Summers won’t be complete without backyard barbecues, so investing in a good-quality natural gas bbq grill is a must. Whether you’re looking for a replacement or your very first gas grill, this article is for you. We’ve compiled 12 of the best natural gas grills that fit every budget and needs.
Natural gas grilles are great alternatives to propane grills for different reasons. They’re more convenient, eco-friendly, and cheaper in the long term. If you already have natural gas piped directly to your home, check out these best natural gas barbecue grills from Weber, Lion Premium Grills, Napoleon, Barbeques Galore, and Bull Outdoor Products.
Table of Contents
Best Natural Gas Grills Review
Weber 47510001 Spirit E310
The Weber 47510001 Spirit E310 natural gas outdoor grill is great for entertaining a small group of people. Use it for grilling and cooking just about anything, from burgers to tenderloins to a mouth-watering chocolate cake. No steep learning curve involved.
This stainless steel natural gas grill measures 32 x 52 x 63 inches (L x W x H). It has 105 square inches of warming rack and 424 square inches of primary cooking space for a total cooking area of 529 square inches. It’s big enough to cook a 20-pound turkey, vegetables, and other meats at the same time, without problems.
Equipped with 3 burners, this natural gas grill can produce 32,000 BTUs. Weber’s Electronic Crossover ignition system makes sure it lights up fast on your first try, every single time.
The porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates provide equal heat distribution for evenly cooked food. It also uses Flavorizer Bars to significantly cut down flare ups and give that “cooked on a grill or open fire” flavor to your food.
Other features of the Weber 47510001 Spirit E310 include:
- Front-mounted, built-in lid thermometer
- Painted (black) stainless steel door
- Stainless steel side tables
- Porcelain-enameled lid
- Infinite control burner valves
- Front-facing drip pan and grease tray
Pros:
- Doesn’t involve any learning curve
- Relatively easy to put together
- Heats up fast, with good temperature control
- Can compete with more expensive gas grills
Cons:
- Could have used heavier and more robust parts
- May not last for many years (depends on how you use and care for it)
Lion Premium Grills 90823 40″ Natural Gas Grill
The Lion Premium Grills 90823 40″ Natural Gas Grill is made from durable and easy-to-clean 304, 16-gauge stainless steel. The double stainless-steel design helps reduce heat loss from the cooking chamber. Inside, it has lights to make it easier for you to see the grilling surface at night.
It has plenty of great features for cooking for a large crowd. It’s equipped with five burners that can deliver up to 90,000 BTUs, plus an infrared rotisserie burner that allows it to evenly cook thick cuts of meat fast. The six Lion Quick Lite valves keep the flame at a steady temperature to prevent charring and drying your food.
With 1,030 square inches of surface area, having enough cooking space is the least of your worries with this natural gas grill. It also comes with an adjustable warming rack to add more area for warming or grilling foods that need more time to cook.
Pros:
- Offers plenty of great features
- Suitable for slow cooking
- Good-quality and works fantastic
- Has plenty of cooking space
Cons:
- Only has a high and low heat setting
- Doesn’t distribute heat evenly
Weber 49010001 Spirit II E-310 3-Burner
The Weber Spirit II E-310 is a three-burner natural gas grill. Like the Weber 47510001 Spirit E310, it has a total cooking space of 529 square inches. It has six hooks for your grilling and barbecue utensils and side tables for your serving trays.
You don’t need to own a Genesis II grill to experience Weber’s Grilling System 4 (GS4). The Spirit II E-310 is now sporting the GS4 grilling system, which consists of four components:
Infinity™ Ignition – This ensures that starting up the fire is a fast and easy process for you. It also allows you to fine-tune the overall temperature with a single control.
Stainless -Steel Burners – The burners are made from 304-gauge stainless steel that are resistant to clogging and rusting. The redesigned burners include tapered tubes for even heat distribution and consistent flame, resulting in perfectly grilled food every single time.
Flavorizer® Bars – These don’t just add more smoky flavor to your food. They also have extra openings to allow more air to flow into the burner tubes, which causes the flame to burn hotter.
Grease Management System – From the burners, the grease is funneled directly to the center of the grill, and then to a removable drip tray.
Pros:
- Even heat distribution allows food to cook evenly
- Can maintain steady temperature, even if it’s a little windy
- Heats up to high temperatures fast
- Comes with the accessories needed for installation
Cons:
- Inconvenient to move around
- May require hours of assembly due to unlabeled parts
Weber 66001001 Genesis II S-310 Natural Gas 3-Burner
If you want a slightly larger grilling surface, the Weber 66001001 Genesis II S-310 might be a better option for you. It has 669 square inches of cooking surface, including the Tuck-Away™ warming rack.
There’s plenty of storage space in this grill for your essential grilling utensils and accessories. You can hang your tongs, spatula, and grill brush, on the hooks or place them on the open shelving underneath the drip tray.
This natural gas patio grill can produce up to 39,000 BTUs. It’s also equipped with the Grilling System 4 (Infinity™ Ignition, Flavorizer® Bars, Grease Management System, and stainless-steel burners) to help make grilling an enjoyable experience for you.
Pros:
- Great temperature control and heat distribution
- Fast ignition of burners
- A sturdy and good-looking natural gas grill
- Grates require minimal effort to clean
Cons:
- Missing parts and burner issues
- May have to store indoors because of animals getting into it
Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB
The four-burner Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB is a solidly built stainless-steel natural gas barbeque grill. If you want a natural gas burner that has the capabilities of a full-blown outdoor kitchen, this is a good option for you.
The main cooking surface measures 500 square inches. That’s big enough to grill 31 burgers at the same time! If you need to cook eight more burgers, you have the side burner (140 square inches) at your disposal. You can also use the grill’s warming rack (260 square inches) to warm or toast your burger buns.
The JETFIRE™ ignition system puts one ignition and valve system into a single component to make startups easy. When you turn the knob to the “on” position, it initiates the introduction of gas and sparking at the burner at the same time.
The Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB also comes with the infrared SIZZLE ZONE™ burner, which uses shortwave-infrared energy to produce intense heat fast (up to 1,800 degrees in half a minute). When this intense heat is directed above the SIZZLE ZONE™, the cooking grids create great grill marks on your food.
It’s also equipped with other convenient and safety features. One of them is the SafetyGlow control knobs, which turn red from blue to indicate if the gas is on.
Dimensions:
- Height: 50.25 inches or 57 inches (with lid open)
- Width: 66.25 inches or 53.75 inches (with shelves down)
- Depth: 26.50 inches
- Cooking Area: 17.75 x 28 inches
Pros:
- Fires up and gets hot fast
- Grills and cooks anything you throw at it—rotisserie chicken, pizza, steak, etc.
- Relatively simple to put together
- A well-made natural gas grill
Cons:
- Has a tendency to burn fatty food, like steaks and chicken wings
- Would’ve been great if the handles were stainless steel, not plastic
Napoleon PRO825RSBINSS-3 Prestige PRO 825 RSBI
Compared to the Napoleon P500RSIBNSS-3 Prestige 500 RSIB, the Napoleon PRO825RSBINSS-3 Prestige PRO 825 RSBI has a wider cooking surface. It has a total cooking surface of 18 x 28.25 inches and 18 x 18.25 inches, which is enough to cook 51 burgers at once. You can also use the integrated ice bucket and side shelf as a drinking station.
Hosting a backyard barbecue at night is more fun and convenient, thanks to its many cool features. It has the LED Spectrum NIGHT LIGHT™ Control Knobs, which are capable of changing to different colors. Remember: the color red tells you that you left the gas on. The grill also reacts whenever you’re around by projecting a “Napoleon” logo on the ground.
The Napoleon PRO825RSBINSS-3 Prestige PRO 825 RSBI won’t just make distinctive sear marks on your food. It has a built-in wood chips smoker tray to give meat that natural smoked flavor that’s usually difficult to replicate with gas grills.
Pros:
- Cooks any food evenly
- Has many cool features, like interior lights and backlit control knobs
- Superior quality, as expected from a natural gas grill in this price range
- Easy to clean steel grates
Cons:
- Takes time to assemble
- Seems to cook food properly if you use three burners instead of two
Weber 47510001 Spirit E310
The main burners of the Weber 47510001 Spirit E310 produce 32,000 BTUs across 529 square inches of cooking surface. It’s the perfect size for hosting a backyard barbecue for friends and family.
The Weber 47510001 Spirit E310 has porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grates. This means you get a highly hot cooking surface and restaurant-quality sear marks, without the maintenance of raw cast iron . It also comes with a porcelain-enameled lid that has good heat retention and built-in thermometer.
Dimensions and Specifications:
- Lid Open: 63 x 52 x 32 inches (H x W x D)
- Lid Closed: 45.5 x 52 x 24 inches (H x W x D)
- Primary Cooking Surface: 424 square inches
- Warming Rack Area: 105 square inches
- Stainless-Steel Burners: 3
Pros:
- Great lighting and temperature controls
- Works generally well and would last a long time (with proper use and maintenance)
- Quickly heats up to 400 degrees
- Cooks food evenly
Cons:
- Lots of parts and accessories to put together
- Grill side tables easily fold down
Napoleon BIP500RBNSS-3 Built-in Prestige 500 RB
The Napoleon BIP500RBNSS-3 Built-in Prestige 500 RB is a great addition to any outdoor kitchen. Made from high-quality stainless steel, it’s built to the standards you expect from a Napoleon gas grill.
It comes with the 7.5-millimeter thick WAVE™ Cooking Grid. The unique wave design provides even heat distribution and prevents your food from falling into the grill.
The Napoleon Prestige® Series 500 natural gas grill has four stainless-steel burners that produce up to 66,000 BTUs. The infrared rotisserie burner allows a backyard chef like you to expand your culinary repertoire and slow cook your choice of thick meat, vegetables, and fruits, without the extensive pre-heating.
Your safety and convenience are Napoleon’s priority. With their NIGHT LIGHT™ control knobs with SafetyGlow, you’ll know exactly if you left the gas on or which burners are lit through the light changes on the knob.
It’s also equipped with the Lift Ease™ Centre-Gravity Roll Top Lid. This balanced lid allows you to lift it with ease, while avoiding extending it past the back of the grill to save space.
Dimensions:
- Height: 22.25 inches
- Width: 32.50 inches
- Depth: 25.50 inches
- Cooking Area: 17.75 x 28 inches
Pros:
- A sturdy grill with good heat retention
- Easy to operate
- Looks and cooks great
- Has fun features, like the LED lights
Cons:
- Chrome-plated, not stainless-steel warming rack
- Poorly written instruction manual
Barbeques Galore Turbo 32-inch 4-Burner Built-in BBQ Gas Grill
The Barbeques Galore Turbo 32-inch 4-Burner Built-in BBQ Gas Grill has a total cooking and grilling surface of 740 square inches and can deliver up to 48,000 BTUs of heat. That’s enough cooking area to grill more than 25 burgers for your family and a medium crowd.
For the price, we expected it to be built from 304-gauge stainless steel, not 430-gauge stainless steel. But overall, it seems to work as promised. It has everything you need from a natural gas grill in its price range and category—built-in temperature gauge, side burners, interior halogen lighting, built-in ignition system, cabinets, and other essential accessories.
Note: A rotisserie kit is available for this model, but it’s sold separately.
Dimensions and Weight:
- Height: 22.6 inches
- Width: 32.5 inches
- Depth: 25 inches
- Weight: 151 pounds
Pros:
- Fits into most kitchen islands well
- Features a simple and sleek design
- Easy to use
- Grills food well and fast
Cons:
- Markings on the control knobs wear out quickly
- Poor heat distribution that results to cold spots
Bull Outdoor Products 26039 Natural Gas Outlaw Drop-In Grill Head
The Bull Outdoor Products 26039 Natural Gas Outlaw Drop-In Grill Head is a good option for those who aren’t looking for a natural gas grill with all the bells and whistles. One of its outstanding features is Bull Outdoor Products’ newest technology, the ReliaBULL Technology. They created this to remove cold spots and enhance heat dispersion by up to 50%.
It’s equipped with four porcelain-coated burners, each rated at 15,000 BTUs. With a total cooking surface of 810 square inches and a warming rack of 210 square inches, you can grill as many as 30 plus burgers all at once.
Dimensions:
Unit: 32.25 x 24.12 x 21.25 inches (W x D x H)
Cooking Grid: 30 x 19 inches
Pros:
- Built to last for years
- Gets hot within a minute or two, even with the lid open
- Can maintain consistent temperature
- Has an attractive, easy-to-clean construction
Cons:
- Not included: smoker box and flex line
- Comes with cast iron cooking grates (personal preference)
Lion Premium Grills L75623 32″
This built-in natural gas grill from Lion showcases outstanding craftsmanship and quality. Lion Premium Grills used commercial-grade, 304-gauge stainless steel for constructing the frame and housing, so they can withstand almost all extreme weather conditions.
Even though it’s one of the most affordable natural gas grills (if compared with other grills with similar features), it’s still full of standout features. That includes a generous cooking surface of 830 square inches, which can grill as much as 40 regular size burgers at 75,000 total BTUs.
Porcelain-coated, cast iron grills are great at retaining heat. The downside is they tend to corrode and rust after a while. The Lion Premium Grills L75623 32″ doesn’t face the same problem because its cooking grates are made of commercial-grade stainless steel that’s highly resistant to corrosion and rust.
This natural gas grill comes with Lion Premium Grills’ starter kit or the “Gourmet Package.” The package includes the following items:
- Griddle
- Griddle remover with a bottle opener
- Smoker box
- Infrared rotisserie back burner
- Grill cover
Dimensions and Weight:
- Unit: 24.25 x 32 x 21.5 inches (L x W x H)
- Weight: 170 pounds
Pros:
- Outstanding craftsmanship and solid construction
- Requires little maintenance
- Easy to install and clean
- Made of real thick stainless steel
Cons:
- Needs experimentation with the settings to get the right temperature you like
- May receive a unit with missing parts, like the heat shields
Weber Summit S-460 Built-In Natural Gas in Stainless Steel Grill
The Weber Summit S-460 Built-In Natural Gas in Stainless Steel Grill is a perfect option for people who like to cook for a large crowd. It has a total cooking area of 580 square inches: 112 square inches for the warming rack and 468 square inches for the main cooking area. For perspective, that’s enough space to grill over 24 burgers at once.
With four burners at its disposal, it’s easier to create multiple zones in the cooking area to have better control of the grill’s temperature. The burners produce up to 48,800 BTUs, with the sear burner producing 10,600 BTUs and 6,800 BTUs for the smoker burner.
One of the outstanding features of the S-460 is its SlideFrame Design. This design makes installation, cleaning, and repair a lot easier because it can roll in and out of place with ease.
Dimensions:
- Lid Open: 58 x 34 x 31 inches (H x W x D)
- Lid Closed: 50.5 x 34 x 31 inches (H x W x D)
Pros:
- Features the Weber SlideFrame Design, which makes installation and servicing easy
- Less expensive compared to other built-in grills in its category
- Works great
- Easier to find replacement parts in the years to come
Cons:
- Made from lower grade stainless steel that’s a little harder to clean
- Poorly constructed smoker box
How to Choose Good Natural Gas Grills
Purchasing a big ticket item like grills that use natural gas can be confusing and stressful. After all, it costs more upfront than a propane gas grill. You really need to take your time to pick one that would best fit your needs.
So, here are a few things to think about to narrow down your options for the best natural gas bbq grill for you.
Your Price Tolerance
As what everyone says, you get what you’re willing to pay for. This seems obvious, but it’s not always easy to find a natural gas grill that’s both affordable and high quality.
The grill itself is usually priced higher than propane gas grills. On average, the starting price of a basic natural gas grill is approximately $250, according to ImproveNet.
In addition, you also need to include the costs of installing a natural gas line in your backyard—that is, if your home doesn’t already have one. Based on HomeAdvisor’s data, installing a natural gas grill would cost anywhere from $200 to $400. If you’re seeking a high-end installation, you could spend up to $800 or more.
Why is it more expensive to install natural gas grills than propane grills? The reason is the unit usually uses a longer hose and quick-connect fitting compared to a propane unit.
However, you don’t always need to buy a natural gas grill. You can actually power your propane grill with natural gas by simply using a conversion kit, which can cost less than $100.
Note: Your unit should be capable to run on both propane and natural gas. So, make sure you read your owner’s manual before turning your propane gas grill into a natural gas grill.
Despite its higher upfront costs, natural gas grills are still the more affordable options than grills using other fuel types, like propane. The cost of running them is relatively lower than electric or propane grills. Plus, natural gas is less harmful to the environment because it burns much cleaner than propane.
Grill Size
Grill size refers to two components of the grill: cooking surface and burners. This is really important to think about because it determines how much and the types of food you can grill at one time.
Think about these:
- How much space do you have for the grill?
- How many people do you usually invite to your backyard barbecue parties?
- What foods do you love to grill? Will you mostly be grilling a few burgers, baby back ribs, or a whole turkey?
Most manufacturers measure the cooking surface area by square inches. Be careful, though. They may list the total cooking area of the grill, which already includes the surface area of the warming rack and side burners.
If you plan to grill a couple of hot dogs and hamburgers during some weekends, a natural gas grill with 360-square-inch of cooking space is often enough. If you expect to grill over 20 burgers at a time, choose a unit with at least 450 square inches of cooking space.
Remember: Don’t crowd the grill. A good rule of thumb is to leave at least one inch (or more) of space between the items you’re cooking and one inch of head space between the cooking grate and the inside of the grill lid.
Aside from the cooking surface area, you also need to consider the number of burners. You want a natural gas grill that has at least two burners if you’re only going to grill food for your family or friends. For barbecue enthusiasts, a three-burner grill is a great option for a medium-sized crowd. For larger families or large-sized parties, you need a grill with four or more burners.
Temperature Control
Getting the right temperature in your grill is one of the most important steps to cooking your favorite dishes to perfection. That’s why it’s important to find a natural gas grill that allows you to create “zones” with different levels of heat: medium, medium high, and high.
Each type of food requires a specific and precise temperature in order to cook properly. For instance, high heat (450ºF and above) is best for grilling thick beef cuts, chicken, kabobs, turkey, and seared skirt steaks. Medium heat (325ºF to 375ºF) is enough to cook fish steaks, sausages, shellfish, and roasts.
How do you know if your grill is hot enough? What can you do to reach and maintain the right temperature inside your grill?
Hint: Don’t depend on the thermometer built into the lid of your grill. It’s not going to give you a precise reading of the temperature inside your grill. It’s more suitable for indirect heat cooking (air circulates around food to allow even heat distribution), which means it measures only the temperature near the topmost part of the hood or dome.
There are different ways to take control over the temperature inside your natural gas grill, such as the following:
- Most natural gas outdoor grills on the market have a hood or lid, which you can put down (recommended) to bring up temperature fast or put up to release the heat and slow the cooking process. Make sure the lid can be closed reasonably tight for smoking and to prevent heat from escaping.
- Choose a natural gas grill with more than one burner, so you can create different zones for high-heat cooking and slow, low-heat cooking.
- If you don’t want to be bothered with this constant attention to grill temperature, there’s a wide range of premium and luxury natural gas grills that come with automatic temperature controls that you could choose from.
Type and Quality of Materials
The type, thickness, and quality of the material will ultimately dictate the longevity of the grill. The body of most natural gas grills are made from stainless steel, cast aluminum, and porcelain-coated steel.
Each material has its pros and cons. Make sure to take the time to review them.
Stainless Steel is available in different grades: 304, 316, 316L, 443, and 430. The 304-gauge stainless steel, also commonly referred to as commercial-grade stainless steel, is often used for making gas grills because it offers the most protection against rust. Budget gas grills are usually built with low-quality 430-gauge stainless steel.
Cast aluminum is one of the best materials because it doesn’t rust. If you live near a beach, look for a gas grill made from this material.
Porcelain-coated steel is the least expensive material among the three. The great thing about it is it prevents food from sticking to your grill grates. The downside is it rusts quickly if its exterior coating chips or wears off.
Features You’ll Use
As you’d expect, the more features an outdoor natural gas grill has, the more money it costs. There’s really nothing wrong with choosing a basic model, especially if you don’t really do much backyard barbecuing. However, if you want to enhance your grilling experience, it pays to have a grill with additional innovative and helpful features.
Natural gas grills nowadays come with a ton of extra features and accessories, from a warming rack to side burners to push-button ignition. Some Weber gas grills are capable of monitoring the internal temperature of the food you’re cooking through the iGrill system app. Gas grills from other brands even allow you to remotely regulate and set the temperature through an app.
Conclusion
We hope this article gave you a good idea of some of the best natural gas bbq grills that you could consider when you’re ready to shop for a new unit. If you’re still struggling with choosing the best natural gas barbecue grill for your home, think about these things:
- What’s your purpose for buying one?
- How are you going to use it?
- Where’s the exact location you’re going to place it (Will it be totally exposed to the harsh weather elements, or will you be storing it in an enclosed space when not in use?)
- And as we mentioned, determine your budget.