The best BBQs in Australia in 2026

Every guide on this site is written for Australian conditions and Australian shops. Prices are what Bunnings, BCF and Weber’s own store charged on the date above, in Australian dollars including GST. Amazon buttons show Amazon’s live price, which we can’t show here.

Questions to ask before buying a BBQ in Australia

• Is it certified for Australian gas? Every gas appliance sold here must be tested and certified (Gas Technical Regulators Committee). Look for the compliance plate and gas compliance mark; overseas marks such as CSA or CE aren’t enough (Energy Safe Victoria). You can look up the number on the national certificate database.
• Does it take an LCC27 cylinder? LCC27 valves replaced the old POL type from 1 April 2021. A new LCC27 BBQ needs an LCC27 cylinder, and adaptors that join it to an old POL cylinder override the safety valve; WA’s regulator has banned them (WA Building and Energy).
• How old is the gas cylinder? Cylinders must be safety tested or replaced every 10 years (SA Government). Look for the test stamp, and swap or re-test one that’s past its date (NSW Government).
• Which fuel can you use on a Total Fire Ban day? In NSW, gas is allowed with conditions and electric with fewer, but wood, charcoal and heat beads are banned outside (NSW RFS). Victoria bans solid fuel BBQs on those days too (CFA).
• Do you live in strata? By-laws are the rules for the complex and each scheme can have its own (NSW Government). Read yours before you buy, because it decides whether gas or charcoal is an option at all.
• What happens after the warranty ends? Consumer guarantees apply automatically and last a reasonable time for the product, on top of any maker’s warranty (ACCC). Keep the receipt.

Start with how you cook, not with the fuel

Most BBQ regret comes from buying for the crowd you host twice a year instead of the dinners you cook twice a week. A hooded two-burner or a Weber Q cooks a weeknight dinner for four and roasts a chicken on the weekend. A six-burner does the same job with more gas, more cleaning and more patio. Buy for the ordinary week and borrow a second cooker for the party.

The five kinds of BBQ, honestly

Gas is the Australian default: fast, easy to control, and the only type most people will light on a Tuesday. Running costs are low, about $1 to $5 an hour even with every burner on high (worked out in the FAQ). Look for a hood for roasting, cast-iron or heavy enamelled plates, and a warranty that names the burners. Our gas BBQ guide.

Charcoal is flavour and ritual. Kettles and drums are cheap and versatile, and a good one with a lid cooks low and slow as well as hot and fast. It’s slower to start than gas, and you manage the fire. Our charcoal guide.

Kamado grills are thick-walled ceramic or insulated steel eggs. They hold heat well, so one load of charcoal can run a long, low cook or a very hot pizza session. The ceramic ones are heavy and dear. Our kamado guide.

Pellet grills feed compressed wood pellets into a fire pot under digital control. You get real wood smoke and set-and-forget temperature, but they need power and pellets. Our pellet smoker guide.

Electric BBQs are for balconies where strata bans gas and charcoal. Expect less heat: a standard 10 amp power point supplies at most about 2.4 kW, roughly 8.6 MJ an hour, while even the small Baby Q’s burner is rated at 10.6 MJ. Our electric BBQ guide.

Australian specifics that change the choice

• Gas certification. Every gas BBQ sold here must be certified for Australia and carry a compliance plate. Look for the Gas Compliance Mark and the certifier’s mark (Energy Safe Victoria). Supplying or selling an appliance that isn’t accepted is an offence (Gas Technical Regulators Committee). Outdoor gas BBQs are certified to AS/NZS 5263.1.7, and you can look up any certificate on the regulators’ national database. Both of our gas picks are listed there as approved, the Family Q+ and the Baby Q, as is the Jumbuck Horizon.
• LPG fittings. New cylinders use the LCC27 valve, which replaced the old POL type from 2021. An old POL BBQ works with a new cylinder. A new LCC27 BBQ won’t fit an old POL cylinder, and you shouldn’t use an adaptor (WA Building and Energy).
• Natural gas. A natural gas connection or a conversion from LPG is a licensed gasfitter’s job, done to AS/NZS 5601.1. Conversion-kit instructions say to get a compliance certificate from the gasfitter (Jumbuck, PDF).
• Coastal rust. Salt is hard on steel. In salt-water lab tests, 304 stainless resisted pitting better than the cheaper 430 grade (Bellezze et al., 2018). The Jumbuck Horizon’s hood is 430. Near the sea, keep any BBQ covered.
• Warranty split. Read which parts are covered, not just the headline years. Weber gives its Q range five years on the cookbox, lid, burner tubes and grills, and two years on everything else (Weber). Bunnings lists one year on the Jumbuck Horizon and five years on the Char-Griller Akorn.
• Covers. A cover is the cheapest protection for a BBQ that lives outside. Fitted covers for our two gas picks cost about $50 to $95 at BCF.

What to spend

Under $250 buys a hooded four-burner such as the Jumbuck Portland ($229 at Bunnings). It’s budget steel, so keep it covered. $350 to $950 is where value peaks: the Jumbuck Horizon ($349), Matador Spark 4 ($669) and Weber Family Q+ ($909, or $919 for the Premium) live here. Above $1,000 you are paying for stainless, warranty, brand and outdoor-kitchen looks. All of those are real, but none of them cooks a better sausage.

The competition

We looked at these too. Each is a fair buy for someone, but not the one we’d pick for most people. Prices checked 22 October 2026.

• Kamado Joe Classic I ($1,468 at Bunnings). The better-built ceramic kamado, and worth it if you’ll cook on it most weekends for years. The Char-Griller Akorn ($599 at Bunnings) does similar jobs for $869 less. See the kamado guide.
• BeefEater 1200 four-burner ($997 at The Good Guys on 13 November 2026). Cast-iron burners and a side burner, built for people who host big groups often. Most households cook for a few people, and the Family Q+ handles that for similar money.
• BeefEater Clubman four-burner ($798 at The Good Guys, 14 Nov 2026). An Australian-brand cast-iron hotplate with no hood or grill, for big cook-ups. It’s a pick in the 4-burner guide.
• Weber Spirit E-425 ($1,299 at BCF). Weber’s four-burner costs $390 more than the Family Q+, and four burners only earn their keep if you often cook for a crowd.
• Jumbuck Horizon 4 burner ($349 at Bunnings). Four burners, a side burner and a hood with a 3,360 cm² cooktop, but a one-year warranty and a 430 stainless hood. Sold only at Bunnings.
• Char-Griller Akorn Kooker ($599 at Bunnings). An insulated steel kamado that sears and smokes, with a cover included. Sold only at Bunnings.
• Matador Spark 4 ($669 at Bunnings). A nicer finish than the Horizon for $320 more, with the same job to do. Spend the difference on a cover and gas.
• Jumbuck Portland four-burner ($229 at Bunnings). The same 80 x 42 cm cooktop as the Horizon for $120 less, but the hood is painted steel and there’s no side burner or cylinder cabinet.
• Pit Boss 850 Navigator ($883 at Bunnings). Set-and-forget wood smoke from a dial, but it needs a power point and a supply of pellets. Most people who want smoky food will be happier with the Smokey Mountain and a bag of charcoal. See the pellet guide.
• Weber Lumin ($649 at BCF). The right buy only if strata bans gas and charcoal on your balcony. If it doesn’t, the Baby Q costs $260 less. See the electric guide.
• Weber Family Q built-in (Q3600). Only for an outdoor kitchen: it drops into a benchtop cut-out, and on natural gas it needs a licensed gasfitter. See the built-in guide.
• Jumbuck offset smoker ($198 at Bunnings). A cheap way to try offset smoking, but an offset firebox needs feeding all day. The Smokey Mountain costs three times as much and is much easier to keep steady. See the smoker guide.
• Traeger Pro 575 and Ironwood 885. App-controlled pellet grills, but Amazon was the only Australian seller we found, so we couldn’t compare a checked price with the Pit Boss.

Choosing between Weber Qs? Which Weber Q to buy. Taking one away? The portable BBQ guide.