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With hundreds of seemingly similar barbecues on the market, finding the best gas BBQ is no easy task. Why are they so popular? While traditionalists will tell you that barbecuing can only be done over charcoal or aromatic wood, there are several reasons why gas is king.
Though gas barbecues tend to be more expensive than charcoal BBQs (the ones we reviewed varied in price from £300 to nearly £2,000), they are more convenient once assembled, lighting up quickly and easily with no fuss. There’s no fiddling about trying to get the coals going. You’ll also reach cooking temperature much faster and maintain an even heat distribution with no expertise required.
As added bonuses, gas canisters can last a long time – so you’re not likely to run out during a cooking session – and cleaning is much easier when all is done and dusted. All that said, there’s so much variation that it can be tricky to choose the best gas BBQ for you. To help you out, we’ve reviewed four of the best gas BBQs below from brands including Weber and Landmann. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick overview:
Which is the best gas BBQ for 2024?
How does a gas BBQ work?
Gas grills use propane or natural gas, usually from a canister plugged into the BBQ, similar to the gas that powers a patio heater. You can then regulate the amount of gas used to fuel the fire, and spark it up with a flame. Though gas barbecues take less time to heat up, you should still make sure you preheat them – 10 to 15 minutes will do. This will allow the grill to heat, helping you get those grill marks, as well as preventing food from sticking.
But is the final product as tasty?
While some claim a lack of smoky goodness, gas, particularly for slow cooking, provides much easier control, which is crucial for slow cooking. Charcoal does provide more smoke than gas, but you’ll still get smoke from those fatty meat drippings with a gas BBQ. Gas provides more steam than charcoal, which many say keeps the meat moister, though potentially less crisp. Of course, neither option would greatly affect the intensity of your BBQ sauce of choice – that’s your marination method.
How we tested the best gas BBQs
The BBQs below have been tested by a number of The Telegraph’s lifestyle writers, all BBQ aficionados, with a number of cuts of meat, vegetables and even salads. They were looking for the effectiveness of the BBQ burners (and how many there are), the size of the grill cooking area, whether side shelves can be collapsed and the heat distribution across the entire grill. In terms of materials, they wanted cast aluminium or stainless steel bodies with a heavy lid to show quality and cast iron grates. There also had to be a decent fat drainage system in place, away from the gas source.
Here is what our lifestyle writers found, starting with their favourite. (And for other ways to cook outside, read our guides to the best portable BBQs and pizza ovens.)
The best gas BBQs
1. Weber Genesis EPX-335
Best gas BBQ overall, 10/10
We like: the completely intuitive cooking
We don’t like: it takes a good couple of hours to put together
