Summer is almost upon us, meaning it's nearly time to get those barbecue covers off and invite your friends and family round to tuck into some grilled goodies in the sunshine.
If you're thinking of adding a barbecue to your garden, it can be difficult to know which ones to opt for with thousands of different options on the market - not to mention a huge difference between the cheapest and priciest options. Luckily, you can still snap one up if you're on a budget without scrimping on quality.
We've hunted down some of the best-rated options out there according to shoppers from popular retailers including Argos, B&Q, The Range and Wayfair, all of which will set you back no more than £100. Of course, if you're going to go for a more budget-friendly option it may be the case that you get what you pay for to a certain extent - below you'll find the drawbacks of each barbecue reported by shoppers, as well as the positives.
READ MORE: Dunelm launches huge summer sale with up to 50% off including garden furniture
Amazon
While the retail giant has tens of thousands of results when it comes to barbecues, the best-rated one by shoppers under £100 is the Weber Compact Kettle Charcoal Grill Barbecue, which currently comes with a price tag of £87 - 23% off its usual cost. This barbecue has an impressive rating of 4.7 out of five stars, based on nearly 4,000 reviews from Amazon customers.
Positives: Shoppers praised the Weber brand as long-lasting, with one person saying they had had their last model for 12 years and it was still useable. Some else said that the barbecue is "great quality, feels solid and looks smart", while another customer said they had "great results" rustling up sausages and chicken, hailing the model as "brilliant".
Negatives: Just 6% of Amazon shoppers rated the barbecue three stars or less - of those who did, one person complained that it "felt cheap" while someone else said it was "not very stable". Several people also noted that they found it difficult to assemble, with some customers also claiming that they received theirs with some parts missing.
Argos
The cheapest and best-rated barbecue from Argos is the Home Drum Charcoal BBQ for £70, which comes recommended by ab astonishing 98% of shoppers based on nearly 8,000 reviews. The barbecue has an overall rating of 4.7 out of five stars, closely rivalling other models costing up to four times more.
Positives: Shoppers hailed this barbecue as "great value for money", praising both its ease of use and its ability to rustle up "delicious" food. "Good BBQ , easy to assemble, sturdy and plenty of room to cook food," one customer wrote in their five-star review, praising the fact that it also comes with utensils and a cover included in the price.
Negatives: A handful of Argos shoppers complained that the barbecue was "poor quality", with one person claiming that a wheel broke as they attempted to move it while someone else said a leg had bent on its first use. Another customer left a one-star review saying that theirs had rusted after just three months.
Asda
Over in Asda's George section, there are several barbecues on the sale, but the cheapest option with the highest ratings is the classic George Foreman Indoor & Outdoor BBQ Grill for £85 - which is £25 cheaper than the same model on Amazon. This model has earned a 4.6 out of five-star rating from shoppers, based on over 300 reviews.
Positives: Asda shoppers praised this barbecue for its value for money, ease of building and size, with one person branding it "perfect for a small family". One customer wrote in their review: "Terrific, absolutely love it. So easy to use, little mess and very easy to clean. What more can you ask for?"
Negatives: Aside from the small few shoppers who left negative reviews because their barbecue got lost in the post or arrived damaged, some people felt that this model was not good value after finding issues when using it. One person said it was "so cheaply made" and claimed that the paint had started to peel off, while a couple of others seconded this and mentioned the fact that the "poor fit" on the barbecue meant that food on the warming rack kept "falling off".
B&Q
B&Q is known for its BBQs, - the best option under £100 is the Outsunny Portable Kettle Charcoal BBQ for £69.99, according to customers. While this barbecue only has one five-star review on the B&Q website, it has earned rave ratings from shoppers elsewhere at the likes of Amazon and Wilko too - if you've got your eye on this one, be aware that you can get it cheaper on Amazon for £57.99.
Positives: Shoppers said they were "really impressed" with this barbecue, praising it as "incredible value for money". One customer shared their results of cooking spatchcock chicken and said it had a "great BBQ taste, cooked through and quicker than the oven", adding that they thought the barbecue was "totally worth the money".
Negatives: While most customers were happy with this barbecue, a couple said that they were "disappointed" by the quality after finding that some parts including the lid and inner shelf did "not sit properly" when assembled. One person complained that the instructions were "very unclear" and doubted that it would last beyond "a couple of BBQs".
The Range
Budget-friendly favourite The Range has a number of options when it comes to sizzling your sausages in the sunshine - the cheapest with the best rating is the Charcoal Trolley BBQ, priced at just £39.59. Also from the Outsunny brand, this barbecue has received hundreds of positive reviews from shoppers at a number of different retailers.
Positives: Lots of shoppers thought that this was "a great BBQ for the price", with one person saying that theirs was still going strong after four years of use. "Excellent value for money and great size for our family I would recommend it to anyone," one customer wrote in a five-star review.
Negatives: One shopper who left a one-star review for the barbecue branded it "totally useless", while others found that it "wobbles all over the place" and was "very unstable". While the majority of customers were satisfied with their purchase, a handful of people thought that it was a "waste of money" - despite being the cheapest option on this list.
Wayfair
Another online shopping behemoth, Wayfair has hundreds of barbecue options to choose from, but the highest-rated under £100 is the Rick Symple Stuff 59cm Kamado Charcoal BBQ for £98.99. This sleek and stylish barbecue may be the priciest on our list, but it comes highly recommended by shoppers with a rating of 4.3 out of five stars overall.
Positives: Shoppers loves the size of this barbecue, saying it was "great for a family", and also said that the results when cooking food was "professional quality" despite the budget price. Others commented on the barbecue's appearance, saying it looked "the bee's knees" in their garden, and was easy to put together too.
Negatives: Some shoppers were left unimpressed by the quality of the barbecue, with one person saying there are "better products out there for the same price" as others claimed it was "not sturdy" and "doesn't hold heat for long". And while many found it easy to put together, a handful of customers said they found the assembly process "difficult" and "time-consuming".
Wilko
Another favourite among shoppers on a budget, Wilko offers an own-brand Square Charcoal BBQ for just £40, currently reduced from £65. This model has a rating of 4.3 out of five stars from nearly 200 shoppers - the same rating as the Wayfair option, despite being nearly £60 cheaper.
Positives: Shoppers were "amazed" by the "fantastic" quality of the barbecue for the price, also saying it was "bigger than expected" for the cost. "Great value BBQ, very easy to assemble, nice size. Would recommend," one person wrote in their review.
Negatives: One person claimed that "all the outside paint peeled away and showed rust" after just one use, while a couple of other shoppers made similar complaints that it was "so cheaply made". A small handful of customers said it "didn't fit together very well", leading to some reported issues when it came round to using it.
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