There is a common notion that if you want a good gas grill or any grill for that matter, you need to spend plenty of money on it. However, while premium quality materials are costlier, there’s no denying that finding the best grills under 500 is not as impossible as it may seem.
While you can find the best budget gas grill, there’s no denying that it takes some time and research. So in order to save you from all the hustle and bustle of going through hundreds of options in the market, we’ve decided to investigate this issue ourselves. And based on our findings, we’ve created our gas grills under $500 reviews. Here we wish to share with you all our knowledge and findings so that you could find only the best gas grills under $500 2023.
Top 7 Best Gas Grills Under $500: Comparison Chart
| Gas Type | Cooking Area | Number of Burners | Total BTU | Dimensions | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber 49010001 Spirit II E-310 | Natural gas | 450 sq. in. | 3 | 30000 | 52 x 26 x 57 inches | 110 pounds |
| Cuisinart CGG-180TS | Liquid propane | 145 sq. in. | 1 | 5500 | 18.5 x 16 x 11.5 inches | 12 pounds |
| Coleman RoadTrip 285 | Liquid propane | 285 sq. in. | 3 | 20000 | 30.25 x 19.19 x 16.13 inches | 46.7 pounds |
| Fuego F21C-H | Liquid propane | 346 sq. in | 1 | 22000 | 21 x 21 x 46 inches | 72.2 pounds |
| Char-Broil 463377319 | Liquid propane | 425 sq. in. | 4 | 36000 | 50.4 x 24.5 x 45 inches | 85 pounds |
| MASTER COOK | Liquid propane | 472 sq. in. | 3 | 30000 | 46.46 x 20.87 x 41.14 inches | 48.9 pounds |
| Royal Gourmet GB8000 | Liquid propane | 950 sq. in. | 8 | 104000 | 90.6 x 24.2 x 38.2 inches | 117 pounds |
Gas Grills Benefits Over Charcoal Models
Gas grills are a must if you love cooking. With their help, you can experiment with authentic dishes and have wonderfully cooked meat for dinner.
Moreover, gas grills are the smoke-less and energy-efficient replacement for charcoal grills, since the former does not need direct.
All the best gas grills under 500 have several other advantages:
- Cleaner fuel: Gas grills use propane or natural gas as fuel. These do not produce smoke or consume natural resources like wood or charcoal.
- Convenient to use: With gas grills, you just have to turn on the gas, and you’re free to cook. No need to ignite the fire, make it reach optimum temperature, control the amount of smoke, and also keep a tab on the meat to prevent over-cooking.
- Safe and convenient: Gas grills pose no fire hazard if used properly. They are also really portable and stationary.
- Inexpensive: You only purchase the gas grill once, and from that point can just use the gas from the domestic supply line as the source of fuel. Meanwhile, a charcoal grill will require you to constantly buy the source of fuel, making it more expensive in the long run.
- Customizable grill: You can customize your gas grill with different types of burners, accessories, and BTU configuration.
Choosing the Best Gas Grill under $500: What to Consider?
Now, in order to choose only the best from some top rated gas grills under $500, you need to keep in mind several important aspects:
Fuel type: Natural Gas Vs Propane
Both natural gas and propane are clean fuel options. That is why all the top gas grill manufacturers use either one of them as fuel.
However, when you want to choose the best gas grill for the money, you need to understand the major differences between these types of fuel:
- Fuel type: Both natural gas and propane are fossil fuels. However, when released into the atmosphere, natural gas causes a greenhouse effect and harms the environment. Meanwhile, propane has very low toxicity and it also produces 30-90% less CO into the atmosphere upon burning. Still, both gases show similar behavior upon burning.
- Energy efficiency: The energy efficiency of a fuel is measured in BTU or British Thermal Units. A cubic foot of natural gas contains about 1,030 BTU while a cubic foot of propane contains 2,516 BTU. So, propane contains 2.44 times more usable energy than natural gas.
- Safety: Natural gas dissipates quicker than propane. It also has a distinctive smell. So if there is some gas leakage, you will detect it sooner than the propane gas leak. Thus, natural gas grills are safer to use.
- Cost: Propane has higher BTU than natural gas and this directly affects the cost. Meanwhile, propane is cheaper than natural gas.
- House fuel fittings: If you have the natural gas supply for your home, switching to propane can be rather expensive. So, while you look for cheap gas grills, you need to pay attention to which gas fitting you have in your home.
Size & Portability
When thinking about the size and portability you want your gas grill under 500 to have – consider your lifestyle and preferences. So if you cook for larger groups or just love bigger meals – consider getting a larger grill.
As for portability, you need to choose portable grills if you love to camp and that’s where most of your BBQ sessions happen.
Portable grills can come with wheels under their tall legs or just tabletops with handles. And, of course, they need to be lightweight, so you can have an easier time carrying the grill.
Cooking Area
The grill’s cooking area should be large enough to meet your requirements. Do you have enough space on your cooktop and garden/patio to accommodate a big grill? If not, go for smaller and portable variants.
BTU
BTU indicates how fast your grill heats up. But, it’s not an ideal way to determine heating efficiency. Instead, you should focus on heat flux.
Heat flux for BTU/sq.inch = total BTU of primary burners ÷ size of main cooking area
Extra Features & Accessories
It’s always better to look for the best inexpensive gas grill with some extra features and accessories. They will help for a better cooking experience.
The most popular and useful extra features are:
- Side burner
- Electronic ignition
- Warming rack
- Porcelain-coated cast iron cooking grates
- Modular structure
- Temperature gauge
- An infrared cooking system in some grills
- Smoker attachment
- Side shelves
- Stainless steel top etc.
Cleaning & Maintaining Your Gas Grill: Useful Tips
Even the best gas grill under 500 needs proper maintenance. So make sure to take good care of it, and it will serve you well for years to come:
- Clean the grates with a soft brush and warm detergent water before and after every use.
- Clean the burners with grease remover after 3-4 uses.
- Keep checking the burners for blockage.
- Keep the drip tray and catch pan free from grease and soot.
- Check the grill regularly for gas leakage. Prepare an 80:20 mixture of water and dish soap. Spray it over the gas valve, hose, and regulator. Air leakage will lead to bubble formation, so you can detect the spot.
FAQ
Can a Propane Grill Use Natural Gas?
Some best gas grills under $500 have a dual-fuel system. That means that you can use both fuels in them. However, if your grill does not have such a feature, you can get a conversion kit.
How Long Should a Gas Grill Last?
According to a lot of gas grill reviews from users, these models last 2-3 years. However proper maintenance extends the life expectancy of a gas grill.
What Are the Best Gas Grill Brands?
The best propane grills under 500 are:
- Weber Spirit
- Monument grills
- Char-Broil Performance series
The best natural gas grills under 500 are:
- Weber Spirit
- Napoleon grills
- Broil King
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The most important thing you need to keep in mind before choosing the best gas grills under $500 is to understand what type of fuel you wish to use. From that point on think about the purpose of this device – are you planning to purchase the best gas grill under $500 so you could cook for yourself, or a big company? How big of a meal do you need? Of course, consider whether you plan to move the grill around or not.
Finally, it would be very useful to check some gas grill ratings from users.
All and all, we sincerely hope that our review will help you find only the best gas grill under $500 2023! So best of luck, and don’t hesitate to share with us if you have some of your own tips and recommendations on how to choose the best gas grill. We would be happy to hear from you!
