How to Choose a Gas Grill | Fuel, Size, and Heat That Fit You

Buying a gas grill means matching the hardware to your cooking style, your yard, and your budget. The first and most important fork in the road is fuel: propane tanks offer portability and easy setup, while natural gas connects to your home’s line for a permanent installation. Get that call right, and everything else—size, burners, build quality—gets simpler.

The Fuel Decision: Propane or Natural Gas

Propane is the flexible, portable option. A tank attaches to the grill, so you can move the unit around your patio or take it to a friend’s house, and swapping an empty tank for a full one takes minutes. If you don’t already have a gas line running to your yard, propane is usually the practical choice.

Natural gas suits a more permanent setup. It connects directly to your home’s supply line, so you never refill a tank—but that also means the grill is anchored in place. If you’re building an outdoor kitchen or already have a line installed, natural gas may fit better. A note on cost: if a propane grill doesn’t include a tank, budget an extra $20 to $30 for one.

What Size Should Your Grill Be?

Size your grill by the people you cook for, both on a normal Tuesday and at your biggest party. A useful rule of thumb: plan for at least 300 square inches of cooking area to feed four people. An average family is well served by 450 to 500 square inches, while regular crowd-cooking calls for 550 to 650 square inches.

Consumer Reports sorts gas grills by burger capacity into three tiers: small grills handle 18 or fewer patties, midsized models cover about 18 to 28, and large grills manage 28 or more. Buying too large for your normal use wastes fuel and takes longer to heat, so resist the urge to oversize.

Heat, Build Quality, and Features That Matter

Ignore the BTU marketing number as your primary guide. What actually matters is the grill’s maximum temperature, its temperature range, and how evenly it distributes heat across the surface. Look for a model that can reach at least 500°F so you can sear properly.

More main burners generally mean more zone control—you can sear on one side and cook low on the other. For build quality, favor stainless-steel construction, strong welds, tight fittings, and minimal plastic. Pay attention to whether the grill sits stable and whether it has heat diffusers over the burners, which spread heat evenly and cut down flare-ups.

Features are worth paying for only when you’ll actually use them. Side burners, warming racks, rotisserie compatibility, cabinets, and lights all add cost—skip them if they won’t see regular action. In the $400 to $900 range, a solid three-burner grill typically produces 30,000 to 40,000 total BTUs, which is enough for most households.

One more practical consideration: if the grill has any electrical components—ignitors, lights, rotisserie motors—it needs to sit within reach of a standard outlet. And always verify whether a propane grill includes its tank; many don’t.

Once you’ve settled on fuel, budget, and cooking area, the next step is comparing specific models. If you’re looking to keep the initial investment sensible, our roundup of the best entry-level gas grills covers tested picks that balance price against performance.

Common Buying Mistakes to Avoid

Most shoppers trip on the same four errors. Buying by BTU alone tops the list—heat consistency and max temperature matter more than raw numbers. Ignoring fuel compatibility is second: a great natural-gas grill is useless if your patio has no line. Oversizing for a typical weeknight wastes fuel and slows warm-up. And overpaying for features—rotisseries, cabinets, side burners—that never get used drains budget you could have spent on build quality.

Wirecutter’s testing guidance echoes this: decide fuel first, then budget, then the cooking area you actually need, then construction and heat diffusers. A grill that reaches and holds its cooking temperature reliably beats one with a flashy spec sheet every time.

Stay Safe While You Cook

Keep food chilled before it hits the grate, use a meat thermometer to confirm doneness, and keep utensils and cutting boards clean. Have a fire extinguisher within reach, and never pour water on a grease fire. If you’re considering a fuel conversion—say, switching a propane grill to natural gas—check whether the manufacturer supports it before you buy.