Some of the best charcoal grills under $100 to consider are:
- Amazon Basics 22 inch grill (On Amazon)
- Homemax BBQ Grill
- Weber Go-Anywhere
- Weber Jumbo Joe 18 inch charcoal grill
- Char-Broil American Gourmet
- TACKLIFE Charcoal Grill
If you are thinking about getting into the great hobby of grilling outside and wondering where to start, you are in the right place.
Starting out, I would search for a well made and inexpensive charcoal grill.
These BBQ pits will last a long time, even at a hundred bucks or less if well taken care of and maintained.
Be sure and store your grill under a patio or in the garage when not in use.
I would definitely consider purchasing a cover to put over it when not in use to help reduce rust.
BBQ Grills Less Than A Hundred Dollars Are Worth The Money
I don’t know about you but one hundred dollars is still a lot of money to me!
You may ask are cheaper pits worth purchasing? Shouldn’t I invest in a top of the line cooker with reverse air flow, timers, blue tooth ready, and a rotisserie option? Not unless you plan on entering BBQ cooking contests and competing with world class BBQ professional cooking teams!
If you can afford to do so, by all means go for it! One day I hope to have a deluxe BBQ grilling machine with all the bells and whistles but until that day comes, I will continue to cook savory, mouth watering food with my little inexpensive BBQ grill.
I don’t know about you but a hundred dollars is still a lot of money to me!
Like I said, if you are just doing research and have never really cooked outside much and this is your first time purchasing a charcoal burning BBQ pit, I would say yes, it’s most definitely worth the money.
Check out reviews and really do your research because, of course, just like anything, some are built better than others.
Don’t Waste Your Money If You’re Not Sure
It would be very bad to go out and buy a much more expensive pit and come to find out that you don’t really care for the experience and pleasure that comes with grilling meat!
With that being said, if you love the tangy, spicy, bold, juicy, taste of barbecue but only have a hundred bucks to spend, you have nothing to lose and the taste buds of all friends and family members, have everything to gain!
Your neighbor with the $5,000.00, over sized competition smoker that he only uses to cook the kids hot dogs on, may poke a little fun but who cares. He is likely still paying for his grill and can’t afford any meat to cook on it anyway, so it just sits in the backyard, collecting dirt dauber nests.
All kidding aside, there is a lot to consider when purchasing the right BBQ rig, even in the lower price range.
Where To Buy Cheaper Charcoal BBQ Pits
In this day and age, most people begin their search for items online. It is a great way to compare prices, reviews, and specifications.
For larger products like outdoor cooking equipment, this is a great option because you don’t have to worry about loading and unloading it, if you purchase from a department store.
On the same token, some people like to physically go see, and feel what they are about to spend good, hard earned money on. Going to a big box store or home improvement center may be the best bet.
You might want to check the display units to make sure the lid fits securely for even heat distribution for the cook or kick the tires a bit to ensure they won’t fall off when moving it from the patio to the back yard.
It may be a good idea to ask for the employee that assembles the grills and ask how hard the one you have your eye on is to put together.
Be sure, while you are there to go ahead and get some basic BBQ cooking necessities like a nice pair of tongs, fork, spices, rubs, and sauces.
Second Hand BBQ Pits
Don’t forget about Craigslist and Facebook Online Yard sale groups. If you are lucky, it’s truly possible to get a great used pit for $100 or less. This same cooker may cost $500 to buy it brand new!
If you do buy one second hand, I would strongly encourage you to clean it up and re-season it before the first cook.
How Does BBQ Taste On Inexpensive Grills
Everyone loves food cooked outside! The smell of that burning charcoal whisping in the wind is hard not to like!
Will the food be worth eating if you purchase one of these less expensive Charcoal BBQ grills?
You bet it will! In all of my cooking experiments, if you find a decent cut of meat, grill it at the right temperature for the correct amount of time along with some great rubs and spices, no matter how much money you spend, you can make just about anything taste terrific.
(Well, almost anything!)
Just because you don’t have a top of the line BBQ pit or smoker, does not mean you can’t turn out some world class, competition style barbecue!
Making Sure Your Budget Grill Lasts Longer
My first charcoal BBQ pit I bought about ten years ago was just under $100 and it still turns out some extremely, tasty food!
I believe it is a good idea to season it every other month or so. You will want to season the grill grates after every cook if they are cast iron to help prevent rust.
With that being said, I bought a very cheap, little,12 inch grill that was only about a foot tall when my wife and I first married.
I didn’t take care of it, left it out in the rain, and the bottom rusted out, leaving a big brown stain on the driveway.
My wife was quite upset. Not so much from the stain but more at the fact, that I could no longer cook her favorite, grilled rib-eye steaks.
Lesson learned! I believe that if you take care of things, spend a few more minutes to clean and season your smoker, it will last a very long time, no matter how much you pay for it!
Will A $100 Charcoal Grill Suit Your Needs
What and who are you going to be cooking for? If you have been recently delegated to be the pit master at weekend lunches for your family of 50, you may need to spend more than a hundred bucks just for the size aspect.
We don’t need Aunt Mable passing out from hunger because there was only room enough to cook five burgers at a time.
Likewise of course, if it’s only a few that will be enjoying your new baby back rib and pulled pork masterpieces, a cheaper, well made $100 charcoal cooker will work just fine!
If you live in an apartment complex or condo, there may be size limitations to think about as well. It may be wise to ask management to make sure you can even have a charcoal cooker at your residence.
You Get What You Pay For Right
This is a good philosophy to have in life, I think. This idea is true for outdoor cooking equipment as well, for the most part.
I believe it’s all relative.
As long as my friends and family keep coming back for second and third portions at get-togethers for the the BBQ that comes off of my cheaper grill, that is a win for me!
If you can afford a $500.00 or $5,000.00 rig, by all means go for it! It will probably have better features, more cooking space, and will probably produce a better product. In the end it’s all about the taste of the food that it produces, not the price of the pit.
Trade A Cheap Cooker In For A Better One
Once you perfect the secrets of BBQ and can cook a rack of ribs like nobody’s business and feel the need to graduate from your “less than hundred dollar” pit, you can always sell it on Craigslist, Facebook, or a garage sale and use that money toward the purchase of a ‘better one”.
I say better, kind of tongue in cheek because like I’ve explained, BBQ beauty is all in the eye of the beholder.
Cheaper BBQ Grills Are Great For Beginners And Pros
To wrap this up, it truly doesn’t matter how much your outdoor BBQ cooker costs.
If you are a beginner, start off with something easy to operate at a lower price point. You might find the perfect grill that will last for ages and produce some great barbecue to satisfy the cravings of your family and pass that grill down to the next generation!
Find a great grill, go outside, and enjoy the experience. There is not much that I enjoy more than being outdoors with nature and cooking up some nice food for my friends and family.
If you have been grilling and BBQ’ing outside for years and have perfected the art of cooking outside but the old grill your grandfather gave you has finally rusted out beyond repair, the same goes for you. Find a nice, well made grill and get to cooking!
