We’re about to enter into prime-time barbecue season. To avoid missing out on any al fresco plans, it’s worth taking advantage of the pre-season BBQ sales. We're here to help you decide which barbecue you want, where to shop it, and how to find the best BBQ deals.
Our team of experts are always on the lookout for the best BBQ deals. We've covered all bases, whether you’re looking for a budget BBQ or a blowout standout option, there'll be one for you. You might want a portable barbecue for picnics; basic, quintessential charcoal grill; or a gas grill if you've got bigger ideas for your garden gatherings.
With the Great British Summer around the corner, we’ve got all the answers to your burning questions, including how to BBQ right. If you want to be cooking on gas (or charcoal and gas), here are all of the barbecues that can take the heat, whether the sun chooses to show up or not — this isn’t the South of France after all.
Best BBQ deals and sales
You can almost always find a BBQ deal, but how do you know if it's a good one? Our experts have cooked on the best barbecues and grills, so we know which features are essential, where it's worth making sacrifices, and which brands offer the best value.
We put days of research into the deals that we share with you, because we want you to be able to maximise on our experience. These are tried and trusted brands that we know will give you the grilling experience that your neighbours will envy and your friends will admire.
Where to find the best bbq deals
If you like to scroll the sales for yourself, here are the places to shop the best BBQ deals. Just make sure that you're getting the very lowest price that the market has to offer, since brands are often discounted across different retailers.
- Amazon: Deals on Weber, Char-Broil, Ninja and more
- Argos: Save on our top-rated BBQs and accessories (with Nectar points too)
- AO: Member prices on gas, charcoal, and electric BBQs
- Appliances Direct: Up to 45% off BBQs and accessories
- B&Q: Save on our favourite barbecues in the Spring sale
- BBQ World: A one-stop shop for all things outdoor dining
- Currys: Fast, free delivery and Spring discounts too
- Homebase: Up to 20% BBQs and accessories over £200
- JD Williams: Discounts on BBQs and pizza ovens
- John Lewis: Save on top-rated models and more
- Keen Gardener: Deals across gas, charcoal, and electric gardeners
- Lakeland: A reliable supply of household favourite BBQs and accessories
- The Range: 50% off in the Spring sale across a range of BBQs
- Robert Dyas: Special offers across a range of products
- Very: Serious savings on iconic barbecues and accessories
- Wayfair: A reliable place for deep discounts on our favourite brands
Best Charcoal bbq deals
If you're all about authenticity, you're in the right place. These barbecues deliver smoky flavors and some serious heat. We've got all bases covered with these deals.
Best Gas bbq deals
If you've got a lot of garden gatherings planned, you'll want to be cooking on gas. Some say you can get the same, smoky charcoal flavours on these grills. Even better, you don't have to do any of the ash-clearing or slow heating. We've impressed ourselves here; these really are the best BBQ deals to shop.
Best electric bbq deals
Simple, portable and compact, if you're after an electric model, these are the best BBQ deals that our experts have found.
Best deals on BBQ accessories
If you're having an outdoor overhaul, you'll want to have all the kit that comes with your barbecue. We've found the best savings on basting brushes, tongs, and, BBQ covers to kit you out with all things outdoor cooking.
How to choose the right BBQ for you
There's a lot on offer in the world of barbecues and knowing what you're shopping for can make life a lot more simple. Obviously, price dictates a lot of factors and we've gone into the rough price points of what you'll get for different amounts of money above, Once you're happy with your budget, there are some other factors that you'll want to take into account.
Fuel type
The great fuel debate isn't yet resolved, You can choose between charcoal, which some say gives a better flavour, gas, which is more reliable, or charcoal fuelled gas, which covers a bit of both. There are also electric barbecues and smokers, which use special pellets. Put simply:
- Charcoal: People say that this delivers an unmatched smoky flavour, reaching high heat for some serious searing. However, getting the coals up to temperature is more time-consuming and challenging. Plus, the cleanup can be tedious.
- Gas: This is easy to get set up, you can be precise and particular around temperatures, and the cleanup is easy (you don't have any ashes). However, they often cost more upfront and might not have those sensational smoky flavours.
- Electric: You don't need to buy gas or charcoal with these, so they're quick and easy to start-up. They can be used indoors and, again, you don't have to handle coals and ashes. However, you'll need some way to access electricity outside and probably won't be able to reach the high temperatures of gas and coal barbecues.
- Hybrid: If you like the sound of the first two, you can invest in one that does both. Whilst it's great to have the choice between flavours and convenience, these are often more expensive and complex than single-fuel grills.
- Wood pellet: These are more rare, but if you like the idea of a charcoal grill, it's worth considering one of these. It'll give you a rich, smoky flavour profile and precise temperature controls. However, the pellets are often expensive and the burners can be quite complex.
Size
It's a good idea to assess the space that you have in your garden. You'll need a barbecue that doesn't dominate the space, but still has enough capacity to cater for you and your home's demands.
Quality
The build and materials that your barbecue is made of should be one of your top priorities. Don't be tempted to skim and save on the cheapest options on the market, because, although you'll save in the short term, you'll only have to replace it in the longer term when it inevitably breaks (if you can even get it running).
Portability
I've mentioned portable grills, which are great for trips to the beach and picnics too. They're cheaper to buy and very manageable too.
Cleaning
You'll need to clean your barbecue to keep it in good condition. They're not famous for their easy cleaning, but there are plenty of barbecues with special features that make for easy cleaning.
Extra features
You can get warming plates and multiple layers on your barbecue and, if that's something that excites you, it might be worth paying some more money for. Some barbecues can switch between fuel sources or double up as smokers.
How much should I spend on a BBQ?
There's not a direct correlation between how much money you spend on your barbecue and how good it is, so you need to be smart, savvy, and well-informed when you're looking for the best BBQ deals. In our experience, the best BBQs sit at an average price point, which is around £600. The Kamado Grill is a great example of this, because it's one of the more affordable options on the market and still as good as some of the best.
If you're short on money and space, a basic portable barbecue will do a great job. You can spend as little as £150 on these and still enjoy smoker functions and hybrid fuel sources. However, you won't get capacity like Weber grill's or the durability of Everdure, especially if you try to make that money stretch to a bigger barbecue. A good option if you're on a budget but want good performance is the Weber Master Touch, which is just under £300.
If you're happy upping the budget for something that offers more than a basic (it doesn't have to be top-of-the-range), you can spend between £350 and £750. This should get you a good barbecue with enough capacity to host dinner parties. Most of the best BBQs on the market sit in this price bracket, so it's what I would aim for. A good example of these would be the Weber Spirit II E-310 GBS. It has three gas burners and precision controls.
If you're a magpie, like me, and you want the biggest and the best, you'll be looking at a retail price of around £1,000. Often, you'll be paying for an iconic name or some ridiculously long lifetime guarantee, but this can pay off. It's also why we write pages like this one, because if you can snag an expensive barbecue that's reduced, you can enjoy some of life's luxuries without having to pay a premium price tag.
How do I make sure to get a good deal on barbecues?
Before you even start shopping for the best BBQ deals, you'll want to set a budget. Have a rough bracket of how much money you're happy to spend and stick to it. You can get great barbecues at every price point, you just have to know what you're willing to compromise and which features are deal-breakers.
Once you know how much you're happy to spend, you'll want to do your research or, if you want the shortcut, speak to the people who have done the research for you, like me. Work out what you want in terms of capacity, fuel type, size, and extras. We'll give you an idea of what to expect and which brands have the best offering based on our in-person experiences with the best barbecues on the market.
When you're clued up on BBQs you'll have an idea of a few that you like. Now's the time to look for the best price. Landing on the best BBQ deals pages from experts like me is a sure-fire way to find reliable, real-life deals, but there are extension tools such as CamelCamelCamel that you can use on Amazon to look at the historic pricing of the BBQ that you're admiring.
If you see a barbecue that you like the look of with a tasty price tag, don't hang around. Barbecue deals are notoriously flighty, so it's worth snapping up a saving when you see one. If you've followed all of our advice, you won't have any buyer's remorse.
When is the best time to bag a BBQ deal?
You'll find that most of the biggest BBQ deals pop up during the end of the Summer and at the beginning of Autumn, but don't let that stop you from finding a seriously good saving before barbecue season gets in full swing. You're better off buying one now and enjoying it all Summer long than missing out on months of al fresco evenings for the sake of £50.
Plenty of the best places to buy a BBQ that I've listed above will have their own shopping events, so don't worry if there are no nationwide ones (such as Black Friday) on the horizon. If you're a scrutinising shopper, you might even be able to pick up an ex-display model or one which needs a little TLC on the stand. Get your toolkit out, because this is where you can bag some of the most sensational savings.
How can I check if a BBQ deal is any good?
A great place to start is by consulting experts like us. We spend our days doing this. We test appliances, review them, rate them, and then collate buying guides and deals pages to help you shop. If there are people who know the market inside out, it's us.
Take a look at what we recommend as well as what other experts are saying (it never hurts to shop around). You'll notice that some BBQ deals will keep cropping up and the most popular, most frequently features ones are those which are probably the best.
If you think you've found a deal that we've not covered, feel free to ask us for our expert opinion. If you're in a hurry, sense check yourself. Scour through reviews online to check that the barbecue delivers on its promises. Other users are often some of the best people to give you reassurance or retrospective advice, because they're just like you. I always read three star reviews first, because these tend to be the most fair (five star reviews aren't that helpful if they're just offering praise and the odd one star review won't be much more than scathing criticism of one abstracted feature. Obviously if all the reviews are one star it's a bit of a red flag). Once you're satisfied that reviewers and customers have answered all of your questions, dive into the deal.
Are Prime Day BBQ deals any good?
Outside of specialist sale periods, Amazon is a reliable place to shop for the best BBQ deals. Prime Day keeps getting bigger and better, so we'd bet money (and barbecues) that there'll be some great grilling deals on offer.
Amazon has promised Prime Day will drop big deals on 23rd July 2024, so save the date. Last year, Amazon had another October Prime Day before Black Friday with some big BBQ deals. We even spotted some in their Big Spring Sales a couple of months ago.
Are Black Friday BBQ deals worth waiting for?
Black Friday is another great time to pick up a brilliant barbecue deal. Prime Day tends to offer bigger discounts, but you'll still see some sensational savings on some of the best brands, from Weber to Napoleon. Last year, we saw Weber discounted by up to 50% at John Lewis, Amazon, and Lakeland.
Are Cyber Monday BBQ deals worth waiting for?
You play a bit of a guessing game if you wait for Cyber Monday deals. Whilst these are great, you're never guaranteed to make more of a saving than on Black Friday. We'll give you an idea of whether a deal is good and what we expect on Cyber Monday. You've got a lot of sales to shop in before then though.
There's a lot on offer in the world of barbecues and knowing what you're shopping for can make life a lot more simple. Obviously, price dictates a lot of factors and we've gone into the rough price points of what you'll get for different amounts of money above, Once you're happy with your budget, there are some other factors that you'll want to take into account.
Fuel type
The great fuel debate isn't yet resolved, You can choose between charcoal, which some say gives a better flavour, gas, which is more reliable, or charcoal fuelled gas, which covers a bit of both. There are also electric barbecues and smokers, which use special pellets. Put simply:
- Charcoal: gives a smoky flavour and gives you an 'authentic' cooking experience, but buying them is a hassle and they can be tempermental to light
- Gas: is a reliable fuel source which still creates great flavours, but souring and storing gas can be fussy
- Electric: requires you to have a nearby power source, but is easy to get set up with no preparation and relatively easy to run
- Smokers: for the specialist cookers, this requires more control over cooking and can be tempermental
Size
It's a good idea to assess the space that you have in your garden. You'll need a barbecue that doesn't dominate the space, but still has enough capacity to cater for you and your home's demands.
Quality
The build and materials that your barbecue is made of should be one of your top priorities. Don't be tempted to skim and save on the cheapest options on the market, because, although you'll save in the short term, you'll only have to replace it in the longer term when it inevitably breaks (if you can even get it running).
Portability
I've mentioned portable grills, which are great for trips to the beach and picnics too. They're cheaper to buy and very manageable too.
Cleaning
You'll need to clean your barbecue to keep it in good condition. They're not famous for their easy cleaning, but there are plenty of barbecues with special features that make for easy cleaning.
Extra features
You can get warming plates and multiple layers on your barbecue and, if that's something that excites you, it might be worth paying some more money for. Some barbecues can switch between fuel sources or double up as smokers.
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