The Ultimate Backyard BBQ Upgrade Guide For 2026

This image shows backyard cooking on Flaming Coals Cyprus grill

There’s never been a better time to upgrade your backyard BBQ setup.

Across Australia, more people are turning their backyards into the ultimate entertaining space. Charcoal BBQs are replacing basic gas grills. Smokers are rolling low and slow brisket through the weekends. Pizza ovens are becoming the centrepiece of Friday night dinners, and spit rotisseries are bringing families and mates together around incredible food cooked over fire.

Outdoor cooking is no longer just about throwing a few snags on the grill. It’s become a lifestyle.

If you’ve been thinking about levelling up your setup, now is the perfect time to build the backyard BBQ area you’ve always wanted.

Whether you’re just starting your outdoor cooking journey or looking to become the bloke everyone calls when there’s meat to be cooked, here’s how to create the ultimate backyard BBQ setup for 2026.

Start With The Centrepiece: A Spit Rotisserie

If there’s one product that completely changes backyard entertaining, it’s a spit rotisserie.

This image shows butterflied chickens on a spit.

There’s something about watching meat slowly rotate over charcoal that instantly brings people together. Whether it’s a whole lamb, pork shoulder, chicken, gyros, or beef roasts, spit roasting creates an experience as much as a meal.

A quality spit rotisserie allows you to:

Cook for large groups easily
Achieve juicy, even cooking
Create authentic charcoal flavour
Spend less time hovering over the BBQ
Turn ordinary weekends into proper events

For many Aussie families, a spit rotisserie becomes the heart of the backyard.

It’s the thing everyone gathers around, and once you’ve cooked your first lamb over charcoal, it’s hard to go back.

Why Charcoal BBQs Continue To Dominate Backyard Cooking

Charcoal BBQ cooking continues to explode across Australia, and for good reason.

- The flavour is richer.
- The heat is stronger.
- The cooking experience feels more authentic.
- The food simply tastes better.

From reverse-seared steaks to flame-kissed burgers and low-and-slow roasts, charcoal cooking gives backyard cooks more control and more flavour than standard gas BBQs. Modern charcoal BBQs are also more versatile than ever before.

You can:

Grill over direct heat
Smoke low and slow
Roast indirectly
Sear steaks at high temperatures
Cook everything from seafood to pizzas

For backyard entertainers who love cooking over fire, charcoal BBQs are often the foundation of a proper outdoor setup.

This image shows Cyprus Spit by Flaming Coals

The Cyprus spits by Flaming Coals offers a charcoal BBQ that can do it all. A height adjustable grill, kebab skewers and spit rotisserie skewers give you an all-in-one package.

The Rise Of Smokers In Australia

Low and slow cooking has gone from niche hobby to mainstream obsession. It’s American BBQ, done by Aussies who know how to cook (and eat).

More backyard cooks are learning how to smoke brisket, beef ribs, pork shoulder, wings, and sausages at home, and the results speak for themselves.

A quality smoker BBQ allows you to:

Cook low and slow with incredible flavour
Feed large groups effortlessly
Experiment with wood smoke profiles
Create restaurant-quality BBQ at home
Enjoy longer, more relaxed cooking sessions

This image shows Traeger smoker.

Whether it’s an offset smoker, gravity fed smoker, kettle setup, or drum smoker, smoking meat has become one of the biggest trends in outdoor cooking Australia-wide.

And once you taste properly smoked brisket cooked in your own backyard, you’ll understand why.

Check out our entire smoker range here.

Why Pizza Ovens Have Become The Ultimate Entertaining Upgrade

Pizza ovens have completely changed backyard entertaining.

They’re fast, fun, and hot! They bring people together, unlike almost any other outdoor cooking product.

A good pizza oven allows you to cook:

Restaurant-quality pizzas
Roasts
Seafood
Flatbreads
Desserts

This image shows the Flaming Coals Pizza Oven

But the real magic is the experience.

Everyone gets involved. Kids love making pizzas. Guests gather around the fire. Dinner becomes interactive instead of just another meal.

For many families, a pizza oven quickly becomes one of the most-used cooking products in the backyard.

Parrilla Cooking Is Taking Off Across Australia

Parrilla grills are quickly becoming one of the most talked-about styles of outdoor cooking.

Originally inspired by Argentinian live-fire cooking, parrillas allow you to cook directly over wood or charcoal while controlling the grill height above the fire.

The result is:

Incredible flame-cooked flavour
Better heat control
A more hands-on cooking experience
Beautiful charcoal grill lines on meat
Authentic live fire cooking

This image shows Flaming Coals Parrilla

Parrilla cooking feels raw, social, and connected to the fire.

It’s not just cooking. It’s theatre.

For people passionate about charcoal and woodfire cooking, it’s one of the most rewarding ways to cook outdoors. With a whole new range of Parrillas in store for 2026, there is no better place to come and see all the options then with us here at BBQ Spit Rotisseries.

Don’t Overlook The Accessories

The right BBQ accessories can completely change your cooking experience.

Some of the most useful upgrades include:

Often, it’s the smaller additions that make outdoor cooking easier, more enjoyable, and more consistent. Once your setup starts growing, you’ll quickly realise how useful the right gear can be.

Outdoor Cooking Is About More Than Just Food

One thing we’ve learned over the last 20 years is that people don’t just buy BBQ equipment.

They buy what comes with it.

1. The weekends with mates.
2. The family dinners outside.
3. The birthdays.
4. The Christmas cook-ups.
5. The stories around the fire.
6. The memories people remember years later.

That’s what outdoor cooking is really about. A backyard BBQ setup becomes the centrepiece for moments that bring people together. Honestly, there’s never been a better time to create that space at home, and no better partner than us to help you along your journey.

What’s The Best BBQ Setup For Your Backyard?

The best setup depends on how you love to cook…

If you love entertaining large groups, a spit rotisserie is hard to beat.
If flavour and fire cooking matter most, charcoal BBQs and parrillas are incredible.
If you love low and slow cooking, smokers open up an entirely new world.

And if you want the ultimate family entertaining upgrade, pizza ovens are one of the best investments you can make.

The good news is you don’t need to build everything overnight. Most great backyard setups grow over time.

One cooker becomes two. Then come the accessories. Then the outdoor kitchen. Then suddenly you’re the bloke hosting every weekend.

Build Your Backyard BBQ Setup The Right Way

The best outdoor cooking setups aren’t built around trends. They’re built around how you actually cook, entertain, and spend time with family and mates.

Whether you’re firing up charcoal for the first time or upgrading your entire outdoor cooking area, investing in quality BBQ equipment makes every cook easier, more enjoyable, and far more memorable.

Once you experience proper charcoal cooking, spit roasting, smoking, or wood-fired pizza nights at home, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Here’s to better weekends, better food, and building a backyard everyone wants to gather in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best BBQ For Backyard Entertaining?

Spit rotisseries, charcoal BBQs, smokers, and pizza ovens are all fantastic options depending on your cooking style and how many people you entertain regularly.

Are Charcoal BBQs Better Than Gas?

Many backyard cooks prefer charcoal BBQs because they deliver stronger flavour, higher heat, and a more authentic outdoor cooking experience.

Are Spit Rotisseries Worth Buying?

Absolutely. Spit rotisseries are perfect for entertaining, cooking larger cuts of meat evenly, and creating incredible charcoal flavour with minimal effort.