These backyard kitchen devices are similar to standalone grills, but with better performance. Since it’s a big investment (it will be literally built-in to your house), you need to serve you and your family well. When choosing the right gas grill for your outdoor kitchen, there are so many things to think about. Don’t you wish someone had done all the work and just presented you with a few of the best choices? That’s exactly what we did. Read on to find out the best built-in gas grills!
This robust built-in grill is an industry leader in thickness and durability. They are more economical and efficient without using as much gas as other models for ideal temperatures. Thanks to their solid innovative technology that utilizes the exact mix of fuel and oxygen.
This solid model comes with quality cast stainless steel H burners (like the Lion Premium and Weber Summit S-460) with an included rotisserie kit available for that mouth-watering rotisserie chicken you crave. You no longer have to experience waiting to serve everyone at the party with the illuminated control knobs (like Napoleon's I-GLOW) and a cooking surface with an available 630 square inches of total cooking space! Get the perfect grilled taste with no flare-ups and cleanup is easy as pie with removable baffles plus the drip tray.
Pros
Cons
The Fire Magic Echelon model presents you with a wide variety of quality choices. Choose between using propane or natural gas, analog or digital thermometer, and whether or not it includes a magic view window. If you have a smaller space available, the E660i is the perfect drop-in grill.
The compact size of this premium Fire Magic model takes less space and includes excellent features as well like Diamond Sear cooking grids and a meat probe. You can make anything you want with this versatile built-in grill. Use the grill, smoker burner, and rotisserie burner for mouthwatering meats.
It has 900 square inches of cooking area available (more than Napoleon LEX), with the main grilling area at 660 square inches and the secondary one at 240 square inches. This cooking area is perfect for small families under 4 people and those with limited space. For more similar options, go and check our reviews of premium 4 burner gas grills.
Cons
This solid 3 burner grill model possesses all the quality features you look for in a built-in top-quality outdoor kitchen appliance or grill all in one package. Use the rotisserie grill that provides heat that's evenly distributed, it also has an available 15,000 BTU rear infrared burner, infrared sear zones, and sturdy stainless steel burners that come through for you every time you're using it. It has 18 000 BTU burners (each) which amounts to 54 000 total BTUs, while there's a 15 000 BTU rear infrared rotisserie. The cooking area is 855 square inches.
Run no risk of flare-ups while grilling. Sear burner plates like the ones in Napoleon help prevent this. In Summerset, the included burner covers that contribute to the full flavor the grill can give and there’s a flamethrower as well that can sear the top of the meat perfectly. Definitely a solid cooking experience. Enjoy a lifetime warranty with your purchase of this outdoor grill even though you might not need it. It’s extremely well-built being made entirely of stainless steel, you can be sure it'll stay with you for many years.
Pros
The next one on our list for the best built-in gas grills is this large add-on to your outdoor kitchen from the PF Series. It is one of the best kitchen kits for your backyard. This high quality professional device comes with 8 11 000 BTU stainless steel burners that pumps out 98 000 BTU of heat distribution. The self-cleaning plates are made from commercial grade stainless steel that are topped with a double-walled hood and finished off with a polished look.
This solid built-in grill model is still able to provide even heat even with the large 966 square inches of cooking space available. The cooking grates in this model are spaced more closely together to accommodate smaller pieces of food. Among the other features available, there's smoker tray, a dual thermometer and spark ignitor among many others.
Pros
Cons
Blaze Professional is a great name in the kitchen industry, and it packs every available feature you want into a smaller design compared to the 34” big brother grill. Complete your outdoor kitchen with this cast stainless steel grill (like Lion Premium) that features infrared burners. It’s the industry leader in thickness and robust design that increases the durability and contains it’s impressive grilling power. The total output of this grill is 36 000 BTUs (18 000 BTU burners) plus a 10 000 BTU infrared rotisserie burner.
It also has a temperature gauge (like Napoleon) to read internal temps.
Their technology that utilizes the perfect and precise mix of oxygen and fuel will make sure using the grill is economical. Barbecue parties can be enjoyed under the moonlight with the illumination system that lights up the grill for easier monitoring as you cook. For a bigger grill, the Blaze 40" also has a cast stainless steel construction (like Lion Premium).
Cons
Take your pick of natural gas or propane, using either one will of these built-in gas grills will provide you with even cooking and extreme power that exceeds 100 000 BTU. Whether you like to use charcoal, wood chunks, natural gas, propane, or pellets, this premium built-in gas grill can do it!
Illuminate your cooking experience by using the LED front panel lighting and interior halogen lighting that's available for your grilling any time of the day. The stainless steel construction is double line, much tougher than some cast iron options. Turn up the heat with these best grills that offer maximum cooking horsepower.
We reviewed more 5 burner gas grills for your convenience.
Pros
Cons
This grill is packed with many features available and comes at half the price! The 304 heavy-duty commercial grade stainless steel burners (like the Lion Premium) are amazing and are the envy of beginner chefs and the infrared rear burner is great for larger meals. There’s even an included rotisserie kit for larger meals.
It has a 68 000 BTU output. LED lights and halogen lighting will brighten up your cooking experience whether it’s under the sun or stars. It's the only grill on the market to feature the new Heat Wave double layer sear plates. This heat wave reduces flare-ups, heat escape and enhances the smoked flavor. The stainless steel and heavy-duty grilling products from Mont Alpi can withstand heat and cold - all the elements.
Cons
Everything looks great on paper. Guides and manufacturers will promote the name of each available grilling product in the best light, but you never know what you get until you finally receive built-in grills. How do you know what to look for based on just the specs and product description?
We’re here to help you find the best heat distribution, and capabilities an outdoor grill has to offer. Follow our buyer’s guide and reviews for the easiest route to buy the perfect grill to your dream outdoor kitchen.
Just because you spend on a high price tag and famous name, it doesn’t guarantee great grilling performance. Napoleon, Weber, Blaze, and Mont Alpi are great brands, but not everything is made equal. What you need to look for in terms of grill performance is heat distribution, cooking power, no flare-ups (if possible) and sturdy construction.
All our subtopics down below on what to look for when buying gas grills will determine the performance of your new cooker. If you find an efficient grill (no matter if it’s natural or a propane grill under 300), it needs to check off most of these factors for a place in your heart. The grilling options we suggested above sure hit them all, so if you don’t know where to start, our top 7 is a good place.
The next up on our list is the durability of a grilling product. This determines how long the model you buy will be in service. A few determining factors on how durable these products are can be seen in the thickness and materials used for construction.
Excellent high-grade materials such as stainless steel surely beat the cast iron grills. Since the grill will handle high temperatures, it’s important that they shield you and surrounding appliances from the radiating heat while grilling. Even though the grills we listed are very tough, it’s always good if they come with a warranty when you buy them. Brands like Weber, Blaze, and Napoleon do offer such.
304 stainless steel is the unspoken best commercial grade material. Most affordable gas grills are made of high-quality stainless steel material including the top model grills of RCS brand. It's incredibly durable and lasts longer than other materials on the market. They fend against all types of weather or temperature, whether you’re having a cook-out in the blazing sun or warming up in the dead of winter, a stainless steel grill can handle it all.
Since they're stainless “hence the name”, they show much less wear compared to the other materials as well. Of course, like with many things, you get what you pay for. For a 304 high-grade stainless steel grill, it's a higher price compared to your run-of-the-mill products.
Stainless steel also weathers the storm much better and since it'll most likely be sitting outside, go with stainless steel we say!
Features or what heat capabilities don't matter if there's not enough cooking surface on grills. Don’t settle for a “just enough” grilling surface area, you want more than your fair share of cooking surface to accommodate any sized meal. When planning a good backyard kitchen, grilling area is a big consideration. It could range from 600 to almost 1000 square inches of space. The Napoleon Prestige Series has something in between at 760 sq.in.
Determine the needed cooking surface depending on how many people you might be cooking for on a regular basis. You can find a grill with an independent cooking surface where you can cook multiple meals at once at different temperatures to cook everything perfectly.
Where you intend to place the grill, whether a gas grill or the best pellet grill, is important. This affects the size of the grill, and you need to be sure you'll be 100% safe. Having anything combustible or being in an open area will risk the wind blowing smoke into your house.
What you like to cook will greatly impact the grill you choose as well. The bigger the total grilling space, the more variety of excellent foods you can cook. If you're a vegetarian or vegan and are looking at only vegetables, then you won’t need as high-powered a grill as a hardcore carnivore. Smaller ones are also necessary if you’re looking at small skewers and chicken wings. You don’t want to lose half of your dinner to the grill.
Most built-in grills have multiple burners. If you find a really good deal on a grill with just 1 burner then we must warn you that the heat distribution will not be as evenly done as one with at least two. You need two burners minimum to successfully heat food evenly. Some like the Weber Summit S-660 even offers 6 burners!
With that logic, the more burners you have the better! They will cook your food faster. Heating the ambient temperature will serve to cook your food through indirect methods. Some grills have burners that are independent of each other and allow you the freedom to adjust different temperatures while grilling.
The grids are also designed differently. Napoleon has its unique wave grids, intended for more food contact during cooking.
BTU stands for British Thermal Units. This is the unit of measure for cooking power. Naturally, you'd think the higher the BTU, the better. That is true with BTUs, but only up to a certain point. Since we’re talking about gas grills and not charcoal, there will be a point where you hit the maximum BTUs.
We don’t mean maximum heat but maximum effective temperature. Let’s say steak chars at 500 BTU but your grill can go up to 1000 BTUs, there really isn’t a point for that extra 500 BTU. If you look for around 100 BTU per inch of cooking space you will have plenty of cooking horsepower. A 25 000 BTU for a burner is decent to cover the inches of area. I
Aren’t you grateful we don’t live in the prehistoric era or need to start fires with a stick, flint and/or kindling? The point of grills is their convenience and efficiency to cook a meal like we would in the old day - with fire! One perk of the 21st century is getting the cooking and grilling going quickly with the right ignition system.
Gas ignition systems can ignite almost instantly, and cut down the set up time compared to traditional charcoal grills by at least half!
You have three main kinds of ignition systems: Piezo Electronic, hot surface, and electronic. Let’s take a look at a deeper breakdown between the three.
Piezo Electronic - This is the most common and most loved among avid bbqers. It’s because it’s incredibly simple and starts easily with the press of a button. If you have or want a grill like that where all you need is your finger, then you want a Piezo.
Hot Surface - This ignition system uses rods that light the burners. We don’t really recommend these grills since they are quite unpredictable at times.
Electronic - The electronic systems use batteries. However, as many systems that require batteries do, your grill will need regular battery replacement.
Speaking of bells and whistles, what other cool features do you want in your cohesive kitchen? Before you check off each box of top functions, we’d advise you to focus on the main functions available first. What’s a cool grill that can operate a flamethrower if it can’t properly grill a steak in all its inches? Definitely do not center your buying option on frills.
Some top grills have future upgrades and good add-ons. Standalone burners don’t have this luxury so this is another factor that easily sets them apart. For others, extras might not be necessary at all, but before you write them off, we need to properly advocate for them because they sure do come in handy when you least expect it.
More than one of the options on our top list offers rotisserie kits. Maybe you’re used to baking or grilling your birds, but you haven’t had delicious pheasants until you’ve tried a rotisserie roast. Ceramic burners (like the 25 000 BTU Lynx Professional 42 inches) make for a great easy sear and if you don’t want bbq season to be restricted to the daytime, look for illuminating LED displays.
Maybe you’ve read about an infrared burner, whether or not they're preferable than regular burners is still debatable. If you have them on your new built-in unit, then consider them an added bonus. If not, there are burners from TEC that you can consider.
You can also want a grill that offers a good smoker box. A smoker box further improves the flavor of your smoked meats. Units like the Weber Summit S-660 have a dedicated smoker box and also a sear burner. Lynx Professional also has grilling units with a smoker box. (We also compared Lynx and Fire Magic to paint a better picture)
Another excellent extra feature is the grill grate. Cooking grates come in different forms, sizes and spacing. Coming from someone who has experienced first hand losing a whole batch of thin skewers through the grates, the size and spacing are very important. Sometimes you may find a grill that offers different alternating grates to use.
Some grills may even have Bluetooth and wifi features and have compatible apps for you to easily monitor your food as you cook without having to open the lid.
Now that you know a little bit more about what to look for, let's bring the safety issue into the burners equation. Sturdy gas grills aren’t just more convenient and easy to use, they are safer too! A strong build and a heavy grill is a good thing, why? Because it can hold more weight and it prevents the grill from tipping in case weight is distributed unevenly. So, more control.
Sharp edges and corners are not hazards we aren’t used to, but why not avoid it? If the grill offers burner covers or mechanisms that can reduce flare-ups, then great. Flare-ups happen when fat or oils get heated up. They cause the fire to lose control and surge up close to the bbqer’s face. You can easily imagine the dangers in that!
The back lit illumination for burners is a great product feature we touched upon in the “extras” section, but they also provide excellent safety. If you like to do your cooking during the night, it should be easy to see the food. Having these trusty lights is important for the night owl cookers.
Ones that come with meat probes and built-in thermometers adds to safety. Some of the best grills on the market may come with good alarms that sound off when something is burning.
If the propane grill isn’t built-in, you can take the smaller designs with you easily when you’re on the go. Looking for the perfect afternoon picnic at the park? Your dream can become a reality with a small propane grill.
The BTU also matters in a propane grill. As mentioned for vegetarians, if you’re looking at mostly vegetables or pescatarians who eat fish, you won’t need a grill with a very high BTU. How many burners would you like your new grill to have? These are all questions that contribute to the best propane grill.
Two determining factors of heat efficiency for the best gas grills are heat retention and distribution. Thicker walls and insulation can keep the ambient temperature within the grill at a steady level, which enables more balanced cooking. A lot of double-walled models can do this.
An even distribution of heat will make sure the entire cooking surface is the same temperature. This will reduce or eliminate the chances of having a steak that’s raw on the inside and charred on the sides.
Many worry about flare-ups in high temperatures, they're dangerous and they can catch you off guard. Today, a lot of grills have infrared burners that do not have this problem and porcelain or ceramic grill grates that also help. Familiarizing yourself with how infrared grills perform against gas grills can help inform your decision.
Better built and thicker models of grills are the best as they offer good heat retention and distribution -- two important factors when you cook. A stainless steel construction also keeps heat from escaping in a short time.
Many models we offer provide the luxury of both natural and propane gas options. It begs the question, which is better? Since the built-in grill will be a permanent fixture and connected to your home, if the rest of your house runs on natural gas and there are already existing natural gas lines, that would be easiest for you.
You pay for your natural gas usage at the end of every month or every other month just like water and electricity. Natural gas is convenient and allows you to bbq and grill for as long as you want without worrying about running out of gas (pun intended).
So how does propane gas work? They're more for people without access to a natural gas line. You'd have to purchase heavy propane tanks at your local store.
You would also need to refuel it on your own making it a bit more inconvenient. If you’re wondering about the results, they're about the same. The units are also priced pretty evenly, so you aren’t really losing much if your house doesn’t run on natural gas.
Our guess is not a lot of us will be personally installing the grill, which makes sense since you'd need professional help for the know-how to successfully put in your new unit. But there are a few things you can determine on your own.
Choose a good place for installation. Place the grill away from combustible materials (for good reason) and definitely keep a fire extinguisher close at hand just in case emergencies happen.
Also keep it a safe distance away from the house, garage, guest house or any other residence (we’re thinking at least 10 feet of line distance or more). Wherever you choose should also be dry, maybe have some sort of coverage or awning in place and be effectively shielded from the wind. If you purchase an insert grill, measure the inches to make sure it's a perfect fit.
They provide convenience for outdoor living than other models such as charcoal or pellet. Gas grills are easy to set up and clean up as well. They heat up quickly and you can get cooking just a few short minutes after you turn them on. Control the temperature and everything else by simply turning the control knobs. Some like Napoleon LEX has an I-GLOW knob for cooking in the dark.
Most gas grills also come with drip trays that make cleaning easier. Take care of the drip tray and bypass having to worry about ash and soot. They also offer versatility with gas source choices, sizes, cooking methods, and temperature.
Want to consider an alternative? The electric Cookshack Smokette Elite has received positive reviews.
As mentioned, our favorite is the Blaze Professional 34” 3 Burner Built-In Gas Grill. It’s one of the amazing cooking tools that have heat zone separators that allow different temperatures and cooking multiple foods at once. Stainless steel and industry leaders in thickness? You know the grill is strong and sturdy and will last long plus keep you safe!
It also has LED illumination aside from the basic features that can provide you the choice of entertaining guests under the moonlit sky. Enjoy fresh rotisserie chicken with the fear rotisserie burner and keep everything warm until you’re finished cooking with the warming rack. What are you waiting for? Select the best built-in gas grill now.
Comments will be approved before showing up.