Shop Gas Grills At Ace Hardware
Gas grills make firing up all your favorite foods simpler than ever. With so many models to choose from, Ace makes it easy for you to find the perfect gas grill model for your needs. For more detailed information about specific outdoor gas grills, stop by to ask one of our friendly associates, or go online to check out our guide to outdoor grills, or browse through our customer reviews.
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Set A Budget And Stick To It
For a portable gas grill, budget is probably less of a concern than it is with a big-ticket item like a Kamado, or an outdoor kitchen. Still, its good to have a number in mind that youre comfortable with.
Think about how often you plan on using it, and what you want out of it. How much is that worth to you? As with almost anything you buy, the cheapest product on the market is rarely a good idea, and a hefty price tag does not automatically mean high quality.
Yes, its a small grill, and yes, it may only see seasonal use. That doesnt mean you want something cheap and nasty that you replace every couple of years, nor should you break the bank. A quick search turns up prices from $25 to over $2000. I dont recommend either!
How We Chose These Products
I used my experience testing dozens of grills to make our selection of the best small gas grills. We limited our selections to more compact grills that measure four feet or less long with preference given to those with folding side tables that offered even more space savings. I selected established brands that are known for their performance and durability. Additionally, BTUs are crucial for properly searing with a grill, so I chose those with ample BTU output for the size of their grilling surfaces. When possible, I selected grills that offer ample cooking space and multiple cooking zones for their size.
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What To Look For In The Best Portable Gas Grill
As a buyer, you need to be confident in your selection. The last thing you want is to flip down your tailgate, set up your grill and then end up buying sausage in a bun from a street vendor because your BBQ wasnt up to snuff.
So, lets go over the features to look for in a good portable propane BBQ.
The Best Portable Gas Grills And Travel Propane Barbecues For 2022
To enjoy fast lighting grilling on the go, without the mess of charcoal to deal with, choose one of the best portable gas grills in this guide. Below, we have the results from researching the top models on the market and recommend the top picks in a few categories to match different needs.
Today were going to help you find the best portable gas grill thats within your budget, and suits your exact needs and desires.
Although many purists would rather cook over charcoal, you can still have a great barbecue experience with a gas grill. They fire up in seconds, theres no dirty charcoal to deal with, and you get actual grilling instead of just cooking on a stove outside.
There are scores of portable gas grills on the market, but weve used our expertise and research skills to pare it down to just the best seven for this review.
We go over the general advantages and disadvantages of such grills, let you know in our professional opinion what features you should be looking for when buying, and pair up top models with different needs.
But first, for the bottom line up front, we review a few models in detail and see if we can find an overall best pick winner from the group.
At a Glance: The Products Reviewed in This Guide
- Single burner, so no two-zone cooking
- Materials are a bit thin, which may affect heat retention in cold and wind.
- Runs on small 1-pound canisters, with no hook up for larger tanks.
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Number Of Burners In Your Grill
The number of burners on a gas grill determines the number of cooking zones you can create. A cooking zone is the number of different heat levels you can create on your grills cooking surface simultaneously. Most small gas grills come equipped with two burners, which means youll be able to create two cooking zones that allow you to cook at two different temperatures simultaneously, which is ideal if you’re grilling different types of food.
Best Grills For Tailgating In 2022
Be the envy of your next pregame party with these CNET-tested small and portable grills.
David Watsky
Senior Editor / Home and Kitchen
David lives in Brooklyn where he’s logged more than a decade writing about all things edible, including meal kits and meal delivery subscriptions, cooking, kitchen tech and commerce. Since nabbing a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston , he’s toiled in nearly every aspect of the eats business from slicing and dicing as a sous-chef in Rhode Island to leading complex marketing campaigns for major food brands in Manhattan. These days, he’s likely somewhere trying the latest this or tasting the latest that – and reporting back, of course. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.
A full-size grill is best for most home barbecue affairs, but when it comes to camping adventures and parking lot tailgates before a game or concert, you’ll want a smaller, portable grill to keep the gang fed. There are plenty of great tailgating grills to choose from. Some, like the $549 Hitchfire Forge 15, are even designed to fasten to the back of your car, making your next pregame buffet as seamless as if you were home. There are also great small grills under $125 if you’re tailgating on a budget and other extremely portable grills that you could probably sneak into the stadium — although we don’t recommend it.
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Best For Camping: Cuisinart Cgg
If youre heading out into the great outdoors, make sure to pack this versatile gas grill, which heated up quickly and cooked food evenly in our testing. The Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill is ideal for camping thanks to its unique design, which converts from a freestanding model into a tabletop model in seconds with telescoping legs.
The porcelain-enameled cooking grate provides 145 square inches of cooking space, which the brand claims to fit up to eight hamburgers at oncehowever, we found that four 1/4-pound burgers were pretty much all the grates could comfortably accommodate.
This Cuisinart grill features a 5,500-BTU burner and an electronic ignition, as well as a built-in temperature gauge. It heats up evenly, and when youre done cooking, you can simply fold up the legs and carry the 17-pound grill via its briefcase-style carrying handleit’s a little bulky, but it still gets the job done. The fact that the grill is so easy to clean also helps with on-the-go cooking. The porcelain finish is nonstick, so it’s easy to wipe it down after letting it cool for a little while, according to our tester.
The Spruce Eats / Lindsay Boyers
Dimensions: 28 x 17.5 x 32.5 inches | TotalCooking Area: 145square inches | BTUs: 5,500/hour
“The burgers and chicken thighs had beautiful grill lines, and the veggies were perfectly charred on the outside.” Lindsay Boyers, Product Tester
Best With Griddle: Camp Chef Expedition 3x 3
Home Depot
You can cook bacon, vegetables, eggs, bread, and more right alongside your grilling meat with this portable gas grill from Camp Chef. The three-burner grill includes a restaurant-style 16 x 24-inch steel griddle that increases its versatility, and the high-capacity 30,000 BTU burners cook food in a flash.
This portable gas grill has so many features to love. Its legs are easy to set up and remove for easy transport or storage, and it includes a three-foot hose to attach to your propane tank. Theres a three-sided windscreen for those blustery days, and the total cooking area is an impressive 608 square inches. The grill even includes utensil hooks and a paper towel holder, and its ideal for camping, as the griddle lets you whip up pancakes, bacon, shrimp, and so much more.
Dimensions: 16 x 38 x 30 inches | TotalCooking Area: 608square inches | BTUs: 30,000
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Q: What Type Of Gas Should I Use With A Gas Grill
If youre using a propane gas grill, youll need to use a 20-gallon propane natural gas tank. Most portable gas grills use a one-pound gas canister. A natural gas grill will attach directly to your homes gas line. Remember, you can only use a natural gas grill with natural gas and a propane gas grill with propane gas.
Grill Accessories And Attachments
Gas grills make it easy to grill at home or on the go, with minimal clean up and maximum convenience. But utilizing the right accessories can help you get the most out of your gas or propane grill. After you’ve found the gas grill that suits your needs, don’t forget to check out other grilling essentials, like:
- Grilling utensils and tools like long-handled barbecue tongs, grilling gloves, and forks and spatulas for easy cooking.
- Grilling accessories like rotisserie attachments or expander grids for a versatile culinary experience.
When youre done for the day, dont forget to cover your grill to help ensure long term use.
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Best Design: Nomadiq Portable Propane Gas Grill
You can tell the NOMADIQ Propane Gas Grill was designed with portability in mind and our tester raved about its “intuitive design.” It weighs just 12 pounds, and its unique design features two spacious grates that fold up when not in use, creating a sleek, compact form with a built-in handle.
The NOMADIQ Grill offers 226 square inches of cooking space across its two nonstick grates, which are heated by individually controlled stainless steel burners that deliver 9,200 BTU per hour. This means you can only turn on one burner if you are cooking for a smaller crowd or you can cook burgers on one side and warm up the buns on the other.
This portable grill comes with two drip trays, a gas hose/regulator, and a carrying strap, and the brand claims it can be set up in as little as 45 seconds . It boasts an electronic ignition system for quick and easy start-up, and the grates are even dishwasher-safe, making it easy to clean up after a fun day at the beach or park.
Our tester raved about its performance despite its small size: “The grill threw out an even flame and cooked burgers and chicken evenly and quickly, no matter where they were placed on the grill.”
The Spruce Eats / Lindsay Boyers
Dimensions: 25.6 x 16 x 7.5 inches | TotalCooking Area: 226square inches | BTUs: 9,200/hour
“It may be smaller than most, but you dont have to sacrifice performance for size.” Lindsay Boyers, Product Tester
How Do You Clean A Portable Grill
It’s important to keep your grill clean to extend its longevity and prevent safety issues. The manufacturer will have preferred methods for cleaning the grill to avoid damage. But as a rule of thumb, you want to clean the grill grates of any food or grease buildup to prevent fires or avoid foodborne illness and clean the top, sides, and bottom for the same reason. Emptying and cleaning the drip pan is also key. Keep burner tubes clean to avoid buildup, which might cause fires or clog the gas jets. One can typically unclog jets by poking them with a pin or thin piece of wire. Finally, for charcoal grills, you want to ensure that the fire is completely out, then dump the ashes and either wipe or hose down the grill. Ashes are wonderful at collecting moisture, and it is essential to the life of your grill to remove them after cooking to prevent rust.
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Sleek Design To Match Your Patio Decor
The gas grills we have in stock have a sleek, modern design that will fit with any patio furniture or accessories you have in your outdoor space. Choose from small, 1-3 burner grills for a small family, or up to 8 burners if you enjoy cooking for large parties. At Fleet Farm, we want to fulfill your backyard bbq needs.We love that cooking outdoors with friends and family is an integral part of American summers, and we want you to find the perfect grill at Fleet Farm.
Why Opt For A Small Or Portable Grill Over A Full
While a full-sized grill is ultimately the best option if you’re not planning to move it from your backyard or deck, small grills have gotten better and more dynamic over the years and can shoulder a lot of the same cooking load as their bigger cousins. There are more types of small grills now using every fuel source imaginable, including the sun. Portable grills are perfect for campers, city folks living in apartments and anyone without a big backyard or who finds themselves often on the move.
Recommended Reading: Temp For Medium Steak On Grill
Best Budget: Weber Go
Home Depot
For a great portable grill that wont break your budget, the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill should be at the top of your list. This affordable grill comes from one of the most well-known brands in grilling, and it has all the features you need to cook up delicious meals on the go. It features 160 square inches of cooking space over one stainless steel burner, and it kicks off 6,500 BTUs per hour.
The Weber Go-Anywhere grill has a porcelain-enameled steel cooking grate, as well as a push-button ignition and glass-reinforced nylon handles. One of the grills coolest features is its plated steel legs, which can be pivoted up to lock the lid in place during transportation. The compact form and affordable price make this grill an unbeatable option for the beach, camping, and more.
Dimensions: 14.5 x 21 x 12.2 inches | TotalCooking Area: 160square inches | BTUs: 6,500/hour
If you dont have space for a freestanding grill, you can still enjoy it with a tabletop version, like the Pit Boss Portable Gas Grill. This offers a cooking area of 275 square inches and two independently-controlled burners that give off 20,000 BTUs of heat . There’s also electronic ignition and a built-in dome thermometer for knowing exactly how hot the grate is.
Dimensions: 23 x 19.5 x 16 inches | TotalCooking Area: 275square inches | BTUs: 20,000/hour
Q: Are Gas Grills Better Than Charcoal Grills
Whether a gas grill is better than a charcoal grill or vice versa is a matter of personal preference. Many people like the ease of use that a gas grill offers. Others are willing to deal with a labor-intensive lighting process and messier clean-up in order to get the smokey flavor and extreme temperatures you can only achieve with a charcoal grill.
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How Do You Like To Cook
Do you often cook steak and enjoy those steakhouse sear marks? Do you prefer to cook low and slow? Are you looking for something simple and easy? Then a gas grill is likely the best choice for you. With so many different cooking options and attachments, you can cook basically anything on this type of grill. From steaks to burgers to fish to vegetables, a gas grill can handle all your cooking needs.
Best Professional: Blaze Outdoor Products Professional 34
Walmart
If you’re looking for a professional-quality grill that you can also take on the go, this model from Blaze delivers. With a 12,000 BTU cast stainless steel H burner, a flame tamer, and the same flame-thrower ignition start as the brand’s built-in grills, this portable grill offers exceptional quality and longevity, making it a splurge-worthy purchase. The 205 square inches of cooking space can fit up to eight burgers at a time for efficient grilling.
It’s not the lightest grill at around 50 pounds, but two front-facing locks keep the lid secure, and there are tubular handles for transport. The grill works with 1-pound propane cylinders or a 20-pound tank with the included adapter. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty for added peace of mind.
Dimensions: 15.13 x 27.13 x 14.5 inches | TotalCooking Area: 205square inches | BTUs: 12,000/hour
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Q: Can I Hook Up Natural Gas To My Propane Grill
You can hook up a natural gas grill to a propane grill, but youll need to purchase a conversion kit to do so. Since natural gas burns cooler than propane, natural gas grill burners have larger holes to allow the grill to reach high enough temperatures for grilling. This design difference means that its dangerous to hook up a propane tank to a natural gas grill.
Gas Grill Cooking Power And Btus
A grills ability to heat the cooking surface to hot enough temperatures that make it possible to sear or provide even heat is directly related to the BTUs of its burners. For the uninitiated, BTUs stands for British Thermal Units, which is a measure of heat output. A quality gas grills burners will produce between 70 and 90 BTUs per square inch. So, a grill with 400 square inches of cooking surface should put out between 28,000 and 36,000 BTUs to evenly heat the cooking surface. Searing involves creating intense focused heat over a targeted area on the grill surface of at least 500 degrees . Some gas grills have a separate sear station, which consists of a single burner or cluster of burners that produce a higher BTU output and hence higher surface temperature than the other burners on the grill.
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