A gas grill is one of the few purchases where the marketing and the cooking have almost nothing to do with each other. The box shouts a BTU number. What actually decides whether dinner works is how the burners are laid out, how much grate you can reach without leaning across a hot lid, and whether the unit holds a steady temperature when the wind picks up. Buy too small and you are cooking in batches. Buy too big and you are heating empty space and burning fuel you paid for.
The best gas grills for outdoor cooking are the ones that match the way you actually cook, not the way the showroom floor suggests you might. A tailgater and a homeowner building a permanent outdoor kitchen need completely different machines, and the price gap between them is enormous.
This guide covers six models that sit in very different places on that map: a folding portable, two compact units for small spaces, a three-in-one infrared cooker, a three-burner cart grill with a side burner, a four-burner stainless cart grill, and a 30-inch built-in dual fuel grill for a fixed installation. Every card below is matched to a single listing so the product you click is the product described.
Related: How to Season and Care for Cast Iron Grill Grates
Quick answer
The Broil King 956314 Regal S 420 Pro Propane Gas Grill is the strongest fit for most backyard cooks because its four-burner stainless layout gives you enough separate heat zones to run a sear and a hold at the same time. Choose the Coleman Fold 'N Go 6,000 BTU Portable Propane Grill instead when the grill has to travel.
Gas grills worth comparing
Broil King 956314 Regal S 420 Pro Propane Gas Grill, 4-Burner, Stainless Steel
Four burners in a stainless steel cart body, sized for a household that cooks dinner on the grate several nights a week and wants room for a two-zone setup.
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SPIRE 30" Built-In 5 Burner Dual Fuel Grill, All 304 Stainless Steel Body
A 30-inch built-in with five burners and a dual fuel design, intended for a permanent outdoor kitchen counter rather than a freestanding cart.
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Charbroil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared 3-in-1 Smoker, Roaster & Gas Grill, Black - 14101550
Three cooking modes in one body, smoke, roast, and grill, with TRU-Infrared burner technology standing in for a standard open burner.
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Feasto 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner for Outdoor Cooking
Three main burners plus a side burner, the feature that turns a basic cart grill into a full outdoor cooking station.
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Megamaster Tabletop 2 Burner Gas Grill, Stainless Steel with Foldable Legs
Two burners in a tabletop body with legs that fold, aimed at balconies, small patios, and tailgate setups.
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Coleman Fold ‘N Go 6,000 BTU Portable Propane Grill, Lightweight Gas Grill with Push-Button Starter & Adjustable Horseshoe Burner, Great for Camping, Tailgating, Grilling, BBQ
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A 6,000 BTU portable with a push-button starter and an adjustable horseshoe burner, built to fold down and travel.
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How these products were compared
This guide compares burner count and burner layout, cooking footprint and the clearance each grill needs, fuel type and installation style, ignition and control design, and how straightforward each unit is to clean and maintain. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched by product identifier so that every card points to the product shown.
Nothing here is presented as hands-on testing. The descriptions come from published product specifications and manufacturer documentation, and from how each design type tends to behave in normal use. No current price is printed in this article, because prices and availability move constantly. Use the link on each card to confirm the current price, the included accessories, and the return terms before you commit.
How to choose the right gas grill
Start with fuel and installation, because those two choices eliminate more models than anything else. Propane is the practical default: a tank is portable, refillable, and works anywhere. Natural gas is convenient if your house already has a stub at the patio, but it ties the grill to one spot. A dual fuel design like the SPIRE unit here covers both paths, which matters if you are building a permanent counter and do not want to guess about the fuel line later. Cart grills roll and can be moved; built-in grills cannot, so the cutout has to be right the first time.
Next, look at burner count and layout rather than the total BTU figure. BTU ratings tell you how much gas the burners can consume, not how evenly they spread heat across the grate. A three-burner grill with wide burner spacing gives you two usable zones and sometimes a third. A four-burner grill gives you a hot side for searing and a cooler side for finishing or holding, which is the single most useful thing a gas grill can do. Five burners across a 30-inch built-in spreads that control further still, but only if the burners are arranged so that adjacent zones do not bleed into each other.
Then match the footprint to the space you actually have. Measure the width of the patio or deck, then add the lid swing and any side tables that fold out. The Megamaster tabletop model with folding legs and the Coleman portable exist precisely because counter and floor space is often the real constraint. If your grilling area is a balcony or the back of a truck, a full cart grill is the wrong purchase no matter how good the specs look.
Decide whether the extras earn their place. A side burner, like the one on the Feasto three-burner, is genuinely useful if you fry, boil, or keep a pot of beans going while the grate is busy, and genuinely useless if you never will. Infrared burner technology, as used in the Charbroil three-in-one, changes how heat reaches the food and adds smoker and roaster modes to the same body, which is a different cooking proposition from a standard open-burner grill. Buy the feature because you have a use for it, not because it sounds advanced.
Finally, weigh the ignition and the parts situation. An igniter is a small component with an outsized effect on how much you enjoy a grill, and control knobs that move smoothly and hold a setting matter more day to day than any badge on the lid. Before buying, check that replacement burners, grates, and igniters are listed for the exact model, not just the brand. If you want to keep whichever grate you end up with in good shape, our notes on propane and natural gas hookup basics are worth reading before the install day.
Broil King 956314 Regal S 420 Pro Propane Gas Grill
The top pick is the four-burner, stainless steel Regal S 420 Pro. It earns the spot because it sits in the middle of this group on almost every axis: it is a freestanding propane cart grill with enough burners to run a two-zone cook, a stainless body that suits a patio that sees regular use, and a size that fits a normal deck without dominating it. For a household grilling several times a week, the four-burner layout is the point. You can run the left half hot for burgers and chicken while the right half sits lower for vegetables, sauce, or anything that needs to finish gently.
The trade-off is straightforward. It is the most expensive cart grill in this guide, and it is still a cart grill. If your plan is a built-in counter with a stone top, this is not that product, and the SPIRE 30-inch unit is the one to look at instead. It is also the propane version, so if natural gas is already plumbed to your patio, confirm the fuel configuration of the exact listing before ordering. What you are paying for here is burner count and zone control in a body that will live outside year round, not a feature list.
Alternatives to consider
The Feasto 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner is better suited to cooks who want a full outdoor station on a budget, since the side burner adds a workspace the top pick does not have. The SPIRE 30" Built-In 5 Burner Dual Fuel Grill is a stronger fit when you are building the grill into a permanent counter and want the option of running propane or natural gas, with five burners across a 30-inch body and an all 304 stainless steel construction.
The Charbroil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared 3-in-1 Smoker, Roaster & Gas Grill, the Megamaster Tabletop 2 Burner Gas Grill, and the Coleman Fold 'N Go 6,000 BTU Portable Propane Grill cover the other three use cases. The Charbroil is the one to consider if you want smoke and roast capability in the same footprint as a grill, using infrared burner technology rather than a standard open burner. The Megamaster is the small-space option, with two burners, a stainless body, and legs that fold for storage. The Coleman is the travel option, a lightweight 6,000 BTU portable with a push-button starter and an adjustable horseshoe burner that packs down for camping and tailgating.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
A gas grill rewards a short routine. Preheat with the lid down for long enough that the grates come up to temperature, cook, then leave the burners on high for a few minutes afterward to burn off residue before you brush the grates. Empty and wipe the drip tray on a schedule rather than when it overflows, because accumulated grease is what turns a small flare-up into a large one. A cover is worth the trouble if the grill lives outside, and the stainless bodies here will hold up better with one.
Check the gas path at the start of the season. Inspect the hose for cracking, confirm the regulator connection is snug, and do a soapy water test on the joints to look for bubbles that indicate a leak. Keep burner tubes clear of spider webs and debris, since blocked tubes are a common cause of uneven flames. If an igniter stops working, replace it rather than reaching for a match over an open burner.
One safety point that is not negotiable: never use a propane grill indoors, in a garage, or under an enclosed roof. These units are for outdoor use with ventilation, and carbon monoxide does not care how cold the weather is. Let the grill cool completely before covering it.
Buying checklist
- Measure the footprint, plus lid clearance and any side tables that fold out.
- Choose propane, natural gas, or dual fuel based on what is already plumbed at your house.
- Pick burner count from the number of heat zones you will actually use, not from the BTU number.
- Confirm that the exact model includes the side burner, infrared burner, or folding legs you want.
- Read the cleaning and maintenance instructions, and check that replacement parts are listed for the model.
- Verify the current retailer price, availability, and return terms before ordering.
Final recommendation
Choose the Broil King 956314 Regal S 420 Pro Propane Gas Grill when you want a freestanding propane cart grill with four burners and enough zone control for regular weeknight cooking and weekend cooks. Choose the Coleman Fold 'N Go 6,000 BTU Portable Propane Grill when the grill has to travel, and step up to the SPIRE 30" Built-In 5 Burner Dual Fuel Grill when the installation is permanent and dual fuel flexibility matters. The Feasto, Charbroil, and Megamaster models cover the budget cart, infrared multi-mode, and compact tabletop cases respectively. If none of those differences line up with how you cook, it is worth waiting rather than buying a grill whose main feature is a number on the box.