but they don't always deliver.

Solution: The Royal Gourmet GD401 is different. This grill features two sides- one for grilling and one for griddling. Plus, the grill side stays hot even without the lid thanks to its powerful heating element.

The best charcoal grill under $400

 

Weber Performer Charcoal Grill FAQ

Problem: Outdoor grilling is one of the most popular summer activities, but it can be hard to get your grill just right so your food doesn't end up charred.

You're not alone if you've ever had a disaster while trying to cook on an outdoor grill. It's easy to ruin a good piece of meat by forgetting to adjust the vents or not adding enough charcoal.

Solution: Weber has the perfect solution with their Performer Charcoal Grill. This grill has a built-in temperature gauge and adjustable top and bottom vents, so you can easily maintain the perfect cooking temperature for whatever you're grilling. Plus, there's plenty of space on the grate for all of your favorite meats and veggies.

Problem: It's tough to know if a grill is designed for use with standard charcoal briquettes, and you definitely don't want to end up ruining your grill by using the wrong fuel.

Not all grills are created equal! Using the wrong kind of fuel can quickly ruin your grill, and who wants that?

Solution: Weber has you covered with our Performer Charcoal Grill. This grill is designed for use with standard charcoal briquettes, so you can be sure your food will taste great every time. Plus, the metal frame means this grill will last for years to come.

Problem: You want to get a grill, but you're not sure if the grates are going to rust.

Grills can be a lot of fun, but you don't want to end up with a rusty mess on your hands.

Solution: The Weber Performer Charcoal Grill has heavy-duty plated steel grates that look like stainless steel, but are actually really heavy. They won't rust or the plating will come off.

I am here to talk about the Weber Performance Deluxe Charcoal Grill and how it will make your next camping trip more enjoyable. 

This product includes everything you need in one package:

A charcoal grill with a built-in gas ignition system as well as a side shell for easy transportability on any terrain type; durable construction made especially lightweight so carrying this around isn’t too much burden even when fully loaded down – you’ll be able to set up shop wherever there’s space left over at home because let me tell ya’, these grills are big sellers among outdoor enthusiasts everywhere.

He has a nice side shelf on there, perfect for prepping food or serving your dish. He also gets an extra-large workspace with plenty of storage underneath and two drawers at the other end where you can put anything else that needs storing away. Plus those big wheels make moving around super simple no matter which direction he’s going in regards to his workspace.

You can wheel it about if you want, or put it away at different times when not in use. There’s a bin for Charcoal and one to hold regular garbage – but why not take advantage of its other features too? This little box here is our timer. If you want to cook in time, use that. Thermometers these days are really good at noticing when food’s ready because they have a lot more sensors than just one spirit thermometer used traditionally past years would’ve had on them.

With our kettle now black enamel coated, it will be easy for us to keep a clean temperature gauge on top. We’ll also have vents at both the bottom and top of this grill in order to control its warmth or coolness as needed. 

The grill is equipped with several features that allow you to maintain your desired temperature while cooking, including an ash collection system. The more air flowing into it and the higher heat around 180 degrees Fahrenheit will ensure thorough roasting of food inside without burning them on any side! After you’ve finished, there’s an easy system to get rid of your coal and ash.

What’s nice about this metal bar that goes around the edge here, and just holds your lid. You don’t have to hold onto anything when cooking; it sits like so on top of our grill (in front) with two big handles for easy access. The bit patterns also allow you to stain whatever surface they are sitting next to we gutted part way through building ours which made moving coals easier than ever before since all surfaces got stained at once. Cleanup couldn’t be simpler either -all one has to do is want their stovetop to look spotless again.

The GBS system comes out, which is great for cooking pizza stones and other items. You can cook in all sorts of different ways with this grill! Inside the main chamber are standard drip pans so your juices will go right there too if you’re roasting something like chickens or ducks; they’ll keep their moisture inside instead of wasting it on an unneeded surface area outside where no one wants them (or needs more than one).

This is how to cook like a pro. charcoal trays are great for grilling and roasting meat, but they also work perfectly as a grill surface when you want the flavor of direct flame without all that Ash versus indirect heat messiness! To use one simply put some Charcoal into each slot then place it over your desired cooking method (indirect vs middle) – either way this bad boy will deliver amazing results every time.

The barbecue is a great way to cook food and also have fun

You can use gas, which we’ve got here in this canister as well as lit by pressing down on it with your finger until there’s an ignite button underneath where you put wood chips or whatever else suits your needs best.

With the Weber Performer Charcoal Grill, you can light up your charcoal in no time. There’s never been an easier way to get that fire started! Simply attach a lighter cube onto one end of it and then use its gas power from either below or above – whichever works best for where they’re going on their grill at any given moment (and there won’t be much transition). Once lit with ease thanks to both these innovative features combined together…you’ll never need another method again when wanting high temperatures fast; just turn it off once everything looks ready.

The best 4-burner propane gas grill under $400

Char-Broil Performance Stainless Steel FAQ

Problem: Changing the battery in your grill can be a pain, especially if you don't have the instructions handy.

It's frustrating when you have to stop grilling in the middle of a cookout to change the battery in your grill. You shouldn't have to go through that hassle, which is why we made it easy to access the battery.

Solution: The Char-Broil Performance Grill features an easily accessible battery so you can keep grilling without any interruption. The battery can be accessed by unscrewing the ignition button. Please reference step 16 on page 47 of the product guide for details.

Problem: I'm trying to put my side burner together and I can't seem to find where the metal clip goes.

It's not always easy putting things together, is it? We've all been there.

Solution: The metal clip goes under the side burner (part M) and should attach to the gas valve. If you're still having trouble, take a look at our diagram for more help.

Problem: You love grilled food, but hate the hassle of cleaning your grill.

Who doesn't love grilled food? The only downside is the cleanup. It seems like every time you use your grill, it's a battle to get all of the gunk off.

Solution: Char-Broil's Performance Grill has porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates that are easy to season with canola oil. This will help keep your food from sticking, making cleaning a breeze.

 

Final Thoughts

Editor’s Choice: Top-list grills under $200-$1,000

• The best Kamado ceramic grill under $200
• Best Grills Under $300
• Best outdoor propane gas grills under $500
• The best wood pellet grill and smoker under $750
• The best-rated Traeger pellet grill with Wi-Fi on the market
• The best portable flat-top propane grill on 2022