Choosing an outdoor cooker can be surprisingly difficult. From charcoal grills and kamados to gas BBQs, pellet grills, smokers, planchas and pizza ovens, each type offers a different balance of flavour, convenience, versatility and cooking style.

In this guide, we'll look at eight of the most popular types of outdoor cooking equipment, explain what each one does best, and highlight who each option is likely to suit. Whether you want quick midweek meals, authentic smoky barbecue, wood-fired pizza or a complete outdoor kitchen, this guide will help you work out which cooker is right for you.

1. Charcoal BBQs and Grills

This is the category most people picture when they think "barbecue" — a kettle, cart or bullet-shaped grill burning lumpwood charcoal or briquettes, with a lid and adjustable air vents to control the heat.

Charcoal grills reward a bit of patience. You're lighting coals, waiting for them to heat up, and managing airflow rather than turning a dial — but that hands-on approach is exactly why so many people won't switch to anything else. The char and smoky flavour you get from cooking directly over charcoal can be difficult to replicate on gas.

Choose a charcoal grill if: you enjoy the ritual of lighting and tending a fire, you cook mostly steaks, burgers and sausages rather than all-day cooks, and you don't mind waiting around 15–20 minutes for the coals to get going before food hits the grate.

If you want classic charcoal flavour without investing in a dedicated smoker, a charcoal grill is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to get it. You can also add suitable wood chips or chunks to the charcoal for additional smoky flavour, following the grill manufacturer's guidance.

2. Kamado Ovens

Kamados are the thick-walled, egg-shaped ceramic cookers that have become increasingly popular over the last decade — Kamado Joe being one of the best-known names. Their ceramic construction retains heat exceptionally well, while the enclosed design and adjustable airflow make them capable of maintaining stable temperatures for long periods.

A kamado can handle everything from high-temperature searing and roasting to baking and low-and-slow smoking, making it one of the most versatile types of outdoor cooker.

What sets a kamado apart from a standard charcoal grill is its ability to maintain a controlled cooking environment. With the top and bottom vents, you can carefully regulate airflow and, once the cooker has stabilised, hold a steady temperature for extended periods.

Choose a kamado if: you want one versatile cooker for searing, roasting, baking and slow smoking, and you're happy to pay more upfront for a high-quality cooker designed for long-term use.

If versatility and precise fire control are high on your list, a kamado is an excellent option without having to buy several different pieces of equipment.

3. Smokers

Where a kamado can smoke, a dedicated smoker is designed primarily around low-and-slow cooking. Offset smokers, vertical smokers and cabinet-style units are all designed to hold relatively low, steady temperatures for long periods, making them ideal for cuts such as brisket, pork shoulder and ribs.

The trade-off is that smokers can ask more of you than other categories here. Offset smokers in particular need regular attention to the fire — feeding logs, managing airflow and maintaining a steady cooking temperature. That's part of the appeal for barbecue enthusiasts, but it can feel like a lot of work if you simply want dinner on the table.

Choose a smoker if: low-and-slow barbecue is the main reason you want an outdoor cooker — think brisket, pulled pork and ribs — and you're happy to dedicate several hours, sometimes most of a day, to a single cook.

If smoky flavour is your number one priority and convenience isn't, a dedicated smoker is hard to beat.

4. Gas BBQs

Gas grills swap charcoal and wood for propane or natural gas burners, giving you fast heat-up and the kind of precise, repeatable temperature control you get from a kitchen hob. Depending on the model, you can often be ready to cook within around ten to fifteen minutes.

This convenience is exactly why gas remains a popular choice for everyday grilling. There's no charcoal to light or dispose of, cleanup is generally quicker, and multiple burner zones allow you to sear on one side while cooking more gently on another.

Choose a gas BBQ if: you're cooking outdoors regularly rather than as an occasional event, you want to go from "I fancy a barbecue" to food on the grill quickly, and consistent, easy-to-control heat matters more to you than the smoky flavour of charcoal or wood.

If convenience and speed are what you're after, gas is hard to beat — it's the barbecue equivalent of cooking on a hob rather than an open fire.

5. Pellet Grills

Pellet grills combine the wood-fired cooking experience with a high degree of automation. Compressed hardwood pellets are fed automatically from a hopper into a firepot, while a digital controller regulates the temperature. Once the grill is running at the desired temperature, there is generally far less fire management required than with a traditional smoker.

Brands such as Traeger and Pit Boss have helped make pellet grills popular with people who want to smoke, roast and grill with less hands-on temperature management.

Pellet grills are particularly well suited to longer cooks, although searing performance varies between models. Some have dedicated searing features or areas designed for higher-temperature cooking, while others are better suited to smoking and roasting.

Choose a pellet grill if: you want wood-fired cooking and smoky flavour without spending the day managing a fire, and you like the idea of a versatile cooker with automated temperature control.

If you want the flavour of cooking with wood but prefer a more convenient approach to temperature management, a pellet grill is worth considering.

6. Plancha Grills

A plancha is a flat, solid cooking surface, usually made from steel, heated from below by gas burners. Rather than food dripping through grates onto flames, everything cooks directly on the hot surface, which means excellent contact for searing and fewer flare-ups.

The flat surface also makes planchas particularly versatile. They're ideal for smash burgers, pancakes, fried rice, stir-fries, eggs, seafood and vegetables that might otherwise fall through conventional grill grates.

Planchas have become a popular choice for anyone who wants to cook complete meals outdoors — not just meat — and they're particularly useful for breakfast and brunch-style cooking.

Choose a plancha if: you want to cook a wider variety of food outdoors, including breakfasts, stir-fries, delicate fish and smash burgers, and you like the idea of a large, even cooking surface rather than open grates.

If you're after a strong sear and plenty of contact with the cooking surface, a plancha can be an excellent choice for steaks and burgers.

7. Outdoor Pizza Ovens

Outdoor pizza ovens are designed to reach temperatures far beyond those of many conventional grills and domestic ovens. Many high-temperature models can reach around 400–500°C, allowing Neapolitan-style pizzas to cook very quickly, often in roughly 60–90 seconds when the oven and pizza are properly prepared.

Wood-fired models provide the flavour and theatre associated with traditional wood-fired cooking, while gas-fired versions offer easier temperature management and convenient day-to-day use. They are also available in tabletop, freestanding and built-in formats, so there are options for everything from smaller patios to larger outdoor kitchens.

Beyond pizza, that intense heat makes these ovens useful for flatbreads, roasting vegetables and some types of high-temperature cooking.

Choose a pizza oven if: pizza nights are a big part of how you entertain and you want to achieve the high-temperature cooking results associated with a traditional pizzeria.

If wood-fired flavour and high-temperature cooking are priorities, a wood-fired pizza oven can be a fantastic addition to an outdoor cooking setup.

8. Stone and Masonry BBQs & Outdoor Kitchens

The final category is less about one specific cooking method and more about the whole setup. Stone and masonry BBQs, along with full outdoor kitchens, are permanent or semi-permanent installations that can combine a charcoal or gas grill with worktop space, storage, a sink and sometimes a pizza oven or plancha.

This is the choice for people who see outdoor cooking as an extension of the kitchen rather than a seasonal hobby. It's a bigger and more permanent investment, but it can make entertaining more sociable and practical by keeping cooking, preparation, storage and serving in one area.

Choose a stone or masonry BBQ / outdoor kitchen if: you entertain often, have the outdoor space to dedicate to it, and would rather create one permanent, all-in-one cooking area than juggle several separate pieces of equipment.

For anyone who regularly hosts family and friends, a well-designed outdoor kitchen can transform the way the garden is used.

Quick Summary: Which One Suits You?

Want classic smoky flavour without too much complexity? Charcoal BBQ.

Want one versatile cooker for searing, roasting and slow smoking? Kamado oven.

Want to focus on low-and-slow barbecue and maximum smoke flavour? Smoker.

Want speed and convenience for everyday grilling? Gas BBQ.

Want wood-fired cooking with automated temperature control? Pellet grill.

Want to cook full meals with a large, flat cooking surface? Plancha.

Want high-temperature, pizzeria-style pizza at home? Outdoor pizza oven.

Want a permanent, built-in outdoor cooking space? Stone/masonry BBQ or outdoor kitchen.

Which Outdoor Cooker Is Right for You?

There's rarely a single "best" outdoor cooker — it comes down to how you like to cook, how much time you want to spend doing it, and what you're most often cooking for family and friends.

Some people also end up combining different types over time: a gas grill for quick weeknight meals, for example, alongside a kamado or smoker for longer weekend cooks.

If you're still weighing up which type is right for your garden and your cooking style, our team is always happy to talk through the options — whether that's in one of our showrooms or over the phone.