Stainless steel propane gas grills look nearly identical under showroom lighting, which is exactly why so many people end up with the wrong one. The spec card hands you a BTU number, a burner count, and a photo of a ribeye, and none of that tells you where the hot spots will land, how quickly the grate recovers after you open the lid, or whether the side burner is a real infrared sear zone or a warming shelf with a knob. This guide compares six grills that shoppers cross-shop constantly: five stainless gas models and one pellet smoker. The comparison sticks to things you can verify from the listings, burner layout, sear-zone hardware, fuel type, cooking area, and what actually comes in the box, because those are the differences you live with long after the first cook.
Related: Propane vs Natural Gas Grills: What Changes at the Burner
Quick answer
The Napoleon P500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Propane Gas Grill is the strongest fit for most backyards because it pairs a 500 square inch stainless cooking surface with infrared side and rear burners, the sear-zone hardware that matters when you want a crust on a steak or crisp skin on a rotisserie bird. Choose the Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill instead when you already have a gas line and would rather stop hauling tanks. Choose the Monument Grills 77352 6+1 Burner when you need maximum burner count and a rotisserie kit in the box, and the Traeger Pro 22 when you want wood smoke rather than gas heat.
Gas grills worth comparing
Here is the shortlist. Five of the six are stainless gas grills, and the sixth is a pellet smoker included because so many shoppers weigh the two against each other. Every card points to the exact model shown, so you can confirm the current configuration and price before you commit.
Napoleon P500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Propane Gas Grill, sq. in + Infrared Side and Rear Burner, Stainless Steel
A 500 square inch stainless propane grill with infrared side and rear burners, giving you a dedicated sear station and a rear rotisserie burner instead of a single all-purpose grate.
Visit on Amazon
Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill, sq. in + Infrared Side and Rear Burner, Stainless Steel
The same Prestige 500 RSIB layout set up for natural gas, with infrared side and rear burners and a stainless body for readers who have a plumbed line.
Visit on Amazon
Napoleon PRO500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige PRO BBQ Propane Gas Grill, 500 sq.in. + Infrared Side and Rear Burners, Stainless Steel
Check current price
The Prestige PRO variant on propane: 500 square inches of stainless cooking surface plus infrared side and rear burners for searing and rotisserie work.
Visit on Amazon
Monument Grills 77352 6+1 Burner Stainless Steel Cabinet Style Propane Gas Grill with Knob Controls, Side Burner, Built-In Thermometer, and Rotisserie Kit
A 6+1 burner stainless cabinet style propane grill with knob controls, a side burner, a built-in thermometer, and a rotisserie kit included rather than sold separately.
Visit on Amazon
3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner, 34,000 BTU Stainless Steel BBQ Grill, Heavy-Duty Porcelain-Enameled Grates for Patio and Outdoor Cooking
A 3-burner, 34,000 BTU stainless propane grill with a side burner and porcelain-enameled grates, sized for patio cooking rather than big-batch entertaining.
Visit on Amazon
Traeger Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker, 572 Sq In
A wood pellet grill and smoker with 572 square inches of cooking area, for readers who want smoke flavor and are willing to trade away instant gas heat.
Visit on AmazonPrices and availability may change. Check the retailer for current details.
How these products were compared
This guide compares burner count and burner layout, sear-zone hardware, fuel type, cooking area in square inches, and the accessories that ship in the box. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched by ASIN so that every card points to the product shown. Where a listing does not state a detail, this article does not fill the gap with a guess. Nothing here is presented as a hands-on cook test, because a comparison of published specifications and design choices is a different thing from a review written after three full cooks. Prices move constantly, so the cards link out instead of quoting a number that will be stale by the weekend.
Burner layout deserves first place on that list. A three-burner grill with a 34,000 BTU rating and a six-plus-one burner cabinet are not the same tool with different badges; they are built for different sizes of cook, and the spacing between burners determines where your hot spots fall. Sear-zone hardware comes second. An infrared side burner and an infrared rear burner do specific jobs, one for crusting a steak in a small area and one for turning a rotisserie without a separate rotisserie burner. Fuel type comes third, and it is the decision that is hardest to undo.
How to choose the right gas grill
Start with fuel, because it locks in everything else. Propane gives you a grill you can move, store, and take to a rental house. Natural gas gives you a grill that never runs out mid-brisket, but only if you have a line and a place to tie in. The Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill is the plumbed version of the top pick, so if you already have a gas stub on the patio, the fuel decision is made for you and the rest of the comparison is about layout.
Next, size the grate to your normal cook, not your biggest party. The 3-burner 34,000 BTU stainless model covers weeknight dinners for a household and small patio setups, with a side burner for a pot of beans. The Monument Grills 77352 6+1 Burner pushes the other direction, with a cabinet style body, knob controls, a built-in thermometer, and a rotisserie kit, which is the layout you want when the grate is regularly full. The Napoleon 500 square inch platform sits between them and adds the infrared side and rear burners that neither of the others lists.
Then decide how much sear zone you actually need. Infrared side and rear burners are the reason to look at the Napoleon models, and they are also the reason to compare the Prestige 500 RSIB against the Prestige PRO variant carefully rather than assuming the higher number is automatically the better buy. If your cooking is mostly burgers, chicken thighs, and vegetables over a wide grate, a big burner count with a rotisserie kit will serve you better than a smaller grill with a sear station.
Finally, if you are weighing gas against smoke, that is a different conversation. The Traeger Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker brings 572 square inches and wood pellets, which is a low-and-slow tool rather than a weeknight sear machine. I send that decision to the smoker bench and treat it as its own purchase, which is why it appears here as a cross-shop option and not as the answer to a gas grill question.
Napoleon P500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Propane Gas Grill
The top pick is a 500 square inch stainless propane grill with two pieces of hardware the rest of this list does not match: an infrared side burner and an infrared rear burner. The rear burner is the rotisserie burner, which means a chicken or a roast spins over a dedicated heat source instead of relying on the main grate. The side burner is a sear station, a small area that gets hot enough to crust a steak without heating the whole cooking surface. If sear zone is the phrase you care about, this is the grill on this list built around it.
The trade-off is fuel logistics and footprint. Propane means tank swaps, a spare tank if you cook long sessions, and storage that keeps the tank upright and out of the sun. A 500 square inch grill also needs real patio space, and it needs clearance from siding, railings, and anything that can scorch. If you want the same layout on a plumbed line, the natural gas version of this grill is the direct answer. If you want the upgraded platform, the Prestige PRO variant shares the 500 square inch footprint and the infrared side and rear burners but is a separate model, so compare the two listings feature by feature before you decide that one is simply better.
Alternatives to consider
The Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill is better suited to a house with an existing gas line, where the appeal is a grill that never needs a tank and never quits halfway through a long cook. The Monument Grills 77352 6+1 Burner is a stronger fit when you need a large grate, a cabinet body, and a rotisserie kit included, and you would rather have burner coverage across a wide cooking surface than a compact infrared sear station.
The 3-Burner Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner, the Napoleon PRO500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige PRO, and the Traeger Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker cover the remaining cases. The three-burner is the small-patio, 34,000 BTU, porcelain-enameled-grate option. The Prestige PRO is the step-up propane Napoleon for buyers who want the 500 square inch platform with the infrared side and rear burners in its upgraded form. The Traeger Pro 22 is the smoke-flavor path, with 572 square inches and pellets instead of a gas valve.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
Gas grills live or die on small habits. Cover the grill when it is cool and dry, and keep the drip tray or grease management path clean so fat does not collect where it can ignite. Brush the grates while they are warm, and match the tool to the material: porcelain-enameled grates, like the ones on the 3-burner model, want a non-abrasive pad rather than a stiff scraper that can chip the coating. Stainless bodies look after themselves until they do not, so wipe them down instead of letting grease and pollen bake on.
Check the burner tubes for spider webs and debris at the start of the season, because a blocked tube is a common cause of uneven heat and weak ignition. If the igniter is slow or inconsistent, fix it before the next cook rather than working around it with a long lighter. For propane, do a soapy water leak check at the tank connection after every swap, store the tank upright, and never cook with a propane or natural gas grill indoors, in a garage, or under a low roof. Keep the lid open when you light it. For natural gas, know where the shutoff is. If you add a pellet grill to the lineup, keep the pellets dry and clean out the fire pot on a schedule, because damp fuel and ash buildup are the two most common reasons a pellet cook goes wrong.
Buying checklist
- Measure the patio or deck space and the clearance to siding, railings, and overhead structures before choosing a footprint.
- Choose propane, natural gas, or pellets based on how you cook most weeks, not on one holiday cook.
- Match burner count and grate area to your normal batch size rather than your largest one.
- Confirm the exact model includes the features you are paying for: infrared side burner, rear rotisserie burner, rotisserie kit, side burner, or built-in thermometer.
- Decide whether you want the propane or natural gas version of the same platform before you fall in love with the layout.
- Read the cleaning and maintenance instructions for the grates, burner tubes, and grease path.
- Verify the current retailer price, availability, and return terms through the listing rather than a cached number.
Final recommendation
Choose the Napoleon P500RSIBPSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Propane Gas Grill when you want a 500 square inch stainless cooking surface with a genuine infrared sear zone and a rear rotisserie burner, and propane portability works for your setup. Choose the Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill when you have a gas line and want the same layout without tanks. Choose the Monument Grills 77352 6+1 Burner when burner count, cabinet storage, and an included rotisserie kit matter more than a compact sear station, and the 3-burner 34,000 BTU model when your patio is small and your cooks are simple. If you want smoke rather than gas, step over to a pellet smoker like the Traeger Pro 22 and treat it as the separate decision it is.