Both Alfresco and Artisan grills deliver serious quality, so choosing between the two isn’t as simple as picking the ‘better’ brand. What makes this comparison even more interesting is that both are made by the same parent company, so they share some DNA in terms of craftsmanship and engineering.

The real differences come down to target market and design philosophy. Alfresco sits at the premium end, offering luxury features and innovations like their new AIPG (Alfresco Intelligent Professional Grill) smart grill series, which brings connected technology to outdoor cooking. Artisan, on the other hand, delivers impressive performance at a more accessible price point. So the question isn’t really which brand is better, but which one fits the way you grill and what you’re willing to invest.

Throughout this article, we’re going to be taking a closer look at each of these two options and compare them on all the metrics that matter, including things like the

The main idea here is that you’ll have a much better understanding of which option appeals to your particular needs the most by the end of the article,

Now that you’ve got a better idea of some of the fundamental differences between the two, I feel like it’s worth delving a bit deeper into how they compare, first by taking a look at the history between each option:

Again, while they’re both made by the same parent company, the overall history and target audiences between these two brands are fairly different, so let’s look at this in a bit more detail:

Overall, they’ve got more of a focus on providing all the amenities and performance that you’d expect with a commercial kitchen than affordability, which we’ll soon find out is quite the contrast in comparison to their Artisan counterpart.

Similarly to the Alfresco models, all Artisan grills are made with 304 stainless steel, too, which I find fairly significant given the price differences between the two brands – what’s not the same, though, is that the Artisan models generally use thinner gauge steel and have fewer welded components, so while the material itself is still highly resistant to rust and corrosion, you might find that the overall sturdiness and durability pales in comparison to the Alfresco models.

Grills can come with all the bells and whistles you can dream of, but when it comes down to it, all we really want to know is whether or not it can actually cook your food effectively, so let’s take a closer look at how each of these two brands compare in terms of overall cooking performance:

Kicking things off, let’s start by taking a look at the Alfresco grills, which, as you might have thought, generally provide better performance.

Again, you’ll find that plenty of Artisan grills share similarities in design to the Alfresco ones (which is to be expected given they’re made by the same brand), but they’re usually streamlined for simplicity and cost savings in general.

Just keep in mind that Artisan grills are made more for casual grillers than die-hard grill fanatics, so make sure you remember this when choosing between the two.

One of the common complaints of cheaper grills is that the knobs can get super hot while your grill is running at a high temperature, so this particular safety feature means they’ll be staying cool and preventing any accidental injuries.

In addition, the majority of Alfresco grills come with a full ceramic briquette tray that will help you eliminate any possible cold spots across the grill and keep the heat evenly distributed, something that’s obviously going to be helpful when it comes to managing heat and generally preventing and flare-ups – as a result, I think you’ll find that you’ve got a lot more control over your cooking!

This makes them slightly less suitable for some of the more advanced grilling techniques out there where you need to have exact heat control.

While a sear zone is still available with Artisan products, this tends to come as an optional add-on rather than a built-in feature as you might find with Alfresco grills – even then, while the optional one definitely still works for high-heat cooking, it doesn’t tend to be as effective as the Alfresco alternative (which you should come to expect at this point).

Nonetheless, it’ll still be an effective option if you want to sear a steak or a burger on a sunny day every now and then – just don’t rely on it if you’re a professional chef or work in the catering industry.

Again, as you might’ve expected, Alfresco is king when it comes to the range of additional cooking features on offer – the built-in smoker system that a lot of these models come with, for instance, which is ideal if you want to give your food a more rich and smoky flavor

You’ll notice with that previous example that the rotisserie, which can actually be pretty bulky given that it can hold up to 125 lbs at a time, is fully integrated and hidden within the grill unit itself.

The same goes for the overall design in general, as Artisan grills are usually more about functionality than luxury, but that also means there are fewer built-in conveniences, such as LEDs.

Although with quality grills like these you’re probably not going to run into too many problems, it’s obviously worth knowing your options should you need to speak with someone about your grill:

First off, let’s take a look at how Alfresco responds to any inquiries or concerns.

Ultimately, the biggest thing that separates these two brands is the price point, and regardless of which brand you decide to choose, the fact remains that you’re going to be spending a lot of money either way – this is just something you need to accept when you’re buying a high quality grill.

Because of this, it goes without saying that you’ll want to be getting good value for money, so let’s break down the main difference in terms of pricing and the overall value you’ll be getting with each of these options:

As you might expect when purchasing something from a luxury brand, Alfresco grills are naturally fairly pricey – it’s not just for nothing, though, as whether it’s the high-grade materials or advanced features, you know where your money is going.

We’ll break this down a bit further in the conclusion later on, but generally speaking, Alfresco grills are outstanding in terms of quality – whether or not they’re actually worth the hefty price tag they come with, however, is a different question:

Now, they obviously lack some of the advanced features that Alfresco grills come with, so I wouldn’t recommend choosing this brand if you’re someone with a huge amount of cash to spend on a grill.

For the average guy who likes posting up at the grill with a beer on a sunny day, though, these grills are exceptional value for money, and it won’t feel like you’re missing out on a range of features – especially when you consider that there’s the option to add a bunch of other accessories like the sear zone and rotisserie, should you want them.

It shouldn’t exactly come as a surprise that most of these same features aren’t as advanced or high-quality as the ones you’ll get with Alfresco models, but considering the price difference between the two, Artisan grills do a more than good enough job at competing with their expensive alternative:

Both Artisan and Alfresco grills are proudly made right here in the USA – California, to be specific. Some American manufacturing industries generally get quite a bad rep – like how American cars are generally perceived to be of lower craftsmanship to German cars, for instance – but the fact that both brands’ grills are made in the USA means that they undergo rigorous quality control.

Aside from that, buying one of these grills means that you’re also supporting local manufacturing, so if you’re someone who values American-made products, you won’t be disappointed with either of these options.

Given the price of Alfresco grills, it shouldn’t surprise you that there’s generally more options in terms of personalization with your grill. With these grills, you have the choice between 12 different colors, so whether you want an option that matches your garden furniture or just the standard steel color, the choice is yours.

Artisan grills, on the other hand, only come with a basic stainless steel color. That said, it’s still one of the most popular and professional-looking colorways, so this might not be much of an issue to you if you’d opt for that color regardless of the brand.