As much as manufacturers try to avoid the topic in the FAQ section of their websites and in the owner’s manuals for their units, all grills have the inclination to corrode and rust over the progression of time.
And if you live near the ocean or in an area where the weather changes faster than you can say, “Hey, honey, will you pass me the grill cover?”, you know just how difficult it can be to keep your grill looking like the day you brought it home from the hardware store.
Here’s the thing: if you’re tired of your backyard grill rusting like your old man’s pickup truck and you want to buy a piece of equipment that will finally stand the test of time, we have both good and bad news for you.
The good news is that some grills are more capable of fending off corrosion and rust than others. The bad news is that they cost quite a bit of money—and if you want one, you have to be willing to pay up.
Best Rust-Resistant Grills
- Our pick: Weber Spirit S-315
- High-end pick: Napoleon Prestige Pro 500
- Budget pick: Weber Spirit II E-310
This 3-burner, 32,000 BTU per hour propane Weber grill has a porcelain enamel cast iron grate and a rust-resistant body made from high-quality stainless steel.
The Weber Spirit S-315 gas grill is our favorite because it’s affordable and compact while boasting 424 sq. in. of grilling space and a durable, high-quality stainless steel construction.
The porcelain enameled, cast iron grill grate holds heat like no other and provides a steakhouse-grade sear for your meats and veg, and the 105 sq. in. warming rack keeps your food warm and safe to eat.
The versatility of this unit is not to be underestimated: Make Friday night’s dinner or gather family and neighbors in the backyard for a cookout; with the ability to grill 15 burger patties at once, you won’t leave anyone waiting hungry.
The slick stainless steel lid decorates the backyard or patio and is built to withstand the test of time. Note that the handle, also stainless steel, gets hot very quickly and requires you to use a kitchen towel to avoid burns.
As with all Weber grills, the Weber Spirit S-315 has a 10-year warranty that covers rust-through on the cooking box, lid, and burner tubes, and a 5-year warranty on the grill grates and flavorizer bars. (All other parts of the unit have a 2-year warranty.)
This stainless steel grill has 80,000 BTUs and 500 sq. in. of cooking power. With 4 main burners and an infrared rear and side burner, it can cook 31 burgers at once.
The best part? It resists rust like a bandit.
Made in Canada, the Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 is constructed from high-quality stainless steel all over. It’s the best money can buy, so don’t say we didn’t warn you about the price tag!
Stainless steel is used for the basin, hood, and side shelves, as well as the burners, sear plates, and cooking grids—making this gas grill about as rust-resistant as gas grills get.
The grill head is also available as a standalone unit for a built-in outdoor kitchen.
Depending on the fuel you prefer, you can get this grill in two versions: with a propane tank or a natural gas connection. The two extra infrared burners are a great touch and add capacity and versatility to your grilling, but you can do without them if you’re on a tight budget.
The Napoleon Prestige Pro 500 has a solid construction, gets up to heat very quickly, and produces the most perfect sear on your steaks, burgers, pork chops, and chicken breasts. It’s an outdoor kitchen on wheels, this one: with the side infrared burner and rear infrared rotisserie, your cookouts will become the talk of the town.
And you won’t have to keep anyone in the backyard waiting for food. The capacity of this make and model allows you to cook 31 burgers at once, and this is without compromising the aroma, flavor, and texture of any single one of them.
Allow a day for assembly, preferably on the weekend, and make sure you are not in a hurry to go anywhere. Assembling this unit takes time, and the instructions are not always as helpful as you expect them to be.
The three-burner Weber Spriti II E-310 grill offers 529 sq. in. of cooking space over three burners that produce 30,000 BTUs of cooking power.
Our budget pick, the Weber Spirit II E-310, is a small beast of a grill.
With three propane burners cooking at 30,000 BTU per hour, this grill provides 529 sq. in. of grilling space, ⅘ of which is for cooking your food and ⅕ of which is for keeping it nice and warm.
The cooking grates are made of cast iron and enameled with porcelain. They hold on to heat well and ensure that meat and vegetables are beautifully seared without sticking to the bare metal underneath the enamel.
With its well-built, rust-resistant aluminum firebox, this grill is capable of serving you for years. In fact, Weber is so confident in its construction that it offers a 10-year warranty on all parts—and that’s something you don’t get with every grill in this price range.
All in all, the Weber Spirit II E-310 should be on top of your wishlist if you’re looking for a small but mighty grill that’s rust-resistant and that won’t break the bank. But don’t just take our word for it; read the customer reviews and see for yourself.
How to Keep Your Grill in Mint Condition
Two types of decay take place on the surface of metals: corrosion and rust. Certain metals, such as aluminum and high-quality stainless steel, don’t rust. However, all metals are susceptible to corrosion.
What’s the difference? Rust is what happens when metals decay due to prolonged exposure to moisture, and corrosion takes place when metals deteriorate due to contact with acids, salts, and chemicals.
Acid rain, salty air, and evaporated chemicals from the pool can do more damage to the exterior of your grill than you probably think. This is the main reason why coastal environments are especially hard on grill units.
To keep your unit looking like new follow the routine below after each and every use:
- Wipe down the exterior with warm, soapy water and a non-abrasive cleaning pad
- Rinse well and pat the unit thoroughly dry with a microfiber cloth
- Put the grill cover on until the next use
Remember not to use paper towels or abrasive cleaners for cleaning the stainless steel parts of your grill; they can leave permanent scratches. Always wipe in the direction of the grain when wiping stainless steel surfaces.
Why Trust Us?
We spent 47 hours rounding up the best rust-resistant grills for your backyard so that you don’t have to.
To distinguish the winners from the duds, we dug deep into product specifications, read through owner’s manuals, and scoured the Internet for customer reviews, positive and negative, to come up with a shortlist of potential winners.
We then drew on the decades of the hands-on grilling experience of the members of the Barbehow editorial team to scrutinize our favorites and come up with the final list of winners, which you can see right before your eyes.
Thank you for your trust, and we hope you found our roundup as useful as we enjoyed compiling it.
