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While there are several different methods for cooking up a juicy burger, steak, or portobello, natural gas grills are essentially unrivaled when it comes to delivering clean-burning convenience. They’re convenient because they can plug directly into your home’s natural gas pipeline, meaning that you can enjoy 24/7 use without having to mess around with refilling propane tanks all the time. As far as the clean-burning factor, natural gas grills deliver in two regards. First, they’re better for the environment as they release less CO2 than propane or charcoal grills. Second, they cook cleaner than charcoal grills, allowing you to enjoy the untainted flavors of your food (though admittedly this is a matter of preference—so people do enjoy the mesquite of a good charcoal grill, but to each their own).

In any case, if you’re in the market for the best natural gas grills for outdoor barbeque excellence, we have suggestions.

How we picked the best natural gas grills

While searching for the best natural gas grills, we considered factors like heat distribution and retention, heating power via BTUs, cooking area, and additional bbq cooking features, all of which combine to determine the quality of a user’s cooking experience. Aesthetics and durability are important elements as well, as every buyer wants a grill that will look good on the porch while lasting over the long run. We weighed these characteristics in selecting models that represent a variety of budgets and situational needs. To ensure that we truly found the best of the best, we examined products from over a dozen leading brands and lesser-known manufacturers and made our picks based on a combination of firsthand experience, outside expert assessments, and Amazon reviews from real-world buyers.

The best natural gas grills: Reviews & Recommendations

Once you’ve decided you want to go with a natural gas grill, they come in a range of sizes, heat levels, cooking area, features, and price points. These are the best options we rounded up on the market today:

Best overall: Weber Spirit II E-310

Best natural gas grill Weber Spirit

Weber

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Specs

  • Burners: 3
  • Cooking area: 529 square inches
  • BTU per hour input: 32,000

Pros

  • Great temperature control for quality grilling
  • Durable build quality will hold up for many years
  • Moderate price relative to its high-quality

Cons

  • Can be tricky to assemble without expert assembly package

Weber has long stood among the leaders in the realm of the grill, and the Spirit II E-310 is a perfect example of why. Moderate in both price and size, it nevertheless delivers reliable temperature control, a workable cooking area, and solid build quality.

Its three-burner, 529-square-inch cooking surface is the perfect size for the average home’s grilling needs. With stainless steel burners, porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates, and a porcelain-enameled lid, its heat distribution and retention deliver the temperature control you need for a reliable cooking experience, making the most of its somewhat lower BTU rate.

What’s more, its build quality is practically unrivaled. Not only is it built to last, ensuring that it will hold up through year after year of backyard barbequing, but it also has a timeless aesthetic that will keep looking great on your porch.

If you’re looking for a natural gas grill that will do pretty much everything well, the Weber Spirit II E-310 checks all the boxes.

Best high-end: Napoleon PRO665RSIBNSS-3 Prestige PRO 665

Best natural gas grills napoleon

Napoleon

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Specs

  • Burners: 5
  • Cooking area: 1,140 square inches
  • BTU per hour input: 99,000

Pros

  • Expansive cooking area and powerful performance
  • Rotisserie kit, smoker tray, and side burner
  • Interior and exterior lighting for low-light visibility
  • Infrared elements to provide high heat without flareups

Cons

  • Very expensive

If you’re a serious grill master with money to burn, you can’t do better than the Napoleon Prestige Pro 665. With its powerful 99,000 BTU heat, built-in rotisserie kit and smoker tray, and infrared sizzle-zone side burner capable of leaping up to 1,800 degrees in a matter of seconds, it does pretty much everything you could possibly want from a grill.

It also leans into the little features that add up to luxury. Adjustable interior and exterior lights make it easier to grill in low-light conditions. A rolltop lid makes it easier and safer to operate. Even the undercarriage shelving is well thought out, offering plenty of storage space for your grill gear.

Edging up toward $4k, it’s definitely not cheap. But if you’re looking for a luxury grill that delivers a truly superior barbeque experience, this is it.

Best built-in: Bullet by Bull Outdoor Products 48108 Bronco

Best natural gas grills Bullet Bull

Bullet

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Specs

  • Burners: 4 or 5 burner options
  • Cooking area: 630 or 736 square inches depending on burner package
  • BTU per hour input: 75,000

Pros

  • Perfect for building into outdoor kitchens
  • Durable, stainless steel design is reliably weatherproof
  • Great heat performance for a solid cooking experience

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Some users have issues with assembly and customer support

If you’re looking for a natural gas grill to build into your permanent outdoor kitchen, check out the Yukon Bullet 48108 Bronco from Bull Outdoor Products. It’s a bit pricier than some other options, but when it comes to installing a fixed-in-place grill that will need to brave the elements, you don’t want to cut corners, and this stainless steel grill delivers the durability you need.

Performance-wise, the Bronco is similarly thorough. It distributes and retains its powerful 75,000 BTU heat output well, and its cast iron grills offer the reliable grilling experience you want out of an outdoor kitchen. It also looks sleek and timeless, making it an attractive addition to your backyard.

Best small: Magma Products Newport II Infrared Gourmet Series Gas Grill

Best natural gas grills Magma

Magma

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Specs

  • Burners: 1
  • Cooking area: 162 square inches
  • BTU per hour input: 11,200

Pros

  • Can use both natural gas and propane tanks interchangeably 
  • Highly portable for yard, camping, or boat use
  • Foldable legs—capable of mounting on boat rail

Cons

  • Moderate heat performance

If you need a grill that can go virtually anywhere—even or perhaps especially on a boat—the Newport II from Magma Products is an incredibly versatile option. At home you can plug it into your natural gas system, or you can convert it to propane when on the road or on the water. Its folding legs and numerous mounting options make it ideal for just about any on-the-go grilling situation. You can even mount it to your boat rail for safe grilling at sea.

Accordingly, it’s built to handle the weather. Its stainless steel body won’t rust in the rain and its hermetically sealed thermometer won’t corrode due to salt water, while its turbo burner/dual element combustion system is designed to stay lit in heavy winds. Heat distribution can be somewhat inconsistent, but as far as durable, portable grills go it’s an outstanding option.

Best smart: Weber Genesis SX-335

Best natural gas grills Webter Genesis

Weber

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Specs

  • Burners: 3 main burners w/ 1 side burner
  • Cooking area: 787 square inches
  • BTU per hour input: 39,000

Pros

  • Smart tech allows you to manage food remotely
  • Large grill area with outstanding heat distribution
  • Side burner and large prep table for cooking convenience
  • Sear Zone for perfect meat searing

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Difficult to assemble

If you’re looking for a state of the art grilling experience—or just have a tendency to burn your burgers—the Weber Genesis SX-335 is about as futuristic and helpful as grills can get. Thanks to its smart capabilities, you can get real-time temperature alerts, set flip and serve reminders, and manage a range of other functions from your phone.

Beyond all the techy stuff, the Genesis also delivers the practical qualities that you expect from a Weber. Its heat distribution and retention are outstanding, as are its design and all-around durability. It has helpful bells and whistles like a side burner, wide prep and serve table, and extra-large sear zone for perfecting your steaks.

It’s definitely not cheap and you probably wouldn’t want to endeavor the assembly alone, but it’s undoubtedly the best smart natural gas grill money can buy.

Best budget: Dyna-Glo DGP483SSN-D Premier

Best natural gas grills Dyna-Glow

Dyna-Glo

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Specs

  • Burners: 4
  • Cooking area: 483 square inches in main range; 673 square inches with the second tier
  • BTU per hour input: 48,000 w/ 12,000 BTU side burner

Pros

  • Spacious cooking area perfect for large groups
  • Convenient side burner for boiling and pans
  • Moderate price for a quality grill

Cons

  • Not as durable as more expensive grills

If you’re shopping for a quality grill on a budget, check out the DGP483SSN-D Premier from Dyna-Glo. While it’s a couple hundred bucks cheaper than our best overall pick, it still delivers a quality cooking experience.

With its expansive cooking area and porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates, it offers plenty of grill space and above-average distribution of its 48,000 BTU input. A 12,000-BTU side burner is also a nice touch, allowing you to boil water or use a frying pan.

It offers good build quality, generally speaking, though some users have reported rust issues over time. For all practical purposes, however, it’s a great grill that won’t break the bank.

What to consider when choosing a natural gas grill

For all practical purposes, it might seem like natural gas grills are more or less all the same, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are plenty of models on the market that fall short of excellence—or even competence—and end up delivering a frustrating ownership experience. Here’s what to look for in the best.

Heat delivery, distribution, and retention

Most subpar natural gas grills don’t produce enough heat for quality grilling, and the bad ones that do produce enough make poor use of that heat once it’s there. For a stationary backyard grill, look for a model that produces at least 20,000 BTU. On top of that, you want it to have cast iron grating that will distribute the heat evenly, and ideally porcelain-enamel coating both the grating and lid to support heat retention. All of this adds up to the ideal conditions for controlling the temperature of your grill and properly cooking your food.

Cooking area

The size of your cooking area—the grating area typically measured in square inches—determines how much food you can grill at once. It’s important to have a cooking area commensurate to your needs, otherwise you’re not able to produce food fast enough, the result being a trickle of food that prevents everyone from eating at once. If you’re only grilling for yourself, a small family, or a handful of friends, a small to medium-sized grill will get the job done. But if you’ve got a large family or plan on hosting large groups on the reg, get the most expansive grill you can.

Features

For some, a basic grill is all that’s needed. But avid grill-hounds cooking a variety of food in large quantities can benefit from convenience and cooking features like prep tables, a storage compartment, sear zones, side burners, a rotisserie, and so on. Consider how expansive your grill regimen might be, and feature up accordingly.

Durability

The craftsmanship of your grill can play a huge role not only in its lifespan but can mean the difference between safe and unsafe. Poorly constructed grills not only fall apart and deteriorate in appearance over time, but lids and other pieces can fall off and burn you, gas can leak, and they can even catch fire. Make sure that you get a grill that will keep you safe and happy in the long run.

FAQs

Q: What are BTUs?

British Thermal Units—or BTUs—represent a measurement of the fuel consumption and therefore heat output per hour. It is calculated by determining the amount of thermal necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree.

BTUs are important for grilling as they represent how hot your grill is capable of getting, but bigger numbers aren’t necessarily better as grills with poor heat retention tend to waste a lot of the thermal energy produced.

Q: Is it cheaper to grill with propane or natural gas?

On one hand, natural gas is cheaper than propane, but on the other, it burns faster than propane. Propane burns twice as hot as natural gas, so over time you’ll tend to go through less of it.

Q: Does a natural gas grill taste different?

Natural gas will not impact the flavor of your food.

Q: How far should a natural gas grill be from the house?

Most manufacturers recommend that a natural gas grill be placed at least three feet away from any structures. Always use them outdoors, as they are not safe for indoor grilling under any circumstances.

Q: Is it OK to leave a natural gas grill outside in winter?

A well-built outdoor grill should have few issues with being out in the weather, though it is advisable that you protect it with a quality cover.

Q: Can I convert my gas grill to natural gas?

The hookup on a natural gas grill will not work with a propane tank, though you can purchase a conversion kit. Typically you will need a manufacturer-approved kit.

Q: Is a natural gas grill worth it?

There are no major performance differences between propane and natural gas—your food will end up just as grilled either way. The key differences involve CO2 release and convenience. If you want a grill that’s environmentally conscious, go with natural gas. And if you plan on grilling frequently and don’t want to deal with the hassle of replenishing a propane tank, a natural gas grill will connect directly to your home pipeline and save you the trip.

Final thoughts

If you enjoy grilling but want to keep it easy and minimize your impact on the environment, the best natural gas grills are worth your consideration. From high-end smart models to budget-friendly options, these grills allow you to plug into an existing energy source, cut down on your CO2 usage, and cook your food evenly for a premium experience.

Why trust us

Popular Science has spent 150 years helping readers learn more about technology and the products they buy, while writer Nick Hilden has spent a lifetime of nearly 40 years tinkering with backyard grills. An avid outdoorsman, ex-chef, and all-around tech enthusiast, in addition to reviewing products for Popular Science, he has written product reviews for the Daily Beast, Popular Mechanics, Thrillist, Men’s Health, the Manual, and more.

Nick Hilden
Nick Hilden

Nick Hilden writes reviews and recommendations coverage of fitness, outdoor and tech gear for Popular Science. He’s spent over a decade writing about lifestyle and culture topics for a slew of publications, including Scientific American, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, and Men’s Health, among others.

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