US Outdoor Cooking Market Report 2026
The outdoor cooking category is evolving beyond its traditional role as an occasional grilling activity.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for outdoor cooking
- Opportunities
- Help consumers cook outdoors more often, not just wish they did
- Graph 1: aspiration to cook outdoors more frequently and expectations about the future role of outdoor cooking in their cooking routines, by age, 2026
- Make value about possibilities, not price
- Make flavor and enjoyment the reason to trade up
- Make vegetable-forward grilling easier and more inspiring
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THE MARKET
- Consumers and the economic outlook
- US economic snapshot
- Climate change disrupts seasonality and adds outdoor cooking challenges
- Activity-led socializing reduces outdoor cooking’s relevance as a default hosting occasion
- Graph 2: hosted an informal social gathering or BBQ at home in the past 12 months, by generation, 2023
- Convenient protein preparation is becoming a key driver of meal decisions
- As dietary habits evolve, outdoor cooking must accommodate a wider range of proteins
- Graph 3: dietary preference, by generation, 2026
- Graph 4: types of protein consumed, by generation, 2026
- Category growth will increasingly depend on reaching consumers before homeownership
- Graph 5: 30-year fixed mortgage rate, 2021-26
- Metal grill brush recalls drive interest in alternative cleaning solutions
- Health concerns raise awareness of grill brush risks
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THE CONSUMER
- Outdoor cooking is expanding beyond traditional grilling occasions
- Expand category engagement by making outdoor cooking relevant across a wider range of occasions
- Graph 6: outdoor cooking frequency, by age and parental status, 2026
- Meet growing demand for variety with tools that simplify experimentation
- Graph 7: plans to purchase outdoor cooking equipment in the next 12 months, by age and household income, 2026
- Economic pressure is delaying purchases, not eliminating demand
- Help consumers expand what their existing outdoor setup can do
- Use sales events to unlock demand for premium outdoor cooking equipment
- Graph 8: motivations to purchase outdoor cooking equipment, by age and gender, 2026
- Digital and physical retail serve different roles in the purchase journey
- Online channels will play a growing role in outdoor cooking purchases
- Graph 9: most recent outdoor cooking purchase channel, by age group, 2026
- Use online experiences to encourage exploration and ecosystem growth
- Graph 10: reasons for making last outdoor cooking equipment purchase online, by frequency of outdoor cooking, 2026
- Remove barriers to ownership through more accessible purchase and setup solutions
- Turn retail into a proof point for product performance
- Graph 11: reasons for making last outdoor cooking equipment purchase in-store, by age group, 2026
- Use complementary products to inspire broader usage occasions
- Graph 12: seeing accessories, fuel or food options alongside the equipment as a reason for purchasing in-store, by age group, 2026
- Versatility is becoming the new measure of value
- Expand outdoor cooking occasions by teaching new techniques and meal applications
- Graph 13: increasing variety of foods cooked and variety of methods used as a way to improve outdoor cooking routines, by age, 2026
- Versatility helps justify purchases in a cautious spending environment
- Elevate fuel from a heat source to a driver of culinary exploration
- Graph 14: agree that the type of fuel used significantly affects the flavor of food, by frequency of outdoor cooking, 2026
- Consumers want outdoor cooking to fit more naturally into everyday life
- Help consumers turn everyday meals into more engaging at-home experiences
- Remove friction to make outdoor cooking a more frequent habit
- Graph 15: time required for set up and clean up as a barrier, by age group, 2026
- Kamado Joe demonstrates the growing role of convenience-led capabilities
- Reduce the transition between indoor prep and outdoor cooking
- Expand category engagement by making cooking a team activity
- Reduce the hidden work of outdoor entertaining
- Reduce barriers to bring more consumers outdoors
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PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- Build on America’s semiquincentennial by celebrating inclusive American traditions
- Tap into consumers’ desire to unplug and reconnect
- Small conveniences can improve the grilling experience
- Brisk It brings AI-powered cooking guidance to outdoor cooking
- Portability isn’t about taking it anywhere, it’s about making anywhere feel like an escape
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- The consumer
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- US generation groups
"Outdoor cooking is expanding beyond grilling, creating opportunities to make it a more versatile and everyday part of meal preparation."
Lindsay Davenport, Analyst - Household Care
The outdoor cooking category is evolving beyond its traditional role as an occasional grilling activity. While economic pressures and elevated housing costs are creating new barriers to equipment purchases and slowing one of the category’s traditional growth pathways, consumer enthusiasm remains strong. Younger consumers and parents are driving engagement, and many consumers continue to see outdoor cooking as an increasingly important part of how they want to prepare meals in the future.
At the same time, expectations of outdoor cooking are expanding. Consumers are looking to bring a wider variety of foods, cooking methods and occasions outdoors, while also seeking solutions that fit more naturally into everyday life. As value becomes increasingly tied to versatility and utility, brands have an opportunity to move beyond selling equipment and help consumers unlock more from the tools they already own. The brands best positioned for growth will be those that reduce friction, support experimentation and make outdoor cooking feel less like a planned event and more like an accessible part of everyday meal preparation.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- Outdoor cooking frequency and engagement
- Outdoor cooking equipment ownership and purchase intent
- Drivers of outdoor cooking equipment purchases
- Purchase channels and shopping motivations
- Desired improvements to outdoor cooking routines
- Usage aspirations, participation barriers and perceptions of value
Market Definitions
This report takes a broad look at a range of cooking methods that can be used at home, such as grills, pizza ovens and fryers.
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