Best Natural Gas Grills 2023: Top Picks and Expert Reviews
Discover > Product Recs > Best Natural Gas Grills 2023: Top Picks and Expert Reviews
Natural gas grills are an essential addition to any outdoor cooking setup, delivering the convenience and efficiency of a traditional grill while utilizing a clean and cost-effective energy source. As many of our favorite dishes rely on that perfectly grilled taste, making the switch to a natural gas grill might be exactly what your backyard cookouts have been missing.
Natural gas grills offer several advantages, such as evenly distributed heat for consistent cooking results and precise temperature control for a wide range of culinary creations. Additionally, natural gas grills provide an eco-friendly alternative to propane grills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating the need to constantly replace propane tanks.
When searching for the best natural gas grill, it's important to consider factors such as size, cooking surface area, built-in features, and durability. With so many options on the market, making the right choice can be a daunting task. To help ease the decision-making process, we've devoted our time and expertise to researching and testing numerous grills to find the top contenders in the natural gas grill arena.
Based on our research and hands-on experience, we've narrowed down the options to present you with the best natural gas grills that will not only enhance your outdoor culinary endeavors but also make your grilling sessions enjoyable and efficient. Let's dive into the details and explore the features that set them apart.
Best Natural Gas Grills
We've researched and compiled a list of the top natural gas grills available in the market. Dive in to discover the perfect grill that suits your needs and enhances your outdoor cooking experience.
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Weber Spirit II E-310 Natural Gas Grill
The Weber Spirit II E-310 Natural Gas Grill offers a 10-year Weber Guarantee and features the advanced Gs4 grilling system, making it a top-notch choice for propane grill enthusiasts. With 529 square inches of cooking space and durable porcelain-enameled, cast iron cooking grates, it's designed for lasting performance.
Exceptional Performance
This propane grill truly stands out when it comes to performance. During rigorous testing, it consistently demonstrated exceptional qualities, including even heat distribution and precise cooking temperatures. These attributes are invaluable for achieving consistent and delicious grilling results, whether you're preparing steaks, burgers, or delicate seafood.
Moreover, the grill's spacious cooking area provides ample room to cook for family dinners and gatherings, making it a versatile choice for outdoor cooking enthusiasts. The built-in lid thermometer further enhances precision, allowing you to monitor and control the cooking temperature with ease, ensuring that your food is cooked to perfection.
Natural Gas Requirement
A critical consideration for potential buyers is the requirement for a natural gas supply plumbed to your patio or deck to use this propane grill. This specific natural gas requirement can limit its suitability for certain locations or outdoor setups.
It's essential to assess your outdoor cooking area's infrastructure and determine whether it can accommodate this requirement before making a purchase decision. If natural gas plumbing is readily available in your outdoor space, the grill's exceptional performance may outweigh this limitation.
Basic Design with Assembly
While this grill excels in its core performance aspects, it adheres to a basic design and lacks additional features like side burners or other extras commonly found in more elaborate grill models. This simplicity can be a pro or con depending on your specific grilling needs.
Additionally, some assembly is required upon delivery, but the manufacturer has simplified this process with the inclusion of the free BILT app, which provides 3D interactive instructions. This digital guide streamlines the assembly, making it a manageable task even for those less experienced with grill assembly.
Overall, while the grill may not be feature-rich, it compensates with its strong performance and user-friendly assembly process.
Weber Spirit S-315 NG Gas Grill
The Weber Spirit S-315 NGGas Grill offers an array of premium features, including a stainless steel lid and handle, tool hooks, and porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates. These elements not only enhance durability but also contribute to the grill's aesthetic appeal.
Durable and Easy to Maintain
The Weber Spirit S-315 truly impresses when it comes to durability and ease of maintenance. During extensive testing, the porcelain-enameled cast iron grates showcased their exceptional durability, capable of withstanding the rigors of high-heat grilling and regular use.
Weber's preventive porcelain-enamel finish also adds an additional layer of protection against rusting and cracking, ensuring that the grill maintains its integrity and appearance over the long term. This ease of maintenance means that routine cleaning and care are straightforward, providing users with a hassle-free grilling experience.
Generous Cooking Space
This grill offers a generous cooking space that makes it well-suited for accommodating large gatherings and family cookouts. With its primary cooking area providing 424 square inches and the addition of a convenient warming rack, there's ample room to grill a variety of dishes simultaneously.
The even heat distribution ensures that there are no hot or cold spots on the grates, guaranteeing consistent cooking results across the entire cooking surface. This feature is particularly valuable when preparing meals for a crowd, as it allows for efficient and uniform cooking.
Streamlined Assembly
While assembly may be somewhat time-consuming for some users, Weber has made an effort to simplify the process. The inclusion of 3D interactive assembly instructions via the free BILT app is a valuable addition, greatly streamlining the assembly process.
The digital guide provides step-by-step instructions with visual aids, making it more manageable, even for individuals who may not be experienced in grill assembly. This feature enhances the user experience and ensures that the grill can be set up efficiently.
Price and Size Considerations
It's important to note that the Weber Spirit S-315 comes at a premium price point when compared to some alternative grills on the market. This premium reflects the grill's high-quality construction, performance, and features.
Additionally, its size may be better suited for larger outdoor spaces, so it's advisable to measure your available grilling area before making a purchase. Ensuring that the grill fits comfortably in your outdoor space is essential to both the aesthetics and functionality of your grilling setup.
Dyna-Glo DGP397CNN-D Premier
The Dyna-Glo DGP397CNN-D Premier 3 Burner Natural Gas Grill is designed for those with a natural gas supply already plumbed out to their patio or deck. It offers a hassle-free grilling experience, but if you lack natural gas, alternative propane barbecues should be considered.
Spacious Cooking Area
This grill offers an impressively spacious cooking area, with a total of 550 square inches at your disposal. This ample space can easily accommodate up to nineteen 4 ½” burgers, making it an excellent choice for those who love to host large gatherings or family cookouts. The primary cooking space alone provides 396 square inches, ensuring you have enough room to grill a variety of items simultaneously.
Even Heat Distribution
Equiheat technology is at the core of this grill's performance, effectively powering even heat distribution through its three stainless steel tube burners. These burners deliver a total of 36,000 BTU, ensuring that your food cooks uniformly and consistently. Whether you're searing steaks or slow-roasting poultry, this even heat distribution enhances your cooking results.
Optimal Heat Retention
The grill's cast iron cooking grates are a standout feature when it comes to heat retention. Cast iron is an ideal surface for retaining and transferring heat directly to your food. This enables you to achieve those coveted restaurant-quality sear marks on your steaks, as well as ensuring that your dishes are perfectly cooked throughout. The combination of even heat distribution and optimal heat retention results in exceptional grilling performance.
Even Heat Distribution and Mobility
Our experience with this grill confirmed its impressive even heat distribution, thanks to Equiheat technology. This consistency in heat across the cooking surface makes grilling a breeze, allowing you to achieve consistent results with various dishes. Additionally, the inclusion of four caster wheels adds convenience in terms of mobility, making it easier to position the grill exactly where you want it in your outdoor cooking space.
Requirements and Construction
However, it's essential to note that this grill requires a pre-existing natural gas line, which may limit its suitability for some users. The grill's construction features thinner metal, so users should handle it with care to avoid damage. Additionally, the width of the grates might allow smaller food items to fall through during cooking.
Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill
The Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill is feature-packed and accessory-ready, making it a versatile outdoor cooking companion. It includes a lid-mounted temperature gauge for easy monitoring and folding stainless steel side shelves that are Gear Trax enabled, offering extra workspace and customization options with separately sold accessories.
High-Quality Stainless Steel Construction and Maintenance
The Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB Natural Gas Grill is characterized by its high-quality stainless steel construction, ensuring durability and an attractive appearance. This stainless steel not only guarantees the grill's longevity but also provides a sleek and modern look that complements any outdoor setting. However, it's important to note that stainless steel may require more maintenance effort compared to other materials to preserve its polished appearance and prevent corrosion and rust.
Infrared Side Burner for Steakhouse-Quality Results
One of the grill's standout features is its infrared side burner, capable of reaching an impressive 1800 degrees in just 30 seconds. This enables grill enthusiasts to effortlessly achieve restaurant-quality steaks with beautiful sear marks and perfectly cooked interiors, offering precise control over cooking temperatures and enhancing cooking versatility.
Ample Cooking Space, Rotisserie Kit, and Assembly
The Napoleon Prestige 500 RSIB offers a spacious 500 square inches of primary cooking space, making it perfect for hosting large gatherings or family cookouts. The included rotisserie kit adds versatility to your grilling options. However, it's worth noting that assembly may be challenging for some users, requiring dedicated time and patience to ensure all components are correctly put together for optimal grill performance.
Uneven Heat Distribution
Some users have reported concerns about uneven heat distribution across the grilling surface, potentially affecting cooking results. This could be a consideration for those who prioritize consistent heat when preparing various dishes. Experimenting with cooking techniques and item placement on the grill may help mitigate the impact of uneven heat distribution and achieve desired cooking outcomes.
Char-Broil Performance 3-Burner Gas Grill
The Char-Broil Performance 3-Burner Gas Grill is a feature-packed option that's accessory-ready, enhancing its cooking versatility. It comes with a lid-mounted temperature gauge, simplifying the monitoring of your grill's internal temperature. The folding stainless steel side shelves, Gear Trax enabled for customization options with separately sold accessories, offer extra workspace. The grill features porcelain-coated cast-iron grates, ensuring heat retention and resistance to rust. Its simplified design incorporates standardized hardware for quick and easy assembly.
Efficient Stainless Steel Burners
The Char-Broil Performance 3-Burner Gas Grill is equipped with highly efficient stainless steel burners that play a crucial role in ensuring even heat distribution across the cooking surface. This means that whether you're searing steaks or slow-cooking delicate foods, you can count on consistent cooking results, eliminating the frustration of hot spots or unevenly cooked dishes.
Compact and Space-Saving
This grill's compact and space-saving design is a standout feature for those with limited outdoor space. The folding stainless steel side shelves are not only a practical addition for food prep and storage but also Gear Trax enabled, providing opportunities for customization with separately sold accessories. This design allows you to maximize your grilling area while maintaining a compact footprint, making it ideal for smaller patios or decks.
Convenient Temperature Monitoring
The inclusion of a lid-mounted temperature gauge is a thoughtful addition to the Char-Broil Performance Grill. This gauge simplifies the cooking process by allowing you to easily monitor the grill's internal temperature. With precise temperature control, you can achieve consistent and perfectly cooked meals, whether you're grilling burgers, roasting poultry, or smoking ribs.
Excellent Heat Retention
The grill's porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are a key feature contributing to its excellent heat retention and rust resistance. These grates not only help retain heat efficiently but also ensure even heat distribution, resulting in consistent cooking performance. This feature is essential for achieving those coveted grill marks, searing meats to perfection, and keeping food tender and flavorful.
Battery-Powered Ignition System
One consideration to keep in mind is the grill's battery-powered ignition system. While it simplifies the process of starting the grill, some users have reported that it may require frequent battery replacements, which can add to the operational cost over time. Ensuring you have spare batteries on hand is advisable to avoid interruptions during your grilling sessions.
Buying Guide
When it comes to choosing the best natural gas grill for your outdoor cooking, several key factors come into play. Here, we'll delve into these crucial aspects, along with insights on how they differ from charcoal grills, for a comprehensive grilling buying guide.
Size and Cooking Area
Size matters when selecting a grill, as it directly affects your grilling capacity. For larger gatherings and parties, opting for a spacious grill is ideal, allowing you to cater to a significant number of guests simultaneously. On the other hand, if you have limited patio space or cook for a smaller family, a compact grill may be a more practical choice.
Burners and Heat Control
The number of burners in a natural gas grill significantly impacts your grilling experience, providing better heat distribution and precise temperature control. Multiple burners or adjustable grates in gas grills enable you to create different cooking zones, allowing you to simultaneously cook various foods at varying temperatures—a feature not typically found in charcoal grills.
Heat Output and Efficiency
Heat output, measured in BTUs (British Thermal Units), is a vital consideration for natural gas grills, with higher BTUs resulting in faster and more efficient cooking. In contrast, charcoal grills depend on your skill in controlling the airflow and heat distribution within the grill chamber for heat efficiency.
Build Quality and Materials
The durability and construction materials of your grill play a significant role in its longevity and performance. Stainless steel and cast aluminum are renowned for their durability and resistance to corrosion, making them reliable choices for gas grill construction. When it comes to grill grates, materials such as cast iron are preferred for their heat retention and searing capabilities.
Additional Features and Accessories
Modern natural gas grills often come equipped with various extra features and accessories that enhance the grilling experience. These can include side burners for sauce preparation, rotisserie kits for roasting, and smoke boxes for adding flavor. Additionally, a built-in thermometer is a valuable feature that helps monitor cooking temperatures, ensuring your dishes are perfectly grilled.
By carefully weighing these considerations, you can make an informed decision when selecting the ideal natural gas grill for your specific needs. Prioritize your requirements, focus on critical aspects, and feel confident in your grill selection, whether it's gas or charcoal.
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Selecting the Ideal Natural Gas Grill
Natural gas grills represent a fantastic addition to any outdoor cooking setup, offering the convenience and efficiency of traditional grilling while utilizing a clean and cost-effective energy source. Whether you're grilling for a small family dinner or hosting large gatherings and parties, these grills offer several advantages, including even heat distribution, precise temperature control, and eco-friendliness compared to propane alternatives.
As you explore the top natural gas grills available in the market, remember to consider factors like size, the number of burners, heat output, build quality, and additional features. While each grill has its unique strengths and considerations, our expert reviews and hands-on testing have helped us narrow down the options to provide you with insights into the best natural gas grills for various needs and preferences.
Now that you have a better understanding of the top contenders in the natural gas grill arena, it's time to make your selection. Whether you prioritize exceptional performance, durability, or additional features, there's a natural gas grill out there to enhance your outdoor cooking experience. So, fire up your grill and get ready to savor delicious, perfectly grilled dishes in the comfort of your own backyard. Upgrade your grilling game today and experience the joy of outdoor cooking at its finest!
