Charcoal vs Gas vs Pellet vs Kamado: Which Grill Fuel Fits How You Cook
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Last reviewed: November 2026. Sources last checked November 2, 2026. We have not tested these grills: figures are what each maker states, and the Consumer Reports findings are from its 2020 pellet grill guide.
Pick the fuel before the model, because it decides how you cook. Gas is the quickest to start and you set it with knobs. Charcoal gives live-fire flavor and you control it with vents. Pellet lets you set a number and walk away, but tops out lower. A kamado covers the widest range but asks the most of you. The figures below come from the makers and from Consumer Reports, not from our own tests.
Table of Contents
The four side by side
| How you control the heat | How hot (sources) | Flavor (Consumer Reports, 2020) | Parts that can wear out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charcoal | Vents and how much fuel you light | Consumer Reports: many gas and charcoal grills it tested reach 800°F | "Charcoal imparts a smoky flavor" | No electrical parts on a basic kettle |
| Gas | A knob per burner | Same Consumer Reports finding (800°F) | Not covered in that guide | Burners and igniter |
| Pellet | A controller you set to a temperature | Traeger Pro 22: to 450°F. Pit Boss Sportsman 1100: 180–500°F. Weber Searwood 600: 180–600°F | Pellet smoke "may seem tame" next to charcoal or a kamado with wood chips | Auger motor, fan, igniter, control board |
| Kamado | Vents; some models add a digital controller | Big Green Egg: 200–750°F | More smoke than pellets when loaded with wood chips (same Consumer Reports line) | Ceramic body; electronics only on controlled models |
Gas: quickest to start
You light a gas grill and set each burner with its knob. Weber's Spirit E-310, for example, has three burners rated at 24,000 BTU per hour. Weber says a BTU rating is mostly about fuel use: "all it really tells you is how much fuel it will use in a given period of time." Gas suits weeknight cooking. It is not where you go for heavy smoke.
Charcoal: live fire, controlled by hand
Consumer Reports notes that with charcoal "you can build and shape any size fire to direct the heat, and charcoal imparts a smoky flavor." You are the thermostat: Weber's 22-inch kettle uses "adjustable lid and bowl dampers to fine-tune the heat." A basic kettle has no motor, fan or igniter to replace. Weber dates its kettle to 1952. More in how to choose a charcoal grill.
Pellet: set a number, with a ceiling
Consumer Reports says pellet grills "offer a level of temperature control without equal" and go as low as 150°F, but "most max out at around 500° F." Current maker figures fit: Traeger's Pro 22 runs to 450°F, Pit Boss's Sportsman 1100 holds 180–500°F with a separate flame-broiler lever, and Weber's Searwood 600 lists "a full temperature range from 180° to 600°F." A pellet grill is an appliance, with an auger motor, fan, igniter and control board, so check that the maker sells those parts. See our pellet grill buying guide.
Kamado: the widest range
A ceramic kamado holds heat in thick walls. Big Green Egg lists a "Temperature Range: 200°F - 750°F" for its eggs. Consumer Reports wrote that kamados "can reach temperatures in excess of 1,000° F for searing," which is higher than Big Green Egg's own figure, so go by the maker's number for the model you buy. Some kamados now take a controller: Kamado Joe says its Konnected Joe lets you "set your desired cooking temperature with the digital Kontrol Board." Kamados are heavy and usually cost more than a kettle.
Choosing by how you cook
This is our guidance, based on the figures above:
- Weeknight dinners, minimum fuss: gas.
- Low-and-slow you can leave alone: pellet, accepting the lower top temperature.
- Flavor first, and you enjoy running a fire: charcoal.
- One cooker for both searing and smoking: a kamado.
Where to go next
Once you have a fuel, size comes next: see what size grill you need, including why the advertised cooking area is not the figure to compare. You can also compare grills of all four types on Amazon.
Sources
Consumer Reports: buying a pellet grill (updated July 30, 2020). Weber: Spirit E-310, how important are BTUs, Original Kettle Premium 22-inch, about Weber and Searwood 600. Traeger: Pro 22. Pit Boss: Sportsman 1100. Big Green Egg: XL Big Green Egg. Kamado Joe: Konnected Joe.
Sources last checked November 2, 2026.
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