Grilling is a great pastime; you can make lasting memories and enjoy delicious food with friends and family for years to come. During the pandemic, people have been grilling much more while they’re stuck at home.

We’ll highlight eight stats and trends that demonstrate the profound impact of the pandemic on grilling.

Seventy percent of all households in the U.S. own a grill or smoker, up six percent from 2019.

In 2019, nearly 2/3rds (64%) of all households owned a grill or smoker. One likely reason for this increase is that people are eating out less due to COVID. So they look to grill to enjoy delicious food from the comfort of their homes.

Over a third (38%) of homeowners bought a new grill in the past two years.

That means over a third of people are trying grilling for the first time or upgrading their current grill. More people may be picking up cooking as a hobby since they have a lot more time at home. For the avid grillers, perhaps they want to give their cooking area a revamp and take their grilling to the next level. So they might buy another smoker or grill for twice as much barbecuing.

Over a quarter of people (27%) who bought a new grill in the past two years say they cooked at home more often during the pandemic.

Nearly ⅔ of homeowners (65%) own a charcoal grill, up from 49% in 2019.

This is the biggest increase by far compared to gas and electric grills since 2019. But why would people want a charcoal grill more than a gas grill or other types of grills? Perhaps they have more time to research how to grill, what the best grills are, how to get an authentic smoky flavor from grilling, and the like. With so much time on their hands, people might be more willing to try new things.

Charcoal grill ownership (65%) overtakes gas (63%) in 2022.

Not only are people grilling more in recent years, but they’re more willing to try different types of grills. Charcoal grills are a great way to extract the natural, smoky flavor from delicious meats. Maybe folks want to experience some nostalgia and think back to their childhood. Charcoal grilling is the closest you can get to actually going out in nature and cooking food over a fire – and it has a one-of-a-kind natural taste.

Nine percent of homeowners have pellet grills, up from 3% in 2020.

While gas grill ownership is consistent, charcoal and pellet grills are gaining ground fast. Wood pellet grills were a dead trend before the pandemic, but they’re now seeing some use. Again, perhaps people are open to trying new things or exploring different ways to make some of their favorite recipes.

On the fourth of July, over half of grill owners hosted barbecues (54%), down 14 percent from 2020.

The fourth of July took the biggest hit of all major holidays. Because people can’t host social events and barbecues with others, they have to stay home for the fourth. Too bad they can’t enjoy the warm weather with friends and family.

Nearly 30% of grill owners grill for the Super Bowl, up seven percent from 2020.

Although grilling on the fourth of July lost huge popularity due to the pandemic, holidays during cooler months were unaffected. Super bowl grilling actually grew seven percent. People likely stayed closer to home or at home for the Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays. In the colder months, there might be smaller gatherings or less enthusiasm around celebrating the holidays out of town.

We hope you enjoyed these grilling statistics. Look for grilling to decline slightly in the coming years as people return to normalcy after the pandemic. But some may keep the hobby for years to come or even make grilling part of their daily routine.

Are you looking for other kitchen and home improvement stats? Check out the related articles below. Or you can browse the HPBA and Statista survey data referenced in this post.

Sources

HPBA State of the Barbecue Industry 2022 Report

HPBA State of the Barbecue Industry – 2020 Report

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