Madison Hayes

I remember the first time I pulled a steak off an infrared grill. The crust was so deep and caramelized I thought I’d burned it, but when I cut into it, the inside was edge-to-edge pink and dripping with juice. That moment sold me on infrared grilling forever. If you’re searching for the best infrared … Read more

I have been grilling on portable charcoal grills for over a decade. From beach weekends in the Outer Banks to NFL tailgates at MetLife Stadium, I have packed, hauled, cleaned, and cooked on more compact charcoal grills than I can count. My team spent the past three months testing ten portable charcoal grills in real … Read more

I’ve spent the last 8 weeks cooking on 12 different flat top griddles in my backyard, on my tailgate, and yes, in my kitchen during a brief arctic blast. After burning through 38 pounds of breakfast sausage, 144 smash burgers, and enough pancakes to feed a small summer camp, I can tell you which of … Read more

After spending three months testing 12 different vertical smokers across brisket cooks, rib sessions, and weeknight chicken runs, our team narrowed down the 8 best vertical smokers you can buy in . I personally ran each cabinet smoker through at least four low-and-slow cooks to compare real temperature consistency, smoke flavor, and cleanup ease, because … Read more

After spending eight weekends smoking brisket, ribs, pork butt, and chicken on ten different propane smokers, I can tell you with confidence: the best propane smokers in deliver real BBQ flavor without the babysitting that charcoal demands. My team ran each unit through a 12-hour brisket cook, a 6-hour rib session, and a 4-hour chicken … Read more

I spent three months testing eight of the best electric smokers on the market, smoking over 80 pounds of brisket, ribs, salmon, and cheese across every model on this list. I wanted to find out which ones actually hold temperature for a 12-hour cook, which produce real smoke flavor, and which ones frustrate you with … Read more

I spent the last three months testing eight of the best offset smokers you can buy right now. I cooked over 40 pounds of brisket, 12 racks of ribs, and more pork shoulders than my neighbors would like to admit. Some of these pits held rock-steady at 225°F for 14 hours straight. Others fought me … Read more

After 90 days of cooking on 10 different kamado grills in our test backyard, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty: not all kamados are built the same, and the price gap between a $200 steel model and a $1,500 ceramic classic is much smaller than you might think once you start cooking … Read more

If you have ever watched a backyard cookout and noticed the crowd gravitating toward the charcoal grill instead of the gas one, you already understand the appeal. Charcoal grilling produces the kind of sear and smoke flavor that turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth talking about. Our team spent the last three months testing … Read more

I spent the last six weeks grilling on 12 different gas grills in my driveway, on my patio, and at my brother-in-law’s house. I ran the same tests on each: preheat speed, chicken thigh cook, steak sear, indirect roast on a whole bird, and a cleanup with a wire brush. I also logged assembly time … Read more