Crisp and Golden Mac and Cheese Cakes on the Grill
Turn yesterday's leftover macaroni into today's crispy, golden side dish with this easy wood-fired recipe.
Shopping for a grill in Seattle means budgeting for two things most other cities don't: rain and rent. Local showrooms in neighborhoods like Ballard or Tukwila carry real overhead, and that cost gets baked into the sticker price on every unit they sell. Buying direct from a manufacturer skips that markup entirely, which is why a premium flat-top grill like the Arteflame often lands cheaper delivered to your door than a comparable gas unit off a Seattle showroom floor. Below are the top places Seattle residents actually shop for grills in 2026, and why ordering direct to your porch skips the showroom entirely.
The right grill store in Seattle depends on what you're after. The top four options compare as follows.
Each option compares as follows across the factors that actually affect how you cook and how much upkeep you're signing up for.
| Store Option | Price | Searing Capability | Maintenance | Social Design |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arteflame (Online) | No markup | 1,000°F+ center sear zone | Solid steel, no grates or burners to maintain | 360° round cooktop, chef faces guests |
| Sutter Home & Hearth | Showroom pricing | Varies by brand (grate-style) | Burners and igniters need regular upkeep | Standard rectangular layout |
| Rich's for the Home | Showroom pricing | Varies by brand (grate-style) | Burners and igniters need regular upkeep | Standard rectangular layout |
| Aqua Quip | Showroom pricing | Varies by brand (grate-style) | Burners and igniters need regular upkeep | Standard rectangular layout |
Open-grate grills let heat and juices fall straight through the bars, so food often ends up steamed rather than seared. A solid, high-heat cooktop keeps that heat where it belongs, which is what produces the deep crust of the Maillard reaction.
You don't need a reservation at The Metropolitan Grill or Canlis to get that kind of result. With a flat-top plancha-style cooktop, you can get steakhouse-quality searing in your own backyard, rain or shine.
Here's why the searing technique on an Arteflame outperforms a standard gas or grate grill:
Pro Tip: If you need bulk prime beef to cook once you've got the hardware sorted, the Costco at 4401 4th Ave S in SoDo is a reliable stop for Seattle residents — just don't expect to find grill hardware worth the trip there beyond basic gas models.
A round grill changes how you host. Standard rectangular grills push the cook against a wall, back to the party, tending burners alone. Arteflame's 360-degree cooktop puts the chef in the middle of the circle, facing guests, drink in hand, cooking as part of the conversation instead of stepping away from it. On a cold, drizzly Seattle evening, that fire in the middle of the group does double duty as both the cooktop and the reason everyone's still standing outside.