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Propane grills offer a few advantages over their charcoal-powered counterparts. A grill like our best overall, the Everdure Furnace, heats up faster, doesn’t create leftover ashes, and offers the ability to heat specific areas of the grill precisely. They don’t require a learning curve to cook up a couple of burgers. A propane grill is also a lot easier to reignite if you realize you need to cook more food, and there are no briquettes to discard once you’re done grilling. The best propane grills are easy to use, clean, maintain, and transport, making them friendly to newer cooks and old pros.
- Best overall: Everdure Furnace
- Best splurge: Weber Genesis SPX-435
- Best value: Nexgrill 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill
- Best portable: Cuisinart CGG-306
- Best for camping: Coleman Gas Camping Grill/Stove
- Best countertop: Pit Boss Grills Single-Burner Tabletop Grill
- Best budget: Coleman Fold N Go Propane Grill
How we chose the best propane grills
Everyone’s grilling needs differ (not everyone needs the glorious grilling overkill of a Traeger Ironwood XL), so we’ve made versatility the guiding light for our recommendations. Our evaluations are based on a thorough canvassing of all the best and latest gear from well-known companies to fit any grilling needs. Of course, there’s a recommendation for those who want a reliable way to grill at home while the weather’s nice, but we found portability particularly interesting to many readers, too.
With the ability to use compact compressed gas canisters, a smaller propane grill can go camping or cook on balconies in some city apartments. Whether you have a sprawling backyard or a sliver of space, you’ll find a propane grill below that suits your environment. Naturally, smaller grills require less propane, so you can stretch out your supply longer by using them. Durability was paramount in our selection of propane grills because they’ll likely be left outside (covered, of course) for some portion of the year. You’ll find a majority of our picks are made from stainless steel, which won’t rust quickly like lesser metals.
Whether shopping for your first grill or jumping from charcoal or natural gas to propane, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
The best propane grills: Reviews & Recommendations
The grilling scenario you find yourself most often will determine the best propane grill for you, and with that in mind, we’ve selected five options to cover all the major bases. Be mindful that some of the grills below may suit a scenario—home or camping, for example—in which case it may be worth prioritizing one or getting both.
Best overall: Everdure Furnace
Specs
- Burners: 3
- Cooking area: 466 Square inches
- BTU per hour input: 9,000
- Weight: 84.66 Pounds
- Material: Die-Cast Aluminum
Pros
- Heats quickly
- Cooks evenly
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a cover
Everdure’s Furnace holds up well even after a season’s worth of grilling, which is why it takes the top spot in this guide. The three-burner grill took about an hour to assemble with one person, owing to Everdure’s instructions. The only place you’ll likely need help is to lift the grill itself into its base. Be mindful that the Furnace will feel a little wobbly until it’s fully assembled.
This grill’s aluminum body allows it to heat quickly and prevents it from rusting. Indeed, a year on the grill hasn’t lost its luster, and continues to reach its maximum temperature a lot faster than traditional grills. Two additional welcome features of the Furnace’s design are its two open shelves, which provide easy access to accessories. A cutout allows you to suspend the propane tank using a strap, which gives the grill a unique look.
We used this grill to cook a variety of meats and vegetables, and they always turned out well. We recommend wiping down the grill’s grates with a neutral oil before cooking marinated meat, as it can stick to the grates, which are made out of cast iron rather than stainless steel. When meat was cooked using this method, we were able to get professional-looking grill marks every time. The grill’s cooking surface was large enough to cook for a small crowd without people getting anxious about eating at the same time. If you’re not immediately impressed by the Furnace’s aesthetics, the results will speak for themselves when you take a bite.
Although the Furnace is durable, we wish Everdure included a cover, given its relatively high price and the fact that cast iron can rust when it’s exposed to moisture. If that happens, you’ll need to thoroughly clean and re-season the Furnace’s grill grates. A cover directly from Everdure will run you about $50 on its own. That aside, we can’t fault the Furnace’s performance. If you’re looking for a great-looking, fast-cooking gas grill for cookouts, Everdure’s Furnace is the first one to consider.
Best splurge: Weber Genesis SPX-435
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science
Specs
- Burners: 5
- Cooking area: 994 Square inches
- BTU per hour input: 12,000
- Weight: 220 Pounds
- Material: Stainless steel
Pros
- Heats quickly
- Cooks evenly
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a cover
Weber’s Genesis SPX-435 is the larger, more expensive version of our top smart grill pick, which means it has all of the same smart functionality—temperature monitoring and meat probe monitoring—as its smaller sibling. At $1,800, it’s also the most expensive, topping out at eighteen times the cost of our budget propane grill recommendation. The Genesis SPX-435’s biggest strength is literally its size. The four-burner grill has 994 inches of cooking space—this includes both the main grilling area and top rack, which is perfect for finishing a cook off of direct heat, cooking sides, or warming bread. All told, Weber says you should be able to cook either eight racks of ribs, 32 burgers, or six chickens on the SPX-435 at the same time.
This outdoor grill’s immense cooking area is complemented by an additional side burner, which can be lit separately or simultaneously alongside the main burner. You can use the side burner to get a sear or head start on a protein or side before finishing it up on the main grill. Another feature we’re big fans of is the SPX-435’s “sear zone” which is activated by using a separate red knob between the right two burners. You can use the sear zone to make more distinct hot and cool cooking zones to get the perfect results every time. While this power comes at a cost, it’s the ideal choice if you’re planning to spend as much time as possible cooking for a crowd outdoors.
Best value: Nexgrill 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill
Brandt Ranj / Popular Science
Specs
- Burners: 4
- Cooking area: 567
- BTU per hour burner: 10,000
- Weight: 76.8 pounds
- Material: Stainless steel
Pros
- Large cooking area
- Easy assembly
- Even cooking area
Cons
- Two wheels
Nexgrill’s 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill isn’t the least expensive propane grill we’re recommending, but it overperforms given its modest $200. In our tests, it delivered a similar cooking experience to outdoor gas grills that cost significantly more. As its name suggests, this grill has four burners, which you can use to create hot and cool zones for even cooking. It took very little time to assemble—we recommend two people put it together—and all you’ll need is a screwdriver to get the job done. If you have trouble following along with paper directions, which can seem vague, Nexgrill offers an instructional video on YouTube, which you can follow step by step.
We covered this grill’s surface with hotdogs, buns, and marinated chicken to test whether there were cold spots, but all of our food cooked surprisingly evenly. All of our meat was our preferred level of doneness regardless of where it was placed, and the starches got some color without burning. You’ll still need to keep a close eye on your food to prevent over or undercooking, but this grill is up to the task if you’re vigilant. There was enough room on the grill’s surface to cook two dozen burgers or so, which is more than enough for a typical crowd. This grill has a top rack, which can be used for finishing meat off direct heat or resting buns.
After we finished cooking, we allowed the grill to cool down for a few minutes before cleaning. A grill brush and a little pressure was all that we needed to get any cooked-on food scraps to fall into this barbeque grills’ removable tray, where they could easily be discarded. What this grill lacks in smart features or extras like a dedicated sear zone it makes up for in cooking performance for its price. Our more significant complaint is that the propane grill only has two wheels, so you have to lift one side up to move it around. The grill is relatively light when a propane tank isn’t attached, but it’s still a tedious experience, especially if you grill often.
Best portable: Cuisinart CGG-306
Specs
- Burners: Two
- Cooking area: 275 Square inches
- BTU per hour input: 10,000 BTU
- Weight: 28.66 pounds
- Material: Stainless steel
Pros
- Hits the sweet spot between portability and cooking area
- Two full-sized burners
- Stainless steel grates
Cons
- A little heavy for a portable grill
Cuisinart’s CGG-306 is fully capable of being the at-home grill for a four-person household, but it’s also small and light enough to be taken on the road. At 30 pounds, you’ll certainly feel its weight when taking it and out of your car, but that discomfort is temporary, and the pros far outweigh the cons.
The biggest feature this table top grill has going for it the combination of is its relatively large cooking area and two full-sized burners. You can make a two-zone grilling space with enough room for plenty of protein and sides. If you walk the middle path and use both burners at the same temperature for a uniform heating surface, all the better. Most portable propane grills—including all of our other recommendations—either have two smaller burners or a single larger one. In this way, the CGG-306 is more of a shrunk-down full-sized grill than a souped-up portable one.
One of the seemingly small but surprisingly important design choices Cuisinart made was outfitting the CGG-306 with stainless steel grates. This will allow you to keep the grill outdoors for extended periods of time without the risk of opening it up to find a rusty mess. Positioning its analog thermometer on top of its lid was another wise choice, as it’s easy to spot so long as you have enough light.
If you want a portable propane grill with plenty of power, Cuisinart’s CGG-306 is the one to get.
Best for camping: Coleman Gas Camping Grill/Stove
Specs
- Burners: Two
- Cooking area: 130 Square inches
- BTU per hour input: 20,000 BTU
- Weight: 7.5 pounds
- Material: Synthetic
Pros
- Two burners
- Retractable drip tray
- Fuel efficiency
Cons
- Synthetic materials
Space is always at a premium when you go camping, and this grill’s penchant for portability makes it a very solid choice. It’s our lightest recommendation at well under 10 pounds, but it still has a two-burner cooking system—albeit one that’s a lot weaker than the one you’ll find in the Cuisinart model we mentioned earlier. Still, what this grill lacks in size, it more than makes up for in ease of use.
For instance, the area beneath its main burner is open, which allows fat and other drippings to fall directly onto a tray, which can be pulled out and cleaned after every cook. You’ll still need to wipe down its non-stick grates, but this is far less hassle than cleaning other propane barbeque grills. This grill’s secondary burner has raised grates and is designed for a coffee pot or pan rather than allowing you to cook directly on top of it.
Coleman bundles its grill with a griddle, which can be placed over its larger burner and is perfect for everything from pancakes, eggs, and bacon to smash burgers and stir-fried vegetables. It’s nice to see Coleman make the most of this grill’s small form factor. It even built windscreens on the right and left side to keep cooking consistent during inclement weather. Similarly, Coleman says the Perfectheat technology it invented makes this propane grill more fuel efficient.
If you need a quick propane grill to throw into the back of your car for a camping trip, this is the one you want.
Best countertop: Pit Boss Grills Single-Burner Tabletop Grill
Specs
- Burners: One
- Cooking area: 322 Square inches.
- BTU per hour input: 10,000 BTU
- Weight: 20 pounds
- Material: Stainless steel
Pros
- Surprisingly large cooking area
- Two layers of grill grates
- Stainless steel grill grates
Cons
- Single burner
If you can get over the fact that it only has one burner, you’ll find much to like about Pit Boss Grill’s Single-Burner Tabletop Grill. This is especially true of its 322-square-inch cooking area, which is more space than our favorite portable grill, even though it’s roughly 10 pounds lighter. Part of the reason this grill has so much cooking space is that it has a top rack in addition to its main grate. This will allow you to toast hamburger buns while you’re cooking the patties or finish off a more delicate piece of meat off direct heat. In this sense, you can create a quasi-two-zone cooking area—but that comes with far less control.
We were pleased that Pit Boss opted to make both of its grates out of stainless steel, which matches this grill’s exterior. Smart design choices, like having its legs contract when it’s not in use, serve to improve its portability. Similarly, this grill has an easily-accessible slip-out grill tray to clean out drippings before they become a fire hazard. Interestingly, Pit Boss designed this propane grill with a dedicated push-button starter rather than building that functionality into its temperature knob. This isn’t good or bad, but a feature we’d only expect to see in a full-sized grill.
Suppose you want a tabletop-friendly propane grill with plenty of space and are confident enough in your cooking skills to work a single-burner grill with consistent results successfully. In that case, you’ll be very happy with Pit Boss Grill’s Single-Burner Tabletop Grill.
Best budget: Coleman Fold N Go Propane Grill
Coleman
Specs
- Burners: One
- Cooking area: 105 Square inches
- BTU per hour input: 6,000 BTU
- Weight: 10.5 pounds
- Material: Cast aluminum
Pros
- Compact design
- Lightweight
- Price
Cons
- Not as powerful
The Coleman Fold N Go Propane Grill is an incredibly portable, affordable option that’s appropriate for apartment dwellers cooking on a balcony (check with your landlord first!), campers, or small families who only grill occasionally. It only has a single burner, one-tenth of the cooking area of our largest recommendation, and runs off a smaller propane tank. However, it costs just $100, and its grilling surface and griddle are both machine washable. When the Fold N Go Propane Grill is not in use, you can store it vertically in a closet or garage cubby. Just be sure to keep the propane tank in a safe, temperate area where it won’t get bumped or accidentally dropped. If your propane grilling needs are modest, or you need hardware to hold you over until you get a place with more outside space, this is a great economical option.
What to consider when shopping for the best propane grills
Number of burners
The number of burners a propane grill has is important for several reasons. The first is that having more burners will allow the grill to heat up more quickly, which is helpful if you’re on a time crunch. Secondarily, having more burners gives you greater control over the hot and cold parts of your grill. Sometimes, you’ll want to create a two-zone grilling area to sear food in a hotter section and cook it through in the cooler one to avoid burning or overcooking.
Cooking area
A propane grill’s cooking area denotes how much space you have for your food. This unit of measurement is helpful because it’s different than the total width and length of a grill, which takes into account the gap between its grates and frame, plus the frame itself. If a grill has an upper grate—primarily used to keep food warm rather than directly heat it—this space is also counted.
BTU (British Thermal Units)
You’ll find this unit of measurement in the description of every grill, but it isn’t a measurement of heat—though the two are directly related. A propane grill’s maximum BTU denotes how much energy is required to heat the grill to a specific temperature. This is analogous to acceleration in the car world: It’s the time it takes to get a vehicle from 0 to 60 miles an hour rather than a measure of distance. In any event, most of our propane grill recommendations top out at 10,000BTU, which is standard for smaller grills.
Weight
If you’ve decided to get a portable propane grill, weight is the most important factor to consider. Most of our recommendations weigh less than 30 pounds, with some options weighing in at 10 or less. For comparison, our best overall pick, which was designed exclusively for home use, weighs nearly 200 pounds.
Material
A majority of the propane grills we’re recommending are made out of stainless steel, which means they’re not going to rust if they’re exposed to moisture—either directly from drizzling rain or humidity. Stainless steel will begin to get damaged if it comes in contact with liquid for extended periods of time, which is why you shouldn’t grill during rain storms with any frequency.
FAQs
No. Using a propane grill inside is not safe, as even the slightest gas leak could be potentially hazardous. We do have a guide to the best indoor grills, which are suited to this use case.
This will vary from model to model, so we recommend reading the manufacturer’s instructions before assembling your propane grill for the first time.
You should not use your propane grill—or any grill—in the rain, as direct, extended exposure to water may damage one or more of its components.
The grates of a propane grill should be cleaned using a brush. Once it’s cooled down, you can clean the outside of a propane grill with paper towels or a clean rag before covering it.
If cleaned, stored, and handled properly, a propane grill should last over 10 years without any issues.
Final thoughts on choosing the best propane grills
- Best overall: Everdure Furnace
- Best splurge: Weber Genesis SPX-435
- Best value: Nexgrill 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill
- Best portable: Cuisinart CGG-306
- Best for camping: Coleman Gas Camping Grill/Stove
- Best countertop: Pit Boss Grills Single-Burner Tabletop Grill
- Best budget: Coleman Fold N Go Propane Grill
Propane grills are popular because of their versatility and ease of use, which is especially helpful for less experienced home cooks just getting the hang of cooking outdoors. You’ll need to be mindful of how much propane is left in your tank and to store it properly for safety reasons, but beyond that, they’re pretty plug-and-play. There’s no wrong fuel when it comes to grilling; we like them all, but propane is beginner-friendly. Just make sure to have the right grilling tools before your outdoor cooking to avoid getting burned or losing your food between the grates.
