Natural gas grills come in all shapes and sizes. With the wide variety and features available, it’s normal to get overwhelmed when shopping for a grill. Finding the best natural gas grill for your lifestyle may seem herculean, but with our help, it will be just one more thing you get to tick off your to-buy list. We’re here to help you choose the best natural gas grill so that you do not have to try out different products.
We’ve reviewed 40 different gas grills, so we have quite a bit of insight about grills. After trying out different natural gas models, we had a clear winner: Broil King Regal S590, our Editor’s Choice. From the high-grade stainless-steel construction and thick cooking grids, to the superb flavorizer system and highly-responsive control knobs, everything about this grill is designed to deliver outstanding cooking results. Read more on this and other products in the review section below.
To come up with our findings, we considered all the main features in a grill, comparing the heat output in BTUs, number of burners, cooking area, overall grill dimensions, and warranty information in each gas grill. We then sorted the grills by performance, the cooking results of each, and benefits accrued from, say, things like the warranty. In the Buying Guide section, we’ll tell you why these features matter. We’ve included a comparison table with ratings for each grill, in-detail reviews of each product, a buying guide, and FAQs to help you get answers to the most burning questions you might have.
More features: porcelain coated warming rack, stainless steel cooking grids, illuminated knobs, enclosed cabinet
For someone who grills a considerable amount of food regularly, the 5-burner Broil King Regal S590 is a befitting grill. With a BTU rating of 55,000, this grill is designed to sustain a uniform amount of heat throughout the cooking chamber, delivering even and well-cooked results each time. It has a primary cooking space of 625 square inches, which increases to 875 square inches when you add the side burner and rotisserie.
Made from high-grade stainless steel and die-cast aluminum with paint finish, this is a tough grill that should last for more than a decade. In this model, Broil King uses stainless steel dual-tube burners, each with two rows of flame, for even heat distribution. The cooking grids, made from 9mm stainless steel rods, are strong and durability, with excellent heat retention properties.
A combination of linear-flow valves and 180 degree F and Sensi-Touch control knobs make it easy for you to control and set the right temperature for what you’re cooking. The knobs are illuminated for enhanced visibility so you always know what settings you’re choosing.
The cooking system integrates Flav-R-Wave technology, which is designed to vaporize any drippings and infuse the vapor back into the food for a rich barbecue flavor.
It comes with a lifetime limited warranty on burners and a 2-year limited warranty on parts and paint.
More features: stainless steel rod cooking grates, sear station, app compatible, enclosed storage, caster wheels
Among the most notable features in the 4-burner Weber Genesis II S-435 is the GS4 grilling system, Weber’s high-performance grilling technology that’s powered by 4 features: 1) Powerful, 48,000 BTU burners that are optimized for maximum power and durability. As a result, they do not lose their effectiveness over time. 2) A single-control igniter that allows you to turn on and instantaneously adjust the temperature in the entire grill. 3) Stainless steel Flavorizer bars that infuse a smoky flavor to your food and minimize flare-ups, hence preventing burned texture and taste. 4) And a grease management system that swiftly channels grease drippings to your drip tray for painless cleaning.
The cooking grates, made from durable stainless steel, ensure even heat distribution across the grilling surface. The grill comes with a side burner but not a rotisserie. However, it is compatible with the Weber 7653 Rotisserie Genesis Burner, which you can buy separately. You can use the grill with Weber’s iGrill 2 Bluetooth-enabled thermometer, or connect the iGrill 3, which installs through a dedicated port on the grill and is app-connected to your phone.
An enclosed storage cabinet provides a convenient space to keep your grilling mini equipment and accessories. The cabinet, however, has large openings that may allow critters in.
Comes with a 10-year limited warranty.
More features: ceramic infrared burners, stainless steel cooking grids, I-GLOW™ knobs, ice bucket, ACCU-PROBE™ temperature gauge
If you plan to cook a wide variety of food at a go, the Napoleon Grills LEX485RSIBNSS is for you. With 805 square inches of cooking area, 6 burners, and a 74,000 BTU rating, this grill, also one of the best outdoor natural gas grills, packs up sufficient power to get your steak and ribs ready within a reasonable time. The stainless steel cooking grids distribute heat uniformly to produce evenly-cooked food. Napoleon uses a double-walled lid that retains the maximum amount of heat possible, providing an oven-like experience for well-cooked food.
There’s an infrared side burner and rear rotisserie burner, both of which heat up super fast and provide an additional cooking surface that you can use to prepare countless dishes.
The JETFIRE ignition system is fast and turns on the grill as soon as you flip the switch, and i-Glow backlit control knobs light up in a bright blue glow to illuminate your cooking area when using the grill at night.
The grill comes with ample storage, including a large cabinet and side shelves, providing a convenient space to keep all your grilling accessories. The only blot in this well-thought-out model is that the openings at the rear top and bottom of the cabinet may let critters in. The drip tray, too, is small and fills up rather quickly, a flaw that quickly becomes noticeable if you frequently prepare large amounts of food.
More features: stainless steel racks, rear infrared burner, drip tray, piezo igniters, warming rack
The Bull Outdoor Products Angus is one of the best built-in natural gas grills you can invest in. Its sturdy stainless steel construction is designed to withstand extreme weather, and you can use it throughout the year without worrying about wear or having its performance affected.
The 75,000 BTU burners are made from durable cast stainless steel and hold up to heavy use well. It also comes with a rear infrared burner and a rotisserie. The manufacturer uses what they call ReliaBull Technology, a grilling technology that employs flame tamers to eliminate hot and cold spaces and create a more even cooking surface, and which they say improves heat distribution by 50%. While this keeps the cooking bars consistently heated, the heat is not 100% evenly distributed, remaining particularly higher in the rear area. To remedy this, you can adjust the shutters on the burners, but you have to pull the grill out and remove the burners to access the shutters.
The drip pan is large and neat. When removing the pan, you have to pull it out slowly, taking care not to spill the contents, because it doesn’t have pull-out stops.
It comes with most of the parts assembled, so what you’ll largely need help with is the installation.
Available with a 1-year limited warranty on parts and lifetime limited warranty on burners and cooking grates.
More features: porcelain-enameled cooking grates, lid and cookbox, heavy-duty caster wheels
The Weber Spirit II E-310 is a high-end 3-burner propane grill that ranks high in terms of performance and durability as it does price-wise. The high-quality grill offers you great control over what you cook.
Every grill master looks for 2 main things in a grill, high-grade performance and attractive design. The E-310 offers both with its smart and easy-to-control features.
The grill has infinity ignition which means it ignites every time without any trouble. Its burners are high-performance, as they provide even heating required to cook different types of foods effectively.
Also features are porcelain-enameled flavorized bars that catch food drippings and prevent flare ups. This together with a grease management system make cleaning the grill a breeze.
The most interesting feature on this grill is its reversible grill plates. They are thick on one side and thin on the other allowing you more flexibility in cooking technique. For dishes that require a fine or delicate touch you can use the thinner side of the grill. For thick meats and foods like steak, you can use the thicker side.
The grill assembles easily. Anyone new to grilling or grills can breeze through its assembly. It comes with a 10-year warranty and a few useful accessories like a lid and cookbox. Plus, you can move it around easily thanks to the heavy-duty caster wheels.
More features: cast iron cooking grids, stainless steel burners, electronic ignition system, enclosed cabinet, 7-inch wheels
The Broil King Monarch 320 is a small, 3-burner grill with powerful 30,000 BTU stainless steel burners that yield superior grilling outcomes on all kinds of dishes. Heavy duty cast iron cooking grids with excellent heat retention properties deliver evenly-cooked meals. While the burners give a combined cooking area of 330 square inches, the cooking area adds up to 350 square inches when you factor in the warming rack and is enough to grill a sizeable amount of meat.
The Sure-Lite electronic ignition system instantly lights up the grill when you turn it on, with the cookbox heating up fast to reach the desired preheating temperatures in minutes.
The Flav-R-Wave technology converts drippings to vapor, infusing your meats (and other dishes you grill) with a tasty smoky flavor.
Two foldable side shelves provide a ready space for you to place your kitchen tools during meal preparation. They collapse completely, allowing for easy storage. A large cabinet at the base of the grill provides ample storage for your grilling tools. The cabinet closes all the way and is properly sealed, making it hard for critters to invade the grill. Also included is a 10-foot natural gas hose, which gives you some flexibility on where to install the grill.
It comes with a 10-year limited warranty on burners and a 2-year limited warranty on parts.
Let’s now learn more about natural gas grills, how to use them, and how to choose the right grill for your household. We’ll also answer some FAQs about this type of grill.
The natural gas grill is connected directly to your home’s natural gas line, so you never have to worry about running out of fuel while in the middle of cooking a meal.
These grills maintain accurate temperatures at all times and distribute heat uniformly, which you need if you’re to have evenly-cooked food.
They produce great-tasting meals. Some, like the Broil King grills, are specially designed to add a smoky, barbecue flavor to dishes.
Natural gas is cheaper than propane, which is the common cooking gas alternative.
If you don’t already have the natural gas line connected to your grill, have a certified gas plumber to do the connection for you. They will first check the capacity of your natural gas meter to determine if they can add a line to the grill. If the meter is small, they will switch it up to a bigger one to accommodate the extra demand from the grill. Once the connection is done and they’ve confirmed that there are no gas leaks, it’s time to hook up the grill hose.
Ensure that the gas is turned off and all control knobs on the grill are in the OFF position.
Confirm that there’s no debris at the end of the hose, then insert the hose connector onto the gas valve, listening for the click that indicates the hose is secured into place.
Gas grills can be expensive depending on the brand, quality, and size, with prices ranging from $400 for smaller models like the Weber Spirit E310 to $2,000 and up for large grills like the Bull Outdoor Products Angus. The price alone isn’t indicative of quality. Rather, it has a lot to do with the cooking area, number of burners, cooking grids, and other features.
Below are the most important features to consider when buying a grill.
When used in line with Department of Energy and the manufacturer’s guidelines, natural gas grills are safe. Install your gas grill outdoors as required, keeping it at least 2 feet away from combustible materials.
Also, switch off the gas supply when you finish using the grill. It’s not enough to simply turn off the grill; turning off the gas valve prevents accidental gas leaks and potential fire hazards.
Always get a professional to install the grill for you to ensure it’s done properly.
BTU, or British Thermal Units in full, is a measure of the thermal output of any heating appliance, including a grill. The rating is measured per square inch and is calculated as the amount of heat needed to heat up 1 lbs of water by 1 degree F. On a gas grill, the BTU rating indicates the thermal output of the main burner(s). These are the burners located right beneath the cooking grate.
The optimal BTU-per-square-inch for a gas grill is in the 80-100 BTU range. A lower BTU could point to a grill that heats up slowly, while a much higher BTU could indicate a grill that retains heat poorly. Both extremes yield less-than-desirable cooking results.
The cooking area refers to the cumulative surface area available for you to grill food. It includes the area covered by the burners, which is the primary cooking area, and the secondary cooking area covered by a warming rack, if available, or a side burner. A wide cooking area allows you to grill a variety of foods at the same time. Notable grills with a large cooking area include Bull Outdoor Products Angus and Napoleon Grills LEX485RSIBNSS.
For you to get real value for your investment, the entire grill, and not just the cooking grates, needs to be constructed using sturdy metal. Good material choices for the frame are cast iron, cast aluminum, and stainless steel. Stainless steel and cast aluminum are rust-resistant and are therefore easier to maintain, while cast iron grills typically come with a protective finish to safeguard them from rust.
Choose a grill that is well-built to reduce the likelihood of some components breaking down within a short period of use. Check that the lid fits well and closes snugly to help retain heat.
The ignition system determines how fast the start-up of your grill is. Good ignition systems support instant start-up and don’t require much effort to turn on. The best ones are electronic, like the Broil King Monarch 320, and turn on the grill instantaneously. And, like in the Weber Genesis II S-435, they may be integrated with the temperature settings to provide single-control temperature adjustment.
The connection hose is what connects your grill to the natural gas line. While most gas grills come with the connection hose attached, the length of the hose varies greatly, and this can determine how far from the gas line you can set up your grill. Grills like the Broil King Monarch 320 have a reasonably long hose at 10 feet, making it possible for you to set up your grill a distance away from the gas line.
The cooking grates are what transfer heat from the burners to your food. They are made from stainless steel or cast iron, with both materials being preferred because of their durability and heat retention properties. Stainless steel grates have the added advantage of being rust-resistant. Consider the grate thickness too. The thicker the cooking grates, the more heat they will retain, leading to a better sear.
A grill with rotating wheels, such as the Weber Genesis II S-435 or Broil King Monarch 320 is easy to move around and gives you a bit of flexibility on where you can use the grill. Remember that portability may be inhibited by a short connection hose, so check that your hose is long enough to still connect to the gas line from the new location.
The grill shouldn’t be too heavy either because then it becomes near impossible to move it. For example, pushing the 214-pound Broil King Regal S590 is taxing compared to moving the much lighter Broil King Monarch 320.
Gas grills are durable, remaining usable for several decades. As such, manufacturers typically give long warranty periods, particularly on the burners and cooking grids. Some issue a lifetime warranty, like in the Bull Outdoor Products Angus, while many settle for a 10-year warranty. Most Weber grills, the Broil King Regal S590, Napoleon Grills LEX485RSIBNSS, and Broil King Monarch 320 are all guaranteed for 10 years. Parts have a shorter warranty period, usually 1-2 years, but they are cheaper and easily replaceable.
You’ll rely on the grill thermostat to set and control the temperature inside the grill. Grill thermostats are easy to use in most cases, as you only need to adjust the control knob to your desired temperature for both preheating and the actual cooking. Thereafter, use thermometer probes to check the temperature at different time intervals and determine whether the temperature needs further adjusting.
Because a natural gas grill is a big investment, it is advisable to buy a renowned name brand. The fact that the brand has a proven track record and relies on the success of their products to earn a profit means you’re getting a quality product. Plus, should you need help down the road, you’ll know where to find the manufacturer.
When using the grill for the first time, turn all the control knobs to minimum to determine your lowest temperature. Then turn them to maximum to find out the grill’s highest temperature. This way, you know what recipes to use for the supported temperature range.
Season the grill before using it for the first time. This you do by applying a little oil on the grid and heating the grill.
Create a roasting environment by keeping one burner on low or turning it off completely. If using a 2-burner grill, turn both burners to medium and place a rack inside the grill in the space between the burners to elevate your food so that it’s further from the heat source.
No. Natural gas grills are safe to use, and the requirement that they are to be used outdoors only reduces the risk for fires. Abide by the DOE’s natural gas safe usage regulatory requirements to ensure that you’re using the grill in the safest way possible at all times.
There are conversion kits that will convert your propane grill to a natural gas grill and vice versa, but the process is involving and should be carried out by an expert. Before choosing this route, remember that converting your grill voids your warranty. Given that you probably still have years on your warranty, it may be better to consider buying a natural gas grill instead. A lot of manufacturers offer both natural gas and propane versions of most grill models.
A natural gas grill is cheaper to use. Propane gas is more expensive than natural gas, and refilling the tank also eats into your time and money. With a natural gas grill, you only have the monthly gas bill to worry about, and this will be much lower than what you’d pay for a similar amount of propane gas.
The frequency depends on how often you use the grill. Make sure you burn off food debris from the grids and brush off any remnants using a stainless-steel bristle brush. Empty the drip tray and wash it in warm soapy water to keep it clean.
A monthly thorough scrub down will keep your grill in top condition. To do so, remove grime from the burners using a wire brush by moving the brush in an up and down motion. Remove the cooking grates, flavorizers, and warming racks and wash them using warm soapy water. Rinse, dry, and return to the grill.
Our top choice is the Broil King Regal S590. Sturdy construction, excellent choice of materials, and advanced flavorizer technology are some of its strongest positives. A high BTU, 5 burners, and a considerably large cooking area are other cool features. The lifetime warranty on burners seals the deal.
Our second choice is the Weber Genesis II S-435. We like the GS4 grilling technology and how it uses stainless steel burners and flavorizer bars, single-control ignition, and an efficient grease management system to deliver a flawless grilling experience. A sear station, side burner, and app-compatibility are other attractions.
Our third best natural gas grill and budget pick is the Weber Spirit E310, a high-performing unit powered by three 32,000 BTU burners. The sturdy cast iron construction prepares it for an extended lifespan, and we like that it’s equipped with Weber’s innovative GS4 grilling technology and comes with foldable side tables.
