What’s the Best Charcoal Grill under $200? (Top 10 Grills for 2020 Reviewed)

Finding a great charcoal grill less than $200 is a bit tricky. This budget neither comes in cheap options nor in those costly long-lasting grills.

But still, there are a lot of sturdy options available in the market today. As they say, money spent on the right product is money well-invested.

Who doesn’t love delicious, juicy, and tasty grilled food? To achieve this, read our reviews of our budget-friendly options for the best charcoal grills under $200 and get a better idea of which one to select.

Some Charcoal Grills are even under $150. There is no reason to break the bank to get a quality grill.

10 Best Charcoal Grills Under $200 – Reviewed

• Char-Griller E1515 Patio Pro Charcoal Grill

  Product Name
• 4.4

  Rating
• 250 sq in.

  Cooking Area
• 31 x 21 x 44 in

  Dimensions
• $

  Price

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• Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch

  Product Name
• 4.7

  Rating
• 363 sq in.

  Cooking Area
• 14.9 x 24.4 x 24.4 in

  Dimensions
• $$

  Price

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• Party Griller Yakitori Grill 32" x 11"

  Product Name
• 4.0

  Rating
• 256 sq in.

  Cooking Area
• 31.5 x 11.02 x 34.25 in

  Dimensions
• $$$

  Price

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1. Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill

This is almost an iconic grill at this point, aptly named the “Original Kettle” grill. The fact that it comes in at such an affordable price is a bonus over the great round of features it offers. 

This is definitely one of the BEST charcoal grills you can find for under $200. 

Weber made things easy with its one-touch cleaning system. You can simply swipe the ash and debris into the removable ash catcher, for incredibly easy cleanup. 

With large, long-lasting wheels, you’ll be able to move this around quite easily. 

There is also an angled lid hook to hang the lid on the side of the grill when not needed during cooking. The heat shield protects the lid handle is an inconspicuous but awesome feature. 

Some other tiny but well-thought-out features are a cooking grate with hinged section to easily add coals during cooking, tool hooks on the side handles, and a built-in thermometer. 

With 363 sq in of cooking space, this solid grill won’t let you down. 

2. Char-Griller E2123 Wrangler Grill/Smoker

If you are searching for a quality grill with smoker feature, the Char-Griller E2123 will be an excellent choice.

It’s made from heavy-duty steel and has a powder coating to boost durability. The large legs and wheels provide extra stability and portability. 

This grill provides an amazing sear to your food. Another nice feature is how easy it is to adjust the fire grate to control the heat of the grill. 

You can also lower the firebox for slower cooking, and keep an eye on things with the built-in temperature gauge. 

This 250 sq in grill also includes an easy dump ash pan for quick cleanup. The large cooking size plus 3 shelves make this a truly convenient setup for your cooking experience. 

3. Party Griller Yakitori Grill 

The most outstanding thing about this charcoal grill is that it’s made of commercial-grade 18 gauge and 3/64 in stainless steel. It also comes pre-assembled, which sure saves a lot of time and potential headaches. 

This grill is rustproof and easily cleaned with a simple garden hose wash. 

While most grills we’ll look at are round, the rectangular shape can present unique challenges to airflow. This grill, however, has good air ventilation on each side to easily control the airflow.

It also heats the 256 sq in of cooking area quite evenly with the controlled side airflow. 

The legs of the grill fold up for storage, which is a unique feature to this grill (as if it didn’t have enough already). 

A word of caution:  the edges can be very sharp so watch yourself when around this grill. 

4. Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Kettleman Charcoal Grill

This grill provides a solid 360 sq in of cooking space despite a compact design and a very affordable price. 

The porcelain-coated cooking grate provides ample, easy to clean surface for almost any cookout size. 

The lid also features a built-in temperature gauge, which provides great control when used with the top vent and the adjustable charcoal grate. 

The TRU-Infrared cooking system uses infrared technology to produce food cooked more evenly and with greater temperature control. This helps minimize hot spots and decrease charcoal consumption. 

While many kettle-style charcoal grills have completely detached lids that need a holder/hook to stay with the grill, this one features a hinged lid to make things even easier. 

Lastly, the cooking grate is specially designed to prevent fall-through, which means fewer flare-ups during cooking. 

5. Weber Jumbo Joe 

This was one of our finalist on our reviews of best portable charcoal grills. While it is quite a bit smaller of an option at just 18 inches, it’s still a great grill to get you started with charcoal without breaking the bank.

This would be an especially good grill for those people that want a chance to try charcoal cooking but without a huge investment. 

With a plated steel cooking grate and 240 sq in of cooking area, this grill will definitely get the job done as a great starter size (or portable) charcoal grill. 

The built-in handle lock double as a lid holder, and the porcelain enameled steel construction provides long-lasting durability. 

The damper vent on the lid allows you to readily control temperature, and they clearly thought of everything with a lid handle heat shield and an easy to empty ash catch pan. 

6. Royal Gourmet 30″ BBQ Charcoal Grill & Offset Smoker

This grill delivers a truly sweet setup in a unique and functional package. 

The total cooking area is 800 sq in which is more than ample for fixing a meal for a large crowd; 183 sq in of that is the offset smoker. 

The really cool thing about the offset smoker is first, the obvious, that you can smoke something all day long without giving up the ability to grill your dinner. Secondly, the smoker can be used as extra grill space, which means you could easily grill steaks to perfection while slow roasting veggies on the other level. 

You’ll love the easy-dump ash catch pan, as well as the stay-cool handles. 

This grill could definitely be a decent contender for portability at just about 55lbs, but we think it makes a nice fixture in the backyard. 

You can expect good durability out of the coated steel, although the max temp it can withstand is not quite so high as some other options.

7. The Original Po’ Man Charcoal Grill

What kind of list would this be if we didn’t include one of the ULTIMATE charcoal grilling experiences? 

This is one of those grills you’d buy to have a true statement piece. That said, it still delivers on the goods, just without some of the higher-ticket frills on other charcoal options. 

It’s no surprise that this is one of the few grills available on Amazon with a solid, 100% 5-star review (and it maintains 5 stars off-Amazon as well).

Offering about 1018 sq in of cooking area, skewers for slow roasting, a drip plate, and a drop-in firebox, this grill truly offers everything you need to grill your steaks (and more!) to perfection but with a lot less fuss about it. 

At 23 lbs, it is exceptionally portable. The company calls it grilling “on autopilot” — add the meat, tilt the lid, let it cook. 

Its seriously affordable, well worth the laugh alone, and made of durable rolled steel so the laughs will keep coming for a long time. 

8. Royal Gourmet 24″ Charcoal BBQ Grill

This grill offers a fairly different experience from the Royal Gourmet grill higher on our list. 

While you’ll still find a solid 598 sq in total cooking area, you’ll enjoy some of the differences with this grill. In place of the offset smoker, you’ll get an extra side shelf. 

Instead of adjusting the height of the cooking grate itself, you can adjust the position of the charcoal box via crank handle. Additionally, you can tend to the charcoal is via a small front access door, which is a real convenience compared to many other charcoal grill models. 

With adjustable air vents, a full-width drawer-style ash pan, and a built-in temperature gauge, maintaining the optimum cooking environment will be a cinch. 

9. Oklahoma Joe’s 19402088 Rambler Portable Charcoal Grill

A tabletop grill is a great option not just for portability but also for the ability to customize your cooking experience. You can buy or even build a custom work table to set this grill on for up to a worktable sized work space! 

This is a solidly built grill, with heavy-duty steel construction and cast-iron cooking grates. Don’t expect it to need replacing any time soon, it’s solid! 

The charcoal tray is adjustable, similar to the model just before this on our list. 

Despite its smaller size, you’ll still enjoy a 218 sq in cooking area, which covers cooking for a pretty good number of people. 

The solid side handles and 53 pounds size make it a good option for one grill to cover both your at-home and on-the-go needs. 

10. Foggo Grill Portable Indoor/Outdoor Smokeless Charcoal Grill

Not only is this a great choice for a budget charcoal grilling experience, but it’s ALSO a great option for multiple housing situations. 

Backyard grill-out? No problem. Only have an apartment with no outdoor space? Also no problem! 

You can assemble this grill in about 5 minutes, and with a battery-operated turbo fan to regulate airflow you’ll be up and running to get cooking in literally minutes. The ventilation system reduces the amount of charcoal it uses as well. 

The interior splasher bowl and stainless steel cooking grate are dishwasher safe for ultimate easy cleanup. 

The double-walled design also allows you to carry it even while still hot. The charcoal is contained in its own closed mesh container, which helps keep cleanup speedy. 

At just 8.1 lbs and with a transport cover included, this is truly an awesome grill for the money!

Factors to Consider When Buying a Charcoal Grill

Durability

The materials used in its construction will determine the quality of the charcoal grill. It should be made of long lasting materials such as stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum or any other reliable material.  It should also be sturdy enough.

Size

Before you purchase the charcoal grill, you need to ask yourself whether you have enough space. If you are intending to be using it for outdoor activities, you need to consider its portability. Again, think of the number of people in your family or the number of friends you normally invite during your outdoor parties. Doing so will enable you to choose a suitable size.

Safety

Whether you are a beginner or a professional chef, you need to ensure that it is very safe. You also need to go through the user manual provided to ensure that you clearly know how it works.

Maintenance

The charcoal grill may look messy after cooking. Therefore, you should ensure that it is easy to clean. If possible, look for a model that comes with a removable ash casher.

Final Verdict

When buying a charcoal grill but you are on a tight budget, purchasing any model can be a very expensive mistake. This is because most of the cheap models are made of cheap materials which means that they may not be sturdy enough.

If you are not sure of the best model you should consider, go with the one we consider to be the best charcoal grill, the Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill.

You can pick any from the products we have reviewed and know that you’re getting a solid option. You will find that they are very affordable and will provide great functionality just like high-end models.  

They are also sturdy, safe, and spacious. Regardless of your choice, you should always stay safe when grilling. Ensure that you have gone through the instructions provided if you want to enjoy tour grilling.