Grilling and barbequing have been popular pastimes for as long as anybody can remember. Throughout grilling history, there have been countless grills and grilling accessories released. Each of these has their benefits and drawbacks. Naturally, this has resulted in everybody having their brand and model preferences.
Grills tend to go through ups and downs in terms of price. To many people, these ups and downs don’t seem to have any sort of rhyme or reason. This might not actually be the case, though it might look like it from some perspectives.
This fluctuation in grill prices leads many people to wonder, ‘when is the best time to buy a grill?’. As it turns out, there’s much more method to the madness than you might imagine. All you have to do is to know what to look for. By doing so, you should be able to spot trends and pounce on savings when you get the chance.
However, it’s worth noting that it will take a decent amount of time and effort to figure this out. That’s because there’s much more to know about the grills than you might have imagined. Despite this, things can be more straightforward than you might anticipate.
The Best Time to Buy a Grill
Typically, the best time to buy anything is when demand for it drops. When that occurs, prices drop almost as much. That’s why you see winter clothes on sale at the start of summer and summer clothes on sale at the start of winter. Since they’re not needed, people are less likely to buy them, so retailers must drop prices to try to increase or maintain interest.
You might be thinking what that has to do with grills. Well, they follow the same pattern. Generally, they’ll be more expensive in the summer, as more people will want to grill out. Conversely, people are less likely to do much grilling during the winter, so prices drop. This will have quite a significant amount to do with the weather.
If you live somewhere that’s warm much more than other areas, then this timeline might not be as relevant. However, you’ll still see a rise and fall in demand and popularity at some points in the year.
During a Sale
The most obvious time to buy a grill is during a sale or when there’s some form of promotion on. You’ll need to keep an eye out in advance to take advantage of the sales when they come. The majority of companies buy a load of grills at the start of summer.
They then need to get rid of whatever’s remaining at the end of summer. That means that they’ll more than likely have a sale and reduce the price to sell as many units as possible. As such, the end of summer is usually the best time to pick up a grill. Generally, you should start looking for these sales from September onward.
That being said, many retailers will have sales for the products at different points in the year. You should keep an eye out for these, as you might get better deals than you would at other times in the year. That’s especially true in the lead-up to the fourth of July, which is peak barbeque season.
For this particular sale, though, you might not see as many savings as you would during other times of the year. Some companies increase the price in the run-up to this, only to reduce it again for the fourth of July. While that still counts as a ‘sale price,’ it might be higher than other times in the year.
If you need to get one for July 4th, though, then it’s recommended that you leave it as late as possible. Retailers typically make discounts higher and higher the closer you get to July 4. While there might be fewer options on the market, you could end up saving much more money than you would have expected.
That’s also the case later in the year. Stores want to clear up as much space as possible for Christmas. That means getting rid of bulky products that typically don’t sell during the winter. As a result, grills are often heavily discounted close to the holiday season.
Retailers will be trying to offload as many of their big-box products as possible leading up to the holidays. Doing so will help them free up space for Christmas-related products. Naturally, that’s a good thing if you’re looking for grills and other products that aren’t associated with the season.
On Black Friday
Black Friday is another one of the more popular times to buy a grill. That’s because of the significant discounts that the majority of retailers put on products for the day. The majority of these tend to be big box items, such as refrigerators and ovens. However, grills also see some steep discounts.
However, this might also come with the drawback of a limited number of options. You won’t be the only one looking for new appliances during the sale, and stores only have a certain amount of stock. That could lead to a first-come, first-serve basis, so you could risk losing out.
Online retailing has made this somewhat better, although it can often be hit-or-miss. If you’re not a fan of shopping in big crowds, then this might not be the best option to choose. However, the discounts that you could take advantage of should make it worth it.
This also tends to be the end of barbequing season. That means that you might not get much use out of your new grill until the following year. There’s also the fact that fewer models might be available. Though there will still be a decent number of options, it’s going to be a lot more limited than you might expect.
When New Models Are Released
Obviously, you might not be thinking about the price when you want to get a grill. Instead, you might just want to know when the right time to get some of the best grills on the market is. If that’s the case, then you won’t need to worry about sales or promotions. However, that still begs the question as to when you should buy them.
Essentially, this boils down to when manufacturers release their new products. While these will be quite expensive, they should have a few notable features. They’ll also have the latest technology and upgrades, which could be quite a positive benefit for most barbeque lovers.
However, finding out when new grills are going to be released isn’t as simple as you might assume. Instead, you’ll need to sign up to the manufacturer’s website or follow them on social media. They will be promoting all of their upcoming releases, so you can keep up to date with all of this information.
This could take a while, though, as there will be significant delays between releases. In general, it’s expected that the majority of releases will come in the weeks leading up to barbecue season. Manufacturers time their release to take advantage of peak interest, so this would be the prime time for them to get some new sales.
Another benefit of buying new is that it’ll be the right time to use it, so you can get grilling straight away. It also means that you can spend several months enjoying your new barbeque. Since that’s the main reason for buying it, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t get it then. Bear in mind, though, you’re not going to see much savings by going this approach.
What to Look For When Buying a Grill
Knowing when is the best time to buy a grill is only part of the process. Instead, there’s also knowing which grill you might want to buy. If you’ve got a particular grill in mind and you’re simply waiting for the best time to buy, then this shouldn’t be much of an issue.
If you’re open to different options, though, then you might want to compare different models and their features. While this might seem like a simple task at first glance, it could need more effort than you’d think. It could also be quite confusing, especially if you haven’t bought a grill before.
That’s because you might not know what to look for when comparing and buying grills. Aside from the price playing a huge role in your purchasing decision, there are other features that you’ll want to take into consideration before emptying your wallet.
In the following sections, we’ll be taking a look at the most common grill features to help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Gas vs Charcoal vs Electric
When you’re looking to buy a grill, you’ll need to figure out what type you want. There are three main categories: gas, charcoal, and electric. Typically, charcoal offers the best taste in food, and gives your dishes a distinct smokey flavor. Gas provides this to an extent, while an electric grill isn’t going to offer that.
On the other hand, electric grills are much easier to clean and set up. They’re also much smaller and can be used almost anywhere. As such, each type can have multiple positives and negatives. You’ll need to weigh these against each other before you’re able to make a choice.
That being said, gas and charcoal tend to be the more popular options, especially for camping and tailgating.
Size
Size should be a significant factor in deciding which grill you want to buy. This can be related to quite a few other things, such as portability and cooking space. Generally, you’ll need to figure out what your needs will be before you buy it. If you are grilling for a lot of people, for example, then you’ll need a large grill.
If it’s just you and one or two people who’ll be eating from the grill, then you can make do with a smaller one. There are some small options that have attachments to increase cooking space, although this can often increase the price of the grill.
Whether or not you can get an even heat with the grill can be related to this, though. While this can be controlled on a charcoal grill, you have less involvement with the gas and electric grills. That’s because they have set burners, and you have no oversight over where these are placed.
Naturally, you should make sure that these are evenly spaced and effective at what they’re supposed to do. That should mean that everything is cooked evenly. The last thing you’ll want is food that’s half overcooked and half undercooked.
Accessories
Some grills will come with a few accessories. Others can be compatible with accessories but have them as an additional purchase. In some cases, the number of options you can get may seem overwhelming. Some of the most notable products you can choose from include side burners and warming racks.
While these may be important to some people, they may not be to others. As a result, you should make sure that you already know what accessories you want at a minimum. You can always pick up more in the future, but if there’s anything you want straight away, then these could be included with the grill.
Before getting any grill, you should also make sure that you can add accessories in the future. If not, then you might want to consider a different option.
Warranty and Durability
Nobody wants to have to replace things shortly after purchasing them. That’s especially true with a grill. When you’re comparing products, you should check to see how durable the grills are.
Some will last you quite a while, although some won’t be too long-lasting. Some of this will have a factor on price, so it can often be better-recommended that you go with a more expensive option. It’ll reap dividends in the long-term.
The warranty is also related to this. While you might need to pay more for this, it can be well worth it over time. If a manufacturer includes this as standard, then that should be taken as a positive sign that the grill is built to last. If anything fails, then you should be able to get it replaced quite easily.
Different Types of Grills
As you might have guessed from above, there are several different types of grills on the market. Each of these can have quite a few pros and cons. If you’re relatively new to grilling and barbequing, then you might not know what the differences between these are, aside from the obvious.
As it turns out, there are quite a few differences, alongside some similarities. Given how different they can be, it’s worth getting into the different types of grills. Doing so should help you figure out which one is the right type for you.
Occasionally, it can be worth having different grills of different types. That’s mainly because they can be better at different foods, which you might want to take advantage of.
Charcoal Grills
Charcoal grills are often the most affordable grills on the market, which is what makes them one of the more popular. However, they can often be the more expensive ones to use, given that they need both charcoal and lighter fluid.
The taste of food cooked with these types of grill is much smokier than found elsewhere. That could be a taste that many people look for, which is often the main reason they buy it. There are some drawbacks to these, though.
For example, they can take a decent amount of time to heat up while also needing a lot of cleaning time. If you don’t discard ashes properly, there’s also a risk of fire. Naturally, a decent amount of care is needed with these.
Gas Grills
Gas grills outperform charcoal grills in terms of popularity. The main reason for this is that they’re much easier to maintain than many of their counterparts. These can either be used with propane or hooked up to a gas line, depending on the model.
There are some other benefits to this type of grill, such as cleaning being quick and easy. Preparation time is also relatively quick. However, the taste of your grilled food on these isn’t going to be the same as a charcoal grill. While this isn’t the largest complaint to have, it can be a downside for buyers who want a more authentic grilling experience.
These can also range dramatically in price. Some will be quite affordable, while others will be much more expensive than you would expect. Despite this, you should find one that suits your needs.
Electric Grills
Electric grills are quite popular for people who live in apartments. They’re also a good choice for anyone who wants to grill indoors. That’s because they shouldn’t generate any smoke or much of a smell, which makes it suitable for indoor use.
They’re also much smaller than their alternatives, making them easier to store.
However, there’s also the fact that food cooked on this might not have that authentic grilled flavor. That can be a negative for quite a significant number of people. While seasoning could help with this, you still won’t get the same taste that is achieved on charcoal or gas grills.
These also tend to vary drastically in price. Most are affordable, though they can get quite expensive depending on all of the features that you might want.
Typically, taste and usability will be the two biggest things you look for outside of price. As such, it’s best to know what you want in both of these categories before you buy.
Wrap Up
So, when is the best time to buy a grill? Well, the answer to that is much more complicated than you might think. To simplify it, though, it depends on exactly what you’re looking for. If you want the grill to be as affordable as possible, then the best time to buy is later in the year.
In some cases, it’s worth waiting until September or October, which are often seen as the best times to buy. That’s generally when grill prices reach their all-time low, so you’ll get a lot of savings by buying them. The lead-up to the fourth of July is also a recommended time to buy a new grill.
There’s also the fact that you can keep your eye on local stores, as they’ll be known to throw sales and promotions throughout the year. While these may not always include grills, they often will, which you should take advantage of.
However, all of that is only the case if the price is your main concern. If you don’t care about the price, then you can buy a new grill at almost any point in the year. Many of us will want the latest products, though, and that extends to grills. Typically, the best time to buy these would be in the weeks leading into the barbequing season.