Barbeque Insider exists to help you buy the right grill, smoker, or piece of BBQ gear the first time, based on tested sources instead of launch-day hype.
Who writes this
Wade Hollis writes the guides on this site. Wade is the pen name of our research desk. Every recommendation is built from documented pitmaster consensus, published editorial testing from outlets that actually burn fuel in the gear, and manufacturer documentation read with the marketing filtered out. Sources are named in the articles, and when a claim comes from community lore rather than a tested source, we say that plainly.
How we choose what to recommend
We start with what owners report after a season of cooks, not the assembly-day review. We check that against outlets that test grills and smokers for a living. Temperature stability, build thickness, and parts availability weigh more than paint and badges, because that is what decides whether the thing still cooks well in year three.
Our sourcing order, highest trust first
Safety documentation first. For clearances, fuel handling, and food-safety temperatures, the manufacturer’s manual and official food-safety guidance outrank everything else on this list. We do not invent safety advice.
Published editorial testing. Outlets that run temperature probes and long cooks and publish the numbers, named in the article where we rely on them.
Manufacturer specifications. Useful for dimensions, materials, and rated output. Treated as marketing until an independent source confirms a performance claim.
Pitmaster community consensus. Valuable for how gear survives real backyards and real briskets. Used only when it is broad and consistent, and always labeled as consensus rather than proof.
What we don’t do
No sponsored placements: no brand pays to appear in a guide or to move up a ranking. No invented cook tests: if we did not run it, we do not claim we did; we cite the people who did. No universal fuel-war verdicts: charcoal, pellet, gas, and stick each win at different things, and our guides say which and why instead of picking a religion.
Corrections
Models get discontinued and quietly revised. When we learn a guide is wrong or out of date, we fix the guide itself and date the update at the top of the page. If you spot an error or a product change we missed, tell us at [email protected] and the correction reaches the same desk that writes the guides. This site is published by WebIgniter.
How the site makes money
Barbeque Insider participates in the Amazon Associates program. If you buy something through a link on this site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide what we recommend; the research happens first and the links come after.