Most people shopping for a gas grill get sold a number. Forty thousand BTU. Four burners. A black lid with a temperature gauge screwed into it. None of that tells you whether the grill will hold 350 degrees while you finish a chicken, or whether the left third of the grate will scorch everything you set on it. This guide compares six propane and natural gas grills, from two budget four-burner carts up to a stainless model with an infrared side burner and a rear rotisserie burner, and it explains which differences actually change how the grill cooks. If you want the short version of the best 4-burner propane gas grill for a normal backyard, read the quick answer, then come back for the reasoning.
Related: How to Find a Grill's Hot Spots Before You Cook on It
Quick answer
The Broil King 865154 Crown 420 Shadow 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black is the strongest fit for most backyards because it gives you four propane burners and a full-size cart without a gas-line requirement. Choose the Broil King 677347 Baron S 490 Pro IR 4-Burner Pellet Ready Natural Gas Grill in Stainless Steel instead when you already have a natural gas line and want an infrared side burner plus a rear rotisserie burner.
Propane and natural gas grills worth comparing
Every model below is a four-burner cart except one, and the differences that matter are fuel type, burner count, and what sits on or beside the cooking surface.
Broil King 865154 Crown 420 Shadow 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black
Four propane burners in Broil King's Shadow body, sized for a normal backyard patio. Two-zone cooking on a full-size cart, with no gas line required.
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Broil King 677347 Baron S 490 Pro IR 4-Burner Pellet Ready Natural Gas Grill in Stainless Steel with Infrared Infrared Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie Burner
Stainless steel, natural gas, four main burners, plus an infrared side burner and a rear rotisserie burner. The most feature-loaded model in this group.
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Broil King 674114 Baron 420 Pro Shadow 4-Burner Pellet Ready Propane Gas Grill in Black
The four-burner Baron body in black, running on propane, with pellet-ready capability listed in the model name.
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Broil King 814954 Gem 310 Shadow 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black
Three propane burners in the Shadow finish. The smallest and narrowest cart here, aimed at compact patios and smaller cooks.
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HUGROVE 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill for Outdoor Cooking 40000 BTU Black
A four-burner propane cart rated at 40,000 BTU in black. The budget entry in this group.
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4 Burner Propane Gas Grill, Portable BBQ Grill with Cast Iron Grate & Griddle Pan, Folding Side Table for Camping Backyard, 40000 BTU Easy-Clean Outdoor Cooking
A portable four-burner rated at 40,000 BTU with a cast iron grate, a griddle pan, and a folding side table. Built for camping and small backyards.
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How these products were compared
This guide compares burner count and layout, fuel type (propane versus natural gas), cooking surface features such as cast iron grates, griddle pans, infrared side burners, and rear rotisserie burners, cart and side table configuration, and the BTU rating listed for each model. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched by ASIN so that every card points to the product shown.
Everything here is drawn from the listed product details rather than from bench testing, so treat BTU figures and feature lists as a starting point rather than a verdict. Prices and availability move, which is why each card sends you to the retailer to confirm the current price instead of printing one here.
How to choose the right gas grill
Start with fuel, because it decides more than any spec on the box. A propane grill runs off a tank you can swap at any hardware store, which is why five of the six models here are propane. A natural gas grill such as the Baron S 490 Pro IR needs a permanent line and a shutoff valve, and in exchange you never run out mid-cook or haul a tank to the car. If you rent, or you move the grill around the yard for parties, propane is the practical answer. If you own the house and the grill has one permanent home on the patio, a gas line is worth the plumber's visit.
Burner count matters less than burner layout. A four-burner grill gives you at least two usable heat zones: a hot side for searing and a cooler side for finishing, which is how you cook a whole chicken or a rack of ribs without moving them to the oven. A three-burner like the Gem 310 does the same job on a narrower surface, and it is the right call when the patio is small or you mostly cook for two. What you are buying with more burners is control, not raw heat.
That brings up BTU. A 40,000 BTU rating on a four-burner cart is a useful number only in context. The same output spread across a wide cooking surface is weaker per square inch than it is on a compact one. Read the BTU figure next to the burner count and the size of the cooking box, not on its own. A grill that reaches temperature quickly and recovers after you open the lid is doing the work you paid for; a big number under a thin lid is not.
Look at the features you will actually use. An infrared side burner is a real searing tool, and a rear rotisserie burner is the only sensible way to run a rotisserie on a gas grill, which is why both show up on the Baron S 490 Pro IR. A cast iron grate and a griddle pan, as on the portable four-burner, change what you can cook on the same cart. A folding side table sounds minor until you have nowhere to set a sheet pan while you flip.
One more thing worth checking before you commit: where the burners sit relative to each other, and whether the front edge of the grate runs as hot as the back. How to find a grill's hot spots walks through a simple way to map that before you cook anything expensive on a new grill.
Finally, check the physical footprint. Four-burner carts are wide, and they need clearance behind and beside them for the lid to open and for heat to escape. Measure the patio, not the grill you saw in a showroom photo.
Broil King 865154 Crown 420 Shadow 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black
The Crown 420 Shadow is a four-burner propane grill in Broil King's mid-range body, and it is the pick here for the ordinary case: a backyard, a tank, and a mix of burgers, chicken, and the occasional steak. Four burners give you a hot zone and a cooler zone on the same grate, and the Shadow finish is a matte black that will not show every fingerprint the way stainless does. Because it runs on propane, it works whether you rent, move the grill for parties, or simply have not run a gas line.
The trade-off is that it does not include the infrared side burner or the rear rotisserie burner you get on the Baron S 490 Pro IR, and it is not a stainless steel body. If you want a dedicated searing burner or plan to spin chickens, that matters. If you mostly cook directly over the grates, those are features you would rarely use. For most buyers, that is the right trade.
Alternatives to consider
The Broil King 677347 Baron S 490 Pro IR 4-Burner Pellet Ready Natural Gas Grill in Stainless Steel with Infrared Infrared Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie Burner is better suited to a household with a natural gas line and an appetite for infrared searing and rotisserie work, since it is the only model here that lists both an infrared side burner and a rear rotisserie burner in a stainless steel body. The Broil King 674114 Baron 420 Pro Shadow 4-Burner Pellet Ready Propane Gas Grill in Black is a stronger fit when you want the Baron body, four burners, and pellet-ready capability but you cook on propane and do not need the extra burners.
The Broil King 814954 Gem 310 Shadow 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black covers smaller patios and two-person cooking with three burners instead of four. The HUGROVE 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill for Outdoor Cooking 40000 BTU Black and the 4 Burner Propane Gas Grill, Portable BBQ Grill with Cast Iron Grate & Griddle Pan, Folding Side Table for Camping Backyard, 40000 BTU Easy-Clean Outdoor Cooking cover the budget end: both are rated at 40,000 BTU, and the portable model adds a cast iron grate, a griddle pan, and a folding side table for camping and small backyards.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
Gas grills reward a short routine. Preheat with the lid down for ten to fifteen minutes before the first cook of the day, then brush the grates while they are hot. Empty the drip tray or grease cup after rich cooks, because a full tray is how you get the flare-up that ruins a batch of chicken thighs. Cast iron grates want a light oil after cleaning, and they should never sit wet.
The portable four-burner and its griddle pan are the exception to a lot of standard advice: a griddle surface seasons like a skillet, so scrape it, wipe it, oil it, and keep it dry between cooks. Folding side tables should have their hinges checked every few months, since that is where the finish fails first on any cart.
Before the season starts, do a leak check on the tank connection with soapy water, and confirm the igniter sparks on every burner. An igniter that dies in the first season is one of the most common complaints on any brand, and a long match is a temporary fix, not a plan.
Cover the grill when it is cool and dry. Moisture trapped under a cover does more damage to a burner than rain on an uncovered grate, because it sits there. If you store a propane tank, keep it upright and out of direct sun.
Buying checklist
- Measure the patio footprint and the clearance behind and beside the cart.
- Choose propane or natural gas based on normal use, not an occasional edge case.
- Confirm that the exact model includes the features you want, such as an infrared side burner, a rear rotisserie burner, or a griddle pan.
- Read the cleaning and maintenance instructions before the first cook.
- Verify the current retailer price, availability, and return terms.
Final recommendation
Choose the Broil King 865154 Crown 420 Shadow 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill in Black when you want four burners, propane convenience, and a full-size cart for a normal backyard. Choose the Broil King 677347 Baron S 490 Pro IR 4-Burner Pellet Ready Natural Gas Grill in Stainless Steel with Infrared Infrared Side Burner and Rear Rotisserie Burner when you have a natural gas line and want infrared searing plus rotisserie capability. If three burners fit your patio better than four, the Gem 310 is the smaller answer, and if the budget decides it, the two 40,000 BTU carts cover the entry end without pretending to be something they are not.