Best Gas Grills Guide 2023 – Propane and Natural Gas Outdoor BBQs
Summertime invites a variety of activities and one of them is firing up the outdoor gas grills in your backyard and enjoying the scrumptious barbeque. If you are planning to buy one this summer, then this guide will give you a thorough understanding of bbq products in the market today and how to select them for best grilling results.
First, there are 3 main types of outdoor grills – gas grill, pellet grill and charcoal grill or smoker, with gas fuel being the most popular option for many people. Sometimes you will also find electric versions, but that is not in the mainstream.
It will be difficult to decide which grill is the best for you, especially when you are shopping without prior experience in barbecuing. You’ll see numerous grills with varying sizes, price and features. But here are a few basic pointers to help you make decisions:
- How much money you have to invest in?
- How frequently you use the grill?
- The space available in your home.
- The key features you are interested in.
Today’s market is full of various gas bbq grills to suit just about any particular grilling need. If you have been around the bbq and smoking community for some time, you must have heard of Weber gas grills. But then there are dozens of other big names like Brinkman, Char-broil, Holland, and many more.
For an average consumer, figuring out which gas barbeque grills to buy among the sea of available manufacturers is already challenging and time-consuming. Not to mention that some best gas grills also come in different varieties. Each has unique characteristics for specific cooking styles.
If you are new to this outdoor gas grill recreation, it’s natural to first get to know what kinds of gas grills are being sold and which would likely fit your needs the most. Only then should you start looking into specific gas grill makes and start comparing them head to head.
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To better understand available gas barbeque grills currently sold in the market, we break them into different types of gas grills based on their fuel types and uses.
5 Best Outdoor Gas Grill Reviews
Char-Broil
Char-Broil is one of the most popular brands that can be considered when looking for the best outdoor gas grills. One of their most notable features is the TRU cooking system, which is basically helpful in making sure that flavor and moisture are seared to the foods being grilled. Additionally, their different gas grills are also known for being heavy-duty, basically because of the strength of the materials that are used in its construction.
Weber Q3200
The outdoor propane gas grills from Weber are among the most popular within this product category. They have the Weber Q3200 grill that offers 21,700 BTU per hour, more than their smaller portable models Q2200 and the Q1000/Q1200. This ensures having sufficient grilling power for the assurance of high-quality grilling outputs.
The original gas grilling system from Weber is one thing that can be enjoyed from the models that have been mentioned earlier. This technology has been perfected by the manufacturer to deliver the best grilling experience and unsurpassed results. This innovation provides an assurance that grilling will be a simple task, and hence, can be easily accomplished by anyone. This also makes the grilling easy to clean and maintain.
Weber is another brand that is worth considering, and one of the models that can be chosen is Affinity 3100. It has an electronic ignition system, which makes it effortless to start the grilling task that needs to be accomplished. This model has 418 square inches of cooking area, which will be best if you anticipate frequent grilling for a large group.
Related reading: Weber Q 3200 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill Review
Cuisinart CGG-200
You might also be interested in the Cuisinart CGG-200. This burner is made from stainless steel and has the ability to deliver up to 12,000 BTU to handle a wide array of grilling tasks. Being made high quality 430 stainless steel has been commended in many reviews, noting that it is an excellent material in terms of durability, and more importantly, it makes the grill maintain an even temperature.
Weber Genesis II E310 & E330
Within this product category, the Weber Genesis II is one of the most popular. They have the Weber Genesis E-310 and the Genesis E-330, both of which are promising when it comes to grilling performance. Both of the earlier mentioned offers a total of 637 square inches of cooking space, making it perfect for a large grilling work that needs to be done. They are also designed with the revolutionary Flavorizer system, which prevents clogging of the tubes and enhances the flavor.
Weber Summit S-620
The Weber Summit S-620 is also a popular choice within the marketplace. Aside from having 838 square inches of cooking area, it also has 60,800 BTU, which is an assurance that it will be able to deliver exceptional performance, regardless of the extent and amount of grilling that you need to accomplish.
Napoleon Mirage 485
Lastly, it is also worth taking a look at the Napoleon Mirage 485 Gas Grill. It has the JETFIRE ignition system for easy startup. Additionally, many have also been happy with the IGLOW backlit control, which is helpful if you are going to use the grill at night. This provides the right level of illumination for you to easily see the dials and controls of the unit.
Blaze Professional 27-Inch 2-Burner Gas Grill
This model has stainless steel H burners and with the hexagon-shaped cooking rods cooks can enjoy thick and stabled flames. This 27 inch model includes lights that were absent in the previous model which means that it can be easy to use at the night. There is a huge 142 square inch warming rack available that is perfect to keep the bread and other food items warm while you cook.
Some of the highlights of the features are:
- Best-in-class life time warranty that boosts confidence in purchasing this product.
- Multiple burners with heat zone separators allows people to cook multiple items at a time.
- Hexagon shaped cooking rods for thick and stable flames.
- Impressive cooking power combined with professional and solid quality.
- Grids that covers the entire grill and provides balanced flares.
Gas Grill Buying Guide
Gas Grill Advantages
Outdoor gas grills have more advantages over the traditional charcoal grills. These grills use propane or natural gas to light up and all you have to do is turn the knob and hit the button. The starter button lights up the flame and cooking surface starts warming. The ease of the entire process is the biggest advantage of the gas grills. On the other hand, in the charcoal grills you have to manually light the fire after piling the charcoal and then also monitor them until they reach the most favorable temperature for barbequing.
Yet another advantage is that gas fueled grills are easier to clean as compared to charcoal or pellet alternatives because they cool down fast allowing you to remove the grill part quickly for a comprehensive cleaning.
Outdoor Gas Grill Fuel
There are two kinds of outdoor gas grills – propane and natural gas.
Liquid Propane
A propane gas grill can be placed anywhere. In order to run it, you have to purchase propane on a regular basis. The disadvantage with propane gas grill is that propane is a flammable product. Therefore you should take extra care while moving its cylinder from one place to the other and prevent dropping it. Additionally always read the instruction booklet how to use the propane tank and don’t use it if you feel that there is a problem with it.
Propane gas fuel is also known by the name LP (Liquid Propane) tanks. These types of barbeque gas grills are very popular amongst grilling enthusiasts. Its main advantage lies in portability and ease of use. If you happen to own one of the portable gas grills like Weber Q-1000, all you have to carry is a light disposable propane gas tank that will last for hours, ready to cook great pork chops, beef steaks, or chicken fillets when you are out in the wild enjoying barbecue grills with your friends.
The downside is that if you don’t travel a lot, propane gas grills can be expensive when used frequently. That’s when the next solution comes into place.
Natural Gas Grills
Natural gas grills are easier to use, but they have to be installed at one place. For them you have to run a gas line up to where you have them placed. Most of the natural gas grills have separate burners with different controls, which mean that you can cook a variety of meals at one time. This equipment costs a little more than the propane grill, but overtime its cost adds up to less than the rest belonging to this genre as it costs you less in fuel.
Unlike propane gas, natural gas fuel is limited to most in-house use, where you need to have preinstalled natural gas pipe that’s ready to be plugged into the gas burner valve. But this type of fuel will prove to be much more economical and efficient for each BTU (British thermal unit) of burning power. In the long run, they’d only cost one-third of what you’d pay for portable propane grills.
Even though most quality natural gas grills come at a higher price level (between $500 -$1500), the barbeque cooked with natural gas always has a unique taste that can not be achieved using LP gas tanks.
In recent years, natural gas outdoor grills have consistently been the chief competition for charcoal bbq grills, and this a trend that looks like it will continue well into the future.
These natural gas grills are primarily targeted towards consumers who are looking for an outdoor option for a full-size grilling experience that does not involve buying, hauling around, and using bags of messy charcoal.
On the other hand, natural gas bbq grill competes with charcoal because it is easier to light up, simpler to operate, have slightly cheaper cost for fuel in the long run, and comes with some other benefits, as described below.
Outdoor grills in this category either come in the common stainless steel finish or permanently built natural gas fire pit.
Both options are typically chosen by savvy individuals who are serious about bbq grilling and are interested in top of the line products to get the tastiest food out of the grilling experience.
Benefits
Natural gas outdoor grills come with several key features and benefits that appeal to a broad range of customers.
For starters, these products are easier to use than charcoal. You do not have to worry with buying charcoal, handling it, or lighting it – which means no lighter fluid or clunky ignition systems. Automatic electric push-button ignition systems that are commonplace in new models make firing up the grill quick and easy.
Additionally, large barbecue gas grills offer a more even cooking experience than charcoal does, because the gas can be regulated to a higher degree than burning coals. This also means that you have more control and precision over your grill’s temperature and intensity and can ensure that you get exactly the temperature you want for your steak, pork, or chicken.
Drawbacks
Grilling devices that use natural gas are usually more expensive than other types on the market. Big outdoor units also burn a lot of fuel, especially larger, full-size models with six burners and side rotisserie burners that are very popular now.
Furthermore, these types are not available in every area and require a natural gas connection with your home – which can be problematic and severely restricts mobility.
Finally, as with most non-charcoal grills, you will need to use flavor briquettes to get that great hickory taste.
Types of Gas BBQ Grills
Infrared
The infrared grill actually uses the same propane or natural gas source. The only difference is that instead of heating food with hot air from burning the gas, they burn the metal grate or porcelain-enameled cooking surface to produce thermal radiation (the red-wavelength light that is invisible to our human eyes but is very efficient at transferring heat).
This cooking method produces almost instant heat and even temperature distribution across the whole cooking surface, great for quick searing of steaks, burgers, or thick slices of meat.
The infrared grills have found many uses by chefs in commercial setups, such as in bars or restaurants.
Related reading: Infrared Gas Grill Pros and Cons
Outdoor
Many outdoor barbeque grills can run on both LP and natural gas fuels. These are often full-size gas barbeque grills with many essential features that make the cooking process simply a breeze, even for beginners.
Most are preinstalled with a push-button or electric ignition system that takes away the tedious task of using lighter fluid or fire starter typically associated with charcoal smokers. They also come equipped with a temperature gauge that lets you monitor the process and adjust accordingly to grill or roast the tastiest succulently cooked turkeys.
I was considering buying Weber Genesis II E330 grill for my home. I became interested in grilling recently, so I thought of purchasing a grill that I could use at home. I would definitely like to practice my grilling skills and be able to cook food to perfection. I know that there are a few techniques that I should keep in mind, but I will have to practice these if I want to improve my skills.
I read about grilling tips online and came across an article discussing what some of the best grills are for beginners. It is the E330 grill that got my attention mainly because of its modern design. It has excellent features that are easy to use, and aside from that, it has a stylish design and a product that you would want to display at home. I really can’t wait to buy and try using it.
Indoor
Often come as portable propane grills at an affordable price range of under $300. Compared to their outdoor counterparts, these compact-size units lack the cooking power to properly sear good-sized BBQs, like beef steaks, full-size chicken or salmon fillets, and other seafood dishes.
While a good quality indoor gas grill also has all the convenient features like easy ignition and heat control, it might lack accuracy. Another common issue with cheap indoor grills is the uneven heat distribution, which many consumers have complained about a lot.
Choosing the Size
Now you have decided the type of gas grill you want, it’s time to think about their size. The main point to ponder over here is the space that you live in. Is it a condo, apartment or a bungalow? Are you planning to fix it in your apartment balcony? Or are you planning to take your grill along on your next beach vacation?
Next, how often do you plan to grill and what exactly do you like to grill. Do you invite lots of friends and relatives or you like to grill a small turkey for home occasionally. If you plan on grilling a few hotdogs and a turkey, then a large space is not required.
However, if you think that you have to roast lots of meat and burgers regularly, then you will require large grills which can fit in big spaces.
Special Features of Outdoor Gas Grills
Many outdoor grills have special features like side burners and rotisseries. These features usually come as add-on benefits and may cost extra. So if you really need the extra features and you often entertain outside, then they make up for a good investment. On the contrary if you intend to use your grill for burgers and steaks, try to keep it simple.
Outdoor gas grills are usually made from aluminum, but ones made from stainless steel are more durable, though they are expensive.
Overall, these gas grills are definitely better than their charcoal or pellet counterparts. You can enjoy your summer barbeque activity with less tension pertaining to cleaning them.
Price Range
The stainless steel natural gas outdoor grill is not always more expensive than charcoal smokers, but for the most part, it costs more than any other type and especially indoor grills. Most new models are well over $300 in price, with the top, high-end models that have all the bells and whistles cost well over $1,000.
It is not unheard of for a new inlaid pit to cost well over $2,000. Even one of the popular full feature Weber Genesis natural gas grills can easily cost just under $3000.
In Summary
Above are popular types of gas barbeque models you will most likely encounter when shopping for gas bbq grills. Having decided which is the best for your grilling needs, the next step is to look at different gas grill brands to narrow down the list of possible makes you consider buying.
Our Reviews by Brands to the left have the list of best-rated and top popular choices by fellow barbecue lovers, just like you.
Natural gas outdoor grills are some of the most popular types because they are clean, convenient, and come with many advanced features.
Consumers who want the absolute best in outdoor grilling tend to buy natural gas BBQ grills or install natural gas fire pits in their homes as permanent, built-in grilling stations.
You should be aware that these grills, while advanced, are expensive and may not be readily available everywhere, for they need a ready natural gas pipeline to be installed.
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