Affordable outdoor kitchens are worth their weight in gold through the spring, summer and fall. Cooking outside is an escape from the everyday monotony of life, plus that fish smell doesn’t get left behind in the kitchen.
What are Your Outdoor Kitchen Goals?
If money is not an object, buy an AOG Stainless Steel Grill. If time doesn’t matter, than charcoal grills like the Big Green Egg are best. Thankfully if you are a busy parent or working stiff, an outdoor kitchen for under $1000 is highly desirable. We think Blackstone and Camp Chef paired together provide the most valuable outdoor kitchen in 2025.
What are the best Grills on the market in 2025?
We have used quite a few grills and other outdoor cooking appliances in our 45+ years in business. In our view, here are some of the best brands on the market when it comes to grills, flat tops and more.
- Pellet Grill – Trager
- Premium Kamado Grill – Big Green Egg
- Stainless Steel Grill – AOG Grills
- Flat Top Grill – Blackstone
- Portable Burner – Camp Chef
Why is Blackstone + Camp Chef the Best Bang for Your Buck in 2025?
There are a lot of great grills on the market from the Big Green Egg to the Trager or your standard AOG Stainless Steel top of line grill. All of these outdoor cooktops are viable alternatives to cooking inside in your kitchen, but they compromise in one way or another. Some do not have the ability to boil water causing you to go inside to cook the corn. Some of them have natural limitations like charcoal grills and some are dummy proof like modern pellet grills. The combo Blackstone + Camp Chef is our favorite outdoor kitchen for under $1000 in 2025. This combination provides all of the elements you need in a modern kitchen (minus an oven) and get them outside without major installation or additional expense.
Blackstone
Blackstone 36” Omnivore Griddle with Hood is absolutely worth the $500 you will spend. This flattop is sturdy, well-built and will hold up, especially if you use your grill cover! Blackstone is affordable, reliable and easy to use for everyone in the home. Regardless of age, gender or experience level, a Blackstone grill makes cooking outside approachable for folks who just want a product that works. The Blackstone is great for busy Dads and Moms that don’t have the time to clean up a traditional grill. Flat tops offer more versatility and options to respond to the needs of a dynamic family. We highly recommend Blackstone Grills for busy parents and folks that love reliability.
Camp Chef
Camp Chef is synonyms with reliable outdoor cooking appliances. They too have grills and other quality flat tops, but we love the Camp Chef Explorer Two-Burner cooking system for $150 as a partner to the Blackstone. The durable, versatile Explorer Two-Burner packs enough power in its two 30,000 BTU burners to boil water and cook your food no matter the weather. This is a portable burner that you can reorient in your outdoor kitchen depending on what you are cooking. Making friend chicken and need to move off the covered porch? The Explorer from Camp Chef is the most versatile cooking appliance we have ever enjoyed.
Enjoy Cooking Outside
No matter what, if you have the opportunity to cook outside, life is good. We hope you enjoy your time creating memories outside, inside or anywhere there is fire. If you ever have questions, The Stove Shop Fireplace Experts is here to help.
