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The Aldi Gardenline 3-burner barbecue is now £50 cheaper, here’s our review

The build-your-own barbecue has saved our bank holidays

Lauren Cunningham
Tuesday 11 April 2023 10:05 EDT
It’s time to get grilling
It’s time to get grilling (The Independent)

After months of grey skies and daily showers, the warmer weather is finally making an appearance, so, getting our gardens looking fabulous again has shot to the top of our to-do lists.

But before we cut the grass, pick out a pizza oven, or even pressure wash the patio, best believe we’re buying a barbecue – what else would we do with all these bank holidays?

When looking for a bargain option, Aldi is on hand to help. Stocking a whole host of barbecues starting at just £34.99, the supermarket known for savings supplies much more than just the food for your outdoor feast. One model, in particular, instantly caught our eye.

Although at its full price of just under £150, the Gardenline three-burner gas BBQ grill may normally be pricier than some of the other options, it certainly looks more luxe - and is now on sale for just £99.99. With some similar-sized models from best-selling barbecue brands costing up to £500 (some even more), Aldi’s option seems to have the savings synonymous with the Specialbuy aisle. So, we set out to give it a go, in true IndyBest style, turning our little London rooftop into the ultimate entertaining space.

Keep reading this article to see how it fared under our vigorous grilling. Spoiler alert – almost all of our bank holiday barbecue guests now have one on order.

How we tested:

We’re lucky enough to have a little patch of outdoor space in north London. Tasked with hosting eight people over the bank holiday weekend, we whiled away the hours grilling everything from chicken and cheese, to really give the Gardenline three-burner gas BBQ grill a good go.

Coming flat-packed, the outdoor appliance was assembled in around an hour, before we hunted down a gas tank and got grilling – we haven’t cooked a meal inside since.

IndyBest tries Aldi's new three-burner barbecue

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Gardenline 3 burner gas BBQ grill

Gardenline 3 burner gas BBQ grill

The build-your-own barbecue certainly impressed, even if it was a labour of love to get it set up.

If you struggle with Ikea flat-pack furniture, put this barbecue down. As self-proclaimed professionals when it comes to building beds, sofas and shelves from boxes, we still found this barbecue a bit challenging – we found ourselves continually unscrewing and re-screwing sections until it fit just right.

There is an instruction booklet, and all screws are labelled, but with so many pieces, you do need the space and time to plan it out. So, be sure to identify each piece, put them in order and find a very patient person (or two) to give you a hand.

Assembly took around one hour, and you need a selection of small screwdrivers and a wrench to get to work, as well as a 27l bottle of propane to get it going. Other than that, everything is included, and it’s delivered in a pretty compact box, meaning we could carry it up to our top-floor flat.

The performance

The best thing about this barbecue is its size. Not too big that it protrudes over the patio, yet not so small that you can fill it up with just six sausages – it’s a great size for a fabulous feast. Three grill plates sit inside the main hood, with a small top rack for slow smoking, while an extra side burner allows for additional cooking space.

On the other side is a shelf for balancing any extra bits, and inside is a shelf to store the gas bottle, although ours was just a touch too big to fit.

In a flash, it was sizzling away, cooking up chicken, sausages and a whole host of veg with ease, while the temperature dial on top kept track of just how well it was heating while the lid was closed. We really can’t fault it when it comes to fuss-free cooking.

The results

If you’re an expert DIYer, this barbecue is a dream. If not, maybe rope in someone who is (or set aside a couple of hours to practise your patience). However, once it’s up, it’s up, and we think you’ll be pretty impressed.

  1.  £99 from Aldi.co.uk
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Gardenline 3 burner gas BBQ grill

Build-your-own barbecues may not catch on quite as quickly as beds, sofas or chairs – if you’re lucky enough to have a large garden, getting a barbecue delivered whole is sure to be much simpler. But if you fancy a challenge, or are looking to carry it upstairs to a balcony or rooftop, this Gardenline three-burner gas BBQ grill is pretty impressive.

It cooked our food fabulously with minimal faff, we only wish we were a bit better at building it. And, what’s better, it can easily pack away come the colder months, freeing up space while not sitting in sight.

With affordable models around at Argos and B&Q as well, which we’re yet to put to the test, with the £50 saving, we can safely say this Aldi option is certainly a steal.

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