How I review

The method is simple: never claim use that did not happen, check the facts that change a decision, and explain the consequence before the number. Each article has an internal evidence record so the writing cannot quietly outrun the work behind it.

Researched

I have not used the exact product. The article draws on primary sources, product-class experience where it is real, and independent reasoning. It may still reach a buying judgment, but it never dresses research up as a cook or a test that did not happen.

First impressions

I have handled or inspected the exact product but not used it enough for a performance verdict. The record says when, which variant, and what was actually observed.

Hands-on

I have used the exact product for the activity described. The session records a date and useful observations. When the article reports a measurement, the method, instrument, and relevant conditions are recorded too. A real cook does not need a stopwatch to count as real use.

Fuel variants

A grill sold in more than one fuel is not one product. The variants share a chassis and differ where it matters. Cooking on one version tells you about that version. When I have handled one variant and not another, the page says which one, and says what differs. Every hands-on claim has a dated session behind it for that exact variant. No session, no claim.

Specifications

Figures come from the manufacturer or another authoritative source, never copied from a competing review. They appear only when they clarify a choice, setup, or safety check. Where two brands measure differently, the page explains it if the mismatch could lead to the wrong choice. An unsupported figure is left out rather than guessed.

Guides

A troubleshooting, maintenance or technique guide is built from the manufacturer’s own support pages and manuals, with USDA food safety figures where a cook needs a temperature. Every material fact in a guide is tied to one of those in the page’s source record, with the date it was read, and the guide says what the manufacturer says to do in the order it says to do it. Where a maker publishes no figure, the guide says so and gives the next action instead of a guess. A guide never instructs you to modify a gas appliance.

Affiliate links and prices

GrillingSetup does not try to recreate Amazon's storefront. A merchant link takes you to the current price, availability, and delivery details. The commission relationship is disclosed close to that link, and commission never decides a verdict or rank.

Comparisons

A comparison starts with the difference a buyer will feel. It may end in a winner, a split decision, a tie, or neither. Tables are short reference tools, not the spine of every page, and the case for the other option belongs naturally in the argument.

Long-term updates

Reviews get dated update sections as things age or break. Those carry real dates and real observations. I do not refresh a date to look current.

Safety

I do not publish instructions for converting or modifying a gas appliance. Orifices, manifolds, and regulators are a licensed trade, and getting it wrong is a gas leak. Where an install needs a permit or a licensed fitter, the page says so. I also do not publish safety or emergency guidance of my own. Where a repair or a cook runs up against a hazard, the page stops, says the manufacturer’s manual owns the next step, and links to it rather than restating it.

Money is covered on the disclosure page.

The guides are where the sourcing shows. Start with troubleshooting or maintenance. The comparisons and reviews are where the evidence levels show. Start with the charcoal or pellet smoker pages.