Grills and Smokers – Green Living Blog Bring Green to Life Tue, 16 Apr 2019 03:59:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1 /wp-content/uploads/2017/01/cropped-6-32x32.png Grills and Smokers – Green Living Blog 32 32 The Best Flat Top Grills You Can Buy /best-flat-top-grill/ Tue, 19 Mar 2019 16:19:21 +0000 /?p=7351 It’s a beautiful summer day and the backyard party was a huge hit. But now it’s lunch time and everyone’s stomachs are starting to growl. The best flat top grill/griddle can handle cooking for a huge group without breaking a sweat. Backyard grilling has been a part of the American vernacular for a long time. […]

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It’s a beautiful summer day and the backyard party was a huge hit. But now it’s lunch time and everyone’s stomachs are starting to growl. The best flat top grill/griddle can handle cooking for a huge group without breaking a sweat.

Backyard grilling has been a part of the American vernacular for a long time. It’s hard to find a home in North America that doesn’t have a charcoal grill, natural gas grill, or propane grill sitting outside! However, this summer, there is clearly a new challenge to traditional grills for the hearts, minds, and meats of outdoor BBQ enthusiasts: the flat top grill.

The flat top grill – or outdoor griddle – is not a fancy piece of equipment, but rather a metal flat top cooking surface set atop some burners. Designed to cook all types of food for a large group of people fast with the least hassle, this type of cooking was originally only available commercially to short order cooks. Nowadays, flat top grills are available to consumers almost everywhere. They have become a canvas to culinary artists of a new breed.

The best flat top grill can be hard to find. Whether you’re looking for a flat top grill to assist you in feeding the family or cooking for a crowd, this article is designed to help you find the one that’ll best fit with your needs and within your budget.

The Best Flat Top Grills and Griddles You Can Buy

Blackstone 36in Griddle Camp Chef Griddle (FTG600) Royal Gourmet Grill/Griddle Combo Blackstone 22in TableTop Blackstone Tailgater
Product
Price Check Price Check Price Check Price Check Price Check Price
Number of Burners 4 4 4 2 2
Cooking Area (sq.in.) 720 604 584 330 477
BTUs 60,000 48,000 48,000 24,000 35,000
Product Weight 120 lb. 144 lb. 103 lb. 32 lb. 75 lb.
Grill Construction Black powder coated steel frame with cold rolled steel cooking surface Powder coated steel frame with porcelain-coated steel cooking surface Black powder coated steel frame with full stainless-steel control panel and double-layer lid and Cast iron cooking surface Solid steel frame with weighted cast iron cooktop surface Heavy duty flat top grill box with vent, handle and durable cast iron grill grates
Features 4 zone heating control, electric ignition, built in grease catcher, 4 heavy duty castors, 2 cantilevered shelves, folding legs Interchangeable grill griddle, matchless ignition system, two large folding side shelves, roller wheels, adjustable leg levelers. Heavy-duty structure, unfolding side tables, foldable legs, grease pan, tool holder 2 independently controlled H-style burners, built-in piezo-electric igniters, griddle top conveniently flips upside down, adjustable height rubber feet Dual cooking surfaces, electric ignition, removable grease trays, adjustable legs
Fuel Type Propane, Convertible To Natural Gas Propane, Convertible To Natural Gas Propane Propane, Convertible To Natural Gas Propane, Convertible To Natural Gas

1. Blackstone 36 inch Griddle Cooking Station Review

Best Flat Top Grill For The Money

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There is no doubt the Blackstone 36 inch Griddle Cooking Station is the best flat top grill for most people. As one of the most popular outdoor griddles available, this grill gets so many great reviews from both owners and outdoor grilling enthusiasts.

And the reason why so many people love it – this flat top grill griddle is versatile, easy clean up, easy adjusting temperatures, distributes even heating, cooks fast, has a quality that will last for over a century, and most importantly, it’s one of the more affordable flat top grills on the market.

The Blackstone 36 inch Griddle gives a lot of choices and customization. It gives you a lot of options which can make your food scrumptious and good looking. As you can estimate the size of this flat top grill, it is pretty spacious. It can cook the right amount of food at a time which makes parties easier. The top of the grill is not only spacious but is designed to avoid grease and extra oil. With this attribute, the food cooked is exquisite with less oily.

The Blackstone has 4 independent heat controls and a scorching 60,000 BTUs (15,000 BTUs per burner). 720 sq. inch griddle cooking surface made of cold rolled steel – which is very similar to cast iron – for excellent heat retention and distribution with a sturdy, powder coated steel frame. This flat top grill and griddle can serve an entire crowd with full-sear steaks, flip up to 28 burgers or 72 hot dogs!

Other features include electric ignition, stainless steel burners, built in grease catcher, 4 heavy duty casters (two are lockable), 2 cantilevered shelves, folding legs. The unit does come with a propane tank holder that easily keeps the tank off of the ground in a convenient location.

Overall, for its affordable price, spacious cooking surface and solid construction, the Blackstone 36 inch Griddle Cooking Station is our pick as the best outdoor griddle/best flat top grill money can buy. Everything we have cooked on it turns out great. Pancakes are a breeze. Breakfast eggs and bacon with hash browns and even buttered toast are phenomenal. Chicken with fried rice, zucchini and squash are just like done at a Japanese restaurant. Even steaks can be seared to perfection.

If you’re looking for a stainless steel flat top grill, then the Blackstone 36in Stainless Steel Griddle is the best choice.

2. Camp Chef Griddle (FTG600) Review

Top-Rated Flat Top Grill/Griddle

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Cook up a mess of pancakes or a bunch of burgers with the versatile FTG600 Flat Top Griddle and Grill from Camp Chef, one of the more popular outdoor griddle makers. This heavy-duty steel griddle is packed with convenient features. Constructed of pre-seasoned, heavy-duty steel, the 600 sq.ft. cooking surface of this Professional Steel Griddle is ready to use right out of the box.

Not only one of the best flat top grills available, but it also one of the top rated. Although the Blackstone is a bit larger (720 sq.ft and 600 sq.ft.) and has a better price, we still prefer this Camp chef flat top grill. The thing we like the Camp chef griddle more than the Blackstone griddle is the fact that it can be used as a griddle or a regular propane grill. Remove the griddle top and you’ll find a massive grill underneath. This interchangeable feature is excellent that allows us to make hamburgers, chicken, and steaks.

Another feature that we really like in the Camp Chef Griddle is its reliable ignition system. Like the ignition system in Weber’s gas grills, the ignition system of Camp Chef Griddle is very easy to use and quite cost-effective over time. It did ignite almost every time we turned the knobs with no effort. This powerful ignition system is superior to any other flat top grill ignition system we’ve ever seen.

The unit features four stainless steel burners provide 48,000 BTUs of power, non stick surface, 2 large folding side shelves, grease management system, grease tray, catch bucket, and micro adjust griddle levelers, propane tank holder, heavy-duty carry handle. Unfortunately, the larger version Camp Chef 6-Burner Flat Top Grill 900 does not have an interchangeable grill/griddle.

3. Royal Gourmet Grill and Griddle Combo Review

Best Grill and Griddle Combo

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The Royal Gourmet Grill and Griddle Combo features dual cooking surface with grill and versatile flat griddle interchangeably. Both offering a 292 Sq. In. cooking surface for a total of 584 total inches of cooking space. 4 stainless steel burners, allow you to set 4 different cooking zones, putout 48,000 BTU output.

Heavy-duty full stainless-steel control panel and double-layer lid enhances its luxurious appearance, rust-resistant and makes cleaning simpler. Large metal side shelf offers additional workspace and is convenient for placing various seasonings. The 360-degree locking casters allow for easy transport.

4. Blackstone 22in Table Top Griddle Review

Best Camping Flat Top Grill

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If you’re looking for a truly portable flat top grill for your camping trips, the Blackstone 22 Inch Tabletop Griddle is a perfect choice.

This griddle is compact and convenient. Weighing in at just 32 lb and being powered by a 1 lb. propane bottle, this is ideal to use in any car camping trip or RV boondocking. You can also use the optional bulk tank adapter hose to connect this portable griddle to a 20 pounds propane tank.

This is the best portable flat top grill, in our opinion. We love everything about it especially the fact it’s small but yet you can cook a lot of food at one time. At 330 sq. in. of griddle cooking surface, this small griddle is ideal for cooking burgers, hot dogs, steaks, stir fry, sautéing mushrooms and onions, bacon, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and so much more.

It gives you 2 independent cooking zones, with 2 independent knobs with built-in igniters. The 2 in. H style burners provide even heat distribution for optimal cooking across the whole griddle.

5. Blackstone Grills Tailgater Review

Best Portable Flat Top Grill for Tailgating

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For those who are hesitant to trade their grills in for griddles, the Blackstone Tailgater has a griddle on one side and a grill box on the other giving you the best of both worlds.

This flat top grill combo has a dual cooking surface with two independent burners that give you the ability to cook different styles at the same time. The left side cast iron burner allows for intense heat, best used for stockpots, cast iron pans, dutch ovens. The right side stainless steel tube burner offers even, widespread heat, best used for griddle cooking.

The Tailgater offers 477 sq. inch total cooking surface, including a multi-purpose grill and griddle plate. This cooking surface is enough to cook 9/9 hamburgers, 4/4 steaks, 20/20 hotdogs. The grill has adjustable legs; means you can cook on any terrain and stay level. The legs are easily folded to take up as little space as possible when not in use.

The Blackstone Tailgater is one of the best flat top grills and griddles for any outdoor event, especially for the tailgate party. It’s versatile, easy to set up, almost no assembly required, ready to use in seconds.

Reasons to Purchase A Griddle / Flat Top Grill

#Reason 1: Ideal When Cooking for a Crowd

Imagine a massive backyard party. All the kids of the block, relatives from across the country, neighbors, coworkers, and even pets! That’s a lot of mouths to feed – you’d probably have to work full-time cooking while people have the time of their lives.

Griddles or flat top grills are ideal when cooking for a crowd as they have a large surface area. The fact that there are no sides (as with a skillet) makes it easier to flip food, and the open area doesn’t trap any moisture so the food—for example, hash browns—becomes nice and crispy.

Commercial restaurants frequently use flat top grills in their operations for large amounts of food as well as to keep food warm. These flat top grills can be very large and be able to cook food for one up to 200 people.

#Reason 2: Cook Every Meal

The possibilities are limitless when it comes to what you can cook on a flat top grill. A flat top grill can be used for making breakfast foods like pancakes, French toast, or bacon. It can also be used for making some burgers, hot dogs, or some wraps, like fajitas, quesadillas or tacos.

And it doesn’t stop there –the flat top grill can achieve the blazing-hot temperatures needed to cook fried rice, vegetables, chicken, seafood, and beef just as well as a wok. On a flat top grill, the choices for breakfast, lunch, or dinner are infinite.

#Reason 3: Lifetime Use

The best flat top grills are built to last a lifetime. Since the flat top grill is one solid piece of steel, the grease doesn’t come in contact with the fire and the burners. So the burners can last a decade before needing to be replaced.

#Reason 4: Versatile Multi-Zone Cooking

You can turn one or more burners off while cooking with a flat top grill. This is ideal when you’re cooking several elements that you will bring together to form a meal. Once your onions are perfectly cooked, you can turn off the burner to the far side and slide the onions over to that zone. Your onions will stay warm but will not continue to cook or burn. The same theory applies as you stack up pancakes on one end of the flat top grill as your sausage links continue cooking on the opposite end.

#Reason 5: Even heating

Flat top grills and griddles work through conductive heat. Conductive heat is a very efficient means of energy transfer, especially when you cook on a metal surface. Transfer energy through a metal surface creates delicious crustification for food, and the more metal you have, the better.

#Reason 6: No to be too expensive

Another reason is flat top grills tend not to be too expensive. You can get the best flat top grills available for under 350 bucks.

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill

Cleaning a griddle flat top after using it is easy! All you need is a metal spatula, paper towels, hot water, a scouring pad, and cooking oil. Here are the steps:

  • Step 1. Let the griddle cool down after cooking. We don’t want any burned hands!
  • Step 2. Scrape the surface with a metal spatula or scraper;
  • Step 3. Wipe it down with a paper towel. You can use a dishcloth, but it can get greasy;
  • Step 4. Pour some water onto the griddle while it’s still warm. Don’t use soap! The hot water will make it easier for the harder residue to come off;
  • Step 5. Rub a nylon scouring pad gently on the surface
  • Step 6. Rinse off the water with paper towels
  • Step 7. Dry it gently with a cloth to avoid rust

After you’re done with the cleaning. Don’t forget to season your griddle.

How To Season Your Flat Top Grill/Griddle

Seasoning your flat top grill griddle is important because it allows the cooking surface to develop a hardened, often nonstick coating that will allow foods to release much more easily from the grill. Some flat top grills require seasoning prior to cooking, and others come pre-seasoned from the factory. Here are a few simple steps we have found helpful when seasoning or re-seasoning a grill griddle surface.

  • Step 1. Heat griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Then, turn it off and let it cool down.
  • Step 2. Apply vegetable oil or any oil with a high smoking point.
  • Step 3. Avoid corn oil as the high sugar content may cause the oil to caramelize and burn on the surface.
  • Step 4. While surface is slightly warm, spread oil using a cloth or paper towel.
  • Step 5. Turn heat back on to 350°F.
  • Step 6. Heat until oil on the griddle begins to smoke. Then, turn off and allow to cool.

As a rule of thumb, all you have to do is rub the surface with oil. Then store it somewhere that’s cool and dry. This final layer of oil protects the flat top from rust.

When you’re not using your flat top grill, be sure and keep it covered. The durable, weather resistant cover will protect your flat top grill from the elements.

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The Best Propane Grills You Can Buy /best-propane-grill/ Sun, 18 Nov 2018 16:23:56 +0000 /?p=6737 Grilling Season is Coming! Check out our list of the best propane grills on the market right now to be ready for a season of fun. We can smell the approach of grilling season like the Stark family from HBO’s Game of Thrones can smell winter coming. But, the Starks don’t wait until the last […]

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Grilling Season is Coming! Check out our list of the best propane grills on the market right now to be ready for a season of fun.

We can smell the approach of grilling season like the Stark family from HBO’s Game of Thrones can smell winter coming. But, the Starks don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for battle, and you shouldn’t wait for your first cookout to prep for grilling season. Instead, check your grill to make sure it’s in the best working condition. If it is too old and cannot be fixed, now is the right time to buy a new propane grill.

Shopping for a new propane grill can be fun, but it can also be a headache given the wide range of options available today.

When choosing the best propane grill for outdoor BBQ, there are a number of factors you’ll want to consider such as size, style, and price before you commit to the purchase. Even if you already have those things in mind, choosing the right model is still no easy feat.

Below are our picks of the best propane gas grills for outdoors available. Whether you’re looking for a small, midsized, or large propane grill, or just need a compact portable propane grill for camping or tailgating, we’ve got your back.

Note: The terms propane and propane gas are used interchangeably in the BBQ industry. In fact, propane, propane gas, liquid propane, and LP all refer to the same thing when we’re talking about grills.

Best Small Propane Grills Reviews

#1. Best Value: Weber Spirit II E-210 LP Propane Gas Grill

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Without a doubt, the Weber Spirit II E-210 is the best small propane grill for most people. This is the most economical Weber full-size gas grill and it comes with almost everything you would need for grilling at home.

This small propane grill has 2 stainless steel tube burners that produce 26,500 BTUs in 360 sq. in. of cooking surface, which can cook up to 12 burgers and suitable for a two or three people family. Although this model is the most inexpensive Weber propane grill, it’s packed with the latest in Weber technologies, including the GS4 high-performance grilling system and iGrill 3.

GS4 high-performance grilling system is the core of all Weber Spirit II and Genesis II models. It ensures burners that light every time, smoke-infused food grilled evenly and consistently, and hassle-free cleanup. GS4 grilling system is a game changer. It’s the key feature that makes Weber propane grills on top of the grilling market.

Weber GS4 High Performance Grilling System | Video by Weber

iGrill 3 digital thermometer (sold separately) monitors food from beginning to end, displaying the real-time temperature on your mobile device. This Bluetooth device enables you to place one digital probe at the cooking surface to dial up the correct oven temp, and one probe in your food to monitor internal meat temp.

Weber propane grills are your best bet if quality and convenience are things that drive your decision. They are easy to start, easy to clean, outstanding heat uniformity, and tend to last FOREVER. Stainless steel tube burners in Weber grills have a great reputation for quality and reliability and almost never break down within the first 10 years. No other propane grill in the world matches Weber propane grills when it comes to the combination of performance, usability, durability, and value.

If you’re really interested in Weber grills but don’t know which model will suit your needs the best, check out our Weber Grills Buying Guide – How to choose the Best Weber Grill.

#2. Best for Small Spaces: Weber Q3200 Propane Grill

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Weber Q3200 Propane Grill is the best small propane grill to get if you just have a very small space for placing your grill.

This grill has a small footprint that fits well on the balcony at your apartment complex, and just as well in the backyard of a home. With side tables for placing spices, containers and whatever else you need, it’s convenient to have the extra space. The side tables are also collapsible that make it more compact for storage or to fit it into an even smaller space.

This grill is small but it has enough room to grill an entire roast. With the power of two high-grade stainless steel tube burners, a large cooking surface (393 sq.in.), and two convenient side tables, the Q 3200 can serve 3-4 people at the same time.

All propane grills in the Weber Q gas grill line are made of painted cast-aluminum. They are durable, efficient, require minimal maintenance, and can withstand the heat needed to grill at any temperature. In addition, the shape of the lid and body allows for proper circulation of heat around the food for even cooking.

As with all Weber gas grills, Weber Q’s burners are high-grade stainless steel tube burners. These burners are very durable and distribute heat evenly across the cooking surface. Each burner tube consists of a singular piece of steel with no welds, making them stronger and more resistant to rust and burn-through.

Generally, the Weber Q 3200 is our pick as the best propane grill for small spaces or patios. In fact, this is among the most popular small propane grills on the market.

#3. Best Budget: Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill

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If all you care is price, consider opting for a simple propane grill with an affordable price, such as the Char-Broil Classic 280 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill.

The Char-Broil Classic 280 is one of the cheapest 2-burner grills on the market, only falls between $100 – $130, and might drop below $100 sometimes. It is one of the best propane grills for who live on a tight budget with only 1-2 people to serve at a time. In fact, this is the choice of many married couples without kids.

Despite cheap price, this grill comes with some great features that may surprise you!

It has two stainless steel 20,000 BTU burners with porcelain-coated heat tents allows for a wide temperature range and precise control. With 280 sq. in. of primary cooking space, this small propane grill can cook up to 11 burgers at once. The cooking surface measures 20-inches wide by 14-inches deep, and features porcelain-coated grates, which help prevent food from sticking and are easy to clean.

The Classic 280 propane grill is equipped with a Piezo ignition system for fast startups with the push of a button. The Piezo ignition system is a simple Electric Ignitor but we’ve found that this type of ignition system is very easy to use and quite cost-effective over time.

The grill sits on two 6-inch wheels for easy portability, and two fixed legs to keep it in place. Its small footprint means it will fit on just any small patio or backyard. It also features two metal side shelves for increased storage and prep space.

Again, the Char-Broil Classic 280 is one of the best propane grills to buy if all you need is a cheap, small, propane-powered, easy-to-use grill. It’s cheap, but the material doesn’t feel cheap, not high grade either. Warranty is 5 years on burners, 2 years on firebox and lid, and 1 year on all other parts.

#4. Best Small Propane Grill under $500: Weber Genesis II E-210 Propane Grill

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For a small propane grill under $500, the Weber Genesis II E-210 is superior to all other models. This grill is only a bit more expensive than the Spirit ii 2-burner but provides a larger cooking space yet the more powerful burners. It also has a better look and features a sleek open cart design with bottom shelf that makes access to storage easy.

The grill also saves you valuable storage space with its propane tank storage area, located under the right side shelf, which allows you to connect and mount your propane tank underneath the side shelf. The tank mount features a handy gauge which allows you to monitor your fuel level.

The Genesis II E-210 features porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grids that have notches cut out towards the front, allowing you to easily see whether each burner is lit. The grill also has a tuck-away warming rack, providing you with an additional 198-inches of cooking space when you need it. Under the grids lies the triangular-shaped Flavorizer Bars that sit directly above the burners. These shield the burners by catching drippings and turning them into smoke, adding flavor back into your food.

Overall, if you want a stylish, affordable, durable, and functional small propane grill, look no further than the Weber Genesis II E-210. The fact that this is the best propane grill under $500 you can buy at this time.


Best Portable Propane Grills for Camping & Tailgating Reviews

#1. Best Value: Coleman RoadTrip LXE Portable Propane Grill

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Need a portable gas-powered grill for tailgating, barbecuing or camping? The Coleman RoadTrip LXE is your top choice. This BBQ is our pick for the best portable propane grill for most people.

The Coleman RoadTrip LXE is compact and lightweight. It’s easy to assemble, stored, use and clean. It only took about 45 minutes to fully assemble this model. And for a grill that’s made of plastic and stainless steel, it’s remarkably stable. Its legs are easily folded to take up as little space as possible when not in use. It has plastic wheels that allow you to easily move it once it’s set up.

All this makes it one of the best propane grills for camping, picnicking, tailgating or any activity that calls for a portable cooking device.

This portable propane grill features two independently adjustable burners that give you precise control for 2 temperature zones on a large 285 square inch grilling surface. These burners put out an impressive 22,000 BTU’s – which is a lot when compared to the other portable grills. The grill starts easily with a push button. It starts almost every time, heats up fast and hot and grills evenly.

The Coleman RoadTrip LXE is a great portable grill for outdoor cooking. You can take it on the road and rely on it to work and provide a good grilling experience. It could also be a great addition to your apartment or condo patio. While researching this product and working with a diverse review team, we discovered that many people prefer it in the backyard over their giant backyard patio grill.

#2. Most Durable: Weber Q1200 Liquid Propane Grill

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Weber portable grills are the gold standard. The Weber Q1200 LP Propane Grill is simply among the best propane grills in the world when it comes to quality, durability, and versatility.

It has a durable stainless steel burner that produces 8,500 BTUs and the infinite control burner valve allows you to set it to the precise temperature you need with an easy-to-use knob. An improved porcelain enamel finish extends the life of the 189-square-inch cast iron grate for long-term use. Split grates simplify cleaning and allow the use of optional accessories like a griddle over one side of the burner.

This Weber portable propane grill features two folding work tables so you have space to spread out, each with convenient tool hooks, and the tall cast aluminum lid is designed to expand your grilling area for larger items. It also features a cast aluminum body with drip ducts and a sturdy glass-reinforced nylon frame and handles. A removable grease catch pan is included to make clean-up easy.

For the most part, we highly recommend you buy the Weber Q 1200 portable grill. This is one of the very best portable propane grills is that only costs under $300. Its solid compact design and ease of use make it perfect for tailgating, camping or small spaces like apartment balconies. Most of its parts are warranted for a period of five years, while most other camping grills offer a warranty for less than a year. You can’t go wrong with the Weber Q 1200 portable propane grill!

#3. Best under $100: Blackstone 17in Portable Griddle

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Cook up a delicious meal in the great outdoors with the Blackstone 17 in. Table Top Griddle. Perfect for use at the campground and the tailgate alike, this portable grill delivers even heat distribution, and with rubberized feet for stability, it’s easy to produce a delicious meal every time. This grill boasts a sleek matte finish and stainless steel construction to hold up to the elements for the many camping and tailgating seasons to come!

This little griddle grill features 1 stainless steel H burner that heats up fast and distributes 12,000 BTUs of power evenly across 268 sq. in. of cooking surface. With this cooking surface, this griddle fits 9 hamburgers, 9 pancakes, and 12 eggs – which is suitable for a small group of people. With the built-in grease collection system that collects all of the drippings, the griddle is very easy to clean.

#4. Best Lightweight: Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill

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The Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill is one of the lightest portable grills on the market. This grill weighs only 13.5 pounds, which is much lighter than most other portable models we’ve reviewed.

And although it is compact, its ample cooking grate is large enough to cook most family meals 8 steaks, 8 hamburgers, 6 – 10 chicken breasts or over 4 pounds of fish and is dishwasher safe for easy clean-up. The grill heats up very quickly and uses far less gas than a full-sized grill. It uses 1 pound canisters of propane that will allow up to 4 hours cooking time before needing to be replaced.

Assembling the Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet takes only 5 minutes or maybe less and requiring no tools. Folding legs, grill lid latch, generous carry handle, and the spill resistant drip tray all enhance portability.

Overall, with its great portability features the Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet can cook your meals wherever you go – the beach, the game, the campsite – anywhere! This is the best lightweight portable propane grill in our list.

#5. Best Propane Grill Griddle Combo: The Blackstone Tailgater Combo

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The Blackstone Tailgater Combo is the best propane grill griddle combo for tailgating. This grill has a dual cooking surface with two independent burners that give you the ability to cook different styles at the same time.

The left side cast iron burner allows for intense heat, best used for stockpots, cast iron pans, dutch ovens. The right side stainless steel tube burner offers even, widespread heat, best used for griddle cooking.

This combo offers 477 sq. inch total cooking surface, including a multi-purpose grill and griddle plate. This cooking surface is enough to cook 9/9 hamburgers, 4/4 steaks, 20/20 hotdogs. The grill has adjustable legs; means you can cook on any terrain and stay level. The legs are easily folded to take up as little space as possible when not in use.


Best Mid-Sized Propane Grills Reviews

#1. Best Value: Weber Spirit II E-310 Outdoor Propane Gas Grill

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The Weber Spirit II E-310 is our pick as the best mid-sized propane grill for most people. It offers an unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and an affordable price.

The E-310 is larger and more versatile than the two-burner versions. It features three stainless steel burners; 424 sq. in. cooking surface, 30,000 BTU which can cook up to 14 or 15 burgers and is suitable for a family of 3 -4 people.

With its overall compact size (helped by a new fold-down side table), the Weber Spirit II E-310 suits almost any patio or deck, but its grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family. With a thick cast-aluminum firebox, it’ll last for years.

This propane grill also incorporates the easily accessible externally mounted tank and under-grill shelf from the Genesis II line. On top of this, it’s a particularly easy grill to assemble, maintain, and use; and it comes in four colors. Finally, this is the best propane grill in its price range; at its current price, it’s a terrific value.

#2. Best Budget: Dyna-Glo Smart Space Living 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill

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This affordable 3-burner propane gas grill from DynaGlo offers all the quality and cooking performance you have come to expect in a large high priced grill. With its space-saving design, it’s ideal for smaller patio and deck spaces.

With a total of 36,000 BTUs over 507 sq. in. this grill provides plenty of grilling power for a wide range of cooking options. Featuring a double-walled lid to minimize heat loss, the design of this grill provides improved cooking efficiency of the burners. The control valves offer quick temperature control allowing you to cook your food with ease.

An electric pulse ignition activates the burners, which are controlled by three dials to adjust the heat temperature for your specific needs. Additional features include drop-down tables with hooks and bars on either side of the grill to provide counter space and utensil storage, a single door cabinet with a “tank seat” propane storage area and two locking and two non-locking heavy-duty wheel casters at the base of the grill.

Dyna-Glo offers only a 1-year warranty for this model. In our experience, products with that short of a warranty can be expected to wear out quickly. However, at its current price, you can’t expect more than that. We think this is a decent deal at this time.

#3. Best under $1000: Napoleon Grills Rogue 425 Stainless Steel Propane Grill

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The Napoleon Grills Rogue 425SIB is the best propane grill under $1000 that is stainless steel on the inside and out. No other grill in its price range gives you such versatility with top-notch features and high-quality components.

This grill has 3 high-grade stainless steel burners, stainless steel cooking grates and flavorizer bars that are durable and built to last. It also features Napoleon’s unique SIZZLE ZONE infrared side burners, ACCU-PROBE built-in temperature gauge, and JETFIRE ignition system.

Infrared side burner on the Rogue 425SIB can be used for pans and other accessories to cook your side dishes and sauces while the main meal is prepared on the cast iron cooking grids in the spacious grill head.

Push start Napoleon’s JetFire ignition system allows the burners to start easily and quickly. As soon as you hear that “whoosh”, we’re ready to grill. As you lower the roll top lid, the Accu-Probe built-in temperature gauge located on the front face for easy interior temperature readout that is surprisingly accurate.

The Napoleon Grills Rogue 425SIB can feed a group as you work culinary magic on 425 square inches of main grilling surface. With the ability to easily grill directly, or indirectly overheat that you control, it allows you to make marvelous meals for yourself or a crowd.

#4. Best High-End: Weber Genesis II LX S-340 Propane Gas Grill

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Weber Genesis II LX S-340 propane grill is designed with the full grilling experience in mind and is built to last. Each component of this exceptional grill was uniquely designed for ease-of-use and to provide an unequaled satisfaction to your backyard grilling experience. You can expect burners that ignite every time, smoke-infused food that grills evenly and hassle-free cleanup.

The Genesis II LX S-340 features three 14,500 BTUs stainless steel main burners and a 12,000 BTUs side burner. It also includes stainless steel Flavorizer bars and 7mm stainless steel cooking grates. The cooking grates are designed with notches cut out towards the front, allowing you to easily see whether each burner is lit.

Overview of the Genesis II LX Series Gas Grills | Video by Weber

The burners are lit by Weber’s reliable push-and-turn electronic ignition and are designed to taper towards the back of the grill. Since most grills tend to cook hotter towards the back, these burners reduce the heat on the back side of the grill, producing more consistent temperatures across the cooking surface.

Plus the grill integrates seamlessly with Weber’s iGrill 3 (sold separately) and the free iGrill app that lets you monitor cooking remotely and offers temperature graphing, social sharing, gas tank monitor and many other features.

Overall, if you’re a grilling enthusiast and looking for a top-of-the-line stainless steel gas grill for home BBQ, the Genesis II LX S-340 is no doubt one of the very best propane grills to get. This grill will enhance your grilling skills over time and make your life easier.


Best Large-Sized Propane Gas Grills Reviews

#1. Best Value: Weber Genesis II E-410 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

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The Weber Genesis II E-410 is our pick for the best 4-burner propane grill for most people. This grill gives you four burners and a choice of four colors—crimson (shown), copper, black, or smoke.

The Genesis II E-410 has 844 sq. in. of cooking area gives you plenty of room to cook. With such a large cooking area, you can cook up to 28 burgers or more, serving a group of 8-10 people at once. And the grill also features 646 sq. in. of primary cooking area and 198 sq. in. of warming rack area, tuck-away warming rack folds down for easy storage.

4 high-performance stainless steel burner tubes deliver 48,000 BTUs of even and consistent heat anywhere on the cooking surface. The reversible porcelain-enameled, cast iron cooking grates empower you to be even more creative with your dish. The thin side of the cooking grate is ideal for delicate food such as fish and shrimp, while the wider side creates a thick sear mark enhancing the flavor of your food.

Of all the Genesis E-series models, the Genesis II E-410 propane grill delivered the best heating evenness, which means no matter where you place the food, the cooking temperature is the same. That’s important if you want to grill a batch of burgers and serve them all at once. Unfortunately, this Weber model doesn’t come with the side burner and infrared rotisserie burner.

Overall, if you’re looking for a high-quality propane grill with a large cooking area and most needed features for grilling and indirect cooking at home, and at a reasonable price, the Genesis II E-410 is the best propane grill to buy. This model is covered by a 10-year warranty but you could expect it to last at least 20 years.

#2. Best Budget: Dyna-Glo DGE530SSP-D 5-Burner Propane Grill

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The Dyna-Glo DGB515SDP-D is among the cheapest 5-burner propane grills on the market. This grill is cheap, but it doesn’t look cheap. Most of its components are made of stainless steel, except the wheels, making it look like a top-notch grill.  This grill also features a side burner that puts out 12,000 BTUs for the side dishes that add the finishing touch to your BBQ cookouts.

With 708 square inches of cooking space and 5 main burners that produce 50,000 BTUs of power, you can grill it all from appetizers to main course and sides. The stainless steel cart offers ample storage and the grill also includes temperature gauge and electronic pulse ignition system for fast start.

This 5-burner propane grill looks good and seems to be a great deal. A stainless steel design and a side burner may be its selling points that make it attractive to customers. But if you’re serious to grilling and there is extra room in the budget, it’s better to invest in a higher quality and better-built propane grill.

#3. Best Medium-Priced Propane Grill With Rotisserie: Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 Stainless Steel 5-Burner

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Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 is one of top selling large-sized propane grills because it combines high-end features normally found in the most expensive grills, but you don’t have to break the bank to get one. The size of the grill also adds to its popularity – it’s the right choice for a single person or a family of ten, with plenty of wiggle room in between.

This grill has four stainless steel tube burners that provide up to 48,000 BTUs of cooking power. The Napoleon electronic Jetfire ignition with crossover lighting starts each burner individually for a reliable start-up every time and allows you to light all the burners at the same time.

In addition to a total of 760 square inches of cooking area (500 sq.in. main cooking area, 260 sq.in. warming area), the grill also has an 18,000 BTU stainless steel rear infrared burner with smoker channel, a rotisserie kit for roasting or smoking, and a 14,000 infrared side burner for searing steaks. This gives you the ability to cook a lot of things at once as well as many types of food.

The hood features an Accu-Probe temperature gauge and retains heat for oven-like performance. The stainless steel wave cooking grids are reversible. Easy set control knobs make grilling easy and clean up is a cinch with the full-width removable drip pan.

This Napoleon propane grill is manufactured in Canada (while the Weber Summit series is manufactured in the USA). Its warranty is a standout in its class, making it one of the absolute best propane grills to buy.

The grill is covered by a lifetime warranty on the exterior housing, cooking grids, and porcelain enamel coated lid. Napoleon also boasts a 10 year + 5 warranty on their burners and flame tamers that provides replacement parts at a 50% of normal cost for 5 years after the 10-year warranty expires.

#4. Best High-End: Weber Summit S-470 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

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With all components are made of high-quality stainless steel for a look as exceptional as the quality, a large cooking area with some of the top-notch grilling features that allow cooking almost any food you can imagine, the Weber Summit S-470 is our pick for the best propane grill in the high-end segment.

Summit series of gas grills is the crown jewel of the Weber BBQs family, with exclusive features, the highest level of performance and stunning looks. The Weber Summit S-470 propane grill is a backyard superstar that will make you say “It came to me. My own. My love. My precious.

The Summit S-470 has four main burners at 12,200 BTU each, a 10,600 BTU sear burner in the center and a 12,000 BTU side burner. The primary cooking area is 468 square inches, and the removable warming rack is 112 square inches.

It has a built-in rotisserie with a motor that drops down into the side shelf to be hidden away when not in use. There is a 10,600 BTU rear-mounted, infrared burner for the rotisserie. A smoker box with dedicated 6,800 BTU burner occupies the right side of the cooking area makes the grill a propane smoker.

Main burner knobs are illuminated and there is an LED gauge on the control panel that displays how much fuel is in your propane tank. Each control knob has “Snap-Jet Individual Burner Ignition” for quick and easy lighting, each different burner has its own flame throwing ignition. This powerful ignition system is superior to any other ignition system we’ve ever seen. You’ll love this reliable ignition system.

The Weber Summit S-470 is one of the absolute best propane gas grills that will make your grilling adventure more enjoyable than ever and we can’t recommend it enough.

Weber has a long and well-deserved reputation for longevity, reliability and customer service; and the Summit is Weber’s top-of-the-line series. The flexibility, power, durability and longevity of this grill make it an obvious choice for people who can handle the price. It’s definitely worth it and actually great value.


Best Propane Gas Charcoal Grill Combos Reviews(Hybrid Grills)

#1. Best Value: Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill

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Who doesn’t love the convenience of a propane grill? Push a button and you’re fired up, which is why year-round grilling has become more popular. You won’t see many charcoal fans grilling on cold, snowy days. But come summer, they’ll argue that the charcoal taste beats all. Propane charcoal grill combos, also known as hybrid grills or dual-fuel grills, like the Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill Combo, let you cook with both gas and charcoal.

The Char-Griller 5050 Combo is the best hybrid grill you can buy today. This grill features dual primary cooking surfaces – one charcoal and one propane – with warming racks, for a total 1,260 square inches of BBQ grilling and smoking space.

The propane gas side on the left produces 40,800 BTU with 3 burners with electronic ignition. A side burner puts out 12,000 BTU with a flip-down cover converts to a fixed side shelf, offering increased surface space for food prep, utensils or dishes. There is no natural gas optional hookup.

The barrel on the right is for BBQ charcoal grilling with a cooking surface of 580 square inches. Both sides feature porcelain coated cast and iron grates. You can also add an extra 250 sq.in. side firebox (sold separately) for low smoking. Adding a Side Fire Box allows you to tend the fire without opening the main grill lid and lets the heat and smoke transfer freely.

Char-Griller makes some of the cheapest cookers on the planet. Their propane and charcoal combo grills have an affordable price tag that budget-conscious buyers often can’t pass up.

The Char-Griller 5050 Combo is very popular. It looks solid, has good performance, easy to use and assemble. It’s the best grill for those who want to enjoy quick propane/gas grilling during the week and slow charcoal cooking on the weekends but don’t have much money to spend.

#2. Best Budget: Char-Broil Gas2Coal 3-Burner Hybrid Grill

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The Char-Broil Gas2Coal is a low-cost 3-burner hybrid grill. This grill lets you cook with either propane or charcoal in the same firebox, but not at the same time.

The idea is that the main burners can be used to light the charcoal, giving the user the option of using it as either a gas or charcoal grill, eliminating the need of a charcoal barrel and reducing the overall size of the grill.

The charcoal tray is placed above the burners, holds one layer of charcoal and doesn’t allow to add more as you cook. There are three non-adjustable air intake holes, one on each side of the firebox and one at the bottom. The bottom hole also facilitates grease removal by channeling gunk into a small removable metal cup underneath. While starting the charcoal is effortless, the only way to control temps is using more or less fuel and opening and closing the lid.

Three main burners feature 40,000-BTUs and allow you to grill 18-28 burgers, while one 12,000-BTU side burner is perfect for cooking your side dish. As a propane grill, the heat output is good, good enough to do some real grilling, which, of course, is something many cheap gas grills seem to have trouble doing.

Ultimately, this Char-Broil Gas2Coal is the best cheap propane grill for who like the 2 for 1 concept that saves space and provides a bridge to the mysterious land of charcoal. In our view, it is not a bad propane grill and not a good charcoal grill.


How to Buy the Best Propane Grill?

You’ll want to learn the basics of all things grill related before you decide which propane grill is best for you, so let’s break it down. Here are some things you’ll want to familiarize yourself with before buying a propane grill.

What’s a BTU?

British Thermal Units (BTUs) is simply the way heat from a BBQ is measured. BTUs are measured in terms of how much heat a burner can generate while on high. A general recommendation would be to look for a BBQ that can produce around 100 BTUs per square inch of cooking space, so if you’re looking into a model with 400 square inches of cooking space, it should yield at least 40,000 BTUs.

Typically, the higher the BTUs, the better, as you’ll have more control over the temperature of the burners which in turn can lead to more accuracy when grilling. However, BTUs alone do not guarantee better or faster cooking. What matters most is the actual surface on which you’ll be cooking your food. To select the best propane grill, it’s better to look for a high-quality, heavy, stainless steel or cast iron grill grate which will hold the heat in and cook more efficiently.

What Size Propane Grill Do You Need?

Are you cooking for a two-person family? A six-person family? Do you want to be able to host large outdoor parties and feed crowds of people? Are you using the grill in a corporate setting? The amount of people you will be grilling for is an important consideration which will help you determine the perfect-sized propane grill for your needs.

Propane grills come in a variety of different sizes including portable, small, mid-size, and large models. The size of a grill is measured in square inches and can range anywhere from 80 to more than 1000 square inches of cooking space.

  • Portable propane grills are perfect for camping trips and tailgate parties. They’re small in size, making them easy to move around, however, they are also capable of grilling up savory meats when you crave it most.
  • Small propane grills typical contain 2 burners, can cook up to 15-18 burgers, and are ideal for a two to three person family.
  • Midsized propane grills typical contain 3-4 burners, can cook between 18 to 28 burgers, and are suitable for most average families in the USA. This is also the most widely sold grill size.
  • Large propane grills contain four or more burners, can cook more than 28 burgers at a time, and work best for big groups and entertaining purposes. With this grill size, people usually opt for a natural gas model.

Burner System

Quality, type, and shape of the burners are some of the most important features you’ll want to look out for. Do you want to be able to control the heat of each independent burner? Do you want to be able to cook many different types of foods?

If so, you’ll want to consider a model with multiple burners, side burners, infrared burners, or rotisserie burner, as you’ll have more flexibility with your grilling.

The best propane grill for you should also have stainless steel burners for durability. Stainless steel burners are not only high in quality but also relatively low maintenance. Cast iron burners and aluminized steel burners are a solid, but less popular choice when it comes to burner types. They won’t last nearly as long as stainless steel burners, and if they break down, it can be costly to repair.

Cooking Grates

Cooking grates are an important part of any propane grill. The cooking grates are the surface on which you’ll cook your food, they are exposed to the most wear and tear of any part of your barbecue, so you want to be sure the quality is up to par. There are two main types of grill grates: cast iron and stainless steel.

  • Stainless steel cooking grates often found on the higher-end models of gas grills (such as Weber Genesis II LX, Weber Summit, Napoleon Prestige Pro, Lynx, or Wolf). Stainless steel grates are virtually rust-proof, easy to maintain, and spread the heat evenly.
  • Most propane grills on the market use cast iron cooking grates. Cast iron grates heat up quickly and hold their heat extremely well. These are the types of cooking grates that chefs use in restaurants. Cast iron cooking grates require more maintenance than stainless steel cooking grates and require seasoning before usage. But they are much cheaper.

Flavourizer bars

The Flavourizer bars (the inverted V-shaped pieces of steel that sit below your cooking grates) protect the burners inside your grill. You don’t want food residue dripping onto your burners, as the food can clog the openings of the burner where the heat comes out of.

The Flavourizer bars not only protect the burners from getting clogged, but also almost instantly evaporate any grease or juices that drip from your meats down onto the bars, which can prevent flare-ups. In addition to this, the Vapourized grease also adds to the flavor of your grilled meats and intensifies that mouthwatering aroma you get when you grill on the ‘cue. There’s nothing quite like it.

Above is our guide to some of the most important things you need to take a look when selecting a propane grill; and our list of the best propane grills on the market, we hope it will help you make the right buying decision!

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Which Weber Grill Is Best To Buy? /best-weber-grill-to-buy/ Mon, 05 Nov 2018 15:39:48 +0000 /?p=6669 A grilling season gets underway, you’ll want to whip up this year’s first batch of burgers on a trusty backyard grill. A Weber’s outdoor grill will never make you disappointed! Weber grills are among the best grills on the planet. Whether it’s natural gas, LP propane, charcoal or electricity as the fuel, the Weber grills always […]

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A grilling season gets underway, you’ll want to whip up this year’s first batch of burgers on a trusty backyard grill. A Weber’s outdoor grill will never make you disappointed!

Weber grills are among the best grills on the planet. Whether it’s natural gas, LP propane, charcoal or electricity as the fuel, the Weber grills always cook beautifully and provide delicious results. They are superior to every other grill in its class.

Designed intelligently with attention to details and built to last, Weber grills look good, work beautifully, and almost NEVER BREAK DOWN. Weber grills also give you a maximum control over the heat and can create a natural convection of air flow. Simply put, Weber grills are the Gold standard in the grilling and barbecuing industry. They are the best outdoor grills when it comes to quality, reliability, durability, style, and shape. You can’t go wrong with Weber grills!

Weber grills are available in many different models – from economy models and mid-range grills, to high-end luxury BBQs. Which model will suit your needs the best? This “Weber Grill Buying Guide” will help you decide which Weber grill to go with.

Which’s the best Weber gas grill? Which’s the best Weber charcoal grill? Which’s the best Weber Electric Grill? All these questions will be answered in this article.

Weber Spirit II Gas Grills Reviews

Best Weber Gas Grills for Basic Grilling

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The dream of standing beside a gas grill with an impressive cooking area, multiple burners, and a wide range of accessory options is not out of reach. Many people who cook on a charcoal grill feel reluctant to make the transition to gas. The jump from a charcoal grill to one of the larger gas grills can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Spirit II series gas grill is the best Weber grill to kick-start your gas grilling adventure. It packs all of the essential features you could want in an affordable package. This is the most economical Weber gas grill line and is also one of the most popular gas grills on the market. If you’re looking for the best gas grill under $500, Spirit II gas grills would be your best choice.

Like its predecessor, Spirit II series is a workhorse that delivers solid performance and is easy to use, easy to clean. It is available in two and three burner models, and four bold colors (Black, Red, Ivory, Sapphire) to bring that added spark to your backyard.

The new Spirit II grills have also been updated with the exclusive GS4 high-performance grilling system and iGrill 3 capability, and a host of other great features.

GS4 grilling system is the core of all Weber full-size gas grill models. It ensures burners that light every time, smoke-infused food grilled evenly and consistently, and hassle-free cleanup. GS4 grilling system is a game changer. It’s the key feature that makes Weber gas grills on top of the grilling market.

iGrill 3 digital thermometer (sold separately) monitors food from beginning to end, displaying the real-time temperature on your mobile device. This Bluetooth device enables you to place one digital probe at the cooking surface to dial up the correct oven temp, and one probe in your food to monitor internal meat temp.

Simply download the Weber iGrill app on your mobile device and sync it to your iGrill device. Once you’re connected, the possibilities are virtually endless, and you’ll find out very quickly that iGrill is more than a cutting-edge thermometer. All Spirit II, Genesis II, and Genesis II LX gas grills are iGrill 3 ready.

All Weber Spirit II gas grills feature:

  • Available in LP propane and natural gas. Propane available in black, sapphire, red and ivory lid options Natural Gas available in black lid option only
  • GS4 grilling system
  • iGrill 3 capabilities
  • Stainless steel burners, porcelain-enameled Flavorizer bars, porcelain-enameled cooking grates
  • Electronic crossover ignition system
  • Stainless steel side tables
  • Built-in lid thermometer
  • 10-year Warranty

Which is the best Weber Spirit II gas grill model for you?

Spirit II is available in 2 models: Spirit II E-210 gas grill (2 burners) and Spirit II E-310 gas grill (3 burners). The main difference between the E-210 and E-310 Spirit models is moving from 2 to 3 burners for more BTU and a slightly bigger grilling area.

1) Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill Review

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Spirit II E-210 gas grill is Weber’s entry-level small gas grill line. This is the cheapest Weber full-size gas grill and it comes with almost everything you would need for grilling at home. This grill is built to fit small spaces and packed with features such as the powerful GS4 grilling system and iGrill 3 capability.

The E-210 has two burners, 360 sq. in. cooking surface, 26,500 BTU. It can cook up to 12 burgers and suitable for a two or three people family.

The E-210 is the best Weber gas grill for a small family or a beginner to the grilling game. Its small footprint means it will fit well on the balcony at your apartment complex, and just as well in the backyard of a home. With side tables for placing spices, containers and whatever else you need, it’s convenient to have the extra space. One of the side tables is collapsible if you want to make it more compact for storage or to fit it into an even smaller space.

The burners are very strong and allow you to preheat the grill to 500 degrees. With the built-in lid thermometer, this is easy to keep track of. Preheating is key as you want to get beautiful grill marks on your food and helps create a nice crust on your steak.

2) Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill Review

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Spirit II E-310 gas grill is our pick as the best Weber grill for most people. It offers an unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and an affordable price. The Spirit 3-burner grill is also one of the best-selling gas grills of all time.

The E-310 is larger and more versatile than the two-burner versions. It features three stainless steel burners; 424 sq. in. cooking surface, 30,000 BTU which can cook up to 14 or 15 burgers and is suitable for a family of 3 -4 people.

With its overall compact size (helped by a new fold-down side table), the Weber Spirit II E-310 suits almost any patio or deck, but its grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family. With a thick cast-aluminum firebox, it’ll last for years.

Weber has refined the Spirit’s design for decades. This version incorporates the easily accessible externally mounted tank and under-grill shelf from the Genesis II line. On top of this, it’s a particularly easy grill to assemble, maintain, and use; and it comes in four colors. Finally, this is the best gas grill in its price range; at its current price, it’s a terrific value.

Our ThoughtsPerformance, Reliability, and Durability are the three words that we describe the Weber Spirit II gas grill. It’s simple enough to assemble, made of strong components, can withstand reasonable punishment, cooks consistently and evenly and delivers an overall enjoyable experience. More importantly, for such a high-quality grill plus an industry-leading 10-year warranty, we think it is at a very reasonable price – one of the best gas grill for the money you can buy today.

Weber has incorporated some nice features of its pricier Genesis II line that will enhance your grilling experience.


Weber Genesis II Gas Grills Reviews

Best Weber Gas Grills For Sharing Love

If you ask us which Weber gas grill is our favorite choice, the answer would be the Genesis II series gas grill.

The Weber Genesis II series is built to gather family, friends, even the whole neighborhood, together. These grills are the newest addition to the Weber line, and we believe they’re superior to every other grill in its class.

The Genesis II series gas grill is an upgrade of the original Genesis series – which was one of Weber’s best-selling lines.

The Genesis II grills aren’t as blocky as their predecessors – they have rounder hoods and a more streamlined appearance.  Under the hood and beneath the grates, the burners ports are bigger and rounder, replacing the old slits, and the burners are tapered. Weber says the tapered shape ensures that the heat is evenly distributed across the cooking surface.

Plus, Genesis II grills have the propane tank that has been relocated to the right side of the grill, making it easier to change, and two of the four casters have been replaced by wheels.

Overview of the Genesis II Series Gas Grills | Video by Weber

Compared to Spirit II grills, the Genesis II grills have more BTUs and cooking area, nicer design, and more components that are made stainless steel.

Genesis II grills feature the latest in Weber technology, including the exclusive GS4 grilling system.

Ranging in size from two to six stainless steel burners, 26,000 to 60,000 BTU and between 494 and 998 sq. in. cooking areas, there’s a Genesis II grill built for however many people you entertain. The sleek open cart design allows for additional storage. With iGrill 3 compatibility, every owner will rest assured their meal will be grilled to perfection.

Weber Genesis II gas grills accommodate every grilling style. They range in price from $500 to $2000. This is the best Weber grill to have if you’re looking for a high-quality gas grill for grilling every day and sometimes gathering your family members or friends sharing the common love of backyard barbecue.

The Weber Genesis II gas grills are currently available in 5 different models (natural gas and liquid propane):

All Weber Genesis II Gas Grills feature:

  • 10 years warranty
  • Available in natural gas and LP propane
  • The GS4 high-performance grilling system
  • iGrill 3 capabilities
  • Built-in lid thermometer
  • Stainless steel side tables and heat deflectors

Which is the best Weber Genesis II gas grill model for you?

1) Weber Genesis II E-210 Gas Grill Review

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All of the grills in the Genesis II E series have an open cart, a porcelain-enameled lid, and porcelain-coated cast-iron grates. Each has an electronic igniter, a fuel gauge, a side table, and a 10-year burner warranty. With two burners, 380 sq. in. cooking surface, 26,500 BTU, the Genesis II E-210 gas grill is in small gas grill category.

The Genesis ii E-210 is designed to fit a small patio and balcony and is a great choice for a small family with 2-3 members. It’s only a bit more expensive than the Spirit ii 2-burner but provides a much larger cooking space yet the more powerful burners.

2) Weber Genesis II E-310 and S-310 Gas Grill Review

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With the Weber Genesis II E-310 and Genesis II S-310, you get 3 burners,  513 sq. in. cooking surface and 37,500 BTU. These are mid-sized gas grills that can fit 18-24 burgers. Ideal for most families in the USA.

The Weber Genesis II E-310 gas grill has three stainless steel burners with porcelain-enameled Flavorizer bars and porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates.

The Weber Genesis II S-310 gas grill is stainless steel on the inside and out, for a look as exceptional as the quality. It has stainless steel cooking grates and flavorizer bars (that are durable and built to last). Both of them have the GS4 grilling system working magic under the lid, so all that’s left for you to do is take that first juicy bite.

Weber Genesis II 3-burner gas grills have a performance is similar to the E-210, and indirect cooking is even better. If you have an average family and you’re about to go with the Genesis II series, we think these 3-burner grills will suit your needs most.

3) Weber Genesis II E-410 Gas Grill Review

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Stepping up to the Weber Genesis II E-410, grill gives you four burners and a choice of four colors—crimson (shown), copper, black, or smoke. This gas grill has 844 sq. in. of cooking area gives you plenty of room to cook. With such a large cooking area, you can cook up to 28 burgers or more, serving a group of 8-10 people at once. And the grill also features 646 sq. in. of primary cooking area and 198 sq. in. of warming rack area, tuck-away warming rack folds down for easy storage.

4 high performance stainless steel burner tubes deliver 48,000 BTUs of even and consistent heat anywhere on the cooking surface. Of all the Genesis E-series models, the Genesis II E-410 gas grill delivered the best heating evenness, which means no matter where you place the food, the cooking temperature is the same. That’s important if you want to grill a batch of burgers and serve them all at once.

4) Weber Genesis II E-610 Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Genesis II E-610 Gas Grill has a primary cooking space of up to 770 sq.in. It also has 228 sq.in Tuck-Away warming rack overhead that increases the total cooking area of up to nearly 1000 sq.in. This grill has the largest cooking surface of the Genesis II E series grills, with room for up to 30 burgers or more. It’s enough to cook for a group of 10-15 people.

With six stainless steel burners that produce 60,000 BTU of power, the Genesis II E-640 can serve for large parties of friends and family. Its generous cooking surface will rustle up meat, fish and vegetables with the perfect barbecue taste. The grease management system ensures that it’s easy to keep clean too.

As with the rest of the Genesis II gas grills, the E-610 incorporates Weber’s new GS4 electronic ignition system operated by a push button on the front of the unit as well as two state-of-the-art high performance tapered burners which ensure constant and even heat distribution over the entire cooking area.


Weber Genesis II LX Gas Grills Reviews

Best Weber Grills for Outdoor BBQ Enthusiasts

The Weber Genesis II LX series is designed with the full grilling experience in mind and is built to last. The grill takes it up a notch, offering everything you need. It is an upgrade from the Genesis II but adding some more great features.

All of the grills in the Genesis II LX have Flavorizer bars and cooking grates that are made of stainless steel – which aren’t as prone to scratching and chipping as porcelain-coated grates. These grills are upgraded to reduce preheat times and increase searing temperatures with the added High+ heat setting. Side burners are built-in to increase cooking versatility (which the Genesis II grills don’t have). Lighted control knobs and LED lighting assist with night-time grilling.

Overview of the Genesis II LX Series Gas Grills | Video by Weber

In addition, the Genesis II LX grills provide more BTU and cooking area than the equivalent Genesis II. They also have a cabinet with doors where you can stash your grilling accessories.

The Genesis II LX series is the ideal complement to your outdoor living space. This is the best Weber grill to buy if you’re an outdoor barbecuing enthusiast or you want to unleash your inner backyard chef.

The Weber Genesis II LX series includes 8 main models (natural gas and liquid propane): 2-burner, 3-burner, 4-burner and 6-burner ranging from 26,000 to 60,000 BTU and between 360 and 720 sq. in. cooking areas:

The main difference between the E-series and S-series Genesis II LX model is that the lid on the LX S models is stainless steel, while on the E models it’s porcelain-enameled.

All Weber Genesis II LX gas grills feature:

  • 10 years warranty
  • Available in natural gas and LP propane
  • GS4 high-performance grilling system
  • iGrill 3 capabilities
  • Stainless steel Flavorizer bars & Cooking Grates
  • Built-in lid thermometer
  • Side burners for boiling corns or sauces
  • High+ heat setting, Lighted control knobs and LED lighting assist
  • Cabinet below for storage area
  • Easy access gas tank storage

Which Weber Genesis II LX Gas Grill is Best for You?

1) Weber Genesis II LX E-240 and S-240 Gas Grill Review

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The two-burner Weber Genesis II LX E-240/S-240 is a small grill, but it’s more expensive than most midsized gas grills on the market, and even many large gas grills.

This grill features two stainless steel burners that produce 29,000 BTUs of power and a 12,000 BTU side burner. These burners distribute heat evenly over the 380 square-inches of cooking grates. The Tuck-Away, Elevations compatible warming rack provides an additional 114 square-inches for a generous 494 square-inches of total cooking area.

Compared to the Genesis II series counterpart, the burners of LX E-240/S-240 are more powerful and distribute heat faster.

2) Weber Genesis II LX E-340 and S-340 Gas Grill Review

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With the Weber Genesis II LX E-340/S-340, you get 3 stainless steel burners with 43,500 BTU-per-hour input and 669 Sq. In. total cooking area. 12,000 BTU-per-hour input flush-mounted side burner.

This is a midsized gas grill. We think this is the best Weber Genesis II LX grill to buy if you’re an average homeowner and you are serious about your backyard BBQ. In fact, most homeowners opted for a 3-burner gas grill after researching.

3) Weber Genesis II LX E-440 and S-440 Gas Grill Review

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With 646 square inches of primary cooking area, the Genesis II LX E440/S-440 gas grill is the grill that will create all your culinary masterpieces. The power of the GS4 contains four burners and ample cooking area that allows you to grill anything from vegetables, to a beautiful steak, so a rustic style pizza.

It has four high-performance stainless steel burners that deliver 52,000 BTUs of consistent and even heat anywhere on the grill. The side burner uses 12,000 BTUs to simmer sauces or cook flavourful side dishes with the main course is grilling under the lid. The classic Weber Flavorizer bars are incorporated beneath the stainless steel grill and angled just right to catch drippings that add the irresistible smoky flavor we all desire.

4) Weber Genesis II LX E-640 and S-640 Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Genesis II LX E-640/S-640 Gas Grill has the largest cooking surface of the Genesis II LX series, with room for 28 burgers or more.

With six powerful burners produce 72,000 BTUs of power and a total cooking surface of 998 square inches (a 770 square inch primary cooking surface and a 228 square inch warming rack), the LX E-640/S-640 gas grill has enough room for 28 burgers or more.

This is the most expensive in this series, so if you aren’t cooking for a baseball team, this is definitely not the best Weber grill to buy.


Weber Summit Gas Grills Reviews

Best Weber High-End Gas Grills

The Weber Summit Gas Grill Series is the best grill for the experienced griller. The grills in the Weber Summit series are the pinnacle of grill performance, offering you the widest variety of grilling options. They are designed with top-notch features that make your grilling adventure more convenient and enjoyable than ever.

Summit grills feature four to six burners, plus a side burner and rotisserie options. A sear station burner or infrared burner for quick searing and a built-in rotisserie system makes rotisserie grilling convenient, easy, and fun. Add a touch of smoke to any dish with the built-in smoker box.

If you’re looking for a large cooking area, elite grilling features, and the ability to cook almost any food you can imagine, these are the best Weber grills for you. The Summit line is also the only Weber line offered as a built-in or full grill center.

In addition to those convenient features, the ignition system of the Summit series is also not the same as the Genesis II LX line. The Summit is outfitted with Snap-Jet Individual Infrared Burner Ignition System for quick and easy lighting,  each different burner has its own flame throwing ignition. This powerful ignition system is superior to any other ignition system we’ve ever seen. You’ll love this reliable ignition system.

Weber Summit gas grills are stainless steel on the inside and out, for a look as exceptional as the quality. They have stainless steel cooking grates, flavorizer bars and side tables. Everything is built to last. Stainless steel is considered the best available choice when it comes to the hardware of a BBQ.

Simply put, the Summit series offers you the absolute best grilling experience on the planet. If you’re an experienced griller, this is the best Weber gas grill for you. And in the $1500 – $3000 price range, there is virtually no competition to the Summit gas grill when it comes to performance, durability, and the ability to control over grilling process.

The Weber Summit series is currently available in 4 different models (propane and natural gas):

The only difference between the E-Series and the S-Series is:

  • S-series has Stainless steel lids with stainless steel doors
  • E-Series has Porcelain-enameled lid with painted steel doors

All Weber Summit Series Gas Grills feature:

  • Made in the USA
  • 10 years warranty
  • Available in natural gas and LP propane
  • A 10,600 BTU rear burner and rotisserie kit, a 10,600 BTU searing station for that extra high heat when you need it, and a 6,800 BTU wood chip smoker box with a dedicated burner, plus a 12,000 BTU side burner if you need to warm up a side dish or a BBQ sauce.
  • Tuck-away rotisserie system with flip-up motor and storage
  • Stainless steel burners, stainless steel Flavorizer bars, stainless steel cooking grates, stainless steel side tables.
  • Snap-Jet individual burner ignition system
  • Lighted control knobs
  • Grill Cabinet
  • Natural gas grill includes a 10-foot flexible hose

Which Weber Summit Gas Grill is Best for You?

1) Weber Summit E-470 and S-470 Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Summit E-470/S-470 gas grill is available in both natural gas and LP propane. This is the best Weber gas grill to buy if you’re an experienced griller and looking for a gas grill with a large cooking area and an abundance of features.

The 470 has four main burners that produce 48,800 BTUs and a 10,600 BTU Sear Station, each with Snap-Jet individual burner ignition to help you get the party started as quickly as possible. The warming rack provides an additional 112 square inches for a generous 580 square inches of total cooking area.

The Weber 470 also has a 12,000 BTU flush-mounted side burner that lets you multi-task while grilling, a stainless steel smoker box with a dedicated 6,800 BTU smoker burner and a 10,600 BTU infrared rotisserie rear burner.

2) Weber Summit E-670 and S-670 Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Summit 670 Gas Grill has a large cooking space. It’s large enough for you to invite every single one of your friends over for a cookout.

This grill has six main burners at 10,000 BTUs each, a 10,600 BTUs sear burner in the center and a 12,000 BTU side burner. The primary cooking area is 624 square inches, and the additional warming rack is 145 square inches for a huge 769 square inches of total cooking area.

The 670 is available in LP propane and natural gas models, as are all Weber Summits. The propane model has a handy LED fuel level indicator right on the control panel that shows your propane level at the push of a button. “Snap-Jet” ignition is activated by each individual control knob. Two battery-powered Grill Out Handle Lights screw onto the lid handle to illuminate the cooking surface.

The Weber Summit gas grills are not cheap. With most parts that are made of high-quality stainless steel they can easily last for decades. These Weber grills really have everything, from the amazing cooking system to the TuckAway rotisserie motor and light up control knobs. If you want to cook food perfectly and in an extraordinary way, this would be the best Weber grill to buy!


Weber Charcoal Grills Reviews

Cooking on a charcoal grill gives your food a completely different taste compared to food cooked on a gas grill. Experienced pit masters might even argue that you haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a hunk of juicy meat that has been grilled on a charcoal burner – and they’re right.

Weber charcoal grills are amongst the best charcoal grills on the market. Cooking with Weber charcoal grills always produces delicious results. Weber charcoal grills are easy to use, take only a few minutes to heat up, and distribute heat evenly. Weber charcoal grills are also very durable and require less cleaning effort.

Weber charcoal grills are currently offered in 3 different series:

Each is designed for a specific purpose, read on to find out which is the best Weber charcoal grill for you.

1) Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grills Reviews

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Weber’s roots go back to George Stephen’s original, kettle-shaped design, so they’ve kept the Original Kettle series going strong as a modern version of the grill that started it all back in 1952. Coming in 18 inches, 22 inches, and 26 inches sizes, Original Kettle charcoal grills are affordable, durable options for the charcoal-grilling lover.

The Weber Original Kettle is by far the most popular backyard charcoal grill in the world for under a hundred dollars. The bowl and lid are pressed from solid sheets of steel so there are no welds to rust, and coated with a durable powder coated baked on porcelain enamel that lasts for decades.

And thanks to an aluminum ash catcher, rust-resistant damper, plated steel cooking grates, and one-touch cleaning system, Original Kettle grills are built to both outperform and outlast any other traditional models. The one-touch cleaning system not only makes cleaning out the bowl a breeze but also helps keep you cooking longer by preventing the build-up of ashes that block vents and suffocates the fire.

If you’re looking for a charcoal grill that costs only under a hundred dollars, easy to use and clean up, but can produce food with an amazingly rich and smoky flavor and unquestionably moist, this is the best Weber charcoal grill series to buy.

Weber Original Kettle charcoal grills also offer 2 other configurations: the Premium and the Master-Touch.

  • The Weber Original Kettle Premium charcoal grill features the removable, high-capacity aluminum ash catcher and built-in lid thermometer.
  • In addition to the Original Kettle Premium features, the Weber Master-Touch charcoal grill offers a Gourmet BBQ System hinged cooking grate, a Tuck-Away lid holder, and a warming rack.

2) Weber Performer Charcoal Grills Reviews

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In addition to the Original Kettle series, the Weber Performer charcoal grills offer the added convenience of a heavy-duty steel-frame cart, a work table for food prep, and a bottom wire rack.

The new Weber Performer charcoal grills come standard with Weber’s Gourmet BBQ Cooking System which takes grilling on charcoal to a new level. Unique inserts (sold separately) expand cooking possibilities by delivering professionally seared steaks and chops on the sear grate, delicious breakfast in the griddle, spicy stir-fry and soups in the wok, and even crispy pizza on the cordierite pizza stone.

If you’re an outdoor charcoal grilling enthusiast and looking for a simple system that can deliver the ultimate experience, this is the best Weber charcoal grill to invest in.

All Weber Performer charcoal grills feature:

  • Cooking area = 363 square inches
  • Gourmet bbq system hinged cooking grate
  • Porcelain-enameled bowl and lid
  • Aluminized steel one-touch cleaning system
  • Removable, high-capacity, aluminum ash catcher
  • Tuck-away lid holder
  • Rust-resistant aluminum damper
  • Lid handle with heat shield
  • Heavy-duty steel cart frame
  • Three tool hooks
  • Built-in lid thermometer
  • Wire bottom shelf

The Weber Performer charcoal grills are available in basic, Premium, and Deluxe trims. The Premium and Deluxe add a removable backlit LCD cook timer, and a weather-protected CharBin storage container. Additionally, the Deluxe features an electronic Touch-N-Go gas ignition system.

Bottom line, in our opinion you can’t go wrong with the Weber Performer charcoal grill. Not only is it one of the best charcoal grill you can buy, but it’s also one of the most popular and top-rated charcoal grills on the market.

3) Weber Summit Charcoal Grills Reviews

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Weber Summit Charcoal Grill was introduced in 2016 and quickly becomes one of the hottest products on the grilling market. This is the best Weber’s charcoal grill for experienced pit masters. A major benefit of using the Weber Summit charcoal grills to cook your food is how precise the temperature is and an effective dedicated low and slow indirect heat smoker reminiscent of a kamado.

Although the grills in the Summit series are pricey, as expensive as a 4-burner high-end gas grill, the results are worth it. They give your food a completely different taste compared to food cooked on a gas grill or any other cheaper charcoal grill on the planet. If you’re serious about both grilling and smoking and willing to pay more for flavor, this is one of the best charcoal grills you don’t want to miss.

The Summit charcoal grill is a steel kamado tricked out with a propane ignition and stainless steel trimmings. Available in two configurations, it features the same grill on different carts. The standard model comes on a basic three-wheeled cart with a wire lower shelf, while the Grilling Center comes on a larger work cart with a stainless steel tabletop, wire basket, bottom wire rack, and a weatherproof charcoal storage bin.

All Weber Summit Charcoal Grills feature:

  • (1) Rapidfire damper design: The unique Rapidfire damper facilitates rapid airflow through the grill, helping ignite the charcoal faster and bring grilling temperatures up quickly during the grilling process.
  • (2) Stainless steel, hinged Gourmet BBQ system cooking grate: the stainless steel, hinged Gourmet BBQ system cooking grate is 24 inches in diameter and allows for ample cooking space to accommodate your entire meal. the removable center, allows you to switch between a variety of Gourmet BBQ system cookware to take grilling to the next level.
  • (3) Air-insulated double-walled lid and bowl: As air acts as a great insulator, the air inside the double-walled lid and bowl helps provide consistent temperatures throughout the cooking process. This feature also means that you need less fuel when cooking.
  • (4) Stainless steel hinged diffuser plate: By deflecting heat away from the food, this air-insulated stainless steel plate helps maintain a consistent low, even temperature. Making it perfect for long cooking times, smoking and baking.
  • (5) Snap-Jet gas ignition system: With a simple push and turn of the knob, the gas easily ignites the charcoal within 15 minutes getting you up and grilling faster.
  • (6) Two position fuel grate: The fuel grate provides flexibility whether you are smoking low and slow or searing over high heat.
  • (7) Smoke – low and slow vent design: allows minimal airflow during slow cooking/smoking applications and shows exactly where to set the bottom vent position.
  • (8) One-Touch cleaning system: The stainless steel One-Touch cleaning system provides hassle-free ash removal. The 3 blade design helps sweep the ash into the bucket. The bucket is removable for easy ash disposal.


Weber Q Grills Reviews

Introduced in 2003, the Weber Q series grills changed the game when it came to portable grilling. They’re the best Weber grills for camping, tailgating or summer evenings at the ball diamond, yet a Weber Q can still cook an entire meal at home.

The Q ranges in size from the smallest portable Q 1000 gas grill; ideal for the thrill-seeking griller on the go, to the largest Q 3200 gas grill made for the city dweller with a smaller patio. Also featured in the series are two electric portable grills. Just plug the electric grill into an outdoor electrical supply and expect the same superior results as the gas grill.

The Weber Q has tons of great features making it one of the best small grills on the market.

Common Features:

  • The Weber Q lid and body are made of painted cast-aluminum. They are durable, efficient, require minimal maintenance, and can withstand the heat needed to grill at any temperature. In addition, the shape of the lid and body allows for proper circulation of heat around the food for even cooking.
  • Made of high-grade stainless steel, Weber Q’s burner tubes stand up to the trace amounts of water in liquid propane. Each burner tube consists of a singular piece of steel with no welds, making them stronger and more resistant to rust and burn-through.
  • Weber’s porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates combine the ease of porcelain-enamel with the superior heat retention of cast-iron.
  • The Weber Q body angles grease down the sides and out into a grease tray. Moving grease away from the burner tubes prevents unwanted flare-ups. The tray slides out for easy cleaning and holds a disposable drip pan.

Which Weber Q Grill Is Best For You?

The Weber Q Gas grill is one of the best and most popular small gas grill on the market. It’s available in four sizes. The Weber Q Electric grills make things even easier for downtown living! Perfect for an apartment patio, the 1,560-watt Q Electric comes in two different sizes to ensure your dreams of an urban barbecue are no longer just wishful thinking!

1) Weber Q 1000 Series Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Q 1000 Series gas grills are small enough to go wherever you go with enough grilling space to concoct a quick meal when back on land. They are available in two configurations: Weber Q 1000 and Weber Q 1200 gas grill. Both run on LP propane.

The Q 1000 features single burner, 8,500 BTU, 189 sq. in. total cooking area, and push-button ignition. The Q 1200 features everything on the Q 1000 plus two folding side tables and built-in lid thermometer. The Q 1200 also comes in multiple colors (titanium, black, green, blue, orange, red, purple, and fuchsia) to match your favorite color!

The Weber Q 1000 Series, as we know, are by far the most popular portable gas grills on the market. The grills in this series are known for portability and durability. If you’re looking for the best portable gas grill, the Q 1000 grills are for you.

2) Weber Q 2000 Series Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Q 2000 Series gas grills small enough to fit on just about any patio with the power to grill up a full meal.

With convenient side tables to place spices and light in weight for easy portability. They are available in two configurations: Weber Q 2000 and Weber Q 2200 gas grill. Both run on liquid propane.

The Q 2000 features single burner, 12,000 BTU, 280 sq. in. total cooking area, push-button ignition, and two folding side tables. The Q 2200 features everything on the Q 2000 plus built-in lid thermometer.

3) Weber Q 3200 Gas Grill Review

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The Weber Q 3200 is the only model in the Q series is available for use with either liquid propane or natural gas.

This model is sized to fit in a smaller yard yet big enough to grill an entire roast. With the power of two stainless steel burners, a large cooking surface (393 sq.in.), and two convenient side tables, the Q 3200 can serve 3-4 people at the same time.

The Weber Q 3200 also features a heavy-duty cart with three integrated tool hooks and side handle for easy mobility. Behind the screen are a tank holder and storage area for tools and accessories. Screen discretely keeps 20-lb LP tank out of view.

4) Weber Q Electric Grill Review

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Weber has two small portable electric grills in their Q series: the Q 1400 Electric Grill and the Q 2400 Electric Grill. If you’re living in an apartment or areas that restrict gas and charcoal grills on patios or balconies, these are the best Weber grills to buy. Using electricity as the fuel is also much safer than gas as there is no open flame, so you can grill indoors or outdoors.

Weber electric grills heat up relatively quickly and the heat is distributed evenly. Despite their convenience, the taste of meat grilled on these electric grills, as with all electric grills, is much different when compared to charcoal and even gas grills.

The Q 1400 is the smallest Weber electric with 189 square inches of cook surface. This small cooker makes travel easy, as long as your destination has electricity. It can be used as a portable grill to cook dinner on your camping trip – as it runs on 120V/1560Watt, which is suitable for use with a 2000W portable generator. But obviously limits the amount and size of what can be cooked. It may be used as a table top grill or mounted to a fold out stand with two legs, two wheels, and tool hooks.

The Q 2400 is the largest Weber electric with 280 square inches of cook surface. It gives you a much larger cooking surface than with the Q 1400. It also can be used as a table top grill or mounted to a fold out stand with two legs, two wheels, and tool hooks. The best Weber electric grill for you will depend on how many people you will regularly be cooking for.

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What’s the Best Propane Smoker to Buy? /best-propane-gas-smoker-reviews/ Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:09:58 +0000 /?p=6127 Are you looking to combine the bold flavor of a smoker with the ease of use of a gas grill? A propane smoker may be just what you’re looking for. Cooking low-n-slow on a propane smoker produces food that unquestionably moist, coupled with a rich, smoky flavor. Although cooking on a propane smoker is a […]

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Are you looking to combine the bold flavor of a smoker with the ease of use of a gas grill? A propane smoker may be just what you’re looking for. Cooking low-n-slow on a propane smoker produces food that unquestionably moist, coupled with a rich, smoky flavor. Although cooking on a propane smoker is a slow and steady process, the results are worth it. The unparalleled flavor of smoked ribs, brisket, beef, or chicken is the thing that you will never be able to forget in life.

The best propane smokers are packed with features designed to not only enhance your smoking experience but also make your life easier. If you’ve decided you have to have a propane smoker, this buyer’s guide will help narrow down your choices and let you know what features are necessary for a propane smoker to be a great propane smoker. We also review some of the top-rated propane smokers on the market that we think you should consider first.

Best Propane Smokers

Our Picks

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After many hours of researching and reading user’s reviews, we’ve decided that the Smoke Hollow 38202G 38-Inch 2-Door Propane Gas Smoker is our pick as the best propane smoker for most people. No propane smoker matches its combination of exceptional performance, usability, durability, and value. Its overall compact size suits almost any patio or deck, but its smoking space is big enough for smoke cooking for a family or a larger group with more people.

Smoking space is enough for several butts or racks of ribs, with all the meat easily accessible at the same time. It has separate doors for tending the chip pan and water pan, so that you don’t have to open the cooking chamber and let the heat and smoke out, the upper and lower vent controls on this propane smoker make it easier to manage internal heat and moisture, and a push-button electronic igniter for lighting the burner quickly.

The thing we love most from the Smoke Hollow 38202G is that even though this gas smoker has an affordable price, it’s well built and features a cast brass burner. Cast brass burners are solid and very durable. It’s the least common material used and only available on several distinct models of expensive propane smokers. Cast brass burners last longer than stainless steel burners and carry longer warranties.

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If you need a bit more room on your gas smoker, or you don’t like to cut your ribs down to fit the smoker – regular rib racks fit just right side-to-side in the 40-inch smoker, get the Masterbuilt GS40 40-Inch Propane Smoker. Though it’s just a few inches wider than the Smoke Hollow 38202G overall, it offers 10 percent more smoking area. This propane smoker is enough to smoke up to 20 chickens, 4 turkeys, 8 racks of ribs, or 16 pork butts – enough room to smoke all of your favorite food.

The fact that not only is the Masterbuilt GS40 one of the best propane smokers available, it’s one of the Masterbuilt’s top-selling gas smokers. Many owners love this inexpensive BBQ smoker. The quality of it is way higher than other similar-sized propane smokers at the same price.

Why Should I Buy a Propane Smoker?

If you’re considering a propane smoker for the first time, you’d likely want to answer these important questions: why are propane smokers such a great choice for barbequing? Why is a propane smoker better than a charcoal, electric, and pellet smoker? We will help you answer these questions before going to the next section where we review some of the best propane smokers available on the market.

Flavor

Smoker purists will claim that a wood pellet smoker is the only way to get the best flavor, but don’t let that deter you. Many blind tests have been done and even the most hardened grillmasters have trouble noticing the difference. Propane offers a flavor that’s on par with the best wood pellet smokers on the market but without the headache of trying to be a temperature guru.

Some of the tastiest meats for smoking include beef brisket, pork shoulder, pork sausage, ribs, whole hens, salmon, and lamb leg. Propane is perfect for these meats is much quicker to get to temperature than alternate fuel sources.

We love the flavor of meat from propane smokers, but it is a tiny bit different than the taste of meat from charcoal smokers, and to our taste, much better than the flavor from electric smokers. Most “meat geeks” agree: smoked meat tastes better than meat cooked on a gas grill.

The smoke ring, that juicy pink strip of meat underneath the skin, is a visual testament to the beauty of a smoker. Smoked meats will often possess a more pronounced (and thus tastier) smoke ring than those cooked on a gas grill.

Versatility

A propane smoker is much better than an electric and charcoal smoker when it comes to versatility.

Since an electric smoker needs to be plugged into an outlet, it isn’t as portable as propane smokers. Unlike electric smokers, gas/propane smokers don’t need electricity to work. You never have to worry about losing electricity and spoiling your meat. And since you don’t have to plug a propane smoker in, it’s very portable. This makes taking your smoker over to a friend’s house or a park for a cookout as easy as bringing along a portable grill.

Also, with a charcoal smoker, you’ll have to start, stoke, watch, and dispose of your charcoal, just like you would with a charcoal grill. This may take you a lot of time to start cooking. With a propane smoker, all you need to cook is a small amount of wood and a tank of propane – you can start cooking in just a few minutes.

Most gas smokers only use propane. The Camp Chef units, including the Camp Chef Smoke Vault 18″ and Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24”, are the only ones that are natural gas friendly (you need to buy the Camp Chef Natural Gas Conversion Kit). You may be able to adopt another brand to run on natural gas, but this must be done by a professional unless your goal is to be charred on the outside and rare in the center. If you’re looking for the best propane smoker that can be converted to natural gas, the Camp Chef smokers are good options to buy.

Ease of Use

It is much easier to control the temperature of a gasser than a charcoal or wood fueled smoker. For example with a wood smoker, you’re constantly having to adjust the temperature by adding wood (both logs and chips) to the existing flames or removing it if it’s too hot. With a propane smoker you’re only dealing with wood chips as a smoking/flavoring agent. The temperature will remain constant so long as the propane is properly fueling the unit and your only task will be to ensure that the wood chips are properly smoking the meat, occasionally adding more chips to keep the smoke up.

The perfect temperature for cooking meats and vegetables is typically between 225 degrees and 250 degrees. With a propane smoker the simple controls allow you to adjust the temperature all the way up to 450 degrees, making them perfect for switching from smoking to grilling.

Most propane smokers work with the push of a button and the dial of a knob. Push-button ignition lights the flame quickly, and arrows or knobs are used to adjust the temperature setting. Some models have two doors. A small one at the bottom so you can check the flame and add wood and water. The main door provides access to the cooking chamber. The two-door feature was really impressed us, it was a very useful as it allowed us to add wood chips without losing that precious heat and smoke.

Best Propane Smoker Reviews

1. Smoke Hollow 38202G 38-Inch 2-Door Propane Gas Smoker Reviews – Best Propane Smoker Overall

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The Smoke Hollow 38202G 38-Inch 2-Door Propane Gas Smoker is one of the top-rated gas smokers on Amazon.com and is our pick as the best propane smoker for most people. It offers an unrivaled combination of top-notch smoking performance, a versatile design, an extremely durable cast brass burner, and an affordable price. Its overall compact size (27″ wide x 18.5″ deep x 47″ tall) suits almost any patio or deck, but its smoking space (smoking cabinet capacity of 3.4 cubic feet) is big enough for smoke cooking for a family or a larger group with more people. Smoking space is enough for several butts or racks of ribs, with all the meat easily accessible at the same time.

The Smoke Hollow 38202G can easily accommodate meals for a large group, and it has separate doors for tending the chip pan and water pan, so that you don’t have to open the cooking chamber and let the heat and smoke out, the upper and lower vent controls on this propane smoker make it easier to control the temperature. Once you get it to the right temperature, it will stay there for a long time.

This smoker comes four chrome-plated cooking grates that can be adjusted; this allows you to smoke a variety of foods at different temperatures. The makers of this unit thought of everything when it comes to smoking; they even included a sausage rack inside of the cooking chamber. Another useful feature is a push-button electronic igniter for lighting the burner quickly.

The thing we love most from the Smoke Hollow 38202G is that even though this gas smoker has an affordable price, it’s well built and features a 20,000 BTU cast brass burner. Cass brass burners are solid and very durable. It’s the least common material used and only available on several distinct models of expensive propane smokers. Cass brass burners last longer than stainless steel burners and carry longer warranties. Cast brass burners also give the user ultimate control and increase the low to high-temperature range.

Overall, we pick the Smoke Hollow 38202G as the best propane smoker because we think it has a perfect size for most people, it offers several clever, life-improving design elements that we love. And on top of that, at its current price, everyone can afford it.

2. Masterbuilt GS40 40-Inch Propane Smoker (Model 20050211) Reviews – Best-Selling Propane Smoker

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If you need a bit more room on your gas smoker, or you don’t like to cut your ribs down to fit the smoker – regular full racks of ribs fit just right side-to-side in the 40-inch smoker, get the Masterbuilt GS40 40-Inch Propane Smoker. With the dimensions of the actual cooking chamber are 24” wide x 16” deep x 33” tall, this smoker has the largest cooking capacity of any smoker at the same price we’ve ever seen . With four adjustable stainless steel racks, the Masterbuilt GS40 is enough to smoke up to 20 chickens, 4 turkeys, 8 racks of ribs, or 16 pork butts – enough room to smoke all of your favorite food.

Unlike our top-pick that has cast metal burners, the Masterbuilt GS40 uses a 15,400 BTU stainless steel burner. Stainless steel burners aren’t as durable as cast brass burners but they can easily last up to 5 years or more. The burner’s flame is easily adjustable using a simple knob. The smoker holds a constant temperature for several hours. Because it’s not insulated, the internal temperature can be affected by outside weather conditions. This happens to most inexpensive propane smokers. But don’t worry, this really doesn’t impact food quality, just fuel efficiency.

Thus far, we’ve cooked spare ribs, meat loaf, wings and chicken quarters on the Masterbuilt GS40 gas propane smoker. Whether smoking at low or high temperatures, the results have been stellar. We couldn’t be happier with the ease of use and consistent quality of the food. The most important features to us are the large cooking capacity and consistent temperatures. At such a low price, we don’t think you could find any gas smoker that is larger and better than this one. This is one of the best propane smokers for the money that you can buy.

3. Smoke Hollow PS4415 Pro Series Propane Smoker Reviews

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The Smoke Hollow PS4415 Pro Series is the best propane smoker for you if you plan to smoke a serious amount of food. With over 6.5 cubic feet of capacity, this gas smoker can easily handle enough food for large gatherings with plenty of room to accommodate different items from meats to veggies. It is even roomy enough to accommodate up to 7 chickens at the same time. It also comes with five cooking grids (two standard grids, two jerky style grids and one combination cooking grid/rib rack) for different types of smoking.

One of the biggest drawbacks to gas smokers is that most are thin metal and the doors are loose so they leak heat and smoke. The leak really doesn’t impact food quality but you will have to burn more gasses and wood chips than airtight units. The Smoke Hollow PS4415 Pro Series doesn’t have these problems. The doors latch closed tightly and the dual burner design gives it a much wider range of temperatures. The upper door with large tempered window allows you to check food progress without opening the door.

The Smoke Hollow PS4415 Pro Series is equipped with dual 11,000 BTU’s stainless steel burners, which can be operated independently for optimum performance and temperature control. This design gives this propane smoker a wide temperature range which is easily adjusted once you get the hang of it.

The dual-burner design also allows the smoker to reach high temperature quickly. Once you reach the required heat, you turn off one burner and the other is set according to the desired temperature and everything will work fine. Smoke Hollow claims that shutting off one burner will give you low temps of around 125°F on the top rack for smoking cheese.

Overall, at its current price, we think the Smoke Hollow PS4415 Pro Series is one of the best propane smokers for the person who doesn’t want to make a big investment but does want to make a lot of barbecues.

4. Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36″ Propane Smoker Reviews

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The Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36″ Propane Smoker offers quality, performance, and versatility. Since smoke always goes up, the tall and chimney-like design of this model is ideal for maximum smoke capture and efficient natural smoking. Its small footprint makes it a perfect size for patios and barbecue kitchens. It’s easy to set up and includes a 40in. hose and regulator that attaches quickly to a standard propane tank.

This two-door propane smoker features four 14 x 14 inch height-adjustable stainless steel grates offering a total cooking area of 784 square inches. It is an excellent characteristic for this rather compact model. Although it has a compact footprint, it has a generous 5.45 square feet of interior cooking space, which means there is plenty of room to smoke a variety of meats along with several trays of vegetables. One more option that can’t remain unnoticed is porcelain enamel steel tray holds the wood chips and water which is designed to handle extended use at high temperatures.

The Cuisinart COS-244 is cheap, it’s one of the best propane smokers for those who are looking to buy a smoker that will take up less space, easy to use, and won’t break the bank. But if the ribs are too long you’d have to cut it down to fit this smoker.

5. Masterbuilt 20050116 Portable Gas Smoker Reviews – Best Portable Propane Smoker for Outdoor Camping

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Perfectly sized for smoking in smaller areas, but still large enough to cook a whole turkey or pork butt, this Masterbuilt 20050116 Portable Gas Smoker features two smoking racks and a collapsible tabletop design that’s ideal for outdoor cooking, tailgating, and RV camping. This smoker weighs only 22.2 lbs and its overall size is 15.91” deep x 23.62 wide x 23.15 tall. It features two chrome-coated racks, a 5,000 BTU stainless steel burner, and a push-button ignition lights burner quickly and easily. The compact design and folding legs make transport and storage easy.

6. Dyna-Glo DGW1904BDP-D 43″ Wide Body LP Gas Smoker Reviews

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Dyna-Glo offers some low and moderately-priced gas and charcoal grills and smokers. The DGW1904BDP-D 43″ Wide Body LP Gas Smoker is one of the best propane smokers from Dyna-Glo, it has a good quality for a good price. It’s a large smoker with 4 height adjustable cooking grates provide 784 total square inches of cooking space – you have plenty of room to smoke your favorite food. Each grate can be adjusted to accommodate whatever size and type of food your heart desire.

This gas smoker is built from solid steel. It features dual cast iron burners which provide 15,000 total BTUs. Cast iron burners are highly durable and usually last longer than stainless steel burners but they require more maintenance. Cast iron burners should be oiled and maintained to enjoy full life expectancy. The smoker has a double door design which lets you add wood and water without disturbing foods in the smoke box. The little water bowl and wood chip box are made with heavy gauge, porcelain enameled steel. The push-button electronic ignition emits a rapid pulse for quick and easy lighting.

7. Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24 in. Propane Gas Smoker-SMV24S – Natural Gas Friendly

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If you’re looking to buy a propane smoker that can be converted to natural gas when you want, grab the Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24 in. Propane Gas Smoker. This smoker is large so you can smoke many types of food at once. With two 21.5″W x 14″D adjustable smoking racks, 1 jerky smoking rack, it will accommodate slabs of ribs laid flat and there is enough headroom to use rib racks on both shelves for big gatherings. It is even roomy enough to accommodate a full turkey.

Additionally, Smoke Vault’s 18,000 BTU burner can be dialed down to 160⁰ and cranked up to 350⁰ while most BBQ gas smokers have limited cooking temperature range and can’t get down and hold low and slow temps of 225⁰. This is important because it hasn’t been limited and it can hold on to enough heat to hit higher temperatures. As the Camp Chef website says, this smoker can be “used for smoking ribs, fish, and turkeys as well as baking pies and bread”.

While the 24in Vault is a bit more expensive than most gas smokers on the market, it is better built and best of all it’s natural gas friendly. You can find a hundred vertical gassers for less money, but if you really want to buy one of the best propane smokers, this nice smoker is worth considering.

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Best Natural Gas Grill Reviews /best-natural-gas-grill-reviews/ Fri, 06 Jul 2018 03:32:45 +0000 /?p=6039 Natural gas is one of the most common methods of grilling, and it’s easy to see why. Natural gas grills have none of the hassles associated with charcoal, they are relatively easy to light, you have more control over their heat distribution, they burn cleaner, and fuel costs are lower than charcoal. And unlike propane […]

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Natural gas is one of the most common methods of grilling, and it’s easy to see why. Natural gas grills have none of the hassles associated with charcoal, they are relatively easy to light, you have more control over their heat distribution, they burn cleaner, and fuel costs are lower than charcoal. And unlike propane grills, natural gas grills hook directly to your home gas system so you don’t have to worry about running out of juice in the middle of a grilling session. Also, natural gas fuel costs are lower than propane as you don’t have to constantly replace the tanks.

The only downside of natural gas grilling is that it’s not portable, you must have a natural gas line to provide fuel for the burners. So, if you have access to a natural gas line, and you’re looking for a new gas grill, choosing a natural gas grill is a complete no-brainer. It’s certainly more convenient and less expensive than using a propane or charcoal grill.

We’ve created a detailed guide to help you find the best natural gas grill that fits your needs and style. We’ll walk you through it with a review of the things you’ll want to consider when comparing natural gas grills and their features. What size grill do you need? How many burners do you need? and what cooking grid and flame tamers are best for you?

But before we go deeper, let’s take a look at our picks of the best natural gas BBQ grills available. They were chosen because of their quality, craftsmanship, and features surpass every other natural gas grill model.

Best Natural Gas Grills to Buy: Weber Natural Gas Grills

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After many hours of researching, we’ve decided that Weber’s Natural Gas Grills are the best natural gas grills for most people. They’re UNBEATABLE when it comes to the combination of durability, reliability, and competitive price. Natural gas grills from Weber are also known for with the convenience of a wide grilling area, excellent heat retention and even cooking to give you a superior grilling experience. They also give you a maximum control over the heat and can create a natural convection of air flow.

Designed intelligently with attention to details and built to last, Weber natural gas grills look good, work beautifully, and will LAST FOREVER. Weber’s natural gas grills are very durable and will last long so you won’t have to replace them every few years (Weber offers a 10-year warranty for all of its full-sized gas grill models). As you can see when searching on Amazon, Weber is dominating the gas grilling market in almost every segment, from economy to medium-priced to premium luxury; with the average rating of all the models is above 4 stars.

We’re not Weber’s employees and didn’t get paid to say good about them, but we must admit that Weber gas grills are really really good. There is no better choice, at least at this time. So if you’re looking for a natural gas grill that will help you to cook delicious food at home, a Weber natural gas grill is the best way to go.

Weber offers a wide selection of natural gas grills that complement every lifestyle, they are available in four main series: Weber Spirit II, Genesis II, Genesis II LX, and Summit.

#1. Weber Spirit II Natural Gas Grills

The Spirit II is the most economical Weber natural gas grill and good for basic grilling. It is available in 2 models: Spirit II E-210 and Spirit II E-310. The Spirit II E-310 natural gas grill is more popular and it’s by far the most popular natural gas grill on the market. The main difference between these two models is moving from 2 to 3 burners for more BTU and a slightly bigger grilling area. If you grill infrequently or basically, then the Spirit II is the best choice grill. It is very good quality and will last far longer than the cheaper natural gas grills.

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#2. Weber Genesis II Natural Gas Grills

If you’re looking for a grill that’ll crank things up a notch, the Genesis II series is the way to go. Genesis II is higher quality and more expensive than the Spirit II. There are four models: 2-burner, 3-burner, 4-burner and 6-burner ranging from 26,000 to 60,000 BTU and between 494 and 998 sq. in. cooking areas.

The Genesis II is perfect for everyday grilling. It has a better system and performs more consistently in terms of heat and ignition than the Spirit II. But it does not have cabinet doors. So, you should clean the grease trays often as they will be exposed to animals.

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#3. Weber Genesis II LX Natural Gas Grills

The Genesis II LX is an upgrade from the Genesis II adding: more BTU and cooking area than the equivalent Genesis II, doors below for storage area, 12,000 BTU side burners for boiling corns or sauces. It has stainless grates instead of porcelain, so it can never chip and corrode. There are four models: 2-burner, 3-burner, 4-burner and 6-burner ranging from 26,000 to 60,000 BTU and between 360 and 720 sq. in. cooking areas.

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#4. Weber Summit Natural Gas Grills

The Summit Natural Gas Grill is Weber’s top-of-the-line gas grill. The Summit’s cooking system (burners, flavorizer bars, and beefy cooking grids) are all stainless steel. Along with the durable cooking system, there are several convenient features not found on other Weber natural gas grills that separate the Summit as the best. The Summit adds a Sear burner, a smoker burner box for adding wood chips for flavoring, a tuck-away rotisserie motor, and lighted control knobs.

If you’re a grill pro, the Summit is the best natural gas grill for you with many top-notch features that make BBQ grilling a breeze. It has great features like a professional style grill at less than half the price.

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If you still don’t know which Weber gas grill model is best for your needs, check our Weber Grills Buying Guide. If you’ve decided not to go with a Weber natural gas grill, read on to find out your best natural gas grill.

How to Choose the Best Natural Gas Grill?

You’ll want to learn the basics of all things grill related before you decide which natural gas grill is best for you, so let’s break it down. Here are some things you’ll want to familiarize yourself with before buying a natural gas grill.

1) What size natural gas grill do I need?

One of the first things we like to find out is, what size natural gas grill do you need?

At first, people generally try to answer these questions with how many people will they be grilling for? Space, family size, and how many people you will regularly be cooking for are all important considerations when purchasing a natural gas grill. Are you cooking for a two-person family? A six-person family? Do you want to be able to host large outdoor parties and feed crowds of people? Are you using the grill in a corporate setting? The amount of people you will be grilling for is an important consideration which will help you determine the perfect-sized natural gas grill for your needs.

Natural gas grills are available in a wide range of different shapes and sizes. The best natural gas grills for you should be big enough to accommodate all you want to cook.

How many burners do you need?

Small natural gas grills typically contain 2 to 3 burners, such as the Weber Spirit II E-210 Natural Gas, can cook up to 18 burgers at a time and are suitable for a two to four person family.

A mid-size natural gas grill will have around 4-5 burners, such as the Broil King Regal S420 Pro, can cook between 18 to 30 burgers at a time and work best for larger families four to six person. This is the most widely sold grill size in North America.

Large natural gas grills contain six or more burners, such as the Weber Summit S-670 Natural Gas Grill, can cook more than 30 burgers at a time and work best for big families and entertaining purposes. These grills usually have the biggest cooking areas and typically cost more than $1000.

But you also should try to keep in mind that the more burners you have, the more versatility. And by that we mean if you have a nice wide grill, even if you’re only cooking for a couple of people, if you want to cook indirectly, possibly smoke on your natural gas grill, you’ll need more space for that. So also keep those kinds of things in mind when looking at the number of burners in a grill.

How much grill real estate do you need?

The size of a natural gas grill is also measured in square inches and can range anywhere from 380 square inches to more than 1000 square inches main cooking area. This is also an important thing to take into account before you buy. The larger the cooking area, the more food you can cook at a time. Ask yourself these questions when considering:

  • Do you frequently cook for large crowds?
  • Do you want to be able to cook a 20-pound turkey?
  • Do you usually cook just a few burgers or pieces of chicken?

2) What type of burner system do I want?

Material

First and foremost, the best natural gas grill must have the burners that are made out of high-grade stainless steel. Any other material will not hold up well and should be avoided (unless you are looking at infrared cooking systems).

Stainless steel burners are not only high in quality but also relatively low maintenance. Cast iron burners are a solid, but less popular choice when it comes to burner types. They’re durable; however, if they break down, can be costly to repair. Aluminized steel burners do a good job as well, and are less pricey; however, they won’t last nearly as long as cast iron or stainless steel burners.

All of the natural gas grill models we review in this article have the burners made from stainless steel.

Shape

There are many different burner shapes including bowties, H-shaped, E-shaped and tubes. They will all do a nice job of cooking as long as they are spaced to provide even heat across the entire cooking surface, can be independently controlled with at least two-control knobs, and are in proportion to the grill.

Infrared Burner

Infrared burners, also known as a searing burner or searing station, cook food using infrared radiant energy. An infrared burner heats up faster and burns hotter than a conventional burner. It’s used to grill at super high temperatures of 1000 to 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grilling at temperatures that high creates a series of chemical reactions that rapidly take place when proteins and sugars are super heated, also known as searing. This locks in essential juices and adds flavor to your meat.

Benefits of Infrared Burners:

  • Direct heat – more efficient
  • Faster pre-heat time
  • Better searing
  • Less wasted energy
  • Higher cooking temperatures

So, should the best natural gas grill for me have an Infrared burner? Well, it all depends on how you cook. If you like to cook fast, then infrared is better. It is also better for steaks and meats in general.

You can buy a great natural gas grill without an infrared burner for much less money. If you only cook hotdogs and vegetables, a natural gas grill without an infrared burner could be right for you. If you do any sort of burgers or steaks, we recommend getting a model that has at least one infrared burner. We believe you will find the infrared burner ideal for direct-heat cooking.

The grill with infrared burner has made it possible to charbroil steaks and other types of barbecuing that could formerly only be done with commercial equipment. The infrared technology is easy to use and will have you barbecuing great tasting food in a fraction of the time that it takes with traditional gas and charcoal grills.

Most of the traditional grill companies now sell an infrared burner option in the normal burner position (with conventional burners in the rest of the grill).

They market these as “sear zones” and instruct their customers to sear the food on the infrared burner and move it over to the conventional burners to finish it. This is required for some manufacturers because their sear zones don’t have temperature control – they only work on “high”. Others have temperature controls, but they still instruct the cook to move the food over. While this works, it effectively reduces the cooking surface area of the grill by as much as ¼ to 1/2 of your cooking area depending on the number of burners.

For that reason, some natural gas grills have an infrared burner on one side and an Infrared Rotisserie Burner under the lid for saving cooking space.

The Weber Summit S-470 and the Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 are two of the best natural gas grills with an infrared burner available. If you’re looking for a natural gas grill with an infrared burner, these are the best choices.

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Side Burner

One of the most under used pieces of outdoor cooking equipment is the side burner. Many grillers swear they need one, but never use it because they aren’t sure what to do with it or prefer to use their kitchen stove. But, when you’re grilling, the side burner is right there. You don’t have to go inside to cook corn or warm up beans on the stove or in the oven. The natural gas grill with side burner really is an essential and undervalued outdoor cooking tool.

Benefits of Having a Side Burner 

  • Maximize your time outside.
  • Unless you’ve got a Fitbit and are trying to maximize your step count, the side burner will be a major improvement on your efficiency.
  • With everything all in one place, you won’t have to worry about food burning while you’re inside or the pot boiling over while you’re outside.
  • Anything you can cook on an indoor stove top element can be cooked on a barbecue side burner. Pot, pan, or wok, it can handle it.
  • Perfect for making side dishes or sauces while grilling. Make bacon for your burgers at the same time!
  • Avoid heating up the house forcing your A/C to kick in less.
  • When the power goes out, you have a backup plan!

3) What’s Inside Matters?

The internal components of your natural gas grill are just as important as its burner system. The best natural gas grills are not only well designed but will also stand the test of time and not break down after the first grilling session.

Flame Tamers (sometimes call Flavorizer Bars)

The job of the flame taming system is to vaporize, or funnel away, juices and other drippings that fall from what you’re cooking before they can catch fire and cause flare-ups. In addition to this, the vaporized grease also adds to the flavor of your grilled meats and intensifies that mouthwatering aroma you get when you grill on the ‘cue. There’s nothing quite like it.

And just like burner shapes, there are many different methods used to tame flare-ups, including V-shaped stainless steel bars and ceramic grids. The most important thing to look for is that the flame tamer is directly over the burners, and that the burner is completely covered.

Cooking Grates

Cooking grates are the workhorse of your natural gas grill. They are exposed to the most wear and tear of any part of your barbecue and for that reason require to be made of very durable materials. The best natural gas grills should have cooking grates that are made of materials like individually welded stainless steel, porcelain-enameled steel or cast iron. All of these materials will work well as long as you clean them properly and take care of them. Keep in mind porcelain-enameled grates will rust if they get chipped.

Stainless steel cooking grates are best. They are often found on the higher-end models of natural gas grills (such as Weber Summit, Lynx, Napoleon Grills Prestige). Stainless steel grates are virtually rust-proof, easy to maintain, and spread the heat evenly.

Cast iron cooking grates heat up quickly and hold their heat extremely well. These are the types of grates that chefs use in restaurants (and they’re also where those much-coveted grill marks come from). Cast iron grates are often found on the regular natural gas grill models (such as Weber Spirit, Weber Genesis, Char-Broil, Broil King Signet series). However, cast iron grates require more maintenance than stainless steel grates.

Best Natural Gas Grill Reviews

#1. Weber Genesis II E-410 Natural Gas Grill Review – Best Overall

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Let the four burners of this Weber Genesis II E-410 Natural Gas Grill take charge of your backyard entertaining. This popular mid-size grill combines the quality construction Weber is known for with the convenience of a wide grilling area, excellent heat retention and even cooking to give you a superior grilling experience. With many great features plus a 10-year warranty, and more importantly at a very reasonable price, this is probably the best natural gas grill you can buy.

The Genesis II E-410 is powered by the exclusive GS4 High-Performance Grilling System. GS4 is the core of all Genesis models. The GS4 grilling system is composed of four key components: The Infinity Ignition, High-Performance Burners, Flavorizer Bars, and Grease Management System.

These components ensure that every aspect of your grilling experience is easy and reliable; from the moment the burners are lit to the general maintenance of your grill. You can watch the following video to better understand how the GS4 system works.

Weber Genesis II Series Gas Grills | Video by Weber

The Genesis II E-410 natural gas grill has four stainless steel primary burners that cook evenly and efficiently with a total of 48,000 Btu of heat. The grill takes around eight minutes to reach a preheat temperature of 500 degrees, but because of its construction, it maintains a high temperature using less fuel than other natural gas grills.

The Genesis II E-410 does not include an infrared burner for rotisserie cooking or a side burner for cooking your toppings while you grill burgers or steaks.

The cooking grates are made of cast iron and coated with a porcelain enamel. They are wider than the traditional round bars on stainless steel grates. This design gives you wide, attractive sear marks on your food, and the narrow spaces between the bars decreases the chance of losing a burger between them. These cast-iron grates retain heat more efficiently and longer than a stainless steel grate, making this grill a better choice for slow cooking.

#2. Weber Spirit II E-310 Natural Gas Grill Review – Best Natural Gas Grill for Basic Grilling

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The Weber Spirit II E-310 is the best natural gas grill for basic grilling. It’s a perfect grill for most families. With 424 square inches of primary cooking space, it can easily accommodate 12 large hamburgers, two whole or cut-up chickens, or a large cut like brisket for smoking. Its overall compact size suits almost any patio or deck, but its grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. Plus, with durable all-weather wheels, an iGrill3 ready thermometer, and accessories like a flat top grill, grilling stone, and grill cover, this natural gas grill meets the many needs of BBQ enthusiasts.

The Weber Spirit II E-310 natural gas grill features Weber’s new GS4 grilling system consisting of their battery-powered Infinity Ignition, three 10,000 BTU stainless steel burners, and the porcelain enameled steel “flavorizer” bars and grease management system.

Although Spirit II is Weber’s entry-level natural gas grill line, it is still more expensive than many popular low-cost brands. However, most Spirit owners feel that Weber’s quality, durability, performance and customer service are worth it. Many other cheap models only last three to four years while Spirits can keep grilling for decades. All Weber Spirit II models come with a 10-year warranty.

#3. Broil King Signet 320 Natural Gas Grill Review – Best Cheap Natural Gas Grill

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Broil King is an American grill brand. They produce many high-quality gas grills that you can count on for the utmost in performance and built with quality materials for years of durability. Broil King has grills for every budget yet the exceptional quality always remains the same. Broil King’s gas grills are completely manufactured in North American plants located in Huntington Indiana, Dickson Tennessee and Waterloo Ontario.

The Signet 320 Natural Gas Grill is the best entry-level natural gas grill offered by Broil King with tons of features. This grill gives you a 40,000 BTU main burner, 635 sq inches of total cooking space and heavy-duty cast iron cooking grids that are reversible to give you perfect grilling marks on one side and a grooved side to capture juices for basting all for a low price.

The Signet 320 Natural Gas Grill has three stainless steel Dual-Tube burners. Broil King has solved one of the major issues with natural gas grill burners where more of the gas is jettisoned to the back of the burner causing spots in your grill. They put a perforated tube inside your tube burner that allows the gas to burn evenly from front to back. The tubes are 1.25″ in diameter, other manufacturers generally have 1″ thick tubes.

The Flav-R-Wave cook system of the Signet 320 Natural Gas Grill gives you incredible flavor! In between the grates and the burners, the Flav-R-Wave system instantly vaporizes any juices that fall through protecting your burners and infusing the vapor back into your meat. Broil King’s heat deflectors are set at a 32° slope where other grills, like Weber, have a 54° slope and a lower slope means more vaporization of juices for more flavor!

#4. Weber Summit S-470 Natural Gas Grill Review – Best High-End Natural Gas Grill

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From burgers on the grate to crispy chicken on the rotisserie, or even adding a touch of smoke to any dish, the Weber Summit S-470 Natural Gas Grill will exceed your expectations. The Summit S-470 is an expensive natural gas grill produced in the US with all parts (burners, flavorizer bars, and beefy cooking grids) are stainless steel.

Compared to Genesis II, the Summit is more for the specialty, gourmet griller.

For example, they both have a rotisserie (Genesis II is an accessory), but the Summit is better because it has a dedicated rotisserie burner on the top for more even cooking. The Summit offers the smoker box – which makes the grill a propane smoker. Equally, you have a sear station to add char marks to your meat. As for the Genesis II models, you do not have the ability of a dedicated sear.

As one of the best natural gas grills for experienced grillers, the Summit S-470 Natural Gas Grill has tons of features that will make you satisfied. The grill has four main burners at 12,200 BTU each, a 10,600 BTU sear burner in the center and a 12,000 BTU side burner. The primary cooking area is 468 square inches, and the removable warming rack is 112 square inches. There is a 10,600 BTU rear-mounted, infrared burner for the rotisserie. A smoker box with dedicated 6,800 BTU burner occupies the right side of the cooking area.

One of the most appealing features of the Summit S-470 natural gas grill is the “Tuck Away Rotisserie System” that needs an electric outlet. A rotisserie motor folds down into the left side shelf, flush with the surface. Pull a small latch and it pops up and snaps in place ready to roll. The spit is stored in the cart and accessed via an opening under the right side shelf. Rotisserie forks hang on hooks inside the cart. It’s easy to get up and running in no time flat.

#5. Dyna-Glo DGA480SSN-D 4-Burner Natural Gas Grill Review

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One of the most economical natural gas grills on the market is the Dyna-Glo DGA480SSN-D 4-Burner Natural Gas Grill. It has 4 stainless steel burners which allow you to take advantage of approximately 48,000 BTUs of heat to cook your food. This incredible amount of heat is spread out over four large burners plus one side burner. The heat is then transferred to the porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grates that seamlessly and thoroughly cook your food to perfection every time, leaving no cold spots or undercooked food to speak of.

The Dyna-Glo DGA480SSN-D Natural Gas Grill is an excellent choice for the entire BBQ experience and with 667-square inches of cooking area, there’s enough space to grill for your family, friends, and neighbors. This grill comes with a reliable quick-start ignition button that can have your grill fired up in no time at all. Simply press the ignition button that comes on the grill to get it going.

We think you should opt the Dyna-Glo DGA480SSN-D if the price is something that drives you. This grill isn’t the best natural gas grill we reviewed. It isn’t as durable as the Weber but the quality is good and you can use it for many years to come. And if you opt this grill, you’d get an included protective grill cover that allows you to save your asset from any sort of water or moisture damage. This grill cover can resist water and help to stop the grill from rusting or corroding over time.

#6. Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 Natural Gas Grill Review

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This is a basic, relatively expensive natural gas grill similar in many ways to the Weber Summit. Manufactured in Canada by Napoleon, the Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 Natural Gas Grill is one of the best natural gas grills available that is built to last and cook with a high, even heat. With 900 square inches of total cooking space and a capacity of up to 80,000 BTUs, this natural gas grill can truly enhance your barbecuing experience.

Equipped with six burners – four main burners, one infrared rear rotisserie burner, and one infrared side burner – you’ll be able to confidently grill platefuls of juicy burgers (grill up to 30 burgers over the main burners and up to 8 burgers over the infrared side burner) and flavourful vegetables for your guests in no time.

The Prestige 500 Series natural gas grill features a side sear zone that heats up to about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds and is perfect for searing steaks. Once your steak is seared to perfection, toss it on the main grill and cook it over indirect heat to finish it off – just like the pros do. You can also use the side burner to sear your veggies, too.

The Prestige 500 Series natural gas grill is similar to the Weber Summit in many ways. Both grills have lighted knobs except Napoleon’s also illuminate the control panel for added light should you be grilling in the evening. In addition, Napoleon’s knobs have a safety glow feature and turn from blue to red when the burners are on.

Napoleon and Weber both have a stainless steel cooking system that includes heavy-gauge tube burners with crossover lighting, a stainless steel heat distribution system (Weber calls their Flavorizer bars while Napoleon deems theirs DUAL-LEVEL sear plates). Napoleon offers Stainless WAVE rod cooking grids while Weber’s is a traditional rod, both have rear infrared rotisserie burners and warming racks.

Like the Weber Summit S-470, the Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 is one of the best premium natural gas grills to buy. Both are the top models in their product line.

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