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20 for 20: The Best BBQ Gear of the Past 20 Years

In search of the “best of the best” BBQ and grilling gear? The AmazingRibs.com staff unveils its top picks from 2023’s new products.

Created By:

Dave Joachim headshot.
Dave Joachim, AmazingRibs.com Editorial Director
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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!

Price-wise, Arc XL sits squarely in the middle of the pack. It performs better than some other ovens in its
  • Created by: Dave Joachim
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The Weber Slate Rust-Resistant Griddle is an upscale version of Weber’s standard griddle line. Available in 30” 3-burner and 36”
  • Created by: Huskee
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Ooni's Volt 12 is a well-designed, compact, energy-efficient electric oven that achieves raging hot temps capable of cooking fantastic pizza,
  • Created by: Dave Joachim
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Searwood is an all-in-one pellet smoker/grill that produces great smoke flavor, aroma, and color whether low and slow ribs at
  • Created by: Max Good
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Camp Chef Pellet Grills have a knack for coming up with simple solutions to common pellet grill complaints and here
  • Created by: Max Good
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Weber's popular Genesis Gas Grills are a perfect option for those who have grown tired of constantly replacing cheap entry-level
  • Created by: Max Good
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We love Hasty Bake! The clever and unique design features enable you to easily grill, smoke or roast whatever you
  • Created by: Max Good
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The Green Mountain Grills TREK Prime is a portable pellet cooker that is small and light enough to use for
  • Created by: Bill McGrath
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Self described as "small but mighty" the new PKGO is beautiful, elegant, clever, effective, and versatile, yet a little pricey
  • Created by: Max Good
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We reviewed this basic, full size Weber Kettle with no bells or whistles. You can't go wrong with Weber kettles.
  • Created by: Max Good
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Read our review of this cool combo cooker. With its ample cooking area, solid performance, and versatility for both griddle
  • Created by: Paul Sidoriak
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Most kamados can't be set up for 2-zone cooking with a hot direct zone and moderate indirect zone. Not the
  • Created by: Max Good
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Vertical gas smokers are to easy to use. With Masterbuilt's ThermoTemp line, smoking on gas just got easier. Masterbuilt successfully
  • Created by: Max Good
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PK360 takes all the great elements of the classic 1952 PK, improves the design, beefs up construction and delivers one
  • Created by: Max Good
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We tested and reviewed this modestly priced, 3-burner gas grill and awrded our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal! The Broil King Signet
  • Created by: Max Good
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Napoleon’s new TravelQ TQ285X is one impressive little clam shell style portable gasser, with some unique features not found from
  • Created by: Max Good
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We tested and reviewed this model. Like all Lang smokers, the 36" Original has their signature reverse flow design which
  • Created by: Max Good
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You'll be flabbergasted as you create one perfectly smoked delicacy after another with little more effort than preparation. We are
  • Created by: Max Good
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The Karubecue C-60 produces perfect smokey. This brilliant design enables a novice to smoke meat like a wizened Texas pit
  • Created by: Max Good
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Primo’s Oval XL 400 is their largest Oval model. Primo’s claim to fame is the unique oval shape which enables
  • Created by: Max Good
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The AmazingRibs.com Best Value Medal Winners are highly recommended products that we have tested personally or that have been tested
  • Created by: Meathead
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Max Good is the AmazingRibs.com Director of Equipment Reviews and Keeper of the Flame. He is the only person in
  • Created by: Max Good
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  • Created by: Dave Joachim
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Published On: June 12, 2025

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