Barbecue Brands 2026: Well-Known Brands and What They're Known For

Weber, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Napoleon, Boretti: if you're looking for a barbecue, you'll quickly come across a handful of well-known brands. But which brand is the best? The honest answer: it depends on the type of barbecue you want. Most brands became known for one type of barbecue, and a brand that's strong in gas says little about a kamado. This overview explains what well-known brands are famous for, which brands you can compare on this site, and how to assess each brand yourself. No ranking based on gut feeling, just an honest map of the playing field.

First the type, then the brand

Comparing brands only makes sense once you know what kind of barbecue you're looking for. A kamado and a gas barbecue are such different appliances that you can't compare them by brand. These are the five types you'll encounter most often:

Torn between two types? We have separate guides for those: kettle barbecue or kamado and kamado or gas barbecue. Once you know the type, read on for the brands.

Well-known barbecue brands and what they're known for

This table is not a ranking. It shows which type of barbecue each brand is mainly associated with, and whether you can compare the brand on this site. Many brands make more than one type; we list the type they're best known for.

"Partly" means that only a small part of the brand is listed on the site: from Broil King there is a pellet barbecue and accessories, but no gas barbecues. From Buccan, only accessories are included in the comparison, such as covers and pizza stones. We only mention prices, warranties and specifications if they appear in the product information; they change per model and per year.

Kamado brands

A kamado is a ceramic charcoal barbecue with thick walls that retain heat. All kamados work on the same principle, so the differences between brands lie in the ceramic, the sizes, what comes standard in the box, and the warranty terms.

• Big Green Egg is the brand many people name first when they think of a kamado, recognisable by its green ceramic. On the Big Green Egg brand page you can compare the models from MiniMax to XL, and the black Onyx Large. If you want to fairly compare an alternative, read Big Green Egg alternative.
• Kamado Joe is another well-known kamado brand. On the Kamado Joe brand page you can compare the Joe Jr., the Classic (I, II, III) and the Big Joe, the Konnected Joe and many accessories, such as the JoeTisserie and the half-moon grates. Which features you're looking for in such a kamado is covered feature by feature in Kamado Joe alternative.
• The Bastard and Grill Guru are kamado brands you regularly come across in the Netherlands. From The Bastard you can compare the Urban, VX, Core and Pro in different sizes, and from Grill Guru the Original and Prime, always with plenty of accessories.
• Monolith is a kamado brand with, among others, the Junior, the Icon, the Classic Pro series 2.0 and the Avantgarde. All models and accessories are on the Monolith brand page.
• Keij Kamado is a Dutch kamado brand with a Pro and a Legend series. More about that further on.
• Weber also has a kamado with the Summit Kamado E6, which according to the product information is made of steel rather than ceramic.

For example: the Big Green Egg Large has, according to the product information, a 46 cm grate. You buy it without a stand, so factor in a stand or table. The Kamado Joe Classic II also has a 46 cm grate and, according to the product information, comes with a stand and side tables.

When comparing kamados, never go by the name of a size. A Large or XL means something different at every brand; the grate diameter in centimetres tells you what will actually fit.

Kettle, gas and pellet

Weber is mainly known for the round charcoal kettle barbecue, but also makes gas barbecues, electric barbecues and pellet barbecues. Everything from the brand that you can compare here is on the Weber brand page. The kettles, from the 37 cm Smokey Joe to the 67 cm Master-Touch, can also be found under charcoal barbecues. If you're considering replacing a kettle with something else, read Weber BBQ alternative.

Napoleon and Broil King are mainly known for gas barbecues, and Outdoorchef for spherical gas barbecues. With gas, you compare brands on the number of burners, the material of the grates, the build quality of the body and how easily you can get spare parts. On this site you can compare the gas barbecues from Weber, such as the Q, Spirit and Genesis, from Napoleon (TravelQ, Rogue, Freestyle, Prestige and the built-in models), from Outdoorchef (Minichef, Arosa, Davos and Dualchef), from Barbecook (Siesta, Luca, Spring and Stella), the Burner series from Grill Guru, the Everdure Furnace and Force, and the Boretti Addizio and Robusto Forte. Napoleon also has kettles on charcoal and the electric TravelQ PRO 285E and Rogue EQ 365. You can read what distinguishes gas from charcoal in kamado or gas barbecue.

Traeger is known for the pellet barbecue: a barbecue that automatically feeds wood pellets to the fire, so the temperature stays at the right level by itself. On the Traeger brand page you can compare the Ranger, Pro 780, Woodridge, Ironwood and Timberline XL, with pellets and accessories. The Weber Searwood, Smoque and SmokeFire, and the Broil King Crown Pellet 400, are also among the pellet barbecues. Masterbuilt is known for smokers: the Gravity Series runs on charcoal and is listed under charcoal barbecues.

An electric barbecue is worth considering if charcoal and gas aren't allowed on your balcony. From Weber these are the Lumin and the Pulse, from Napoleon the TravelQ PRO 285E and Rogue EQ 365, and further on, among others, the Barbecook E-Carlo and Outdoorchef P-420 E.

Boretti: partly available

According to the product information, Boretti is a Dutch brand with Italian design. The catalogue includes gas barbecues, charcoal barbecues such as the Barilo and Fratello, the ceramic Ceramica kamado, and an outdoor kitchen from the brand. Available are the Addizio gas barbecue, the Ceramica Solo Large (the kamado without a stand), the Robusto Forte on gas, the Carbone 2.0 and Focolare on charcoal, the Ceramica Compact, the Maggiore, and part of the accessories, such as covers, grates, barbecue tools and a pizza stone. Other models, such as the Barilo and Fratello, are in the catalogue but currently not for sale. You can see everything from the brand on the Boretti brand page. For how the Boretti Ceramica relates to Keij, read Keij or Boretti: which to buy. If you're thinking of a complete outdoor kitchen, read What is an outdoor kitchen?

Keij Kamado: kamados and a tabletop grill

According to the product information, Keij Kamado is a Dutch brand. It has three product lines that are available on this site:

• Pro series: kamados in black, with a steel stand with wheels, the Divide & Conquer system and a protective cover.
• Legend series: kamados in 15, 21 and 23 inch, in matt black, blue and green, with side tables, a chip feeder for smoking wood and an ash drawer (not on the Large Solo, which comes without a stand and extras). Lifetime warranty on the dome, lid, firebox and fire ring.
• Shichirin: a compact ceramic tabletop grill in black and orange.

The kamados have a dome and firebox made of cordierite ceramic and a range of 50 to over 350 °C. Three examples are shown below. You can read about the difference between Legend and Pro, and which size you need, in Buying a Keij Kamado: Legend vs Pro.

Also in the Keij range:

View all models at Keij Kamado or the full range of kamados. Which accessories you really need with a kamado is covered in kamado accessories.

Don't forget the brand of your charcoal

With a charcoal barbecue or kamado, people spend a long time looking at the brand of the barbecue, and then grab the first bag of charcoal they see. Yet your fuel largely determines how predictably your fire burns. When choosing charcoal, pay attention to two things: is it a single wood type or a mix, and are the pieces large enough for good airflow?

According to the product information, the two restaurant-quality charcoals in the range each consist of a single wood type, in pieces of 5 to 20 cm, in 10 kg bags. The White Quebracho is made from quebracho wood from Paraguay.

You'll find more under charcoal and lighting and the other barbecue accessories.

How to assess any barbecue brand

Whether you're considering a brand from this list or another one, these questions help you compare brands fairly. They're about the brand behind the barbecue, not just the model. Tick off what you've checked.

• Which parts are covered by the warranty, for how long, and under what conditions?
• Can loose parts such as grates, gaskets and burners be reordered?
• Does the brand have its own accessories in the size of your model?
• Is there product information and a manual in Dutch?
• Does the product information state what comes standard in the box?
• Can you see the barbecue in person somewhere before you buy?

If you want to see models side by side, use the comparison table. Not sure yet what you're looking for for your garden or terrace? Then take the selection guide.

Common mistakes when choosing a brand