Grilling on a pontoon boat is the greatest joy any pontoon boat owner can have. It’s the ultimate manly feast coupled with the ultimate relaxation.
Made specifically for toons with square rail mounts, there are some great grills and there are also some lousy ones.
The trouble with finding a marine grill is that the manufacturers usually take cheap grills that don’t work well even on land, and put them in an environment where there is high wind on the boat to put out the flame and water to rust the grill. They call it a marine grill and triple the price. Ugh!
A good grill heats evenly, stays lit even when the pontoon boat is moving, quickly and easily attaches securely to square railings, and easily stays clean and rust-free. Here are some of what I found to be the best BBQ grills for your pontoon boat.
Our #1 Choice: Cuisinart Grill with Arnall’s Brackets
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Our favorite pontoon boat grill is the Cuisinart Grill that comes modified with Arnall’s Brackets. This is a winning combination. The Cuisinart portable grill is the highest rated inexpensive grill on Amazon, and Arnall makes a great, secure bracket for holding the grill.
Reviewers of this grill really like the fact that it is rust-resistant, has a strong bracket, and is reasonably cost effective. However, there have been some issues in the past with the igniters on the Cuisinart grills, so it’s probably best to assume that it won’t work and just keep a lighter stored in the grill when not in use so that it’s always available to start the old-fashioned but reliable way.
Option #2: Arnall’s Bracket and Your Own Portable Grill
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If you already own a portable grill that you like, or want to choose something other than the Cuisinart grill that I recommend, you can buy Arnall’s pontoon grill bracket sets on Amazon and put your own grill on it.
The holes in the bottom of grills are non-standard, so it will probably require grabbing your drill and punching four quick holes in the bottom of your grill so that the grill can be attached to the brackets, but that shouldn’t be more than a 10-minute job.
Option #3: Springfield Deluxe Propane Grill
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There is really only one reason to love this grill–the mount! Having a traditional pedestal seat mount for a propane grill is the perfect solution for some pontoon boat owners.
In my pontoon, I have a pedestal seat that kind of gets in the way as I’m walking around, so having a grill that I could stick in that spot when I want to cook is an excellent solution.
Obviously, you could also just drill a hole in your deck and put this pedestal mount anywhere you choose as well.
The trouble with this option is the grill itself, which gets horrendous reviews for failing to stay lit and cooking evenly.
I have been considering just going to Home Depot and buying a metal pole to fashion my own pedestal mount for a grill, though. Now if only there weren’t so many good college football games on TV that prevent me from doing my projects!
Option #4: Magma Marine Kettle Gas Grill with Hinged Lid
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This is the best looking grill on this list, but unfortunately, the reviews paint a not-so-rosy view of its functionality. First of all, the slick-looking bracket is sold separately, but I wasn’t able to find it on Amazon.
One reviewer said this grill is so bad, “[it] would not be fit for cooking roadkill in a post-apocalyptic refugee camp.” Having never been in a post-apocalyptic refugee camp, I can neither confirm nor deny that claim, but it’s not making me any more likely to buy this thing.
Option #5: Kuuma Stow and Go 160 Propane Grill
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By option 5, we’re really starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel. This looks like a nice grill, but the reviews aren’t great and there is no mount at all.
I really only include this grill on the list because it’s an example of a grill with no mount. For some pontoon boat owners, this is the best choice. Some boaters prefer to simply store a small grill under a seat and put it on the table when it’s cooking time. Just be sure not to melt the table!
Comments
We have the Magma Marine Kettle Gas grill with hinged lid. So far the grill works good. But we bought the mount for it and it is so flimsy and ready to fall apart after only using 5 times, that we are now looking at a different set up. Do you think the Arnall bracket will work with the Magma Marine Kettle grill?
Thanks for the info. Just bought a Bennington and was looking for a grill
We have 3yrs of very heavy use on our Magma Catalina grill on our pontoon boat…It’s not cheap, neither were the brackets, but it does a very good job of staying lit, and the while I can’t speak to the kettle version, all of the accessories have been very well built and durable. It look great, and has cooked everything from hot dogs and boudin to steak and pork chops.