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Tom Bricker

Consumer Research Analyst & Product Tester

10+ years backyard grilling across every fuel type

Tom Bricker has grilled on gas, charcoal, pellet, electric and flat-top cookers for more than a decade. At SmokyHQ he tests gas grills, portable and tabletop units, indoor/electric grills and griddles, and maintains our budget-tier best-of lists.

His testing centres on everyday ownership: assembly time, ignition reliability in cold and wind, preheat speed, propane use, heat evenness across the grates, cleanup and long-term value at each price tier.

Tom also writes our maintenance and troubleshooting guides and fact-checks every pellet, charcoal and smoker review published by Marcus Reilly.

Reviews
17
Guides
19
Fact-checks
36

Grill Reviews by Tom Bricker

Weber Genesis E-325Gas★ 4.8/5

Weber Genesis E-325

$949–$999
4.8

Our Weber Genesis E-325 review: 8 test cooks, under 12°F edge-to-edge heat spread and a 13,000 BTU sear zone. See if this $949–$999 grill fits you.

Propane
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Monument Denali 605Pro 6-Burner Gas GrillGas★ 4.7/5

Monument Denali 605Pro 6-Burner Gas Grill

$969–$999
4.7

Monument Denali 605Pro review: 6+1 burners, 78,000 BTU, rotisserie and app probes for $969–$999. Specs, third-party results, pros, cons and who should buy it.

Propane
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Napoleon TravelQ PRO285XGas★ 4.7/5

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285X

$432–$482
4.7

Napoleon TravelQ PRO285X review: 285 sq in, two 15,000 BTU burners and a cart that folds to 7 inches. Tested 6 weeks at tailgates and campsites.

Propane / Natural Gas
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Broil King Regal S 420 ProGas★ 4.6/5

Broil King Regal S 420 Pro

$1,349–$1,369
4.6

Broil King Regal S 420 Pro review: 680 sq in, four 15,000 BTU burners and 90-second ribeye crust after 40+ hours of testing. See if it's worth $1,349.

Natural Gas (Line Connection Required)
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Blackstone Original 36" GriddleFlat Top★ 4.6/5

Blackstone Original 36" Griddle

$536–$636
4.6

Blackstone Original 36 griddle review: 768 sq in, four independent burners and 60,000 BTU tested over 8 cooks. See who it suits and who should skip it.

Propane
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Weber Spirit E-325Gas★ 4.6/5

Weber Spirit E-325

$499–$529
4.6

Weber Spirit E-325 review: the Sear Zone ran 90–110°F hotter and seared ribeyes in under 3 minutes per side. We tested 8 cooks to judge its $499 value.

Propane
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Char-Broil Pro Series 4-Burner Gas GrillGas★ 4.5/5

Char-Broil Pro Series 4-Burner Gas Grill

$629–$669
4.5

Char-Broil Pro Series 4-burner review: infrared sear zone crusted ribeyes in under 2 minutes per side over 8 test cooks. Is it worth $629–$669? Our verdict.

Propane
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Weber Lumin Portable Electric GrillElectric★ 4.5/5

Weber Lumin Portable Electric Grill

$389–$399
4.5

Weber Lumin review: this outdoor electric grill hit 600°F, seared in about 10 minutes and passed our rain test. See if it's worth $389–$399 for your balcony.

Electric
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Weber Smokey Joe 14"Portable★ 4.5/5

Weber Smokey Joe 14"

$54–$84
4.5

Weber Smokey Joe 14 review: a sub-10 lb portable charcoal grill that seared burgers in under 6 minutes. 147 sq in, $54–$84, tested at tailgates and camp.

Charcoal
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Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor GrillElectric★ 4.4/5

Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill

$269–$299
4.4

Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 review: hits 500°F in about 7 minutes, and its smart thermometer nailed 5 doneness presets. Tested over 8 indoor cooks.

Electric
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Blackstone 2364 22" Tabletop GriddlePortable★ 4.4/5

Blackstone 2364 22" Tabletop Griddle

$179–$199
4.4

Blackstone 2364 review: a 168 sq in camping griddle plus side burner for $179–$199. We ran 8 cooks over 3 weeks to see who should buy it.

Propane
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Ninja FlexFlame ProConnectGas★ 4.4/5

Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect

$1,199–$1,299
4.4

Ninja FlexFlame ProConnect review: a 5-in-1 WiFi gas grill that hit 600°F in 7 minutes. We tested all 5 modes to see if it's worth $1,199–$1,299.

Propane
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Monument Grills Mesa Series 4+1 Burner Gas GrillGas★ 4.3/5

Monument Grills Mesa Series 4+1 Burner Gas Grill

$489–$529
4.3

Monument Mesa 4+1 burner review: ±12–15°F consistency and 500°F sears in 9–11 minutes over 40+ hours of testing. Is this $489–$529 gas grill worth it?

Propane
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Cuisinart Portable Propane GrillPortable★ 4.3/5

Cuisinart Portable Propane Grill

$214–$234
4.3

Cuisinart Portable Propane Grill review: 275 sq in, two independent burners and first-twist ignition at 44°F. Tested over 8 cooks for tailgaters and campers.

Propane
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Ninja Sizzle Indoor Grill & GriddleElectric★ 4.2/5

Ninja Sizzle Indoor Grill & Griddle

$120–$150
4.2

Ninja Sizzle review: this indoor grill hit 500°F in about 8 minutes for real steak sear marks on our countertop. Is the $120–$150 grill and griddle for you?

Electric
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Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas GrillPortable★ 4.1/5

Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill

$114–$149
4.1

Cuisinart Petite Gourmet review: a 150 sq in, 5,500 BTU portable gas grill for $114–$149 that fits in a backpack. See who it suits after 8 test cooks.

Propane
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Megamaster Tabletop 1-Burner Gas GrillPortable★ 4/5

Megamaster Tabletop 1-Burner Gas Grill

$69–$99
4.0

Megamaster Tabletop 1-Burner review: 215 sq in propane grill for $69–$99, set up in under 5 minutes and lit at 42°F. See if one burner is enough for you.

Propane
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Guides by Tom Bricker