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Introduction

Yes! It’s exciting, you’re on the hunt for a new man toy. Whilst the old BBQ has given up the ghost, you’re now spying for the best gas barbecue grills, to grab the perfect one for your outdoor cooking area.

Your old barbecue has been surviving by a thread, rusted corners and edges are fraying as each week goes by, and your wife has told you it now looks dangerous. This is the exact trigger you’ve been listening for. A perfectly acceptable reason to purchase a brand new, top of the range (or lower-range in some cases) outdoor gas barbecue grill that will spruce up your back yard.

Hallelujah, so let’s go hunting! We’ve listed the best gas barbecue grills for this year, but first, a guide to buying a gas barbecue so that you get the right one. You really don’t want to get the new beast home, only to find that it doesn’t connect to your gas supply. So, check out these tips and you’ll be on your way to an awesome new BBQ.

Gas Barbecue Grills Buying Guide

There’s a few matters to keep in mind when heading into your BBQ store. Here’s some of those concerns to look out for.

Type of Gas

Your choices are basically restricted to LP gas (Liquid Propane) or Natural gas. The most common choice for barbecues is LP Gas, as it comes contained in portable tanks that can be used at home or taken on camping trips.

Here’s a tip to keep in mind, always keep a second LP Gas tank as a backup. When the tank gets low, it can be difficult to tell when it’s going to run out of gas. There’s nothing worse than setting your pork with crackling for 2 hours. Then leaving to have a beer with your mates, only to return and find the meat cooked for 10 minutes before running out of gas.

Not only is this embarrassing, your guests will be starving by the time the meat is cooked!

The natural gas option is less common and a more permanent choice. Natural gas is mostly methane and is dispersed from your house to the barbecue grill via a pipeline. As working with natural gas supplies is dangerous, you’ll require a specialized contractor to make the connection.

Portability

The range of portable barbecues are vast, and some are more mobile than others. Smaller BBQ’s like the popular weber-Q are ideal for camping trips or even home apartments that don’t have room for a larger barbecue. However, the smaller and more mobile barbecues are also less powerful with usually only one burner.

There is a magnitude larger than these, that is also portable and is your common backyard size. A freestanding barbecue is generally on wheels so can be manoeuvred to various locations around your garden. These can commonly provide you with 1- 4 burners.
You can however go all out to impress with a large 6 burner barbecue that comes complete with a sink, range-hood, cabinets and any other bells and whistles you can think of.

Considerations to think about are, how often will you need to feed loads of people? Do you really require a huge beast of a barbecue if its not necessary? You’ll only pay too much for little usage and a lot of cleaning.

So, consider how much you’ll use your barbecue, and your size limitations to determine which sized BBQ is right for your circumstance.

Features

You may want to consider the cooking surface of your barbecue grill which differs with various sizes. Smaller barbecues tend to have only a grilled surface whereas larger units will usually sport a split cooking surface with half being a grill, and the other half being a hotplate. The hotplate feature makes cooking vegetables, prawns, onions etc much easier.

Some larger barbecues will also have a hood attached which allows for oven type cooking. This is favourable for cooking roasts or pizza as it traps the heat in. If you do find a suitable barbecue with a rangehood, make sure the hood has a thermostat on the cover, it helps with keeping your food from burning.

You’ll find that most barbecues, big or small, now come with an automatic ignition which is usually battery operated. Some ignitions have been known to have difficult to replace battery positioning, so look for an easy to replace unit.

This may sound odd but if you are looking at a barbecue with more than one burner, check that all the burners are controlled separately. This is so you can cook various foods at various temperatures in various locations. Why on earth you’d have all burners controlled with the one knob is ludicrous, but they are available. You really don’t need to waste gas if you can help it.

Accessories

Look for various accessories that will come with your barbecue, sometimes you can get a great deal thrown in. (If not, always ask for a set of steak knives, they can only say no!).

Some of the extras you may appreciate are listed here. Certainly, a barbecue cover is a great accessory that you may want added. This is especially true if you live near the coast as salt air can corrode and rust your cooker.

Other extras include a pizza stone, BBQ trolley, warming racks, fish catchers, smoke box or a hotplate. If you don’t have BBQ cooking implements then you may want to purchase these, as you can’t turn meat with your fingers! Simple mitts and gloves are also a great idea.

If you’re going all out with the built-in barbecue, adding a fridge and sink are two of the big-ticket items that will make all your mates jealous!

Assembly

All barbecues require some type of assembly, even a small Weber Q will need a minor amount of construction. So even though you must prepare yourself for assembly, certainly if you purchase online, most instructions are fairly straight forward. If unsure, get a second opinion from a family member or neighbour.

If you buy from a hardware or specialised BBQ store, they may well offer some sort assembly service.

So now you know what considerations to keep in mind when searching for a barbecue, here’s our list of the best gas barbecue grills for this year.

Made by the most reputable barbecue manufacturer in the world, the Weber Spirit E310 is an amazingly great family sized cooker. Whilst most other brands have been assuming 2 or 4 burner models are the ideal sizes, Weber decided to try out the 3 burner and it’s been a huge hit with consumers.

I love that it comes with just about all features you’d expect from a mid-sized BBQ and there’s no drop in quality or style. The 3 output burners give awesome heat as it offers 32,000-BTU (British Thermal Unit)-per-hour input. With the burner tubes being made from stainless-steel of high-grade, you won’t need to concern yourself with corrosion and they will stand up to small irregularities such as water droplets found in liquid propane.

Some of the great features we really like with this model are listed below:

• The actual cooling space is extremely adequate for grilling many types of meats, even a 20-pound turkey will roast well. You’ll get 424-square-inches of primary cooking space and a warming rack offering 105-square-inches.
• You’ll not only be able to do direct cooking, but roast meats are easily achievable as there’s a hood that comes complete with accurate thermometer to give you a perfect indication of your internal temperature.
• Unlike many barbecues, your gas tank can be placed on the inside of the cabinet below. This conceals the tank and allows for easier maneuverability. With my previous barbecue I’d have to roll the BBQ trolley with one hand whilst carrying the gas tank in the other. This is so much more practical.
• Another great feature is the Flavorizer Bars which protect your burner tubes by directing the grease and drippings to the grease management system. This also provides add a ‘Cooked on Grill’ flavor to your meat as an added bonus!
• Of course, you’ll require preparation space which is provided by the 2 side extensions. The only knock on these is that they don’t fold down like the 2-burner model, so make sure you have enough room for these side extensions. Each extension comprises 3 tools hooks for hanging your BBQ tools.
• This feature is a beauty, the gas indicator which gives you a guide as to how much fuel you have remaining in your gas tank. It’s basically a scale which changes as the tank reduces in weight. So, although you may not know exactly how much gas is left, it is a very good guide.

At times in the life of a barbecue, you’re going to need to clean the grills. Check out our Best Barbecue Grilling Tips for help with this. The benefits of the Weber Spirit E310 is the ease of accessibility when it does require cleaning.

Unfortunately, those wanting to hook the BBQ up to natural gas will have to search for a different model, this BBQ only connects to LP Gas.

You’ll feel comfortable in the knowledge that well over 600 customers have given this a 4.5-star rating. For more information and specifications, reviews etc, click on the ‘Check it Out’ button.

Going up in luxury class, you’ll love what the Weber Geneis II can offer you, a little more than the previous version at a similar sized unit. This 3-gas burner offers all that the Weber Spirit E310 does plus higher performance, but you will pay more for these extra features. I suppose you get what you pay for and this is certainly the case with Weber barbecues.

The performance is the big improvement in this model which gives an even cook all over the grill surface. So, wherever you place your meat on the grill surface, a consistent flame is guaranteed to cook evenly. This is a pleasure to cook on and you’ll feel like your cooking on the Mercedes of BBQ’s.

Again, you’ll benefit from some of the extras featured on the previous Weber model such as the grease management system and Flavorizer bars. This ensures the removal of grease away from the burners and prevents the risk of flare-ups.

Here’s some of the other benefits you’ll encounter:

• You’ll really like the Infinity Ignition which guarantees a triggered ignition every time on each burner. There’s an internal switch on each burner control so by turning this control knob, your gas will instantly light on a consistent basis. By the way, I’m loving the illuminated control knobs.
• If you’d prefer the option of natural gas, this preference is also available. Make sure you choose the correct option before making your purchase though. You will be given the choice of Natural or Liquid Propane gas.
• Another choice you’ll be offered is the colour, between black or stainless-steel. Although I like both, my preference is the black. I just find it make a bolder statement.
• Unlike the previous model, you’ll note the hot-plate on one side extension. If you’re not a hot-plate type of person, simply use the cover as a base plate for your essentials.
• Here’s a toy you may like, an LED light on the hood handle. This will illuminate your food in darker environments, so you can see the true color of your food.
• One last thing to get you excited about the Genesis II LX S-340, how about the ‘iGrill3 Ready’ Bluetooth digital thermometer! Who’d have thought you could display the real-time temperature on your mobile device? It will also give you the gas tank level, ideal if you just happen to be at the hardware store.

With simple assembly (you’ll only require a Phillips head screw driver), you’ll find this barbecue will keep you going for years to come, it’s a beauty with lots of added toys!

Over 100 customers have given this a 4.5-star rating, so a pleasurable experience is assured with one of these.

If you’d prefer a cheaper option than the ‘Weber’ brand, then this ‘Monument’ brand is a great alternative that will give you most features you’d expect in a BBQ. The traditional 4-burner is a great size for entertaining and can offer you 513 sq. inches of primary cooking space, with a heating rack 210 sq. inches in area.

There’s even a few nice features that the Weber Genesis II LX offers, such as the LED control knobs that illuminate blue when in use. Although is will not improve your cooking abilities, it will turn heads when you have your mates over! Here’s where you can learn some BBQ grilling tips.

Some other nice additions that this BBQ offers are listed here:

• You’ll find two side burners, both with different purposes. One is a hot-plate which can be found on many other barbecues, the other is a ceramic sear burner. The purpose of this it to heat a plate to a very high temperature using many small flames. This is used to brown off any food types, mainly meat. I really like this addition.
• The cooking grates are cast iron which is porcelain coated. This is designed for even cooking and helps with great flavoring.
• We all dislike cleaning our barbecue but the galvanized grease tray in the rear access make it much easier. Anything to make cleaning is a good thing! It comes with a removable catch pan to collect most of the grease.
• The side shelves (that include the side burners) have tool hooks to hang your common BBQ grill cooking tools on.
• No more storing your gas tank externally, you now have a place in the cabinet underneath, solely for this purpose.

So, even though you won’t be purchasing the best barbecue on the market (you just can’t beat a Weber), you’re still going to get great value for money.

Note that you cannot connect this barbecue to natural gas and no cover is included. There’s also no rotisserie included but it can be purchased for approximately $40.

At the time of writing this review, over 15 customers have rated this BBQ 4.7-stars. This goes to show the satisfaction with this model.

We were going to review this barbecue a little further down the list, but I just couldn’t resist writing about it. Imagine the full Weber grilling centre, the ultimate in barbecuing excellence and one hefty beast to show off to your mates! Oh yes, you’ll pay for the privilege of cooking on the best gas barbecue grill from the leaders in BBQ manufacturing, but it’ll be worth every penny if you enjoy creating succulent barbecue meals.

It’s like having a whole kitchen island outside, only BBQ style. What is immediately bought to the eye, is the length, number of burners and available room for preparation. With 6 stainless-steel burners under the 624 square-inch main cooking surface, you will find loads of room for many guests having their meat cooking simultaneously.

With all the features you’d expect from some of the smaller Weber barbecues already mentioned, you’re also going to benefit from these extra boy’s toys that add that bit of extra pizzazz to the unit:

• You’ll really appreciate the pop-up rotisserie that can be hidden away when not in use. It comes with rear infrared burner which will help with making your roasts cook to perfection. The rotisserie stick is included and can be stored away behind the grill, along with several tongs.
• I really like the wood-chip basket that gives you the opportunity to give your meat a smoked flavour. It’s also simple to access and replace when cleaning, it’s a nice touch.
• What about the storage! There’s enough room to keep all your BBQ cleaning products, gas tank and anything else that requires isolation from the elements. There’s even a paper-towel rack on the inside of one door, and hooks to hang your grilling tools.
• I also find the LED indicator, which tells you how much gas is left in the tank, comes in handy when you’re getting low on gas.

There’s so much more to like about this Weber grilling centre and you can find out all the other specifications, reviews and product information by clicking on the ‘Check it Out’ button.

It’s been given great reviews and a 5-star rating. That’s very hard to beat!

Apologies for adding another Weber product, it’s just that …. they are the best. How else can we show the best gas barbecues grills without … the actual best gas barbecues!

If you’ve ever been camping, you’ll know the importance of a reliable BBQ to keep the hunger pains at bay. For a number of years, I put up with a cheaper BBQ that was the right size for camping, but I always had trouble with it after my first trip. When it did eventually light, the flames were so weak it didn’t cook. The burner tubes were not powerful enough, so I ended up throwing it away mid camping and bought a Weber Q1200.

I’ve never looked back since, as this is the barbecue I should have bought in the first place. I’ve just been amazed with the consistency and power of the flame. In a way it’s like having a new car, everything feels smooth, shiny and just works well.

Just check out some of these features you’ll appreciate with this design:

• Although it was restyled years ago, it still has a style and performance that makes it one of today’s best gas barbecue grills. The unit is extremely sturdy, has a large grip handle and control knob which make usability easy.
• Two x fold-out side tables which can be used to store a multitude of things. I’d say they’re too small as a preparation area, but perfect for placing my beer whilst cooking!
• You’ll find the ignition is so simple to fire. My old barbecue was supposed to fire the ignition as the control knob turned, unfortunately, it hardly ever ignited. I ended up using a match. The Weber Q1200 has a push-button ignition that just fires every time. I feel like I want to keep igniting it!
• The lid is quite high which allows for small roasts to be cooked in the barbecue. So, this is really a dual-purpose unit that can be used as a kettle for roasting or use it as a direct heat BBQ. The lid also has a thermometer inbuilt.

With all the features you’ll need for camp cooking, you can’t help but be impressed with this gas barbecue grill. You’ll even be presented with a choice of 8 different colors to choose from. I can’t help but feel this should be everyone’s go-to barbecue for smaller range units.

You can get BBQ’s for two-thirds the price, but they won’t last, and you’ll be forking out the extra like I did eventually. With a 4.7-star rating from over 800 verified customers, the proof is in the reviews. View these reviews and all other specifications by clicking on the ‘Check it Out’ button.

Not everyone requires a full barbecue system which includes cabinetry, a cart or other surrounds. Often you can build your own grilling centre (or have it built for you) and all you need is the barbecue drop-in grill to be secured to your custom made outdoor kitchen. This is an innovative idea and can have many more benefits.

One of these benefits is the option to have your BBQ hooked up to your natural gas supply. Therefor you won’t be required to purchase gas tanks every 6 months or so. One of the leaders in this market is ‘Bull’, a company that’s been around since 1992. So, with over 25 years of experience, they are a company that can be trusted.

Being their most popular model, the Lonestar Select Drop-in Head is ideal for those having a custom built outdoor BBQ kitchen. Made from quality 304 Stainless-Steel, it’s as solid as a bull and can cope with all weather conditions.

Under the hood you’ll appreciate the 4 x welded stainless-steel bar burners that each produce 15,000 BTU’s of cooking power. Oh yeah fella’s, it’s a powerful unit.

Here’s what else the Bull offers:

• You’ll benefit with night time cooking from the twin lighting system. Not everyone cooks in daylight summer conditions, all year-round BBQ cooking is also extremely popular, and the internal lighting will enhance your vision.
• A large 810 sq. Inch cooking area will prove extremely advantageous when entertaining. You don’t want to be cooking your guest’s food all afternoon, just place it all on at once with room to spare!
• You’ll need to provide a cut-out area for your barbecue head to sit. The dimensions for this is 31″(W) X 21″(D) X 9 1/2″(H) so, be sure to allow enough room for this unit to sit in. They also offer drop-in head barbecues in larger and smaller sizes. Click on the ‘Check it Out’ button to have all sizes and specifications displayed.
• Looking for a guarantee? They off the following as such ‘5 Year Burners, Lifetime Grates and Fire Box’.

You will look the part standing behind this beast, tools in hand an BBQ apron at the ready!

So, if you’re searching for a great drop-in BBQ to hook up to your natural gas supply, this has been given a 4.6-star rating, meaning a lot of happy customers.

For a cheaper portable camping trip BBQ, this little foldaway gas barbecue grill has been rated well from an extraordinary number of customers. I must admit, it’s not exactly my style but if it does the job well then it deserves to be on this list.

Known for their full range of various camping equipment, especially cooler boxes, Coleman are a brand that has stood the test of time and can boast a large range of best seller items. This small gas grill is no exception as it pumps out 20,000 BTUs of heat over a surface area of 285 sq. inches, which is a larger surface area than the Weber Q.

A few features you may like with this barbecue are:

• It’s a neat and compact unit that folds down for easy storage and transportation. You’ll find it an ideal cheaper solution for quick trips away or picnic breaks. The collapsible design is a nice feature for flexibility.
• You’ll like the Instastart button which does away with matches, ignition at the touch of a button.
• It also comes with 2 independent adjustable burners, so you can control either side of your barbecue separately. I really like this feature and you don’t always want the whole surface area cooking at the same temperature.
• The removable grease tray can be cleaned easily when finished cooking.

Well over 4.5K customers have bought this barbecue so the reviews and ratings are well averaged over a large range of purchasers. It’s been rated 4.3-stars which is obviously not as good as the Weber Q1200 but I’d suggest it’s a brilliant back-up barbecue.

Something to keep in mind though is that this barbecue is designed to connect to a 1-pound disposable propane cylinder. There’s such an adaptor known as a ‘Coleman high pressure 5 ft. propane hose’ which will allow for connection to a 20-pound refillable propane tank.

The ideal barbecue for a particular purpose is how we see this grill. Do you have a local club that gets out the barbecue to feed the troops? Associations like sports clubs, charity organizations or even retirement villages have lunch functions where barbecues like this one are ideal. In fact, if you’ve ever heard of a sausage sizzle, barbecues like these are the staple requirement.

A sausage sizzle is an Australian BBQ used to raise funds for clubs or organizations across the country. The most common place to find them is outside the largest hardware store (Bunnings). Every Saturday & Sunday, sausage sizzles are set up to boost the coffers of sporting clubs or scout groups. They’re a great initiative and survive because of barbecues like the Blackstone 36-inch Gas Grill Griddle Station.

With an open grill design, the cooking surface is 720sq inches which can accommodate loads of meat, eggs or even teppanyaki style foods.

Check out these features:

• You find it’s extremely durable as it’s built a with powder coated black steel frame and stainless-steel burners.
• You’ll really appreciate the top plate when it comes to cleaning. It’s made from thick cold rolled steel making it easy to wipe clean after use.
• As there’s 4 separate burners, you can have controlled heat zones which is perfect for mass cooking. Keep you’re fried eggs warm whilst extra sausages are being grilled on the hotter side.
• There’s also the added bonus of industrial strength caster wheels. Simply lock the wheels in place so your barbecue doesn’t start rolling away. This really comes in handy when you have no choice but to cook on a slope.

It is also possible to fold-up for storage but will take a little effort. You’ll need to remove the gas tank and griddle top, plus shelves. When the bottom shelf is removed, the legs will fold in.

The majority of customers have found this model to be extremely good value for money. They’ve rated it 4.4-stars from over 2K customer reviews.

It has been noted that the grease can possibly miss the allocated grease tray after being directed through the grease hole, but this seems hit and miss. Only a few people have had this issue.

Conclusion

So, depending on your circumstance, there’s a gas barbecue for any occasion. We’ve scoured Amazon for the best gas barbecue grills for this year that are good value for money. This takes into consideration verified customers reviews and their Q & A’s.
I hope this helps you out and you’re a little wiser on what’s available.

If you’d like to share your favorite BBQ with us, please feel free to add to the discussion below.