What Is Vermont Castings?
Vermont Castings built its name decades ago on cast-iron wood-burning stoves and fireplace inserts — durable, heavy indoor heating appliances with a strong reputation in that category. Over time, the Vermont Castings name has also been used on outdoor gas grills sold through mainstream home-improvement retailers, positioning the brand as a mid-range option rather than a premium built-in brand. It’s worth noting upfront that a brand’s outdoor grill lineup, once licensed out from its original heating-appliance business, doesn’t necessarily carry the same construction approach or quality standards as the original cast-iron stoves that made the name — so it’s fair to evaluate the grills on their own terms rather than assuming the stove reputation transfers directly.
The Vermont Castings Grill Lineup
Vermont Castings grills are generally positioned as mid-range gas grills, sold through big-box home improvement and hardware retailers rather than as a dedicated built-in luxury line. Specific model availability, features, and construction details (such as cast-aluminum vs. stainless components) have varied over time as ownership and manufacturing partners have changed, so we’re intentionally not listing specific current models or exact specs here — check current retailer listings for what’s actually available in your area right now, since a static buying guide can go stale on model-level specifics faster than the underlying brand positioning changes.
Reported Pros and Cons
Based on general reputation and typical patterns for mid-range, mass-retail gas grills in this category:
Potential pros:
- Generally more affordable than premium built-in brands
- Widely available through major home-improvement retailers
- Reasonable feature sets for casual, regular backyard grilling
Potential cons:
- Owner discussions online show mixed opinions on long-term durability, which is common for mid-range grills sold at scale through big-box retailers
- Construction quality and parts availability can vary between model years and manufacturing partners
- Less consistent brand identity than a company that has manufactured its own outdoor grills continuously under one roof
Treat this as general category guidance rather than a verified rating of a specific current model — we don’t have a reliable, up-to-date source confirming current build quality for this article.
Are Vermont Castings Grills Discontinued?
We can’t confirm a specific, current answer either way with a reliable source, and we’d rather say that plainly than guess. Brand names like this are often licensed out for outdoor products, and lineups shift as manufacturing partners and retail relationships change over time — a model that’s discontinued at one retailer may still be sold at another, or replaced by a similarly-branded successor. The most reliable way to check is to search current listings directly at major retailers (such as Lowe’s, where Vermont Castings grills have historically been sold) rather than relying on a guide like this to stay current on inventory.
How Vermont Castings Compares to Other Mid-Range Gas Grills
In the mid-range gas grill tier generally, buyers are usually choosing between brand availability, warranty terms, and specific feature sets (number of burners, side burner, rotisserie kit, grate material) more than any single brand being definitively superior. If you’re comparing Vermont Castings against other mid-range options, look at warranty length on the burners and body, what grate material is used (cast iron holds heat and sears well but needs more maintenance than stainless or porcelain-coated grates), and recent owner reviews for the specific model you’re considering — brand name alone is a weak predictor of satisfaction in this price tier.
What Is the Best Grill on the Market Right Now?
There’s no single “best” grill — it depends heavily on budget and how you plan to use it. At the premium end, built-in luxury brands like Wolf (see our Wolf BBQ grill review) offer top-tier construction and searing performance at a steep price. In the mid-range, brand reliability and grate/burner quality matter more than the name on the lid. For a completely different cooking approach, our infrared grill benefits vs. charcoal comparison covers a different kind of “best,” depending on whether searing speed or classic smoky flavor matters more to you.
Best Gas Grills According to Consumer Reports
We don’t have access to Consumer Reports’ current ratings data, and rankings there change as new models are tested each year — so rather than naming specific winners we can’t verify, we’d recommend checking Consumer Reports’ current gas grill ratings directly (a subscription-based, independently tested source) if a data-backed ranking is what you’re after. Broadly, Consumer Reports’ grill testing typically evaluates even heating, ease of cleaning, durability, and temperature control — the same factors worth checking in owner reviews for any grill you’re considering, Vermont Castings included.
Best Smoker Grills According to Reviews
Same caveat applies here — “best smoker grill” rankings shift often and depend on the reviewer’s criteria (pellet vs. offset vs. kamado, price tier, capacity). Rather than naming unverified winners, the more useful approach is to decide what smoking style you want first (set-and-forget pellet convenience vs. traditional offset control vs. kamado versatility), then compare current, dated reviews for that specific category.
Should You Buy a Vermont Castings Grill?
If you’re shopping in the mid-range, mass-retail gas grill tier and find a Vermont Castings model with strong recent owner reviews and a solid burner/body warranty, there’s no fundamental reason to rule it out based on brand alone. But given how thin verified information is for this specific brand right now, we’d recommend leaning more heavily on recent owner reviews and in-store comparisons than on brand reputation. Whatever you choose, timing your purchase well matters too — see our guide to the worst time to buy a grill for the sale calendar that applies across brands.