The best BBQs under $500 in Australia

Five hundred dollars buys a real BBQ in Australia. It does not buy cast iron burners or stainless steel, and it is worth knowing where the line is before you shop. These are the BBQs under $500 we would actually buy, with the picks’ prices checked at Bunnings and BCF on 9 November 2026 and the other rows on 4 October 2026 (Amazon prices change daily, so check them there), grouped by what you want to cook.

Questions to ask before buying a BBQ under $500 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 long is the warranty? Budget BBQs often carry one year. Consumer guarantees still apply on top of it and last a reasonable time for the product (ACCC), so keep the receipt.
• 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).
• Do you live in strata? By-laws are the rules for the complex, each scheme can have its own, and tenants have to follow them too (NSW Government). Read yours before you buy, especially if you are after something for a balcony.
• Where will it sit? Weber’s Genesis manual says keep the BBQ 61 cm from anything combustible at the back and sides, and 120 cm below combustible overhead structures (Weber manual). Other brands differ, so read your model’s manual before you pick the spot.

The price ladder under $500

Price	BBQ	What it is	Where
$109	Jumbuck 45 cm charcoal drum	Charcoal drum and smoker	Bunnings
$128	Jumbuck Delta 2 burner hotplate	Portable hotplate, LCC27	Bunnings
$149.99	Weber Go-Anywhere	Portable charcoal	BCF, Amazon
$229	Jumbuck Portland 4 burner hooded	Hooded four-burner on legs	Bunnings
$249	Jumbuck Pulsar electric with cabinet	Hooded electric on a trolley	Bunnings
$249	Char-Griller Akorn Jr	Portable kamado	Bunnings, Amazon
$249	Jumbuck 2 burner portable gas	Hooded two-burner portable	Bunnings
$349	Jumbuck Horizon 4 burner	Hooded four-burner trolley	Bunnings
$389	Weber Baby Q1000N	Portable gas, cast aluminium	BCF
$399	Weber Original Kettle 57 cm	Charcoal kettle	BCF
$539	Weber Q2000N	Gas, one ring burner, just over $500	BCF
$484	Jumbuck Horizon Plus 4 burner	Four-burner with cabinet and side burner	Bunnings

For a family: four-burners under $500

The hooded four-burners under $500 we found are the Jumbuck Portland ($229), Horizon ($349) and Horizon Plus ($484), all sold only at Bunnings with a one-year warranty. They are pressed steel and tube burners and rust at the seams if left uncovered near the coast. We no longer list them as picks. Our 4-burner guide has the four-burners we do pick, above this budget.

For a couple or a small space: Weber Baby Q or Q2000N

The Baby Q1000N at $389 is the BBQ to buy if you cook for two to four and want something that will still have parts in a decade. It sits on a bench, goes in a boot and roasts a small chicken with the hood down. The Q2000N is the bigger brother, at $539 at BCF on 9 November 2026, just over the line. If you can stretch to it, it’s a better long-term buy than any four-burner at the price. The Weber Q guide explains the models, and the fitted covers are $49.99 and $59.99 at BCF.

For charcoal: Weber Original Kettle, $399

The 57 cm kettle is the reference charcoal BBQ and the one with parts for life. $399 at BCF, $39.99 for the Weber cover or $23 for the Jumbuck kettle cover. The Jumbuck 45 cm drum at $109 and the Weber Go-Anywhere at $149.99 are the cheaper charcoal options, both covered in the charcoal guide.

For a kamado: Char-Griller Akorn Jr, $249

A steel-bodied kamado that holds low temperatures for smoking and gets hot enough to sear, at a quarter of the price of a ceramic. The fitted cover is $41.88 at Bunnings. The full-size Akorn Kooker is $599, just over the line.

For a balcony: electric

Electric BBQs pass most strata rules that gas does not. We have no electric pick under $500 on this page; the balcony BBQ guide has the electric options.

What $500 does not buy

Cast iron burners, stainless steel, a national parts network on a four-burner. The first step above the line is the BeefEater Clubman, $798 at The Good Guys (14 Nov 2026) or on Amazon (cast iron burners and hotplate, Australian brand, no hood). If you can stretch, the under $1,000 guide is the next page; if you cannot, a Baby Q or a kettle and a cover is a good buy.

The one trap

Spending the whole $500 on the BBQ. A BBQ with no cover is a worse buy than a cheaper one with a cover and a $55 cylinder. Most BBQs at this price are painted or pressed steel and rust uncovered. Budget the cover first: $49.99 for a Baby Q, $23 to $39.99 for a kettle. The BBQ cover sizes guide has the rest.

The competition

Everything in the price ladder that isn’t a pick, and why:

• Weber Go-Anywhere ($149.99 at BCF, also on Amazon Australia): the cheapest good charcoal BBQ, but small; the kettle is the better home BBQ for $250 more. It’s a pick in the charcoal guide.
• Jumbuck 45 cm charcoal drum ($109): the cheapest way to try charcoal and smoking, but thin steel, and sold only at Bunnings.
• Jumbuck Delta 2 burner hotplate ($128) and Jumbuck 2 burner portable ($249): budget portables, Bunnings only; the Baby Q costs more and lasts.
• Jumbuck Portland ($229), Horizon ($349) and Horizon Plus ($484): hooded four-burners with a one-year warranty, pressed steel and tube burners, Bunnings only.
• Jumbuck Pulsar electric ($249): a hooded electric on a trolley, Bunnings only; the balcony guide has the electric picks.