Need to know
- Our experts tested more than 40 barbecues from leading brands including Weber, Everdure by Heston Blumenthal, Jumbuck, Beefeater, Ziegler & Brown and more
- We test how well they cook things such as steak, sausages and whole chickens, as well as how easy they are to use and clean
- Become a CHOICE member to view the results of our independent reviews for hundreds of products and services.
If you love to cook and entertain alfresco, you need a great barbecue that won't let you down.
You might be looking for a mammoth four-burner beast to feed a crowd at your weekend parties, a small, lightweight grill for easy weeknight dinners, or perhaps you want to give glorious smoked brisket a whirl? Whatever your barbecuing desires, your perfect match is out there and CHOICE experts can help you find it.
Our expert testers have put a batch of the latest brands through their paces to help you buy the best barbecue that suits your needs and budget.
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
Not all barbecues are created equal
Unsurprisingly, there are some models that impress more than others in our extensive, independent testing.
We have assessed over 40 models on a range of criteria, including how well they cook steaks, sausages, barbecue chicken and marinated chicken wings, and how easy they are to use, move, and clean.
Our expert barbecue tester Fiona Mair says, "Barbecues are one of those appliances that I find you generally get what you pay for."
"There are a range of different features that can contribute to a hefty price tag, and you may find that a bargain barbecue won't last as long as a pricier model.
"Look for a barbecue with a solid construction that uses quality materials, as they'll be out in the elements a lot."
Barbecues are one of those appliances that I find you generally get what you pay for
Fiona Mair, CHOICE expert tester
Whichever model you buy, how you look after it will play a part in how long it lasts.
"Make sure your barbecue goes the distance by looking after it properly, including cleaning it after every use and keeping it covered and stored out of the elements when not in use," says Fiona.
We suggest *not* getting Ziggy with it.
Ziegler & Brown Ziggy Electric Grill BBQ
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 51%
- Cooking performance score: 48%
- Price: $499
It may be cute on the outside, but it's what's inside that counts – and there's not much to commend this electric grill on in that regard.
It botched our roasting test, which assesses how well a barbecue cooks a whole chicken, leaving our testers with raw, inedible chicken – not something you want to serve up to your guests.
It was also rated as "Poor" for cooking sausages, again producing slightly raw meat after the average cooking time.
If you're looking for a petite electric barbecue for your balcony or for travel, this isn't it
"Unfortunately with this barbecue being electric, it's unable to maintain the high temperature needed to cook a roast chicken or barbecue thick sausages when the hood is closed," says Fiona.
Potential food poisoning isn't the only way it could affect your health: it may drive up your blood pressure because it's so frustrating to use.
It's difficult and awkward to move, the dials are difficult to read, it's top-heavy, the hood can become dangerously hot, the hood thermometer isn't accurate… and they're not all the criticisms our testers had. (We'd list them all but we'd be here all day.)
If you're looking for a petite electric barbecue for your balcony or for travel, this isn't it.
Read the full Ziegler & Brown Ziggy review. Or better yet, read our full barbecues review to find a barbie that'll actually do the job.
You'll be left feeling sheepish if you buy this Jumbuck.
Jumbuck Astro 4 Burner BBQ SYGP 4B gas barbecue
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 56%
- Cooking performance score: 56%
- Price: $449
Jumbuck is Bunnings' own-brand for barbecues, and although the hardware giant is a mecca for the home handyperson, it's not really firing on all cylinders when it comes to its barbecue game. That's because Jumbuck barbecues often score at the lower end in our performance testing.
We have tested a few Jumbuck barbecues over the years and CHOICE experts have noted that they're often made using poor-quality materials and can be tricky to use and clean. Fiona notes that this model doesn't buck that trend: "It's fairly heavy to manoeuvre, its surfaces can become dangerously hot during use and the controls are plastic with a slightly, flimsy feel. Its stainless steel exterior can also be difficult to clean."
It's fairly heavy to manoeuvre and its surfaces can become dangerously hot during use
But how well will it cook your steaks and snags? With an overall cooking performance score of just 56%, our testers found instances of uneven cooking and grilling, with some flare ups. And, if you want to cook foods that require a more gentle heat, such as marinated meats or seafood and fish, you may find that the lowest temperature available on this barbie is too high for best results.
Read the full Jumbuck gas barbecue review.
Low height, low performance: the Beefmaster Griddle.
Beefmaster Griddle 4 Burner Flat Top Griddle barbecue
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
- Cooking performance score: 58%
- Price: $999
A master of beef this barbecue isn't.
Our experts scored it just 55% for cooking steak evenly; it left them with chewy steaks that were unevenly browned.
It wasn't much chop at roasting a chook either, delivering a slightly undercooked bird that didn't brown.
A master of beef this barbecue isn't
If you're a short cook whose barbecue repertoire is limited to sausages, you're in luck: it's strangely low to the ground at just 101cm high, and our experts say it cooks snags quite well, so it's good for catering a sausage sizzle.
If you don't fit into that very niche category, you'll be disappointed by this barbecue – especially for the $999 price tag! – so we suggest checking our reviews for a better barbie.
Read the full Beefmaster Griddle review.
For nearly $2000, you'd expect a barbecue that can cook well.
Beefeater BDB1540GA 1500 Series 4 Burner on Cart with Side Burner
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
- Cooking performance score: 59%
- Price: $1799
Eighteen hundred bucks for a BBQ that can't even cook sausages well? Yikes.
This Beefeater disappointed on a number of tests – notably cooking sausages, for which it scored just 35%.
It was also ordinary at cooking steak evenly, low-temperature cooking marinated chicken wings and being easy to use.
This Beefeater disappointed on a number of tests – notably cooking sausages, for which it scored just 35%
Not only could it burn your meat with flare-ups, you could also fall foul of it: its hood and side tables can become dangerously hot, with temperatures reaching a scorching 138°C.
We suggest you take your money and run, don't walk.
Read the full Beefeater 1500 Series review.
This Gasmate is far from a paragon of BBQ excellence.
Gasmate Paragon Digital Electric BBQ with Cabinet Trolley
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 65%
- Cooking performance score: 61%
- Price: $999
This BBQ is less of a gas-mate and more of a gas-frenemy.
The second-most expensive electric barbecue we've tested, it's overpriced at best and a waste of money at worst.
It cooks unevenly, roasts ineffectively and is tricky to clean. Like many others in this list of poor performers, it's a pain to use and comes with poor instructions for assembly, so you'll be frustrated from start to finish.
It's overpriced at best and a waste of money at worst
It was even outperformed by electric BBQs costing less than $300, which just goes to show that more money doesn't necessarily mean better.
And considering it costs more than many models from big-name BBQs, you can definitely do better for your money.
Read the full Gasmate Paragon Digital Electric BBQ review.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
