Best Gas Grills 202: For Easy Outdoor Cooking
Choose one of the best gas grills of 2022 with our top picks from Weber, Saber, Char-Broil, Napoleon, and Alfresco
Many are putting their gas grills back in the garage, but we think there’s still plenty of time to grill your way through the fall and even winter months. With the best gas grill by your side, you’ll be able to create mouth-watering flame-grilled steaks without having to wait around for your grill to ignite and heat up. And because many of the models in our guide come with a large grilling area, you can cook for the whole family at once.
Unlike some of the best grills with pellet or charcoal fuels, a gas grill can switch on with just the press of a button. You can also adjust the intensity of the flames easily by turning the dial to increase the amount of gas that’s released into the burner. It really doesn’t get easier. Below you’ll find some of the best gas grills from Weber, Char-Broil, Saber, and Napoleon. Some are freestanding with frames to hold tools and gas canisters while you cook, and others can be installed in your outdoor kitchen for year-round grilling.
Weber 6600100 Genesis Ii S
- Gas Type: Natural Gas or Liquid Propane
- Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
The Weber Genesis II S-310 is one of our favorites in this Best Gas Grills list it combines quality, nice features, and great price all in one! Weber is simply a name you can trust when it comes to grills, and the Genesis II design is one of their more popular lines.
This particular model comes in your choice of Natural Gas or LP fueled, and also in your choice of black painted steel or stainless steel . Going the black painted steel route can save you about $100, and youll still get the side shelves and handle bar in stainless!
There are some fantastic features on this grill that we think youll love:
I also think you techies out there will love this grill as it is iGrill3 ready! Its not included, but you can add this digital Bluetooth grill thermometer and monitor your food from your smartphone!
And a note about this grill is for you dog owners the Open Cart Design means no doors to protect the drippings pan from your hungry dog! You may find you dont appreciate this however your dog will probably love it!
Check out this review of the LP model by a satisfied customer:
Can You Use Briquettes Wood Or Wood Pellets In A Kamado Grill
Read your manufacturers instructions for fuel recommendations . Generally, natural lump charcoal is the recommended fuel because its natural and burns hotter and more efficiently than briquettes. You also can use hardwood chunks such as oak, pecan or hickory to boost the smokey flavors in your food. Most kamado grills can use wood pellets, too, but read the manufacturers instructions to be sure. If so, use wood pellets marked for outdoor cooking, not the ones manufactured for heating.
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The Best Gas Grill Under $200: Weber Genesis Ii E
Also available at Home Depot, Weber, and BBQ Guys.
Genesis is one of the most popular gas grills in the USA. Its easy to use, easy to clean, versatile, durable and backed by Webers excellent customer support. The basic models with an open cart and no sear burner work fine, but we highly recommend spending the extra money for models with a sear burner like the E-335. With all three main burners up high, we clocked E-335’s temp at 680°F. Not bad at all, but crank the sear burner and you blast past 800°F for super searing!
Our main complaint for just about every grill is the obligatory, built-in heat estimator in the hood. These 19th century gauges placed up high in the lid are almost always highly inaccurate. Its always better to use a modern, digital thermometer and position a temperature probe at the cooking surface. With their acquisition of iGrill Digital Thermometers, Weber is addressing this issue. Genesis II is iGrill3 Ready with a mounting location on the right side shelf for an optional iGrill 3 digital thermometer. iGrill let’s you clip a probe to the grill surface to ensure you’re cooking at the right temperature, and stick another probe into foods to monitor cooking progress. Download the iGrill app and keep an eye on what’s happening under the hood from your smartphone.
Price at time of publish: $1,319.
Our Pick: Weber Spirit Ii E
*At the time of publishing, the price was $639.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 provides the unrivaled combination of top-notch grilling performance, a versatile three-burner design, durability, and a relatively affordable price. It excelled at every test, producing the best sear on our burgers of any grill, and equaling or outdoing the others in our tests involving barbecue chicken and whole roasted chickens. The Spirit II E-310s overall compact size suits almost any patio or deck. And yet its grilling surface is big enough to cook a complete meal for a family or a dozen burgers for a party. With a thick cast-aluminum firebox, this model will last for years. For decades, the company has refined the Spirits design, too. This version includes an easily accessible externally mounted propane tank and an under-grill shelf. On top of all that, this grill is particularly easy to assemble, maintain, and use, and its finish comes in four colors .
With 424 square inches of primary grilling space, the three-burner Spirit II E-310 can easily accommodate 12 large hamburgers, two whole or cut-up chickens, or a large cut for smoking, like brisket. Or it can cook a complete meal for five or six people. For instance, you can sear steak or fish on one side of the grill and cook vegetables on lower heat on the other. And you can cook them really well.
The Spirit II E-310 exhibited the most consistent heat across the entire cooking surface.
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Choosing The Best Gas Grill
Shopping for gas grills can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the terminology. So we’ll walk you through the basics. To start, you need to know that there are actually two different types:propaneandnatural. Propane gas grills are the more popular option that you typically see in store, and they require a propane tank to work. Meanwhile, natural gas grills need to be hooked up to a direct natural gas line from your house. Natural gas grills never really run out of fuel, but theydoneed to be installed by a professional and they can’t be moved around.
Other important details to keep in mind? Ignition switches, burners and primary cooking surface. Gas grills use eitherelectric igniters, which run on batteries, orpiezo igniters, which produce their own sparks. Both are reliable, but piezos understandably tend to last longer. As far as burners go, a grill with one to three burners is generally considered a good fit for single families, while a grill with four or more burners is ideal for multiple courses or large gatherings. And as a general rule, 300- to 400-square-inch primary cooking surfaces will get you a decent medium-sized grill.
Weber 2840301 Summit S
- Gas Type: Natural Gas or Liquid Propane
- Rating: 4.4 / 5 stars
Thinking of making a bit of an investment into a grill that has pretty much everything , a grill that will be the last grill youll need to buy? This Weber Summit is one such grill, available in liquid propane or natural gas options. The Summit Line is Webers crown jewels if you want the best, these are they!
This grill is nice and big! The cooking area is It claims to be able to cook for 8-10 people with ease, and because it has the handy side burner , you can cook your full meal at the grill with ease!
One of the things youll love on this grill is the full rotisserie system! It comes with a flip-up motor and separate spit and fork, has storage in the enclosed cart, and can be tucked completely away out of the way when you arent using it!
This grill includes all of the standard awesome Weber goods and then some!
- SS Flavorizer Bars, 4 SS burners, grease management system, 9mm Stainless Steel cooking grates
- Extra burners: a sear station, smoke burner, and rear-mounted Infrared rotisserie burner
- Center mounted thermometer built into the hood
- Enclosed tank storage area for the LP models
- Large prep areas made of stainless steel
- Grill-Out handle light and control knob lights for night time grilling ease
- Snap-Jet igniters for each burner, letting you do direct or indirect heat per your preference
This grill certainly has it all! Check out this video for some extra details!
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Save $27 On This Gas Grill With A Unique Compact Design
Amazon
This grill has a rather unusual and compact design, however, it also offers up to 22,000 BTUs of cooking power and provides 346 square inches of cooking space. Itll make a perfect addition to a small patio or balcony, since it measures just 21 x 21 x 46 inches. Right now, you can purchase this grill for $372 instead of its typical $399.
How The Spirit Ii E
First, a fiery tale that demonstrates the reliability of Webers customer service. Wirecutter senior editor Mark Smirniotis scored the Weber Spirit II E-310 at an end-of-season sale in 2019. He found it reliable, easy to clean, and more stable than cheaper grills hes owned. In the summer of 2021, he left his grill on high for about 10 minutes and walked away, intending to heat it up for a clean before a family cookout the next day. However, he didnt empty the grease tray , and it ignited a small grease fire at the bottom of the grill. After the fire died down, he tried to remove the grease tray, but it was stuck. I realized the metal of the grill actually bowed a little. It even looked melty. Like an idiot, I poked it with the end of my grill brush, which went right through.
I got a gentle lecture on cleaning and safety, but then he said theyd be sending me a whole-new cookbox no charge, no shipping fees.
Wirecutter editor Signe Brewster bought the Weber Spirit II E-310 in 2019. Its her first grill, and shes loved using it in the summertime. I mostly use it for pizza and brats, plus veggies in our grill basket pick. Zero complaints except for cleaning it at the end of the summer, but Im sure thats an issue with all grills. Signe also reports some difficulty igniting the burners, potentially due to buildup in the tubes or ports. Shes planning to clean it soon and will report back.
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When Is The Best Time To Buy
Like most things you buy for your yard, fall is the best time to get a great deal on a grill thanks to the end-of-season sales that follow Labor Day. This is definitely not the only good time, though. We see deals starting as early as Presidents’ Day as retailers get rid of last year’s models and run promos on some of the newer releases. Plus, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are big holidays for shopping grills as well.
Why You Should Trust Us
When we first started working on this guide, back in 2017, we spoke with more than a dozen experts before opening the valve on a single propane tank.
Among those experts, Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ spent two hours explaining the fundamentals of gas grill design, function, materials, and maintenance. Joe and his brother Tony have run Big Apple BBQ, one of the New York regions leading grill shops, for over 30 years. Because Salvaggio is an independent retailer who carries grills from many manufacturers, he was able to speak freely about what he saw as the relative strengths and weaknesses of various designs.
At the 2017 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo, we interviewed senior product managers from almost every major grill-maker in attendance, including several brands that wound up being featured in our test: Weber, Broil King, and Napoleon. We also spoke with multiple makers of high-end grills. Though we wouldnt be testing their grills, we found that understanding what goes into making a $4,000 grill helped us evaluate the less expensive grills in our test.
We backed this reporting with comprehensive researchthe in-depth, professional reviews at AmazingRibs.com being a standout sourceand with hands-on time with grills at the big hardware chains.
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The Best Grill Tools And Accessories
After testing more than 90 tools from spatulas to tongs to grill gloves and more, we have recommendations for everything you need to have an amazing barbecue.
We assembled the six grills alone and in teams of two. We did this to see if the former scenario was even possible and whether the latter made much of a difference . We noted poor instructions, needlessly complicated screw or bolt sizes, or safety hazards like sharp edges.
Finally, after all the tests were done, we performed routine maintenance by removing and replacing the propane tanks, emptying the grease traps, washing the grates, and scrubbing out the fireboxes. If you own a grill, youll have to perform these tasks at least a few times a year, so a grill that makes them a little easier is a welcome thing.
For our 2022 update, we relied mainly on market research and meta-analysis. Most new grills worth considering are still produced by the same companies whose products weve tested in previous years. And with each new version of the models were familiar with, the most important characteristicssuch as quality of materials and constructionare the same. We spoke again with Joe Salvaggio of Big Apple BBQ about the newest models, and we examined our main contenders in person at Home Depot, Lowes, and Berings in Houston.
How Do Gas Grills Work
A typical gas grill uses propane or natural gas as its energy source.
Unlike a traditional grill, it emits less smoke because of this.
Read More > > Top 5 Best Smokers For Beginners
To ensure a stable supply of fuel for the unit, the gas grill is equipped with a regulator.
The fire resulting from lighting up the gas spreads heat on the cooking area. This allows you to cook your food using the desired intensity and heat.
Before you start grilling, make sure to check if the propane tank has enough fuel.
A 20-pound propane tank usually provides around 25 hours of grilling time.
As gas grills are easily lit and extinguished, they provide simple and easy methods for a quality cooking experience.
While some say that you wont achieve the same smoky flavor from using charcoal, the convenience of using gas grills is worth it.
To others, gas grills offer the most mouth-watering grilled meat than other fuel sources, like paper or wood.
With natural gases as a fuel source, gas grills produce less harmful smoke, making them environmentally friendly.
Once youre done grilling, you just have to turn off the gas source, and youre good to go.
But to make sure that the gas grill youre buying will last, you need to properly maintain it. For instance, you need to keep the gas grill covered if youre not using it.
Clean the grill grates regularly and the entire grill inside and out using warm, soapy water occasionally.
This depends on how much and how often you grill.
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Weber 47510001 Spirit E310 Gas Grill
- Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
This grill, developed by Weber in 2013, has been popular for multiple years running 2017, 2018, 2019, and will likely be just as great in 2020! Its a perfect size grill for a small family or couple!
This isnt an overly fancy natural gas grill, but it does have everything you need to cook great tasting, juicy food! In standard Weber style, it is built from high quality stainless steel and black painted steel, and has a clean, sleek look thatll be a great addition to your backyard patio!
It also comes with the following features that we think make this grill a fantastic buy for your buck:
- Porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates cast iron seasons well, retains heat, and clean very easily!
- The cooking area at 424 sq inches is big enough to cook a small turkey or do meats and veggies at the same time!
- SS flavorizer bars, that capture the grease drippings and turn them into smoke that infuses your meat with flavor AND keeps your grill clean!
- Integrated utensil hooks on the sides of the stainless steel prep tables, so you can keep the tops clean and organized while youre grilling
- A front-mounted control panel and built in thermometer that gives you more control over your cooking
- A flexible 10 gas hose so you can connect to your gas line easily
For a grill under $500, you cant top this Weber Spirit E310! We think its a great choice for anyone who wants a good quality, long lasting, budget friendly grill!
Weber 57067001 Q3200 Gas Grill
- Gas Type: Natural Gas or Liquid Propane
- Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars
If youre looking for a gas grill for yourself and maybe your small family, or if you want a grill that wont take up much space on your patio, the Weber Q3200 is fantastic choice. Its not portable like others in Q series, but youll love the look and shape!
Of the Q series, its the only grill that you can order in either Natural Gas or Liquid Propane fuel! If youre looking at the Natural Gas option, youll be happy to know that it comes with the natural gas hook up hose!
Here are some of the features we like about this grill:
Weber grills in general are known to be top quality and this one is no different. We think youll love it!
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