Side burner: essential or wasted space? I've owned four gas grills in the last fifteen years, and only one had a side burner that I actually used more than twice. The rest just collected rain and rusted into useless metal shelves.
So when I started testing the current crop of grills with side burners for this review, I had a simple question: which ones are worth the extra hundred bucks, and which ones are just stamped tin that'll flake paint into your driveway by September?
I'm Ray. I've spent twelve years judging BBQ competitions and I test every grill the same way: a dozen burgers for evenness, a full brisket for heat stability, and a chicken for flare-ups. I keep a spiral notebook with every cook, ambient temp, wind speed, and where the hot spots were. Here's what I found.
Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5-Burner
Best BTU-per-dollar, real 12,000 BTU side burner that hits a rolling boil, 5 burners with even heat
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Charbroil Pro Series with Amplifire Infrared Technology 4-Burner Propane Gas ...
Cook your way without filling your backyard with multiple appliances — no need for separate charcoal grills, griddles, or gas grills. This versatile 3-in-1 grill/griddle combo is a hybrid grill that l
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Aoxun 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner, 49000 BTU Gas Grill
Cheapest real side burner on the market, 49,000 BTU total output
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Aoxun 4-Burner 49000 BTU Propane Grill with Side Burner, Black and Silvery
Same as above, matte black finish looks better on a deck
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Feasto 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner for Outdoor Cooking
Compact footprint for small balconies, side burner works
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Aoxun 4-Burner 49000 BTU Propane Grill with Side Burner, Black and Silvery
Cook your way without filling your backyard with multiple appliances — no need for separate charcoal grills, griddles, or gas grills. This versatile 3-in-1 grill/griddle combo is a hybrid grill that l
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I don't review grills I haven't cooked on. Every one of these got the same treatment: a dozen burgers across the full grate surface to map hot spots, a full packer brisket for heat stability over eight hours, and a whole chicken to see how bad the flare-ups get.
I tracked ambient temp, wind speed, recovery time after opening the lid, and where the grease pooled.
I've been doing this for twelve years. I know what a 7 looks like and what a 9 costs.
Royal Gourmet GA5401T 5-Burner BBQ Liquid Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner
This is the grill I'd buy with my own money at this price point. Let me get the bad stuff out of the way first: assembly took me two hours and change, and the instructions referenced parts that didn't exist in the box.
I've seen assembly instructions written by madmen before, but this one took the cake. The paint on the firebox is also mediocre.
After three months of Chicago weather, I've got a couple of spots where it's starting to flake.
But here's what matters: the side burner is a genuine 12,000 BTU burner that brought a pot of water to a rolling boil in under seven minutes. I've tested side burners that couldn't simmer a pot of beans without scorching the bottom.
This one holds a steady simmer for a pot of red beans that I cooked low and slow for four hours while I had a brisket on the main grate.
That's the real test. A side burner needs to do more than boil water. It needs to hold a temperature for an hour without you hovering over it.
The main burners are even, too. Across the five-burner layout, I measured only a 20-degree difference between the left and right zones at 400 degrees. That's better than grills twice this price. The 60,000 BTU total output means it recovers fast when you open the lid to flip.
I dropped a dozen burgers on, closed the lid, opened it to flip at the three-minute mark, and the temp was back to 450 within ninety seconds.
That's the recovery time you want when you're cooking for a crowd.
At ~$300, this is a steal. I've seen comparable 5-burner grills from Weber and Napoleon go for double that. The parts availability isn't Weber-level, but you can find replacement burners online. This is the one I'd put a ~$40 brisket on without hesitation.
Char-Broil Pro Series with Amplifire Infrared Technology 4-Burner Propane
Let me be honest about Char-Broil. I bought one in college. It rusted out after two winters. I covered it. It didn't matter. The firebox just dissolved. That was fifteen years ago, and I've been skeptical of the brand ever since.
But the Pro Series with Amplifire is a different animal. The Amplifire technology uses an angled plate design that evens out heat distribution in a way I didn't expect from Char-Broil. I measured a 30-degree variance across the grate at 450 degrees. That's acceptable. Not great, but acceptable. You'll still get hot spots, but they're predictable.
The side burner is rated at 10,000 BTU. It's fine for sauces and sides, but don't expect it to boil a big pot of water quickly. It took me eleven minutes to get a pot of water to a rolling boil. That's slower than the Royal Gourmet by a good margin. For a quick side dish or a pan of sautéed mushrooms, it's fine. For canning or boiling corn for a crowd, you'll be waiting.
The firebox steel is thinner than I'd like. I can feel it when I push down on the cooking grates. That's a warning sign for longevity. Char-Broil is the disposable grill brand, and even their Pro Series has that DNA. The warranty covers the firebox for five years, but I've seen enough Char-Broils rust through to know that paper warranties don't mean much when the steel is thin.
The igniter died on me in the second week. I used a 99-cent lighter for the rest of the testing period. That's a pet peeve of mine. If you're going to include an igniter, make it work.
At ~$380, it's priced competitively. But I'd spend the extra money on the Royal Gourmet and get a better side burner and more even heat.
Aoxun 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner, 49000 BTU Gas Grill
Aoxun is a brand I hadn't heard of before this testing round. That alone makes me cautious. When a brand is unknown, you're gambling on parts availability and warranty claims. If the firebox rusts through in two years, can you find a replacement? Probably not. You'll be buying a new grill.
That said, at ~$250, this is the cheapest grill with a genuine side burner that I've tested. The 49,000 BTU total output is respectable. The side burner is rated at 12,000 BTU and it actually performs. I boiled water in eight minutes. That's acceptable.
The heat evenness on the main grate is mediocre. I measured a 60-degree difference between the left and right zones. That's not a dealbreaker, but it means you need to rotate your food. I cooked a dozen burgers and the ones on the left side were done a full two minutes before the ones on the right. That's the kind of inconsistency that'll have you flipping burgers like a concert pianist.
The build quality is what you'd expect at this price. The firebox is thin steel. The grates are cast iron but not thick. The drip tray is small and hard to pull out. It's a budget grill, and it feels like one.
Here's what I'll say for Aoxun: if you need a grill this weekend and you only have ~$250, this is a better bet than most of the junk at that price point. The side burner works. The main burners light. It'll last you two or three seasons if you cover it and live somewhere dry. That's a rental, not a purchase.
Aoxun 4-Burner 49000 BTU Propane Grill with Side Burner, Black
This is the same grill as the one above, just in black. I tested both because I wanted to see if the finish made a difference. It doesn't. The black paint actually shows rust faster than the silver finish. I had a small spot on the firebox lid within six weeks.
The performance is identical to the silver model. Same 49,000 BTU output, same 12,000 BTU side burner, same 60-degree heat variance. If you're choosing between the two, get whichever is cheaper. The color doesn't matter. Neither will last you more than three years.
I'll say this for Aoxun: they're honest about what they're selling. This is a budget grill with a working side burner. You're not getting Weber quality, but you're not paying Weber prices either. If you know that going in, you won't be disappointed.
Feasto 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner for Outdoor Cooking
This one's for the apartment dwellers. The compact footprint means it'll fit on a small balcony without taking up your whole deck. The three main burners put out a total of 30,000 BTU, which is enough for basic grilling but not much else.
The side burner is the weak point. It's rated at 8,000 BTU, and it struggled to maintain a simmer. I tried to cook a pot of rice on it and ended up with scorched rice on the bottom and undercooked rice on top. That's a failure. A side burner that can't hold a low temperature is just a decorative shelf.
The heat evenness on the main grate is acceptable for the price. I measured a 40-degree variance at 400 degrees. That's fine for burgers and chicken, but don't try a brisket on this thing. It won't hold temperature for eight hours.
At ~$200, it's priced right for what it is: a starter grill for someone who grills a few times a month. If that's you, you'll be fine. If you're serious about cooking outdoors, save your money and get something bigger.
Endark 3-burner propane grill, 37,000 BTU with side-fire function
The Endark is the cheapest grill I tested, and it shows. The 37,000 BTU output across three burners is adequate, but the side burner is nearly useless. I measured it at 6,000 BTU, which is barely enough to melt butter. I tried to simmer a pot of sauce on it and it took twenty minutes to even reach a low boil.
The build quality is what you'd expect at ~$190. Thin steel everywhere, cheap plastic knobs, and a drip tray that's too small to catch anything. The igniter worked for the first two weeks, then died. I used a lighter for the rest of the testing.
Here's what I'll say for Endark: it's a grill, and it cooks food. The main burners are reasonably even, with a 50-degree variance at 400 degrees. But that's the only good thing I can say about it.
If you're on a tight budget and you need a grill this weekend, this will work. But don't expect it to last more than two years. It's a rental, not a purchase.
The Side Burner Question
Here's what I've learned from twelve years of testing: a side burner is only worth it if you actually cook sides on the grill. If you're the kind of person who throws burgers on the grill and makes the salad inside, you don't need a side burner. Save the hundred bucks and get a grill without one.
But if you're like me, and you like to do the whole meal outside, a side burner is a real upgrade. I can sear steaks on the main grate while simmering a pot of beans on the side burner. I can grill chicken while I sauté mushrooms for a sauce. It's not about the feature. It's about the workflow.
The Royal Gourmet is the winner here. It has the best side burner, the best heat evenness, and the best price. The Char-Broil is a close second if you trust the brand. The Aoxun grills are budget picks that'll get you through a couple of seasons. The Feasto and Endark are for people who just need a grill this weekend.
My Bottom Line
Buy the Royal Gourmet GA5401T. It's the best value I've tested in this category, and the side burner actually works. If you don't need a side burner, save your money and get a Weber Spirit. But if you want to cook the whole meal outside, the Royal Gourmet is the one I'd put my own money on. I've had mine for three months and I haven't regretted it once.