To Find the Best Gas Grills, We Spent More Than a Month Testing 14 of Them

Serious grillers can bemoan gas grills all they want (“but the flavor of charcoal!” they’ll exclaim), however, gas grills are still king. In fact, 63% of grill owners have gas.

Their appeal is clear: Attach a propane tank, turn some dials, and you’ve got a blazing-hot surface for cooking chicken thighs, steak, tofu planks, or corn on the cob. Afterward, simply turn it off and give the grates a scrub with a grill brush. There’s no lighting charcoal, getting rid of ash, or adjusting dampers to monitor airflow. Easy is the name of the gas grill game. And on a weeknight, it’s hard to imagine a grill we’d rather use.

Given their popularity, it’s no surprise there’s a dizzying array of gas grills available. You can quite literally spend tens of thousands of dollars on a gas grill, or just a couple hundred bucks. The latter often include fancy features like side burners and rotisseries to hide the fact they’re cheaply made and won’t last for more than a couple of years. Of course, this won’t do, which is why we spent more than a month putting 14 gas grills to the test. The majority of our top picks are from Weber, a brand known for its longevity and customer service—and one Serious Eats staffers have used for many years.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Gas Grill

Weber Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Gas Grill

$639 $569 at Amazon $36 at Walmart $569 at Home Depot

With three burners, even heat distribution, large wheels for transport, and two side tables (and tool hooks), you’d be hard-pressed to find a better grill for the money than the Weber Spirit II.

Another Great Gas Grill

Weber Spirit EX-325s Smart Grill

$44 at Walmart View on Weber.com

This is similar to our top pick but comes with smart features and is a couple of hundred bucks pricier. It has a digital screen that shows the internal grill temp and cooking temperature (when used with the optional wired probe). If paired with the app, cooking alerts will appear on your phone. It’s spacious, but not gigantic—with three burners and an added “Sear Zone.”

The Best Two-Burner Gas Grill

Weber Spirit II E-210 2-Burner Liquid Propane Grill

$539 at Amazon $29 at Walmart $449 at Home Depot

If you can swing a three-burner gas grill, do it. But if you have a small backyard or patio area, this is the best compact grill. The smaller version of our overall top pick, this two-burner model shares many of the same qualities, including exceptional heat retention and the reliable Weber name.

The Best Gas Grill for Versatility

Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill

$53 at Walmart $899 at Home Depot View on Weber.com

Not only is this Weber available in three colors, but it also has an extra-large sear zone and an expandable grate for additional cooking surface. For comparison, this grill has more than 200 square inches of extra cooking space than the Weber Spirit II three-burner.

The Best Splurge Gas Grill

Weber Genesis E-335 Gas Grill

$1,099 at Amazon $65 at Walmart $1,099 at Home Depot

The Genesis E-335 is nearly identical to the EX-325S (a former favorite that's been discontinued), with a few key differences: it lacks smart features, has a side burner, and has an analog temperature gauge on its lid. It’s the priciest recommendation on our list, but we think the avid griller will find it worth considering.

The Best Budget Gas Grill (Under $500)

Monument Grills Stainless 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

$449 at Amazon $450 at Home Depot View on Monumentgrills.com

Is $500 cheap? Not necessarily, but for a gas grill, it’s not bad. This is all to say: This is the best full-size, budget-friendly model we can get behind. It offers an expansive cooking surface and solid performance, with four main and two side burners. It strikes the right balance between capacity and value—and looks pretty dang sharp, too.

The Tests

• Assembly Test: We assembled each grill, evaluating the ease of doing so and timing how long it took. 
• Onion Heat Map Test: We cooked onion rounds on medium-high (evenly spaced across the entire cooking area), to determine how evenly the grill heated. 
• Burgers Test: We cooked 12 burgers on each grill to assess its even cooking and searing abilities, as well as its capacity. If the grill couldn’t fit all of the burgers, we noted this.
• Fish Test: We cooked fish fillets on medium-high heat, seeing how the grills did with a delicate protein.
• Steak Test: We cooked steak on each grill, using both indirect and direct heat and evaluating searing.
• Usability Tests: Throughout testing, we looked at how easy the grills were to ignite and use, including moving them around.
• Cleanup Tests: Twice throughout testing, we cleaned each grill per the manufacturer’s instructions, using a grill brush to scrub the grates.

What We Learned

How Much Should You Spend on a Gas Grill?

We get it: Spending a couple of hundred bucks on a gas grill sounds appealing. Especially when cheap ones tend to throw in a whole bunch of extras (Side burners! Lights! Rotisseries!). But cheap is cheap, especially for something that’ll be sitting outside and weathering the elements, thus prone to breaking and rusting quickly when made with sub-par materials. (If outdoor storage is an issue, maybe you're looking for an indoor grill.)

That’s why we say to spend up…and why five out of six of our favorite gas grills are from Weber. Experience tells us their grills are built to last (the cheapest Weber on this list is $400 at the time of writing, whereas our overall top pick is a little over $500). Plus, Weber’s grills all carry excellent warranties. In the case of our winners, these are 10 to 12 years.

What Size Gas Grill Should You Get?

Two-, three-, four-burner…we can’t say any one size is the best fit for everyone. However, we’ll assert a three-burner grill is our favorite for its versatility, pricepoint, and cooking area. For most home cooks, it’ll be spacious enough for weeknight cooking and backyard bashes (as long as you cook in batches—alliteration!). 

If you’re considering a two-burner, have the outdoor space, and can afford it, go bigger. You’ll avoid over-crowding—no one wants flabby, sub-optimally browned grilled chicken. Plus, you’ll need a three-burner to try your hand at two-zone cooking, which creates an area of indirect heat for lower, slower grilling (what you need for, say, pulled pork). Gas grills won’t do this as well as charcoal, but it’s nearly impossible to make an effective indirect zone with the smaller cooking area of a two-burner grill.

Gas vs. Charcoal Grills

Kenji broke down the differences between gas and charcoal here, but we’re including TL;DR chart below.

Do BTUs Matter?

Manufacturers love to tout BTUs (British thermal units), equating a high number to powerful, grilling prowess. However, BTUs just signify how much fuel a gas grill burns. A bigger gas grill automatically equals more BTUs. This is why we didn’t take them into consideration when testing, though we do list our winners’ stated BTUs, in case you’re curious. 

Thermometers: Buy Your Own!

Sorry, but built-in grill thermometers generally aren’t accurate. They can literally be off by a hundred degrees. Instead, give the grill ample preheating time and buy a wireless grill thermometer. These have the advantage of allowing you to monitor the temperature remotely during longer cook times.

Do You Need a Side Burner?

There are very few instances when we’ve actually used a gas grill’s side burner. And, again, they’re often a superfluous addition used to market cheaper gassers. But if you want one, go for it! We’re not stopping you and will note if any of our favorites come with side burners.

Propane vs. Natural Gas Grills

We only tested propane-powered grills. Natural gas grills are attached to a home's gas line, and this fuel is cheaper than propane. So, we noted which of our winners are also available as natural gas grills (all but the Monument).

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Gas Grill

For the most versatility, opt for a three-burner gas grill. It should have dials that turn smoothly and ignite easily, a cooking area that heats evenly, and two spacious side tables (one for raw ingredients and the other for cooked). It should also come with two wheels, which will make it easy to move around and store during inclement weather.

Our Favorite Gas Grills

The Best Gas Grill

Weber Spirit II E-310 3-Burner Gas Grill

$639 $569 at Amazon $36 at Walmart $569 at Home Depot

What we liked: Weber’s Spirit II E-310 is the best grill for many backyards. 

Our tests indicated that, once the E-310 was warmed up, its three temperature control knobs were responsive within 30-to-60 seconds. Its heat was evenly distributed, too (the center got slightly hotter than the edges, though this is common). 

Put simply, the Weber Spirit II E-310 is capable enough for experienced grillers while remaining easy to use and unintimidating to newbies. It has two spacious side tables, numerous tool hooks, and rugged wheels for easy transport. Between the Weber quality and longevity, the reasonable price point, and the practical 529 square-inch cooking surface, this grill is a tough one to beat. Overall, it was a joy to cook with, and we recommend it wholeheartedly.

What we didn’t like: Not much—this is truly a fantastic grill.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 529 square inches
• Number of burners: 3
• Number of wheels: 2
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years
• Good to know: Includes 6 tool hooks; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 30,000

Another Great Gas Grill

Weber Spirit EX-325s Smart Grill

$44 at Walmart View on Weber.com

What we liked: Like our overall favorite grill, this model packs a lot of power into its three-burner body. In our tests, steaks, burgers, and fish were nicely cooked and charred, with distinct grill marks. We didn’t use the added “Sear Zone,” but do think this blast of heat would be beneficial for, say, getting a caramelized crust on a steak. The EX-325s has a digital control panel, with bright, easy-to-read numbers. Its app was intuitive, too, and we liked the push alerts that allowed us to monitor things from afar. 

What we didn’t like: Like with most grills, the built-in thermometer wasn’t always accurate. Casual grillers likely won’t care. Serious grillers will invest in dedicated grilling thermometers anyway.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 529 square inches
• Number of burners: 3 (plus a sear burner)
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years (cookbox/lid), 10 years (burner tubes); 5 years (grates), 3 years (electricals), 2 years (all other parts)
• Good to know: Smart features; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 32,000

The Best Two-Burner Gas Grill

Weber Spirit II E-210 2-Burner Liquid Propane Grill

$539 at Amazon $29 at Walmart $449 at Home Depot

What we liked: This grill is small, yet spacious (450 square inches of cooking space compared to our overall top pick’s 529). Build quality is to Weber’s usual high standards, along with clear assembly instructions and an exceptionally long warranty. With its dual burners, we think the Spirit II E-210 is ideal for two-person households or very occasional grillers. 

What we didn’t like: This is a good, small grill. The keyword is small. If you can afford to go with something bigger and have the space, we recommend doing so. 

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 450 square inches
• Number of burners: 2
• Number of wheels: 2
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years
• Good to know: Compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 26,500

The Best Gas Grill for Versatility

Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill

$53 at Walmart $899 at Home Depot View on Weber.com

What we liked: Yep, this grill brings us up to a new price point, but as the old saying goes: You get what you pay for. The Weber Genesis E-325s packs a remarkable 787 square inches of cooking surface (that’s 200-plus more than our overall top pick) into a three-burner grill, and it’s loaded with clever features to help you make the most of it.

There’s an extra-large sear zone, which we found especially great for cooking a steak over high heat. Equally useful is the expandable top cooking grate, which is nice for indirect cooking, like if you want to toast burger buns. And for regular ‘ol grilling? Well, the E-325s excels there, too, with strong heat retention, minimal flare-ups, and grates that yield clean grill marks.  

But, is it really worth the price tag? Our consensus is yes. We think the E-325s is well-made and likely to last a decade or more. We also liked its wheels that locked and large side tables.

What we didn’t like: It's a great grill, though more expensive (still, about $1000 isn't a bad price for something this high-quality).

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 787 square inches
• Number of burners: 3
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 12 years (cookbox/lid), 10 years (burner tubes/grates), 3 years (electricals), 5 years (all other parts)
• Good to know: Includes a pull-out grease tray; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 39,000

The Best Splurge Gas Grill

Weber Genesis E-335 Gas Grill

$1,099 at Amazon $65 at Walmart $1,099 at Home Depot

What we liked: This grill lacks smart features, which might be a plus for some (not everything has to be app-compatible, right?). With an uber-spacious cooking surface, this would be a nice grill for families and/or grilling enthusiasts. We liked its large side tables, which easily held a sheet pan. It has a side burner, too. While we don’t think this is completely necessary, it’s all about what you’ll use. 

What we didn’t like: This is the priciest recommendation on our list. Its analog thermometer was off, at times, by 50 degrees (though this isn’t abnormal for a built-in thermometer). 

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 787 square inches
• Number of burners: 3 (plus a sear burner)
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 12 years
• Good to know: Compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 40,000

The Best Budget Gas Grill (Under $500)

Monument Grills Stainless 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

$449 at Amazon $450 at Home Depot View on Monumentgrills.com

What we liked: This grill is easy to assemble, easy to ignite, and easy to move around thanks to its four caster wheels. We found it easy to cook with, too.

The spacious cooking surface means you can efficiently feed a crowd, and while burgers cooked further back on the grates had more defined grill marks than those toward the front, burgers, buns, and onions alike all came off with ease and great flavor. Fish skin did stick to the grates during our tests, but the flesh was nicely cooked. Steaks had well-defined grill makers and nice, deep-brown caramelization. This is a large-format grill with solid performance at a great value, with one of our testers remarking that “a grill with this much cooking surface can usually cost double what this Monument sells for.”

What we didn’t like: As mentioned above, there was some uneven cooking with this model. This is a cheaper grill that comes padded with extras, which makes us question its longevity (as does its sub-par 1-year warranty). 

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 723 square inches
• Number of burners: 4
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 1 year
• Good to know: Includes rotisserie kit; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: No
• BTUs: 72,000

The Competition

• Char-Broil Signature Gas Grill: We thought this was a decent two-burner option, but it appears to be discontinued.
• Dyna-Glo Premier 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill: We found this grill easy to use, but it struggled with searing and cooked inconsistently.
• Nexgrill 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner: This spacious grill just didn't put out enough heat. However, it does have a side burner and is very inexpensive.
• Napoleon Prestige 500 Gas Grill: This grill was exceedingly easy to operate and just a joy to use, though we found it heated too unevenly.
• Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Gas Grill: This grill heated unevenly and retained heat poorly.
• Monument Grills Mesa 300: This grill felt cheaply made and heated more inconsistently than we’d like.
• Napoleon Freestyle 365: This grill was alright. However, the finish scratched significantly where we placed the propane tank and we question the grill’s durability
• Weber Genesis EX-325S Smart Gas Grill: This was one of our top picks, however, it unfortunately appears to be discontinued. This is the grill senior commerce editor Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm owns. “I’ve had this grill for the past few seasons and it’s been great,” Riddley says. “While its app is helpful, I rarely use it. I love the onboard digital display that shows the temp. I’ve cooked oodles of chicken thighs, steaks, shrimp skewers, and flatbreads on this thing and have loved it all.” 

FAQs

How do I make my gas grill perform better?

We think any gas grill can benefit from a set of GrillGrates. They trap heat, improving the grill’s ability to sear and brown and mitigating any hot or cold spots. 

Is a Weber grill worth the money? 

We’re big fans of Weber’s grills, be it gas, charcoal, or pellet. They perform well, are easy to use, and are backed by exceptional customer service and warranties. On the gas grill front, the Weber Spirit II E-310 is our favorite gas grill and, we think, well worth the investment. It's easy to use and clean, is durable, and performs well. 

How should I store a gas grill? 

We recommend buying a compatible cover and storing the grill in a dry, covered place when not being used for a long period of time or in order to protect it from inclement weather and stave off rusting.

Can you use a propane grill with natural gas?

Hooking a propane grill up to a natural gas line is not an option. Instead, you’ll have to buy a grill that’s specifically designed to work with natural gas, just as you'd want with a gas smoker. We noted which of our winners come as natural gas models (including all of the Webers). 

What's the best gas grill/smoker combo?

Although we didn't test gas grill/smoker combos in our most recent round of testing, we still have some good recommendations. Our pick for the most versatile gas grill, the Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill, has an extra large sear zone and tiered racks for low-and-slow cooking over indirect heat. But if you're looking for a true gas smoker, check out our review here.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor for Serious Eats. She’s been with the site since 2021 and previously worked for America’s Test Kitchen, Food52, and EatingWell. She’s written many reviews for this site, including dinnerware sets.
• Summer Rylander is a freelance writer and has written several equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including gas grills and Traeger grills. She's been writing for Serious Eats for over two years.
• We tested 14 gas grills for more than a month, making burgers, fish fillets, and steak. We also closely evaluated how easy they were to assemble and how long that took and whether they ignited quickly and were simple to clean.