Morgan Ray

Last summer I hosted a backyard cookout for 14 people, juggled a propane tank that was dying faster than the food was cooking, and learned a hard lesson: the best grill side burners are not just a luxury. They are the difference between a chaotic evening and one where everything hits the table hot and … Read more

If you have ever tried juggling raw burgers, tongs, and a dripping sauce bottle on a wobbly patio side table, you already know why the best grill carts are no longer optional. I have spent the last three summers testing rolling prep stations next to gas grills, Blackstone griddles, and a small pizza oven, and … Read more

I spent the last three months testing smoker cabinets in my backyard to find the best smoker cabinets for home cooks. I ran brisket, ribs, chicken, and salmon through each model on rotation. I tracked temperature swings, recovery time after opening the door, and how much bark each smoker produced. A smoker cabinet is a … Read more

I’ll never forget the first time I tried a rotisserie chicken off my buddy’s Weber kettle. The skin was crackling, the meat fell off the bone, and I bought a rotisserie kit the next weekend. That was 8 years ago. Since then, our team has tested more than 20 rotisserie setups across gas, charcoal, and … Read more

I spent three weekends cooking brisket, ribs, and steaks on eight different grill smoker combos to find out which ones actually deliver both real smoke flavor and a hard sear. The verdict? Not all combos are built the same, and the gap between the best and the rest is wider than most people think. If … Read more

We’ve been testing fire pits and outdoor fireplaces in our own backyards for the past 18 months, and I can tell you this: not all fire pits are created equal. After spending over 6 months actively burning through 12+ cords of wood and 800 pounds of propane across our test spaces, our team ranked the … Read more

Last fall our team spent six weekends outside with twelve different fire pit tables running at full burn on a covered patio. We measured how fast they lit, how warm they kept a four-person seating circle, how loud the propane hiss was, and how the surfaces held up to spilled cider. If you are searching … Read more

Pull up a chair, light a small fire, and your backyard instantly becomes the coziest spot in the house. I bought my first chiminea six years ago after one too many smoky evenings fighting the wind next to an open fire pit. Since then, our team has tested dozens of patio chimineas across three patio … Read more

There is something magical about gathering around a crackling fire under the stars. Whether you are camping deep in the wilderness, tailgating before the big game, or just enjoying a cool evening on your patio, a portable fire pit brings warmth and ambiance anywhere you go. Our team spent three months testing 12 of the … Read more

There is something about a fire that brings people together. When the sun dips below the horizon and the evening chill sets in, having one of the best propane fire pit tables on your patio turns an ordinary night into a memorable one. Our team has spent weeks comparing models, reading thousands of customer reviews, … Read more