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20 for 20: The Best BBQ Gear of the Past 20 Years
Published On: 6/12/2025
Twenty Platinum Medal winning grills and smokers hand-picked for AmazingRibs.com’s 20th Anniversary!
In 2012, Max Good joined AmazingRibs.com as the world’s only full-time grill and smoker tester. He is now the team’s Vice President of Product Reviews & Keeper of the Flame. Over the years, Max has cooked on hundreds of grills and smokers and maintains the world’s largest searchable database of BBQ gear reviews. He’s assembled products, measured temperatures, slammed lids, turned the dials, kicked the tires, and cooked tons of food on an enormous variety of BBQ gear.
To celebrate AmazingRibs.com’s 20th Anniversary in 2025, Max selected the best of the best grills and smoker—20 Platinum medal winning products that will knock your socks off. We award every product we review with a Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal. (Read more about our medals here.) And platinum happens to be the traditional gift for 20th anniversaries! Below you’re can find the top BBQ equipment of the last 20 years hand-picked by the world’s foremost authority on the subject. No one paid us to recommend these products. Read more here about how we test products. Rest assured that when we recommend a product, it is because we like it, not because someone has paid us to say so or because the company is an advertiser.
These grills and smokers make great gifts for Father’s Day. Or any day. Hopefully you’ll find a new favorite piece gear among Max’s top 20 picks!
Weber Slate 36” Rust-Resistant Griddle Review And Rating
The Weber Slate 36" Griddle is an upscale version of Weber’s standard griddle line. Available in 30” 3-burner and 36” 4-burner configurations, Slate boasts a pre-seasoned, ready-to-cook-on carbon steel cooktop, an upgraded cart, and so much more. Check out our full review.
Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven Review And Rating
Ooni's Volt 12 is a well-designed, compact, energy-efficient electric oven that achieves raging hot temps capable of cooking fantastic pizza, steaks, fish, vegetables, and more. After months of cook tests and tinkering, we rated it in comparison to competitive models. Read our review to learn all about Volt 12.NEW
Weber Searwood 600 Pellet Grill Review And Rating
Searwood is an all-in-one pellet smoker/grill that produces great smoke flavor, aroma, and color whether low and slow ribs at 225°F or sizzling steaks at 600°F.
Camp Chef Woodwind Pro Review And Rating
Camp Chef Pellet Grills have a knack for coming up with simple solutions to common pellet grill complaints and here they go again.
Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill Review And Rating
Weber's popular Genesis Gas Grills are a perfect option for those who have grown tired of constantly replacing cheap entry-level gassers and want better quality, performance, and durability. Weber's 2022 models are, in many ways, the best Genesis lineup yet. Read our full review of the Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill here.
Hasty Bake Legacy 131 Review And Rating
We love Hasty Bake! The clever and unique design features enable you to easily grill, smoke or roast whatever you like. Legacy easily wins our top Platinum Medal.
Green Mountain Grills TREK Prime Review And Rating
The Green Mountain Grills TREK Prime is small and light enough to use for tailgating but large and sturdy enough for the back patio, too.
Portable Kitchen PKGO Camp and Tailgate Grilling System Review
Self described as "small but mighty" the new PKGO is beautiful, elegant, clever, effective, and versatile, yet a little pricey.
Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill Review And Rating
We reviewed this basic, full size Weber Kettle with no bells or whistles. You can't go wrong with Weber kettles. They are durable and you can cook just about anything you want on them. Pile up coal on one side to sear steaks or set up 2-zone roasting, All Weber kettles earn our AmazingRibs.com Gold Medal.
Blackstone Rangetop Combo With Deep Fryer Review
Read our review of this cool combo cooker. With its ample cooking area, solid performance, and versatility for both griddle grilling and deep frying large amounts of food outdoors, the Blackstone Rangetop Combo with Bonus Fryer easily earns a Platinum Medal.
Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe Kamado Review And Rating
Most kamados can't be set up for 2-zone cooking with a hot direct zone and moderate indirect zone. Not the new Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado. Read our review to learn why. Built around Slow 'N Sear's patented Slow ‘N Sear charcoal kettle insert, it is a kamado grill that easily provides low and slow smoking and hot and fast searing simultaneously and wins our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal.
Masterbuilt MPS 340/G ThermoTemp XL Propane Smoker Review
Vertical gas smokers are to easy to use. With Masterbuilt's ThermoTemp line, smoking on gas just got easier. Masterbuilt successfully offers groundbreaking use of thermostatic control on a gas smoker at an affordable price. We tested and reviewed their large Masterbuilt MPS 340/G ThermoTemp XL model and award ThermoTemp our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal.
Portable Kitchen PK360 Grill and Smoker Review
The Portable Kitchen PK360 takes all the great elements of the classic 1952 PK, improves the design, beefs up construction and delivers one beautiful charcoal grill. We tested and reviewed this classic, versatile charcoal grill and gave it our Best Value AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal. The rectangular shape makes it a 2-zone king.
Broil King Signet 320 Gas Grill Review
We tested and reviewed this modestly priced, 3-burner gas grill and awarded it our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal. The Broil King Signet 320 is an entry level, 3-burner grill that packs a lot of value and power under the hood. It gets hot fast and is able to achieve high, searing temps that rival most comparatively priced gas grills.
Napoleon TravelQ 285X with Cart Review
The new Napoleon TravelQ 285X is one impressive little portable gasser, with some unique features not found from competitors.
Lang 36″ Original Patio Model Review
We tested and reviewed the Lang 36" Original Patio Model. We award this smoker our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal.
Pit Barrel 18.5-inch Cooker Review And Rating
You'll be flabbergasted as you create one perfectly smoked delicacy after another with little more effort than preparation. We are impressed by Pit Barrel.
Karubecue C-60 Pit Review And Rating
The Karubecue C-60 produces perfect smokey. This brilliant design enables a novice to smoke meat like a wizened Texas pit boss, earning our Platinum Medal.
Primo Oval XL 400 Review
Primo’s Oval XL 400 is their largest Oval model. Primo’s claim to fame is the unique oval shape which enables true 2-zone cooking: something that standard round designs really can’t accomplish. We tested and reviewed this model and gave it our AmazingRibs.com Gold Medal Award.Related articles
- About Our Medals, Awards, Product Reviews, And Ratings
- How We Test Grills And Smokers
- Platinum Medal Winning BBQ Tools, Toys, And Accessories (1 Page)
- Platinum Medal Winning Thermometers
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