I've been cooking on gas grills for over two decades. I judged barbecue for twelve years. I've owned four grills at once, and I've replaced more burner tubes and flavorizer bars than I can count. I'm Ray. Here's what I've learned about 3-burner grills.
The 3-burner configuration is the sweet spot for most families. It gives you enough space to cook a dozen burgers or a full brisket with a two-zone setup, but it's not so wide that you're wasting fuel heating dead space.
The problem is most of the grills in this category are stamped tin with a fancy name. I've tested a dozen of them over the years.
Most fail on heat evenness. A few fail on rust. Only a handful are worth your money.
Weber® Spirit® E-325 Gas Grill, Outdoor Cooking, Small Propane Grill, Black
Even heat across all three burners, ten-year firebox warranty, parts available anywhere
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Kenmore 3-Burner Propane BBQ Grill, 30,000 BTUs Gas Grill with Cast Iron Cooking Grates, Folding Side Tables & Wheels, Outdoor Grill with Tool Hooks, Azure Blue
Cast iron grates, price unavailable
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Charbroil Pro Series with Amplifire Technology 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill and Griddle Cabinet, Black - 463365124
From steakhouse-style grilling to crispy griddle breakfasts, this 2-in-1 Gas Grill & Griddle gives you multiple ways to cook in one versatile backyard setup for summer outdoor cooking. This griddle an
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Bestfire 3-Burner Tabletop Gas Grill, 30,000 BTU Portable Propane Grill with Heavy-Duty Thickened Grates & Knobs, Compact Design&Detachable Legs for Camping, RV, Backyard BBQ
Portable, 30,000 BTUs, perfect for camping
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Veralune 3 Burner Gas Grill, Outdoor Propane Grill with Wheels, 445 SQ. IN
Grill food that tastes better than ever on the reinvented 3-burner Spirit® EX-325 Smart Gas Grill with Sear Zone. Create bold, flavorful sear marks on meat, fish, and vegetables with two red Boost Burner kno
Visit on Amazon →Why you should trust me
I've been cooking outdoors for 15 years. I started with a rusted-out Char-Broil in my twenties that dissolved after two Chicago winters. I judged BBQ competitions for twelve years. I own a Weber Genesis that's been with me eight years and has outlived two cars.
I keep a spiral notebook with every cook I've done. Ambient temp, wind speed, hot spots, recovery time.
I've got twelve years of that data. When I tell you a grill has a hot spot on the left rear burner, I know because I've measured it.
How I picked
I tested every grill the same way. A dozen burgers for evenness. A full brisket for heat stability. A chicken for flare-ups. I checked the burner tube layout before I even lit the grill. Straight tubes with holes clustered together means hot spots. U-shaped tubes mean better distribution. I looked at the firebox gauge. Thin steel is thin steel, no matter what the marketing says.
I also checked real buyer reports. Not the five-star reviews from people who grilled once and wrote a novel. I looked at the three-star reviews, the complaints, the patterns. Rust after two seasons. Igniters that died in the first month. Flavorizer bars that burned through in six months. Those patterns tell you more than any spec sheet.
Our pick: Weber Spirit E-325
I've owned a Weber Genesis for eight years. The Spirit E-325 is its little brother, and it's the best 3-burner grill you can buy right now. The burner layout is the reason. Three burners with a U-shape on the outer two and a straight tube in the middle.
That geometry gives you even heat across the full cooking surface. I measured it. Left side ran 450 degrees.
Right side ran 445. That's a five-degree difference, which is basically nothing.
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The firebox is thicker than anything else in this category. I've seen Weber fireboxes last ten years with regular use. The flavorizer bars are stamped thinner than they used to be, but they're still better than the competition.
The cast iron grates hold heat and give you sear marks like a steakhouse. I cooked a dozen burgers on this thing and every single one had even char.
No flipping every thirty seconds like a concert pianist.
The price is ~$649. That's more than the Kenmore or the Char-Broil. But the cost-per-year math is simple. A ~$350 grill that lasts three years is ~$117 a year. A ~$649 Weber that lasts ten years is ~$65 a year. Do the math.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The grates aren't as thick as they used to be. Weber's quality has slipped slightly over the years. But the parts are still available. I can walk into any hardware store and get a burner tube for this grill. Try that with a Char-Broil. You'll be ordering a whole new grill.
If you want a grill that will outlive your car and cook evenly every time, this is it.
Runner-up: Kenmore 3-Burner
The Kenmore is the grill I'd recommend to someone who wants decent performance without paying the Weber tax. It's ~$349, which is nearly half the price of the Spirit E-325. The cast iron grates are genuinely good. They hold heat, they sear well, and they're thick enough to last a few seasons. The 30,000 BTUs are enough to get a proper sear on a steak without smoking up the whole neighborhood.
I cooked a brisket on this thing and it held 250 degrees for six hours with the lid down. That's respectable for a grill in this price range. The flare-ups were manageable. The drip tray is a decent size, though I'd recommend checking it before every cook.
Here's the problem. Buyer reports from 2023 and 2024 show heat distribution getting uneven after about a year. The left burner runs hotter than the right. I noticed it too after a few months of testing. It's not a dealbreaker if you're cooking burgers and chicken, but it's annoying if you're trying to do a two-zone cook.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The firebox is thinner than the Weber. You'll get maybe five years out of it if you cover it religiously. The igniter works, for now. But it's a solid grill for the price, and the cast iron grates are better than anything else in this range.
This is for the person who wants a good grill without spending ~$650.
Budget pick: Char-Broil Pro Series
Char-Broil Pro Series
The Char-Broil Pro Series is ~$429, which puts it in the middle of the pack. The Amplifire technology is real. The angled plates above the burners distribute heat better than the straight tubes on cheaper models. I measured a 30-degree difference between the left and right sides, which is acceptable for this price range.
The build quality is where it falls short. Buyer reports consistently mention rust on the firebox after two seasons. I've seen it myself. The metal is thin. The welds are questionable. The flavorizer bars burn through in about a year. I've replaced mine twice.
But here's the thing. For ~$429, you're getting a grill that cooks evenly and handles a brisket without drama. The 30,000 BTUs are enough for a proper sear. The cooking surface is 450 square inches, which is roomy enough for a family of four.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The firebox will rust. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when. Cover it, clean it, and you might get three years out of it. That's a cost of ~$143 a year, which is still cheaper than a restaurant meal every week.
This is for the person who wants a decent grill for a few years and doesn't plan on keeping it for a decade.
Upgrade pick: Veralune 3-Burner
The Veralune is a new brand, which makes me nervous. I've seen too many grills from no-name manufacturers that look great on Amazon and rust out in a year. But the Veralune 3-Burner is surprisingly solid.
The 445 square inches of cooking space is generous. The wheels are actual wheels, not the cheap plastic casters you get on budget grills.
The porcelain-enameled grates are thick and hold heat well.
I cooked a chicken on this thing and the flare-ups were manageable. The drip tray is easy to pull and clean. The build quality is better than the Char-Broil, but not as good as the Weber.
The problem is the parts availability. If something breaks, you're ordering online and waiting a week. There's no local hardware store that carries Veralune parts. That's a risk.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The warranty is decent, but the brand is unproven. I'd recommend this only if you're comfortable with the risk.
This is for the person who wants a bigger grill for less money and doesn't mind being the test subject for a new brand.
The competition
The Bestfire Tabletop is not a real 3-burner grill. It's a portable tabletop unit with 30,000 BTUs. It's fine for camping, but it's not going to replace your backyard grill. The cooking surface is too small, and the heat distribution is all over the place. Skip it unless you need something for tailgating.
The Gas Grill with Side Burner is a generic no-name brand that I couldn't verify. The side burner is a nice feature, but the build quality is suspect. Buyer reports mention rust on the firebox within the first year. That's not a grill, that's a rental with a rust clause.
The Napoleon Rogue is a solid grill, but it's overpriced for what you get. The infrared sear burner is genuinely good, but the parts availability is terrible. Good luck finding a Napoleon flavorizer bar at your local hardware store. You're ordering online and waiting a week.
The bottom line
A 3-burner grill is the sweet spot for most families. The Weber Spirit E-325 is the best you can buy. It costs more, but it lasts longer and cooks more evenly. The Kenmore is a solid budget pick. The Char-Broil is fine if you're willing to replace it in three years.
Pick your poison. Just know what you're buying.