To Find the Best Gas Grills, We Spent More Than a Month Testing 20 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 a gas-powered option.

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 of hundred bucks. The latter often include fancy features like side burners and rotisseries to hide the fact that 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 20 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.

Our Favorite Gas Grills

The Best Gas Grill

Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill

$497 at Amazon $499 at Target View on Weber.com

What we liked: Like its now-discontinued predecessor, we think the Weber Spirit 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 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 two rugged wheels for easy transport. Between the Weber quality and longevity, the reasonable price point, and compact-but-useful 450 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.

We were, however, curious about why the new E-310 has less cooking surface than the former E-310 and why its cooking surface is equal to the new E-210, but its BTUs are lower. "We’ve redesigned our full Spirit offering, so there are no direct one-to-one replacements for the former Spirit II models," a Weber representative told us. "The new E-210 and E-310 achieve the same temperature range, but the E-310's additional burner enhances heat distribution, zone control, and cooking efficiency. By spreading the flame across three burners, the E-310 delivers more even cooking while using less overall BTUs."

What we didn’t like: Not much—this is a truly fantastic grill. Like we mentioned, it's worth noting that its predecessor had 529 square inches of cooking space, whereas the E-310 now has 450. However, the E-310 is also now significantly cheaper and under $500. That said, if you can afford to go with something bigger, we also heartily recommend our next two picks.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 450 square inches
• Number of burners: 3
• Number of wheels: 2
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years
• Good to know: Includes 4 tool hooks; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: No
• BTUs: 24,000

Another Great Gas Grill

Weber Spirit EP-435 Gas Grill

$899 at Home Depot View on Weber.com $899 at Ace Hardware

What we liked: This new offering from Weber packs a lot in, but still manages to keep its price tag reasonable. Its cooking area is 83 square inches larger than the E-310, and it has two added “Sear Zones.” In our tests, we found these—and the grill as a whole—delivered the high temperatures needed for well-browned burgers, fish, and steak. It also has a side burner, two side tables, four wheels, a door that hides the propane tank and shelving unit, and a digital display that tracks the grill’s internal temperature. For those who like to go all-in, this grill is compatible with Weber’s accessories, including a griddle insert and a storage basin that pops into one of the side tables. 

What we didn’t like: The four wheels are smaller and felt a little rickety when we moved the grill.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 533 square inches
• Number of burners: 4
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years
• Good to know: Includes 4 tool hooks; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
  

The Best Gas Grill for Versatility

Weber Genesis E-325 Liquid Propane Gas Grill

$949 at Amazon View on Walmart $949 at Home Depot

What we liked: The Genesis E-325 is the same price as the Spirit EP-435, but what it lacks in digital screens and side burners, it makes up for in power and cooking space. Though it has one less burner than the EP-435, this grill boasts 100-plus square inches more grilling area. In our tests, we were impressed by its consistent, even heating and found it capable of putting a nice sear on steak and making salmon and burgers with well-defined grill marks and nice browning. The grill’s controls were responsive, making it easy to light, and we found its built-in temperature gauge to be one of the most accurate of the bunch and within 10 degrees of our control thermometer. Senior editor Grace Kelly has owned this grill for years and highly recommends it, relying on it all summer long. She also loves its accompanying griddle insert, which turns the Genesis into a flat-top.

What we didn’t like: This is an excellent, streamlined gas grill. When we find something we don’t like, we’ll let you know.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 640.5 square inches
• Number of burners: 3
• Number of wheels: 4
• Number of side tables: 2
• Warranty: 10 years
• Good to know: Includes 6 tool hooks; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 39,000
  

The Best Two-Burner Gas Grill

Weber Spirit E-210 Gas Grill

$549 $449 at Amazon View on Walmart $449 at Home Depot

What we liked: This grill is small, yet spacious (450 square inches of cooking space—the same as the E-310). 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 E-210 is ideal for two-person households or occasional grillers who aren’t interested in zone cooking.

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 say go for it.

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: Includes 4 tool hooks; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: No
• BTUs: 26,600
  

The Best Smart Gas Grill

Weber Spirit EX-325s Smart Grill

View on Amazon

What we liked: Like the Genesis E-325, 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. The added Sear Zone’s 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. Editor Rochelle Bilow has been using this grill multiple times a week for about a year and says she fires it up more often than her oven. "I can cook on it during a snowstorm (and indeed I have) because the app lets me monitor progress without standing outside in the cold. The techy features are a great upgrade."

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
• Good to know: Smart features; compatible with this cover
• Natural gas available: Yes
• BTUs: 32,000

The Best Splurge Gas Grill

Weber Genesis E-335 Gas Grill

$1,399 $1,199 at Amazon View on Walmart $1,177 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. We also tested the stainless steel version of this grill and found it to be equal in performance.

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 Larger, Budget Gas Grill (Under $500)

Monument Grills Stainless 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill

$479 at Amazon $479 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 nice 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 great flavor. Fish skin did stick to the grates during our tests, but the flesh was nicely cooked. Steaks had well-defined grill marks 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 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 six out of seven 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 about $450). 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

We've broken 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 models. 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. They also don't require refilling or handling unwieldy tanks. So, we noted which of our winners are also available as natural gas grills (all but a couple of the Webers and 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.

The Competition

Also Great

• Weber Genesis S-335 Propane Gas Grill: This is a fantastic grill and the stainless steel version of our splurge pick. If you’re willing to pay a little more for the material, we doubt you’ll be disappointed. 
• Weber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill: Despite having a “sear zone” and costing more, we thought it performed similarly to the E-310. Still, it’s a solid gas grill. 
• 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 associate editorial director 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 temperature. I’ve cooked oodles of chicken thighs, steaks, shrimp skewers, and flatbreads on this thing and have loved it all.”
• Weber Spirit II E-310 Gas Grill: This was our longtime top pick, but it’s been phased out and replaced with the new Spirit E-310 model. 
• Weber Spirit II E-210 Gas Grill: Similarly, this was our two-burner grill choice, but it’s been discontinued in favor of the new E-210.
• Weber Genesis E-325s Propane Grill: Another top pick that’s also been discontinued.  

 Not Worth It

• 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. It appears to be discontinued, too.
• 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.
  

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 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 in order to protect it from inclement weather and stave off rusting.

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, has an extra-large cooking space 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.

When is the best time to purchase a gas grill?

Retailers tend to discount grills around grill-friendly holidays, like Memorial Day and Labor Day. You'll also find good deals on Black Friday and Amazon's Prime Days—check back here at Serious Eats then; we regularly find and write about the best sales on all of our favorite kitchen equipment, including grills.

Why We’re the Experts

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the associate editorial director 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 has written several equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including gas grills and Traeger grills. She's been writing for Serious Eats for over three years.
• We tested 20 gas grills for more than a month, making burgers, fish fillets, and steak. We also closely evaluated how easy they were to assemble, and if they ignited quickly and were simple to clean.