July 4th Ribeye Steak Taste Test - Cooked 4 ways - Air Fryer, Stovetop, Grill, and Smoker

It's the Fourth of July weekend and as we were trying to figure out meals together, having steak was at the top of the list. But how should we cook it? There's so many options. Megan and Theresa both thought it would be a great idea for a taste test! And so today we'll be trying out ribeye steaks cooked four different ways! 

Air fryer, Stovetop, Propane Grill, and Pellet Smoker. Yum! 

With 4 different cooking methods, Megan, Theresa, Patrick and I are all in charge of cooking 2 steaks each. Let's jump right in!

We're starting with one of the tastiest cuts of meat, the ribeye.

And keeping the seasonings consistent. Just freshly cracked black pepper, MSG, and kosher salt. 

I seasoned all the steaks ahead of time. 

And rested all the steaks for 45 minutes before it was time to cook them. 

For today's test, Megan is taking the air fryer. When she wants to cook steak quickly, this countertop appliance is a speedy alternative to firing up a grill. 

Theresa is taking the stovetop. Her pan has a little bit of oil in it, just waiting to put a good sear on those steaks. 

Patrick is in charge of his grill, getting things preheated so the steaks sizzle when they go down. 

And I'm running the smoker. I set the steaks in and smoked them for 30 minutes before finishing them with some heat. 

Megan's air fryer is at temperature, so she tossed her steaks in. 

Theresa is working the stove. 

Listen to those steaks sizzle. 

As it cooked, Theresa added a little butter to the pan and spooned it over the meat. Cheating? Maybe, but we'll allow it. 

And pouring the juices over the steaks when they're done? Well that's just too much. 

Flame kissed meat is always delicious. Looking good Patrick. 

And my smoked steaks are getting some fire too on my pellet smoker. It goes up to 550F! 

Oh yeah. This is going to be good. Even before we started, Megan said it was going to be her favorite taste test. 

After letting everything rest for 10 minutes, I laid them all out. We have our Air Fryer ribeye. 

Stovetop pan seared ribeye. 

Propane Grill ribeye. 

And lastly our Smoked ribeye. 

We can't just eat an entire steak for a taste test. I sliced samples of the ribeye filet for everyone to try. 

Unofficially we were all aiming to hit medium-rare to medium with our steak doneness. Can't have anyone losing because their steak is too tough to chew. 

Good job Megan. That air fryer steak turned out great. 

And Theresa, excellent job on the Stovetop ribeye.

Patrick, good timing with your grill. 

And I wasn't disappointed with my Smoked ribeye. 

This won't be a blind taste test. We all know what's coming. I placed samples on a cutting board and brought it to the table for everyone to try. 

And in a shocking move, my dad, who went vegetarian 18 months ago, joined us in our taste test, sampling small bites of each one. He is in amazingly good shape with fantastic endurance, and said his body just likes the vegetarian diet better. But with 4 different ribeyes, he'd try a little and see how he likes it. 

The air fryer steak was delicious. I found it flavorful and moist. 

Similarly the stovetop ribeye was also great. Also very juicy, with a similar flavor to the air fryer. 

The propane grilled ribeye added another layer of flavor to the mix. When the fire hits the meat, flavor is enhanced. 

And the smoker added another dimension of flavor. The smoked ribeye has a strong smokey flavor that pairs well with the savory meat. 

Avery asked if that's all the meat we had for dinner, and started picking the remainders off the cutting board. It's all super juicy, so she was licking her fingers because it was so flavorful. 

Gotta get those remaining pieces. 

Luckily there's plenty more steak to be had. Just needs to be brought over. 

So which one was the best? Honestly it's really hard to choose. 

Are you in the mood for something quick? Air fryer is your friend. 

Want to add some richness and flavor while cooking, and get a good sear? The stovetop is great to add butter, garlic, rosemary and other flavors to spoon onto your steak while cooking. 

Want something flame-grilled? The grill is perfect. 

Have a little more time and craving that smoky flavor? You've got to use the smoker. 

There are no losers here. Only winners all around. 

And we're all definitely winners tonight. Eating our fill of delicious ribeye steaks! I felt especially lucky because I got to eat the meat by the bones plus the ribeye caps (the fattier outside piece) from multiple steaks. 

Great suggestions for a taste test Theresa and Megan! Thank you everyone for joining us!