With the huge number of selections available in the market today, finding the best gas grill can be tricky; especially if you are not a grill expert like Steven Raichlen and Jamie Purviance. When I first started out, I was overwhelmed by all the different gas grill choices available to me and just cannot decide which grill is the best for me.
Therefore, I’ve decided to create this comprehensive guide on the best gas grill so that you will not face the same experience as I did and you will be more informed when buying your gas grill.
Top 10 Gas Grills
If you are a busy person and do not have the time to go through the whole gas grill guide, I’ve already shortlisted 10 of the best gas grills that are available in the market today. I’ve create a table below with some information regarding these gas grills. Hope this help to save you time and do bookmark this page so that you can refer to it in the future if you have any questions regarding gas grill.
[ws_table id=”3″]Understanding gas grill
Before I share with you the methods that I used to choose the perfect gas grill for myself, you need to first know what gas grill is.
Gas grill is an appliance used for cooking food. It is often used to grill food from hot dogs and steaks to a whole chicken and prime roasts. The gas grill cooks food by producing heat directly from below. Gas grills are commonly fueled by propane (a liquefied petroleum gas) or natural gas. Some gas grills have flames directly cooking food, while some have flames directly heating up elements (made from stainless steel or ceramic) that eventually cook the food.
Gas grills used to be luxurious items, but have become an essential cooking appliance these days. Many people enjoy cooking food on a gas grill, especially during parties. There is definitely a significant difference between cooking on a stove or in an oven, and cooking on a gas grill. Cooking on a gas grill has its own style and provides a different taste to food. That is why, many people, even professional ones find it vital to own a gas grill.
Gas grills come in a variety of types and sizes, and having one at home is certainly beneficial in numerous ways.
Advantages of Using Gas Grill
- Hassle free and easy to use
- Relatively cheaper fuel
- Full control of temperature
- Better grilling experience
- Adaptable to preference
- Minimal cleaning up
- Extra features option
Hassle Free And Easy To Use
Many people prefer the gas grill because it is easy to use and hassle free. A gas grill starts with a push of a button, unlike charcoal grill where you have to ignite the charcoal and wait for it to glow. With the gas grill you just need to push a button, turn a knob and start grilling. It’s that simple and it saves you time.
On top of that, it does not require much maintenance work like thorough cleaning or replacing fresh charcoal. The best part is gas grills are portable especially the propane fueled ones or a small size ones. You will be able to take it along when travelling and going on picnics. Some gas grills can be dismantled, so you will find it easy to transport the particular gas grill from one place to another. Just dismantle, and assemble it when you reach your destination, and you will be able to start grilling straightaway.
Furthermore, if you take care of your gas grill well, you will be able to use it for a very long time. You will be able to enjoy grilling for a good period of time.
Relatively Cheaper Fuel
A gas grill uses either propane or natural gas, and these fuels happen to be really cheap. A full tank of propane will allow you to have many grilling sessions. You will also be able to store propane in a tank; which is really convenient.
Comparing with charcoal or wood grill, the cost of using gas grill is relatively cheaper and more economical.
Full Control of Temperature
The gas grill provides grillers with the convenience of controlling the heat simply with a turn of a knob. This aspect is essential when grilling as it allows grillers to provide accurate heat level to cook food.
Being able to control the temperature with a knob will give grillers the liberty to change the temperature from low to high and back to low within seconds, unlike charcoal grill which provides varying temperatures.
Better Grilling Experience
With a gas grill, you get to enjoy your grilling experience. Grilling can be done faster due to the constant heat provided for grilling. Unlike the charcoal grill that takes quite some time to get heated up. The gas grill provides continuous flame, eventually providing continuous heat to cook food thoroughly. Food can be grilled and cooked faster in a gas grill compared to charcoal grills.
In addition, gas grill gives grillers the liberty to continuously cook food for a as long as required, because of the constant supply gas fuel; unlike the charcoal fuel which burns off after some time and needs replacement to keep grilling continuously when required.
It will also provide uniform cooking effect, whereas a charcoal fueled grill will not allow even cooking. Since charcoal does not burn evenly, it will definitely not produce even heat to cook food uniformly. Hence, with a gas grill, grillers will be able to provide foods that are cooked well and enjoy their grilling experience.
Adaptable To Preference
There are some people who prefer food cooked on a charcoal grill because of the unique smell and taste it gives. However, the similar taste and smell can be created by adding wood chunks to the flame on a gas grill when needed. Some gas grills come with a smoke box. This box is used to give food a smoky tasty. So, you will be able to get the smoky taste even with a gas grill.
Minimal Cleaning Up
Gas grills are also cleaner compared to charcoal grills. Since the gas grill does not use charcoal, a griller need not have to clean up the grill. Unlike the charcoal grill that will need a clean up after every use.
Extra Features Option
There is a variety of gas grills sold these days, and numerous features have been added to them as well. So, when buying a gas grill, you will be able to enjoy its features as well. Unlike charcoal grills, gas grills come with numerous interesting features like fuel gauge, tabletops, and storage space. These special features will be able to give you a good time while grilling. However, extra features on a gas grill can cost you extra money. But investing on a well featured gas grill will be truly beneficial.
A gas grill does provide a variety of benefits. Since it is readily available at stores everywhere, you will be able to purchase one without much effort and you can start using it the moment you bring it home. Besides, gas grills are also available in many sizes and designs, which provide grillers with choices of buying the best gas grill for their need.
To get a better understanding on gas grills, you can do a little survey prior to buying a gas grill. There is a great deal of information on the Internet that may help you to make up your mind on which gas grill will suit you best. Prior to buying a gas grill, it is essential for you to consider several aspects of gas grills, to help you with the buying process.
Factors to consider when buying gas grill
Budget
Before deciding on buying a gas grill, it is essential to decide on how much you are willing to spend on a gas grill. Better quality gas grills will definitely cost more than lower quality one. Hence, it is important to decide on your budget. The price of gas grills can vary from $250 to almost $2500. Of course, there are gas grills that cost more than that. Hence, you should decide how much you are ready to spend on a gas grill. The more you spend, the better the gas grill will be. It is also important to find out if the gas grill comes together with a tank of propane; for gas grills running on propane. If your gas grill doesn’t come with a propane tank, you will need to buy it and will eventually cost you extra dollars. A tank of propane can cost about $30.
Menu
Gas grills can come in a variety of types. So, decide what you will be using the gas grill for. Are you just planning on grilling hot dogs, steaks and hamburgers, or you’re thinking of taking it a step higher by planning on grilling a whole chicken or fish, rib racks and prime roasts? For grilling hot dogs and steaks, you will not need a high quality, expensive gas grill. However, if you are planning on grilling a whole chicken or fish and prime roasts, you will definitely need a really good gas grill, which can cost up to $500 or $800.
Features
There are many features of a gas grill; some being essential while some providing convenience. Essential features a gas grill should have are:
- Side burners – to help grillers to cook side dishes while grilling the main course
- Quality igniter – a good push button to start fire instantaneously
- Grill hood – a good grill hood is a big and spacious one
- Fuel gauge – showing the amount of propane left in the tank
- Pull-out-tray – to have easy access to replace or fill tanks
The non-essential but convenient features of a gas grill include:
- Extra storage space – counter tops to place plates and space to store utensils and seasonings
- Quality grates – stainless steel and porcelain grates have the potential of lasting longer
- Good burner – made from stainless steel, brass or cast iron
Size
The size of the gas grill will matter as well. Make up your mind on how big your gas grill should be. If you have a small space you will, of course be able to fit only a small sized gas grill in it. If you intend to get a larger gas grill, make sure you have the adequate space for it. Furthermore, a gas grill should not be fit snuggly into a space. It will require free space all around, because gas grill produces heat and can damage furniture, as well as other appliances if placed too close.
A smaller gas grill will give you the liberty of taking it to places you go. It will be easily portable, and you can even take it along when you go for a picnic. However, you will not be able to grill big batches as the space provided will be quite small. But, it will certainly enhance your experience during a picnic.
Quality
Gas grills are usually used for a good period of time. Hence, it is important for you to buy a good quality gas grill. Moreover, you certainly do not want to have your gas grill broken or damaged easily. Investing in a good stainless steel gas grill will save you all the hassle. A stainless steel gas grill will not rust, and you will not have to deal with a rust and paint peeling from your gas grill. A stainless steel gas grill will be a good option for outdoor grilling as well. It may cost you a little extra though.
The quality of the burner too, should be taken into account when buying a gas grill. For grilling it is essential to buy a gas grill that will be able to cook foods evenly. A good burner will aid in dispersing heat equally, thus allowing foods to cook uniformly. Food will certainly look and taste better when cooked well.
Fuel
Before buying a gas grill, it is essential to know which fuel you will be using to keep the grill running. Commonly, a gas grill is either fueled by propane or natural gas. A gas grill which had been designed for propane will only be able to use propane as the fuel, and the same goes with a gas grill designed for natural. There are people these days who convert a propane gas grill to a natural gas grill. However, this conversion is usually not recommended. Therefore, when buying the gas grill, you should decide if you will be using propane or natural gas. If you are going to use natural gas, make sure to have adequate space for the gas grill at the area where the natural gas is supplied. Since propane comes in tanks, they can be easily stored nearby or in the extra storage space provided with the gas grill.
Safety
It is important to make sure the gas grill you buy is stable, to avoid it from tipping over when grilling. When shopping for a gas grill, try pushing the gas grill gently from all angles to see if the gas grill tips. A stable gas grill should stay put until you put extra pressure to move it. Handles should also be attached a little higher, to avoid grillers from burns. Some grills have sharp edges due to the defect while manufacturing. Hence, it is important to inspect the gas grill thoroughly to make sure there are no sharp edges which might hurt grillers, children or basically anyone.
BTU (British thermal unit) level
The BTU (British thermal unit) level of the gas grill should be taken into account as well, prior to deciding on which gas grill to buy. The BTU tells you how much gas a gas grill uses and how much heat it can produce. However, higher BTU doesn’t mean that the gas grill will produce high temperatures.
The best gas grills by price range
There are thousands of gas grills on the market today. They can be purchased online or at many local and national chain hardware stores. Depending on what your budget is, and what you’re looking to achieve, there are several different price ranges of gas grills you can buy. So what is the best gas grill on the market? The following list is based upon sales and customer reviews. It will be broken down into price ranges as everyone’s budgets will be different and their needs will not be the same.
- Under $250
- $250 – $499
- $499-$999
- $999 and up
Under $250
The Huntington 2-burner model costs less than $100 and is a cost effective, nice little grill. It is extremely light and almost feels flimsy, but it will get the job done. While it doesn’t have a huge cooking surface, it is the perfect grill if you’re just doing burgers and hotdogs.
It will handle two steaks at a time or several chicken breasts. It is a very basic model, with only two burners and no side burners, but for the price, it’s perfect for a beginner griller, an apartment patio, or a small family that’s not entertaining a large number of people.
$250 – $499
The Weber Spirit E-210 Gourmet BBQ System is hands down the best gas grill in this category. It always receives rave reviews from customers and is one of the top selling grills in this category. What makes this grill great is the large cast iron coated removable center piece. Several accessories can be switched in and out of this center piece. Included with the grill are some of those accessories like a pizza stone, a chicken roaster and a griddle.
Weber is known for its years of making durable grills and this is no exception. While it’s only a two burner grill, and a little on the small side, the interchangeable options make this a winner.
$499 – $999
The Weber Spirit E-310 comes in at $599 and continues to prove that Weber is one of the standard bearers in backyard grilling. This Weber is great with its three burner front-to-back design, allowing two zone cooking. It also has two side tables for optimum on-site usage.
The in cabinet propane tank holder, is concealed from view and has a gauge that tells you approximately how much fuel is left based on the weight of the canister. Weber continues to be a leader in sales and customer reviews, and continues to build durable grills with a great warranty. For a full review, click here.
Above $999
The Napoleon Prestige Pro comes in at a whopping $2,699 but is well worth the money. This is a gargantuan 8-burner grill. It has tons of cooking space, and extreme power. It has a rear infrared rotisserie burner. This is a great added on bonus as it allows slower cooking on such a hot grill. There is a huge warming rack area, and a side burner that cooks as hot as many of the smaller grills. There is a side storage shelf which can house condiments or beverages and all of your utensils can hang neatly from the side.
The only real con to this grill is its overall girth. It is the largest grill in this category. 77 inches wide and weighing over 220 pounds, it is not the easiest to move around and store. It also uses a large amount of propane due to the speed at which it heats up and the ability to maintain the heat.
Check out the full review: Napoleon Prestige Pro Review
Conclusion
Owning a gas grill is definitely beneficial in many ways. If you wish to own one, you will need to consider several things prior to buying one. Considering numerous aspects will help you in finding the perfect gas grill for you and your family. No matter how low or high your budget is, there are quality grills in each price range. Hope this guide has provided you with all the information you need to purchase the best gas grill for you and your family. Happy grilling!
PS: Below are a list of articles related to gas grill. Thought you might be interested.
You should take a look on Dyna-Glo D5 Burners as well. It’s a pretty good stroller, it has lots of features you can normally find on a Weber but it’s only priced below $500.
Thanks for the recommendation! Will look into it and do a review soon. Keep a look out for the review.