Propane and Natural Gas: There are two ways to light up a gas grill. Natural grills are also popular choices, although we only test propane grills because of their ease-of-use.
Propane is stored in tanks that fit inside or next to the grill. This makes it easy to transport since there are many sizes of propane tanks and some that are small enough for you to take with you. You can get a lot of heat from it quickly. You should always monitor how much gas is left in your tank to ensure that you don’t run out during a cook-out.
Natural gas runs through your house like other utilities. You will need a gas line to connect the grill to it. It’s easy to forget about once it’s connected. However, it will prevent you from moving the grill. You can save money over time, especially if your grill is used frequently. It doesn’t run out of gas as often as propane, so you don’t have to worry about running out.
Grate material
Your grill grate’s material — its cooking surface — will determine how fast it heats up and how long it stays hot. It also affects how easy it is to clean, maintain, and whether food sticks to it. Many grill grates are made from stainless steel, cast or coated iron. It doesn’t matter what material you use, it is important to keep your grill grates clean so that they last longer and are more efficient.
Stainless steel is lightweight, making it easy to clean and affordable. Although stainless steel heats quickly, it does not retain heat well. It will corrode over time and cause food to stick to it.
Cast iron is heavy and must be kept non-sticky and rust-free. However, cast iron retains heat well so it can leave great sear marks.
Cast iron grates coated with enamel or porcelain provide better heat retention and protection from rusting. Keep metal grilling tools out of reach so the coating doesn’t chip.
Number of burners: This determines how large the grill is and what types of grilling techniques you can use.
For small gatherings (e.g. a few steaks and vegetables), you can use up to three burners.
Gas grills have four or more burners, which allows you to create heat zones. This is one of the greatest advantages. You can set the burners on either side to searing or on low for slow cooking.
You can host large parties with epic cooking and even create heat zones for multiple courses.
Heat output
BTU (British Thermal Units), levels that are advertised on gas grills, may be familiar. This basically measures heat output. BTUs are a measure of how powerful a grill is, but not necessarily if it’s more powerful. Instead, consider the maximum temperature and range that the gas grill can operate at. Your gas grill should be set to 200oF if you prefer to grill or smoke foods such as ribs, pork shoulders, or briskets. You want your gas grill to reach 500oF for steaks, burgers, and pizza.
